According to the company, the programme which is set to run for two and half-years will benefit a total of 2,000 young agripreneurs and smallholder farmers, particularly women. The scheme will focus on training on good agricultural practices and entrepreneurial skills to produce and supply high quality maize, soybean, rice, cassava, cocoa and coffee.
The programme in Ghana will be implemented by a Ghanaian agribusiness, Sahel Grains and will target 300 young agripreneurs with specialised capacity building and mentoring, who will in turn serve another 49,500 farmers in Northern Ghana.
The scheme which will focus on the maize value chain will increase incomes of the targeted youth agripreneurs and farmers, fifty percent of whom will be female. The trainings will target input and output aggregation; training in improved production and post-harvest management practices accompanied by services such as mechanisation services and crop insurance.
As part of its purpose of “enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future”, Nestlé will provide as part of its contribution, technical support to improve grains quality and strengthen services offered to farmers in upgrading the maize supply chain.
The company will also provide a reliable premium market offtake of the maize by Sahel Grains. It has also committed to purchasing 1,500 MT of Maize and 2,500 MT of Cassava from the youth agripreneurs who will deliver the acceptable quality produce.
About AGRA:
Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led, Africa-based and farmer-centered institution working to put smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming their farming from a solitary struggle to survive to a business that thrives. Working in collaboration with our partners including African governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and civil society AGRA’s work primarily focuses on smallholder farmers – men and women who typically cultivate staple crops on two hectares or less. In the new strategy for 2017-2021, AGRA is supporting 11 African countries and 30 million smallholder farm households (150 million individuals) to increase their incomes and improve their food security. For more information, visit www.agra.org, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube
Nestlé:
Deborah Kwablah, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager at Deborah.Kwablah@gh.nestle.com or Tel. No: +233 20 814 3636
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