It owns a large port silos terminal, with the capacity to unload over 2000 tonnes per hectares. The company is also known for its expertise in vegetable oil production, quality product, high mechanical capacity and the competitive market price it places on its product. 

Cevital currently leads the exportation of sugar, margarine, and oils in Algeria. As of 2015, Cevital exported over 500,000 tonnes of white sugar to the European Economic Community. It has also exported about 3 million tonnes of sugar to 40 other countries.

See also: Personality of the Week: Cynthia Mosunmola Umoru

Although Cevital has its base in North Africa, the company’s products are currently sold in West Africa, Middle East, Maghreb, and European Market. 

Cevital’s profit turnover is worth $3.5 billion and has a client base of companies like Coca-Cola, Kraft food, Danone, Ferrero, Barry Callebaut, etc.

Cevital Agro Industrie is a subsidiary of Cevital Food Company, founded in 1998 by Isaad Rebrab, the current CEO. The mindset of think big, start small and move fast spurred the expansion of Cevital Food Company to over 8 countries and global markets.

Isaad also has the habit of purchasing smaller companies and transforming them into powerhouses for commercial production. This results in employment opportunities, economic boom and serves as a means of youth empowerment and Corporate Social Responsibility.

The post Agribusiness Spotlight: Cevital Agro Industrie appeared first on MTFC | Meet The Farmers Conference - Nov 2019 - Dubai UAE.

On the 30th of May 2019, instruments of ratification from the 55 countries were submitted to the AU and the AfCFTA entered into force in a meeting held at Niamey, Niger. African leaders have agreed to proceed by 1 July 2019, in hopes to promote continental integration and quicken the industrialization of the continent. The AfCFTA promises to boost trade among African countries by eliminating all tariffs and barriers on export-import relationships. According to the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM Bank), intra-African trade will increase by 52.3% in 2022, under the free trade agreement.

So far, the African Development Bank has signed a $4.8 million institutional support grant to the African Union for the implementation of the AfCFTA project. The grant would be used for the rollout of various protocols relating to the parliamentary processes and structure of the AfCFTA secretariat in Ghana. The implementation of the AfCFTA can expand intra-African trade by up to $35 billion per year and cut importation by $10 billion while easing the movement of goods, services and people across the continent.

AfCFTA has the potential to create the largest free-trade area in the world and increase the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the countries to more than $2.5 trillion. Employment opportunities will be created in the manufacturing, agricultural, transportation, and all sectors directly or indirectly involved in the trade of goods across the continent. The agreement is expected to boost intra-African trade to 33% and at the same time, attract foreign direct investments from developing countries.

Despite the opportunities that the free trade agreement presents, a lot of challenges stand in the way of Africa. The foremost is creating a generally accepted currency for transaction, apart from the US dollar which is in current use. Recently, the ECOWAS announced the launch of ECO, a legal tender soon to be for trading within West African states. The CFA franc is the general currency adopted by the Francophone countries of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Chad, Republic of Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. 

Recently, Flutterwave is currently working with Alibaba to create a payment gateway for Africa-China transactions and Access bank launched AccessAfrica, a payment platform for inter-African payments. There is yet a need for a single payment gateway to facilitate trade between West, East, South, North and Central African States.

To be continued…

The post Is Africa truly ready for the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement? Part 1 appeared first on MTFC | Meet The Farmers Conference - Nov 2019 - Dubai UAE.

See also: Personality of the Week – Peter Awin

Cynthia Mosunmola Umoru oversees the development and operations of a 7000-hectare agribusiness engaged in farming, food production, processing and distribution of a wide range of produce. She is an Ashoka Fellow and Goldman Sachs 10,000 women Scholar. She also served as an ambassador, advocate, and consultant to the Youth Division of African Union Commission.
Honeysuckles produce high-quality products from its farms and ponds.

Cynthia trains and mentors young Nigerian youths that want to venture into agricultural food production through her ABIRA Agricultural Support Initiative. She is also engaging schools, governments, and businesses to recognize the absence of infrastructure to participate in modern agriculture, especially for the youth. Cynthia was recently selected by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

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Our major goal with the media launch was to communicate the vision and objectives of the Conference to the attendees, investors, media and agribusiness stakeholders in Nigeria. The event served as a precursor to the third edition of the event which will hold in November 2019.

Organizer’s Presentation at the Media Launch

Meet the Farmers Conference is our annual agro event where we play host to top agricultural value chain stakeholders, agro exporters and government officials from Africa and the GCC. The conference is an opportunity to connect with large scale agribusiness stakeholders from Africa and the GCC to learn, network and form profitable trade partnerships that will enable them tap into the the region’s food security agenda and proffer long-term solutions.

Cross- section of the Participants at the Media Launch.

The Lagos media launch was graced by our partners, participants, government officials, farmers, industry top stakeholders like, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nigeria Agribusiness Group,  Farmcrowdy Group, Lagos Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Connect Nigeria, FarmKonnect, Farmcenta, Farmfunded and several media bodies, etc.

The event granted the participants the opportunity to learn and understand the goal of the conference and effectively network ahead of the main conference in Dubai, UAE. It also gave them the opportunity to find out means of partaking in the agro-trade relationship between Africa and the Middle East.

Participant speaking at the Launch

The Lagos Media Launch ahead of the Meet the Farmers Conference 2019 is the 6th for the year, having completed similar Official Launch events in Namibia, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Nairobi Kenya, Kigali Rwanda and Accra Ghana. The Abuja lap of the event will hold on Thursday, 9^th August 2019.

We announced that the third edition of Meet the Farmers Conference 2019 will hold at the Marina Hotel, Dubai UAE, on the 27th and 28th of November 2019 with the theme “Creating a Sustainable Future; Food Security| Trade| and Technology.

Registration is still ongoing for attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and partners. Interested? Click here or email mtfc@crenov8.com.

We believe that Africa can feed the world, partner with us to make this a reality!

The post Crenov8 launches Meet the Farmers Conference 2019 in Lagos Nigeria appeared first on MTFC | Meet The Farmers Conference - Nov 2019 - Dubai UAE.

Cross section of attendees at the Official Launch and Media Briefing

Meet the Farmers Conference is our annual event that attracts a large number of Africans involved in the agricultural value chain, government officials and large scale exporters of agro-produce. Now in its third edition, Meet the Farmers Conference is the first of its kind agro conference that converges the Middle East and Africa. We aim to create an avenue for large scale agro commodity stakeholders from Africa and the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) to discuss, liaise, and proffer long-term solutions to food insecurity in the GCC region and to form profitable partnerships.

The Rwandan media launch event was graced by partners, top Agro-stakeholders from Rwanda, government officials, CEPAR, the media and officials from the Eastern African Council. Attendees had the chance to learn, network and find out means of partaking in the agro-trade relationship between Africa and the Middle East. Meet the Farmers Conference 2019 will be preceded by 12 media launches across Africa and the Middle East.

A speaker at the Official Launch and Media Briefing

During the media launch event, it was announced that the 2019 edition of Meet the Farmers Conference is scheduled to take place at the Marina Hotel, Dubai UAE, on the 27th and 28th of November 2019. The event is themed “Creating a Sustainable Future: for Food Security, Trade and Technology.

Attendee speaking during the Media Briefing

Meet the Farmers Conference 2019 media launch Rwanda is the fourth for the year. Our first media launch was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi Kenya on June 14th, 2019. The media launch events are precursory to the Meet the Farmers Conference 2019.
Registration is still ongoing for attendees, sponsors and partners. Interested? Click here to register.

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It’s one thing to have an idea, proceed to build up a business template, do proper research and another to finally run the business. I would have advised you to start with your own money just like others would but, what if all you have is an idea and empty pockets? If you are in that category, then this is for you.

I believe ‘you’ have decided on the type of agribusiness you want to start, planned your business, written out a business plan, done market research before considering funds. If not, please do. Peradventure you have been running your business for a while now but need money to scale your business, these suggestions would be helpful.

Suggestions:

You may not have money, but you have “Valuables”

See also: Investment Opportunities in Africa You Can Tap Into

To access funds for any form of business, the first thing to do is to look within. Ask yourself this question: What valuables do I have? What I term valuables include properties, time, talents, and connections. If you have properties and your desire to start your agribusiness is worth more than these properties, you can lease it (them), sell it (them) or use it as collateral for a loan. Time? There is this common saying in Nigeria – “Time na money” which means, “Time is money”.

Your time can be traded for money. How? Simply take a job and save your earnings. No amount is too small, remember that you are working towards becoming your own boss and make sure to safe. Another valuable is your talent. You can start up a side hustle and that will earn you money. Examples include comedy, freelance writing, gardening, singing, etc. Finally, ask for assistance from family and friends. You can get loans from close connections without providing collateral.

Another way to access funds is to attend events and conferences. Agro events are a good place to meet various stakeholders, farmers and traders. You might even get to pitch your business idea to a ready investor. Who knows? Some of these events are free and advertised online. Network with Agric practitioners and get involved in the growing community.

Finally, apply for agro-based scholarships. Many of these programs offer grants and mentorship opportunities. If you already have an agribusiness, you might be required to provide details on your business and if you don’t, draft out a proposal and pitch deck. Lots of information are available online; all you need do is surf the net. If you really want to fund your agribusiness, the internet is a good place to search.

More on MTFC:

• Africa Free Trade Agreement Gets Final Ratification from Gambia
• MTFC announces 2nd edition of Innov8Agric Challenge to promote Innovation in Agric Entrepreneurship
• Colorado Lawmakers Explore Blockchain Technology in Agriculture
• Wildlife Poaching In Africa
• Farmers Corner: Poultry Farming Business Setup in Africa

The post How to Access Funds for Agribusiness appeared first on MTFC | Meet The Farmers Conference - Nov 2019 - Dubai UAE.

The challenge is a key event during the Meet The Farmer’s Conference and will host young farmers, agripreneurs, Innovators and Enthusiasts in the Agric Value Chain compete for the grand Prize of 5,000USD, an all expense paid trip to Dubai for the Grand Finale, access to follow-on funding amongst other business opportunities.

Focusing on Agriculture and Technology, Crenov8 Consulting, a leading Management Consulting and Digital Firm in Dubai hosts the agribusiness gathering – Meet The Farmers’ Conference (MTFC), now in its third edition. The innovation competition is aimed at promoting innovative ideas for early stage Agric entrepreneurs from all sectors of the agriculture ecosystem who are applying creative and innovative methods to improve the agriculture value chain.

Interested entrepreneurs can apply via: https://mtfc.crenov8.com/innov8-agric.  The selection team made up of successful entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders across Africa will select the best ideas based on innovativeness, originality and viability of the idea/venture.

The programme is open for idea/early stage Agritech start-ups (ventures). Deadline for the application is 30th June.

This year, the pitch competition will hold in 12 African Countries and across 4 main regions viz;

• West Africa:  Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon.
• East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda
• South Africa: South Africa, Angola, and Congo
• North Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia

The regional finale will hold during the regional events across multiple cities with the grand finale holding during the Conference in Dubai on 27^th & 28^th November 2019.

Selected businesses will have the opportunity to exhibit and participate in the regional media events.  Winners will emerge from each region and then go on an All-expense paid to Dubai to participate and exhibit in the MTFC grand finale and pitch for the top prize of 5000USD as well as follow-on funding and investment opportunities. They will also have access to a high worth pool of investors and potential customers at the conference.

Innov8 Agric Challenge is an initiative of the Agri Value Chain Development Conference, Meet The Farmers Conference (MTFC) which will hold across Africa and in Dubai, UAE with the focus on Creating a Sustainable Future.

Register to participate in the conference via https://mtfc.crenov8.com

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In Africa, several government agencies including Bank Of Agriculture, the Commercial Agricultural Development Program, Africa Development Bank of Agriculture, Agricultural Cooperative Societies, World Bank and Cooperative Bodies provide grants and loans to small agro businesses.

The process of accessing grants is quite strenuous and involves a lot of processes such as opening accounts, submission of business plans and proposals and other documentations.  Hence, the need for business owners to explore other options to generate funds.

For any business to successfully thrive, funding is one of the most important factors. Farmers, and other agro-business owners can access agro-funds for businesses at different levels through leveraging on networks and opportunities in Africa and the GCC at the annual Meet The Farmers Conference.

The Meet The Farmers Conference is an avenue for agricultural businesses in Africa, Dubai and UAE to form partnership and network. This will strengthen the international trade ties that exist between Africa and the GCC and create opportunities for farmers and stakeholders to transact. African farmers can pitch their business ideas to world class agro-business juggernauts and acquire business opportunities available in Dubai and the other GCC countries.

The theme of 2019 Meet The Farmers Conference is “Creating A Sustainable Future for Food, Trade and Technology” which resonates the fact that funding is an important aspect for business sustainability. Farmers will find new ways to use technology for better farm practices and learn how to perform effective international trades.

More on MTFC:

• Gracia Farms Looks to Partner with Meet the Farmers Conference for Sustainable Agriculture
• Nigeria’s SmartFarm Wins MTFC Innov8Agric Challenge, Bags Home 5,000USD
• CTA Launches Initiative in Ethiopia to Help 20,000 Farmers Battle Climate Change Effects

The post Leveraging on Meet The Farmers Conference for Agricultural Business Funds appeared first on MTFC | Meet The Farmers Conference - Nov 2019 - Dubai UAE.

The conference which focuses on the promotion of Agriculture, Food Security and on trade facilitation while fostering lucrative Agricultural partnerships between African Agribusinesses and the industry leaders in Dubai.  It also meant to establish and strengthening the international trade ties that exist between Africa and the GCC through agriculture.

The conference began with a Keynote speech by H.E Juma Muhammad Al-Kait, Assistant Under Secretary, Foreign Affairs, Dubai Ministry of Economy followed by an extensive speech on Trade Promotion and Investments between Africa and the UAE by the Chief Executive Hamriyah Free Zone Authority; the largest free zone in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) H.E. Saud Salim.

According to Bola Oyedele, Lead Consultant, Crenov8, “MTFC was borne out of a research that showed that the UAE imports $100billion of Agro produce every year of which African countries have no or little percentage in it, despite having vast resources that could easily support that.”

“The conference was birthed out of the need to consolidate and export Africa Agro produce to the GCC region, which we believe will amass Africa foreign exchange, improve GDP per capita, reduce food waste and improve on the existent ties between the GCC and Africa to mention a few advantages.”

“African countries like Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda and even Nigeria have benefitted immensely from the regional conference held earlier this year and we have set up warehouses and business links for many agribusinesses in the UAE.” She stated.

The dynamic line up of speakers provided insights with hands-on experience pertaining to topical issues in Agriculture, as well as, actionable and practical solutions bordering around Agro-Commodity trading in Dubai. The conference ambience also created for those in attendance, the perfect opportunity to network and foster lucrative Agricultural partnerships between African Agribusinesses and the industry leaders in the UAE.

Some of the Speakers and panelists at the conference include Dr. Donatus Ikechukwu Okonkwo, Chairman, Board of Directors Tetrazzini Agro-Allied, Onyeka Akumah, Co-Founder/CEO Farmcrowdy, Carl Nelson; Chief Operating Officer, Ghana Investment Promotion Council, H.E Samatha Gifty Bukhari, Consul General of the Republic of Ghana to Dubai, Sanjay Sethi; Director Sustainability; Phoenix Group; William Stenhouse of Agility Africa amongst other important stakeholders and dignitaries.

Also as part of the initiative, the organisers also supported AgriTechnology Entrepreneurship in Africa through a new concept titled ’Innov8 Agric Challenge’  which is looking to promote innovative ideas and enterprises that focus on agriculture and help them improve their business operations while providing a platform to showcase their innovation. Same challenge has held in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and then Nigeria with all pitched at the Grand Finale in Dubai.

Smart Farms(link) from Nigeria emerged winner after defeating three other Agri-tech start-ups – Qualitrace from Ghana, AgriQ from Kenya, and Spiderbit, all finalists from the regional conferences who also participated in the pitch.

This year alone, Crenov8 has held editions of the Conference in Ghana on July 4, Kenya on September 21, 2018, and another one in Rwanda on October 5 as well as Nigeria on October 10th.

Meet the Farmers Conference remains the perfect opportunity to network, liaise and build long lasting trade partnerships within Africa and the Middle East.

See More:

• CTA Launches Initiative in Ethiopia to Help 20,000 Farmers Battle Climate Change Effect
• Nigeria’s SmartFarm Wins MTFC Innov8Agric Challenge, Bags Home 5,000USD
• Meet the 4 AgriTech Start-ups Pitching at the MTFC’s Innov8Agric Challenge in Dubai

The post Agribusiness Stakeholders experience The Future of Agribusiness at Meet the Farmers Conference Dubai 2018 appeared first on MTFC | Meet The Farmers Conference - Nov 2019 - Dubai UAE.

Spiderbit pitched .eHaho, an ecommerce platform built to empower agriculture business operations and foster end-to-end information dissemination.

The platform core services are:

1. a) Food market place, which enables the farmer to sell their produce using the platform and also providing flexibility to buyers to locate crops on market.
2. b) Bringing service providers (seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, vet services) closer to the farmers. The platform enables Farmers and countryside agro-dealers can order for inputs from main city, purchased and shipped to their area pickup points.

The start-up was picked based on its innovation, originality, and the viability of its ideas which was vetted by top-notch entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders across Africa.

Spiderbit will now compete for $ 5,000 grant price at the international Meet the Farmers Conference which will hold In Dubai on the 4th – 5th November 2018. It is a two-day conference which includes an all-expense paid trip to Dubai for the Grand Finale of the challenge and an opportunity to get funding, investment opportunities from African and GCC investors, business expansion opportunities and access to experts and mentors in the business of Agriculture.

The innovation challenge is a key event at the Meet The Farmer’s Conference and it’s designed to promote ground-breaking ideas for early stage Agric entrepreneurs from all sectors of the ecosystem using creative and innovative methods to change the landscape of the agriculture value chain in Africa.

The MTFC conference took place at Raddison Blu Hotel, Rwanda on the 5th of October..

Other start-ups that participated in the pitch include: BazaFarms, SMAgri, Agrigo, Spiderbit, and KizaAgriLab.

Qualitrace, a Ghana-based traceability and anti-counterfeiting start-up that uses track and trace technology to authenticate product farm inputs and outputs won the Ghanaian edition of the Innov8Agric Challenge, while AgriQ & Automations of Kenya won the Kenyan edition of the challenge.

MTFC is an initiative of Crenov8, a leading conglomerate consulting & Digital Media firm in the Middle East, Dubai, and Africa.

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