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

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The challenge is a part of Meet the Farmers Conference (MTFC), an agro conference organised by Crenov8 Consulting and it is targeted at connecting small and large scale agro commodity producers to buyers and investors in the Middle East.

Smart Farms provides a co-working space for farming where mechanization, ICT tools, Irrigation facilities are accessible and affordable to maximize productivity.

The start-up will now compete with other selected African agric-tech start-ups: Qualitrace (Ghana), AgriQ & Automations (Kenya), and Spiderbit (Rwanda) for a $5,000 grant price at the international Meet the Farmers Conference.

See Also: Spiderbit Wins Innov8Agric Challenge, Rwanda

This will hold In Dubai on the 4th – 5th November 2018. The start-up would receive an all-expense paid trip to Dubai to attend the two-day conference and the Grand Finale of the challenge. They will also get an opportunity to get funding, and investment opportunities from African and GCC investors.

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.

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Huge Congratulations to Smart Farms, Winner of the Nigerian Innova8Agric Challenge! We can’t wait to see you pitch at Dubai!

A post shared by Meet The Farmers Conference (@meetthefarmersconference) on Oct 10, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT

The ‘Innov8 challenge’ is a key event at the Meet The Farmers Conference and it’s meant to promote innovative ideas for agrictech start-ups from all sectors of the ecosystem using creative and modern methods to change the landscape of the agriculture value chain in Africa. AgroMerchant, Crop2Cash, and FoodHubs also participated in the pitch.

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

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Meet The Farmers’ Conference is an agro stakeholders’ conference that aims to connect large scale agro commodity producers to buyers from the Middle East. Key Stakeholders from Africa and GCC will come together during a one-day event to network, collaborate, and form potential business partnerships across borders to ensure food security in the Middle East and promote agribusiness in Africa. More importantly; African farmers, participants, exhibitors and delegates at this event will be able to leverage on the business opportunities available to them in Dubai and other GCC countries.

Crenov8 embarked on this mission in 2017 to create a platform where the African agricultural producers will meet with the off takers in the Middle East and beyond to effectively translate business deals; holding the first edition in Dubai last year.

Meet The Farmers Conference held its first African Conference edition in Ghana on July 4, 2018, at Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, Accra and the Nigerian edition of the Africa conference is scheduled to hold on the 10th of October 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria.

The main purpose of this event is to establish and strengthen the international trade ties that exist between Africa and the GCC through agriculture utilizing the unique positioning of Dubai as a hub. The focus for this year’s conference is ‘’The Future of Agribusiness.’’

According to Bola Oyedele of Crenov8 Consulting, “Meet The Farmers Conference is targeted at both large and small small-scale farmers to tap into the $100billion market in Dubai- that’s why we are partnering with relevant stakeholders across both government with Bank of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture as well as the private sector with the likes of Farmcrowdy and AFEX to help us aggregate farmers to export Agric produce to the UAE.”

Onyeka Akumah, CEO/ Co-founder at Farmcrowdy, speaking at the MTFC Nigeria Press Conference

“Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda have benefitted immensely from the first conference we held in Dubai in 2017 and we have set up warehouses and business links for many agribusinesses in the UAE.” She said.

On his part, the Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management – Bank of Agriculture; Prince Niyi Akenzua said that MTFC is a good initiative that must be sustained until it achieves its stated aims in linking Nigerian Agribusiness owners with the UAE market.

President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce; Babatunde Ruwase further stressed that the Meet the Farmers Conference will further encourage more stakeholders to invest in Agriculture and help build trade ties with the UAE especially Dubai.

Major partners of the conference, Farmcrowdy CEO; Onyeka Akumah praised the MTFC initiative, saying that the conference will go a long way in bringing Agric stakeholders in Africa together to link every step of the agricultural value chain under one umbrella where all sectors can discuss the crucial issues in Agriculture, find innovative solutions to them and most importantly benefit from each other.

Lauding the initiative, Country Manager, AFEX Commodities Exchange, Ayodeji Balogun, said AFEX is pleased to partner with the MTFC project as it will unlock the potential market of agribusiness across the value chain in Nigeria and the Middle East.

The Meet the Farmers Conference is supported by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lagos State’s Ministry of Agriculture, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Nigeria Export-Import Bank, FADAMA and AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited; all of whom were well represented at the Press briefing.

Also present at the media launch were Stanbic IBTC Bank, representatives from Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and stakeholders from the agricultural sector, farmers, export authorities, banks, and suppliers of agricultural machineries, Agric start-ups amongst several other technical partners.

Interested participants can register for Meet the Farmers Conference Nigeria via here

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After successfully hosting Meet The Farmers Conference in Ghana and holding the Media Launch in Nairobi Kenya, Crenov8 Consulting is set to host the Media Launch and Press Briefing in Lagos, Nigeria tomorrow. The media launch is to sensitize the public on the objectives and benefits of the Agric Export Conference which will hold in Lagos this October and across other African cities; Accra Ghana, Kigali Rwanda, Nairobi Kenya with the Global Finale in Dubai UAE later this year.

Meet the Farmers Conference is an Agribusiness conference that aims to connect large scale Agro commodity producers to buyers alike. It’s an exclusive business matchmaking event for African farmers and exporters who are looking to venture into the Dubai and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets. The main purpose of this event is to establish and strengthen the international trade ties that exist between Africa and the GCC through agriculture utilizing the unique positioning of Dubai as a hub. This focus for this year’s conference is on the ‘’Future of Agribusiness’’

The Media Launch which is scheduled to hold on Tuesday 28th August at Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos by 9:00am. This is a precursor to the major MTFC Nigeria conference which will hold at the same venue later this year. The broad objective of the media brief is to communicate the vision of the Meet the Farmers Conference and how it would assist the industrialization of Agriculture based businesses in intra and extra African trade, to disseminate information about the conference that will help promote trade of agricultural products of Nigeria within Africa & across continents, and to divulge information that would drive strategic foreign direct investment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE)/ and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to Nigeria.

Also, the Press Briefing will allow the media understand the mission and vision of Crenov8 as an organization and the birth of the Agribusiness project. It is also expected to get stakeholders’ attention on how the conference can grow the contribution of Agro Export to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria.

Expected at the Press Conference are key executives from partners and sponsors of the conference in Nigeria. Some of which are Onyeka Akumah of Farmcrowdy, representatives from Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and stakeholders from the agricultural sector, farmers, export authorities, banks, and suppliers of agricultural machineries, Agric startups amongst several other technical partners would be present at the media launch. You can register here to participate at the Conference.

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According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the value of the country’s agricultural export increased by N14.6 billion or 24 per cent from N56.1 billion in q1 20117 to N73.7 billion in q1 2018 on a year on year basis.

On a quarter on quarter basis, the value of Nigeria’s agric export increased by N29 billion or 63.8 percent from N44.7 billion in q4 2017 to N73.7 billion in q1 2018.
The sector accounted for 1.6 percent of Nigeria’s total export for the one-year period.

According to the NBS data, Sesame seeds led the list of agricultural commodities exported for the period, followed by cocoa and cashew nuts. The foreign trade report shows that sesame seeds worth N26.6 billion in q1 2018 from N13.03 billion in q1 2017, representing 105 percent year-on-year increase.

Stakeholders say the export numbers are an indication that the sesame seed production has the capacity to grow and earn the country huge foreign exchange and create hundreds of jobs in the country as long as the government draws a master plan for the sub-sector, as it has done in rice.

Nigeria’s sesame production is put at 200,000 metric tonnes with an average of 0.8 metric tonnes per hectare, according to data obtained from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

Sesame seed is Nigeria’s biggest agricultural produce exported to Japan. It is considered as one of the world’s oldest oilseed crop that has the highest oil content than any other seed.

The oil extracted from the seed is used in making vegetable oil and for medicinal purposes for treatment of ulcers and burnt. The stem as well as the oil is used by cosmetic industry in the production of soaps and other beauty products.

Source: Business Day

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Sesame seed is a flowering plant that has a wide variety of relative spread in Africa. Widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and dating as old as man’s existence, it is the oldest known oil seed known to man. Sesame is popular amongst African farmers and it can resist drought where other crops fail and it doesn’t require much fertiliser making it less expensive to cultivate.

Nigeria has a broad variety of commodities growing on its land, which have the potential to generate revenue and improve the Agric sector. One of such commodities is sesame seeds. Based on its colour, Sesame is classified into the white and brown varieties. The white grain (Food Grade) is used by bakeries for pastry garnishing and salad while the brown grain, often referred to as the oil grade, is used in the production of sesame oil.

Why Nigeria

Nigeria is the largest producer of sesame seeds in Africa, and the third largest in the world, with about 580,000 tonnes produced in 2017. 90% of sesame seeds produced in Nigeria are exported. As at Q1’18, it was the most exported non-oil commodity, which make it 0.57% to the total export value and 36.39% of agricultural exports. Taraba, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Edo and Benue are the four major states that produce this commodity in Nigeria.

Why Exporting To UAE and GCC Region

Sesame Seeds has lots of health and industrial benefits and is widely used for baking, medicine, cosmetics and animal feeds. It also has a high oil content (44–60%). Considering its health benefits and the growing preference for organic foods, which make it one of the most wanted agric product in the UAE and GCC region, which is positive for Nigeria.

Currently, Sesame seed is one of the top agro products imported into the UAE and other GCC with $43.90 million import value from Nigeria. $43.90m import value is expected to double up by 2020 as the population keeps increasing in the UAE and GCC Region. These present huge opportunities for Nigeria in terms of increasing fiscal and export revenue.

How To Become A Major Exporter

Before, agricultural products imported into the UAE from Africa are mostly from North Africa, particularly Egypt and Morocco. However, regardless of the lack of bilateral trade agreement between the UAE and most African countries, imports of agro products from many African countries are increasing, especially from Nigeria, which is a major supplier of Halal products to the UAE and other GCC countries.

To take advantage of these opportunities and exploit its potential, attend this year’s Meet the Farmers Conference (MTFC). An agro-business conference that aims to bring together large scale agricultural commodity producers from Africa to buyers within the countries that form the Gulf Corporation Council using Dubai as a trade centre.

Meet with the largest gathering of Agric stakeholders in Africa and the UAE at the Meet The Farmers Conference as we discuss The FUTURE OF AGRIBUSINESS which will hold in Nigeria at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Nigeria and Grand Finale at Conrad Hotel, Dubai UAE.

By attending this conference, be rest assured to be connected with key industry people, network, build partnerships and generate a new source of revenue for your agribusiness, establishing new strategic business partnerships, network with agric stakeholders in the UAE and GCC so as to start exporting the most wanted agric products, Sesame seed to the Gulf region.

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Photo Credit: Agrisa.co.za

A recent report by Disrupt Africa reveals that Kenya and Nigeria are currently topping the chart as African giants in agri-tech market.

According to the report, Kenya and Nigeria are in first place as the top two agri-tech markets in Africa, while Ghana falls in the third position. The three countries account for over 60 per cent of agri-tech start-ups active in Africa.

The report tagged, Agrinnovating for Africa: Exploring the African Agri-Tech Startup Ecosystem Report 2018 records 82 agri-tech start-ups in operation across Africa by the start of 2018, with 52 per cent of these ventures launched in the past two years.

Over the course of this period, over US$19 million has been invested into African agri-tech startups; with annual fundraising figures growing rapidly. The amount of funding raised in 2017 grew by over 121 per cent on the total for 2016.

Also Read: Amazing Facts About Soya Bean You Need To Know

According to Gabriella Mulligan, co-founder of Disrupt Africa, “The scope for innovation in the agricultural sphere is vast – a refreshed take on the sector could unlock huge value for the whole of Africa. That’s why this report is so exciting – it shines a light on the extent to which the continent’s entrepreneurs are already disrupting the agricultural industry. Behind the scenes, there has been formidable acceleration in the agri-tech market recently, and it is one of the most interesting spaces to watch in Africa today.”

Startups are particularly involved in applying e-commerce to the agriculture industry, with this type of agri-focused e-commerce platform accounting for 32.9 per cent of start-ups. Information and knowledge sharing platforms are also popular; while a substantial number of entrepreneurs are focused on delivering fintech solutions for farmers.  A total of six sub-sectors are examined in the report.

You May Be Interested In:

• Father Godfrey Nzamujo – The Man Behind Songhai Centre
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• GCP21 Wants Africa to Double Cassava Production to Prevent Food Crisis by 2050

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Father Godfrey Nzamujo, director of the organic farm Centre Songhai. (Pic: AFP)

Father Godfrey Nzamujo, O.P. was born in Kano, Nigeria in 1950. He obtained his B.A. in Modern Philosophy and Mathematics, his M.A. in Theology (Creation-Centered/Evolution Option) and his PH.D. in Economic Philosophy. He further obtained a Higher Diploma in Systems Engineering as well as a M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, and a PH.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Service from the University of California at Irvine.

Nzamujo is the Founder and Director of the Songhai Regional Centre, established in 1985 and headquartered in Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin. He has also been a Research fellow/Professor at the University of California, Irvine, Associate Pastor, St Nicholas Catholic Church, Laguna Hills, California, and Associate Professor of Engineering at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California.

About Songhai Centre

Founded in 1985 on one hectare of land in a suburb of Porto-Novo in Benin Republic. Songhai, named after the prestigious empire West African Empire of the 14th century, is a training farm that promotes agricultural entrepreneurship and sustainable farming practices.

Songhai Farm is an integrated farm that converts waste to wealth, Biogas to produce electricity and cooking gas, production of maggot to feed fish, fertilizers very rich, fertilizers that reduce weed, Songhai commitment to excellence, Zero emission research initiative (ZERO).

Songhai Farm Centre processes many finished products (Soap, baked foods, juices, jams, syrups, animal feed etc) while other farm produce are sold in Songhai Stores and to wholesalers and retailers. Songhai Farm Centre also earns revenue through the lodging and restaurant on their ground, all built with bricks made there, featuring Songhai products.

Photo Credit: german-african-partnership.org

The Songhai Farm Objectives

Part of the aims of the Songhai Farm is to train young agricultural entrepreneurs who once established become pillars of community-capable of commanding respect and attracting the surrounding populations to the new kind of Agriculture practiced on Songhai Farms.

It also aspires to develop alternatives to help Africans stand on their feet through agricultural entrepreneurship.

In 1993, Lokossa-Kinwédji Songhai Centre was created; centers in Parakou and Savalou followed in 1999. In Nigeria, the Songhai model center at Amukpe in Delta State was created in 2002; Songhai model centers in Bunu Tai in Rivers state and Adani in Enugu State were added in 2010.

Songhai Contributions Towards Africa Development

For the African Agriculture Economy, Songhai has been successfully linking agriculture to industry and commerce. They achieve this by harnessing local resources and promoting sustainable social entrepreneurship, it has some challenges to overcome. Some of the documented challenges they have helped farmers overcome include: Land uses, access to financial capital, climatic changes, selling products at a competitive price, and organizing and facilitating farmers’ networks are issues that need to address. In the final analysis, Africa needs more Agropreneurs developing farmers’ capacity to solve her food production challenge.

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Photo Credit: Investorsking.com

Tola Faseru, National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN, has said that the production of cashew has expanded from around 90,000 metric tons in 2011 to 220,000 metric tons at the finish of 2017 translating to about $402million.

“The earning has increased tremendously, the earnings in 2011 were about $48 to $50 million annually but as at 2017, we have reached $402 million. What it means is that the value of Nigerian cashew has increased.”

Also See: A promising new continent-wide trade agreement for Africa

While speaking with newsmen recently, Faseru said; “In 2011, our production was about 90,000 metric tons, today, as at the end of 2017, we have reached 220,000 metric tonnes.  For us, that is a major breakthrough. That is more than doubled what the production was from 2011 to 2017. Barring all issues of climate change and all of that, for us, that is a major effort.”

“In 2011, we were talking of something in the region of between $300 and $500 per ton. Today, we are talking about $1800 and we have explored an upward trend in the marketability and acceptability of the Nigerian cashew across the world.”

“In the past, a farmer was selling at the local price of N30,000 to N40, 000 per ton,  but today, the farmer can sell  at about N300,000 per ton. “Thus, our farmers are now living a decent life; they provide shelter for themselves, have good cars and that had encouraged them to plant more. By and large, it has encouraged them to take good care of their farms.” He stated.

Faseru maintained also that the reasons for the growth in the sector is the sensitisations and trainings given to the local farmers. “We have given farmers trainings on how to store their cashew properly, they are able to first of all put in best agricultural practices; they are able to do what they call proper harvesting which is critical to the yield and to the quality.”

“Farmers are able to dry cashew properly; most importantly, they are able to package it well. When we came in, cashew nuts were usually packaged in polythene bags and we said this will kill the quality because the cashew will not have proper air to breathe because it will get heated up and what will happen is for the cashew to spoil. “So, we said jute bags should be the way. Jute bags give way for air to flow in and out, the cashew farmers have imbibed that as well.”

You May Be Interested In:

• IFAD Announces $1m Project to Increase Agriculture in East Africa
• US to Improve Farm Produce with Sh11.5bn
• EIB, AfDB Invest $70m in Agriculture, Business in Nigeria

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Tea farmers in Kenya. Photo Credit: iied.org

The new African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is expected to be a game changer, boosting inter-African trade, spurring manufacturing, and creating economic opportunities. But for its benefits to be realised, the details need to be negotiated; and Africa’s leaders need to commit to AfCFTA for the long haul.

On 21 March 2018, 44 African states signed the African Union’s (AU) AfCFTA in Kigali, Rwanda. According to the AU, which initiated the process in 2015, the goal is to “Create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments,” with the purpose of accelerating intra-African trade. If, and when, all 55-member states of the AU sign the AfCFTA, the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) notes that the trade agreement will, “Cover a market of 1.2 billion people and a GDP of US$2.5 trillion [more than €2 trillion].”

Among the largest African economies, Nigeria and South Africa have not yet signed the AfCFTA. Nigeria’s President is facing pressure from labour unions and other groups who believe that the agreement will hurt the Nigerian economy by undermining local businesses. South Africa indicated its political support for the AfCFTA but stated that further internal consultations, as mandated by its constitution, were needed before signing it.

Implications for tariffs and trade

With current tariffs of 6%, ATPC notes that African businesses face higher tariffs when they export within Africa than when they export outside the continent. As AfCFTA eliminates tariffs on intra-African trade, this should encourage African businesses to trade within Africa. Intra-African trade could be boosted by more than 50% if import duties are eliminated, estimates the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and intra-African trade doubled if non-tariff barriers are also reduced.

However, as smaller countries cannot compete with larger, better developed economies, the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development notes that it is essential that, “The agreement actually works for countries at different levels of development.” The AU’s Boosting Intra-African Trade Action Plan (BIAT) may help; the Plan has identified seven programmatic areas, for example, trade facilitation, which will reduce road blocks and simplify customs and transit procedures at borders. AU members can use the plan to prioritise policy reforms required in these seven areas to benefit fully from AfCFTA. As UNECA notes, the BIAT Action Plan essentially complements AfCFTA with the former focusing on supply-side constraints to intra-African trade, and the latter on market access and demand-side constraints. However, according to a UNECA assessment, the BIAT Action Plan is currently hampered by three main challenges: a lack of institutional structure, an absence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and insufficient resources.

Another key point, as UNCTAD notes, is that about 80% of all intra-African trade already flows through one or more of eight existing regional economic communities (RECs). What will it take for the AfCFTA to supplant the piecemeal approaches of these other agreements? Asmita Parshotam, an international trade and development expert with the South African Institute of International Affairs states that, “This will depend on whether the AfCFTA is able to supersede some of the RECs, or at least have one or two of them collapse into the overarching structure with time in its attempts to consolidate continental and regional efforts.”

Also See: IFAD Announces $1m Project to Increase Agriculture in East Africa

Enhancing productivity

One way some countries can begin to benefit from the AfCFTA is to begin to integrate their products into regional value chains, particularly when they can’t meet standards for participating in global value chains. This may be especially applicable to the agricultural sector. Despite agriculture providing up to 60% of all jobs in Africa, and 25% of GDP, the share of agricultural commodities in intra-regional trade has been quite low – less than 30% according to UNCTAD. TradeMark East Africa’s senior director of trade environment, Richard Kamajugo agrees, “Agriculture is a sector with room for significant productivity improvements, especially through enhancing agro-industry and agro-processing, given that the African market (intra-African trade) has accounted for over 50% of the growth in processed food exports from African countries since 2000.”

In 2006, the AU Declaration of the Abuja Food Security Summit called for promoting intra-African trade in rice, maize, legumes, cotton, oil palm, beef, dairy, poultry and fisheries products at the continental level. UNCTAD has identified additional promising products, such as potato and tea, which have shown the most potential for integrating into value chains. Kamajugo notes that, “By facilitating trade, and thereby reducing transaction costs, AfCFTA will enhance regional value chains. Growth rates for several agricultural commodities are also expected to increase.”

Must Read: US to Improve Farm Produce with Sh11.5bn

However, some countries may have less to gain by stepping into the agreement. Kamajugo notes that, “As a vital component, the AfCFTA will need measures that promote integration of vulnerable groups with limited capacity and skills into larger value chains. Among these are simplifying documentation for trade regimes, such as rules of origin requirements, providing support to meet standards for phyto-sanitary requirements and re-skilling enterprises so they can focus on export competitiveness.”

Taking all these variables into account, and with the underlying instruments of the agreement still to be harmonised, many countries are taking a wait-and-see approach. “At the end of the day,” Parshotam notes, “political commitment is necessary and political will, together with technical, financial and human resources, is what will drive AfCFTA’s implementation. This will involve give and take amongst leaders, especially as the AfCFTA is rolled out at domestic levels and there is a need to drive support for implementation.”

Culled: spore.cta.int

You May Be Interested In:

• Agripreneur Of The Week – Rotimi Williams of Kereksuk Rice Farm
• EIB, AfDB Invest $70m in Agriculture, Business in Nigeria
• Farmcrowdy Garners Up To £1,620,000 From Nigerian and Diasporan Investors Into The Agricultural Sector

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