Experts list ways smallholder farmers can improve

Agroup of panelists recently proffered solutions on how to improve the lives and output of smallholder farmers across Africa. During the African agriculture value chain webinar held recently by Olam, in partnership with the African Business Magazine, the panelists from all over the continent presented a roadmap for investment in smallholder farmers across the continent.

At the webinar titled, ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Farming Communities Across Africa,’ the panelists provided divergent perspectives and proffered solutions to the impact of the pandemic on the livelihood of smallholder farmers across the continent.

According to the manager, Food Initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation, Kwagiria Koome, there is an urgent need for investment in energy infrastructure to help smallholder farmers gain access to cold storage and rice threshing facilities.

In her suggestions, the co-chief executive officer of Nourishing Africa, Ify Umunna, advised the government to focus more on providing “enabling policies that are consistent, fair and engaging to help African entrepreneurs scale.”

On her part, the head of strategy, partnerships and delivery, OCP Africa, Jihane Ajijti, said the logistic system across the African market called for an overhaul, while advocating fertilizer price subsidies and canvassing that the local agricultural value chain facilities should be revamped to boost local food production.

The regional manager for Agriculture and Agribusiness in subSaharan Africa at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Samuel Dzotefe, who shared Jihane’s view, also emphasised infrastructural upgrade of the transportation, communication and energy supply facilities available to African smallholder farmers.