Agri-Business Club launched to promote food production
In a significant stride towards bolstering the agribusiness, sector in South Sudan, the Inclusive Agribusiness Club has been officially launched, marking a pivotal moment for the region. This Collaborative endeavor, in partnership with Magwi College of Agri-business and Management Science (MCAMS), seeks to expand the reach of the 2SCALE model along with its resources and best practices within the education sector.
The primary aim is to empower the agricultural Value chains and lay the foundation for sustainable growth in South Sudan and the region. The formation of the Inclusive Agribusiness Club is driven by a very clear vision of uniting key Stakeholders from both public and private sectors to promote inclusivity, share valuable insights, and stimulate positive actions in the agribusiness realm. As South Sudan works towards creating a thriving agribusiness sector, this club will catalyze change.
The quest to improve agribusiness among South Sudanese farmers is a continuous battle that requires collectives approached by key stakeholders such as the Aid agencies, academia, private sector, and government.
The launch of this inclusive agri-business is a strategic approach towards continued advancement in the country’s farm production. This club will facilitate regular meetings for learning and networking, in alignment with Magwi College of agri-business and Management Science MCAMS’s mission, with support from 2SCALE, Magwi college will Provide resource materials to learning institutions and centers to integrate insights and best practices into curriculums, enhancing the quality of education in the region, Create an environment for developmental programs and organizations supporting inclusive agribusiness projects to share experiences and learn from one another
Additionally, this program intends to persuade farmers who largely practice traditional farming for subsistence purposes into a society that contributes towards global food security and nutritional security through value addition.
“The main emphasis of the University of Juba in promoting the agri-business club will be channeled toward research, training in developing fertilizers, raising the levels of skills and knowledge, and more crucially transforming attitudes of farmers in linking agriculture and business,” said Mr. Roberto Kenyi, Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resource and Environmental Studies
The 2SCALE program focuses on establishing agribusiness clusters around business champions such as entrepreneurial producer organizations or local SMEs that trade or process farmer produce. The program supports these champions to develop BoP products and markets. With business that nature strong win-win relations.
In South Sudan, 2SCALE is implementing a pilot program to ascertain the relevance of the Public Private arrangement in South Sudan, given the deepening humanitarian needs of the country and the transition from relief aid into a market-oriented agriculture. The 2SCALE program supports Kanybek General Company Limited in availing affordable maize flour and Maize-based bread, Eden Multipurpose Marketing Cooperative Society and General Farmers’ Cooperative Union Nzara both in Yambio and Nzara in availing affordable and locally produced maize flour to Bottom of Pyramid (BoP) consumers in the region.
Alana Sebit Owot, the 2SCALE Country Team Leader and Inclusive Agribusiness Advisor for South Sudan, expressed hope that the knowledge, lessons learnt and best practices that have been consolidated in the past two years of 2SCALE implementation shall be sustained and disseminated to the key value chain stakeholders through this kind of club. “2SCALE will provide a facilitative and oversight role in ensuring that this agribusiness club remains functional,” he added.
2SCALE is the leading incubator and accelerator of inclusive agribusiness in Sub-Saharan Africa. For over 11 years, 2SCALE has been dedicated to promoting sustainable agribusiness Models that benefit smallholder farmers, women, and youth in the region. The organization Works in partnership with various stakeholders to create impactful, scalable, and inclusive Agribusiness ecosystems.
Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS). Currently 2SCALE in its second phase, the program is implemented by A consortium led by the Base of-the-Pyramid Innovation Center (BoPInc), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), and SNV Netherlands Development Organization
The Integrated phase classification (IPC) depicts a deepening humanitarian menace the country is grappling with. This programme intends to foster the transition of the population from depending on relief aid into a market-oriented production to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2). This is done by ensuring that farmers and entrepreneurs understand the best Agri-business skills that accelerate growth and economic transformation of the society.
