Afric Agro Action Company Ltd - an agricultural enterprise at Kerr Jarga Jobe Village, Jokadu District, North Bank Region is poised to transform agri-food systems through the support of the GIRAV Matching Grant for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises. The firm is investing massively on its infrastructure on two sites – a four-hectare farm, and a twenty-hectare field to promote large scale production of horticulture, farmers’ trainings in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), access to technologies and innovations, as well as employment and wealth creation.
Mr. Lamin Jobe, founder and Managing Director (MD) of Afric Agro Action Company Ltd had this to say about the opportunity: “Before the grant it was really a bit challenging in the sense that we wanted to do many things but we were constrained by resources”.
He went on: The scheme is a game changer to my business because it has led to increased capacity in production”.
Mr Jobe revealed his plan to have sort of a nucleus or innovation centre for his business – a four-hectare farm on which he will build a TVET (agriculture and innovation) centre. “So that farmers from within the region and across the country can come and learn best agricultural practices; not only that, when they learn the skills, we follow them and give them mentorship”.
He attested that the Grant supported in a very vital area like providing water facility for his farm. “With the introduction of the Matching Grant Scheme, I was able to expand the water and solar facilities for drip irrigation; [thereby] increased my onion production”.
The Afric Agro Action Company Ltd MD went on to highlight more benefits his firm derived from the GIRAV Matching Grant for SMEs; such as perimeter fencing, a multipurpose building that houses offices and a farmers’ centre to ease access to critical agricultural inputs like seeds, and tools/equipment; as well as enabled him create employment opportunities for people in the community including men and women.
On the challenges, Mr Jobe mentioned the issue of market glut, whereby the market becomes saturated with a particular product due to, in his view, the high volume of importation of some food commodities like onions. This, he said does affect local producers like them. He also pointed out the high rate of customs duties on their produce.
About grants for SMEs, the MD said the 40% required counterpart contribution is high; that it is a challenge for a lot of upcoming businesses and entrepreneurs.
Jobe, therefore appealed and recommended for some amount of restrictions on importation of certain food items that are locally produced such as onion, reduction of the counterpart contributions from 40% to 10% and consideration of physical asset as counterpart contribution.
