New Farm Africa project to help boost grain trade across East Africa
Full details
| Authors & editors | |
| Publisher | Milling & Grain |
| Year of publication | 2016 June |
| Languages | |
| Medium | Digital |
| Edition | 1 |
| Topics | Climate, environment and development > Sustainable farming & Government support |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | Farm Africa has received a new £3 million grant from the UK Government, through the FoodTrade East and Southern Africa trade enhancement and promotion programme. The grant will support 70,000 smallholder grain farmers in Tanzania and Uganda to gain access to regional export markets. The farmers will be linked to buyers in East Africa using an innovative online trading platform, G-Soko, and other market interventions. The G-Soko platform provides smallholder farmers with a structured trade function, enabling them to trade their produce transparently, earning them better livelihoods. The platform also unlocks access to finance, by allowing farmers to use warehouse receipts as collateral for loans. Warehouses and traders are also able to manage their inventory and plan ahead. The certified warehouses will be moisture-controlled to reduce the incidence of fungal infections that are common when grain isn’t properly dried, and that can lead to whole harvests being condemned. Farm Africa’s support to farmers to improve post-harvest practices, access post-harvest technology and improve storage practices and facilities will increase the amount of produce available for sale, help ensure produce meets the required standards and enable farmers to sell outside peak harvest season, contributing towards increased volumes traded and higher prices received by farmers…Read more. |
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