Azabu Nbebani Enterprise is an agro-inputs company that supplies a wide range of farm inputs (seed, weedicide, fertiliser, fungicide) to farmers and buys produce (maize and soybean) from farmers. Azabu Nbebani Enterprise works with 1,040 smallholder out-growers (30% women) in three districts, each cultivating 2 acres of land. The company provides its out-growers with services such as advice on agro-chemical use. It joined the MADE programme in 2015 and between 2015 and 2019 it aggregated 8,810 MT of maize and 2,100 MT of soybean.
MADE interventions
- Recruited, trained and deployed five Farm Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) and one FEA manager.
- Provided demonstrations on fertiliser application and plant protection processes.
- Facilitated relationships with Tikola Seeds and East-West Seeds.
- Introduced the Advanced Business Model, which enabled Azabu Nbebani Enterprise to offer a bundle of inputs and services to smallholder farmers.
Impacts
- Increased smallholder outreach from 500 in 2016 to 1,040 in 2019.
- Increased smallholder farmers’ access to markets, inputs and services on credit.
- Increased understanding of good agricultural practices, proper application of agro-inputs and crop grading.
- Facilitated timely application of inputs (fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides).
- Improved financial forecasting and planning for smallholders.
- Raised yields for smallholder farmers from an average of 5 to 10 bags (100 kg) per acre, between 2015 and 2019.
