Busaka Agribusiness Company Limited (Busaka ABC) provides agricultural services to farmers. The company aggregates farm produce, as well as providing milling, cleaning and warehouse services. Busaka ABC sponsors its farmers through a cashless financing system: farmers are organised into groups, trained in modern agricultural methods and then provided with input credit and ploughing services to support farm production. Busaka ABC works with 2,200 smallholder out-growers (of whom 40% are women) in two districts, with each smallholder cultivating an average of 2 acres. The partnership with the MADE programme started in 2016.
MADE interventions
- Recruited, trained and deployed 10 Farm Enterprise Advisors charged with training and supervising farmers in good agricultural practices.
- Supported underserved farmers using extension services from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
- Provided tractor services to farmers.
- Provided demonstrations and training using managed demonstrations as an effective means of transferring knowledge to farmers.
- Strengthened commercial partnerships with other enterprises, such as Sixty-Six Group Company (aggregation) and Omniscient Company Limited (fertiliser).
Impacts
- Increased understanding of good agricultural practices and proper application of agro-inputs.
- Increased yields from an average of 11 to 18 bags (100 kg) per acre for rice.
- Increased the number of contracted smallholder farmers from 725 in 2016 to 2,200 in 2017.
- Increased smallholders’ access to markets and high-quality agricultural inputs through commercial networks with other businesses.
