Okata Farms and Food Processing works with over 2,000 smallholder farmers, providing training in good agricultural practices as well as ploughing, harrowing and the use of certified seeds, for which out-growers pay in kind. This has boosted yields for rice, pepper and groundnut by over 100% within three years. Okata runs a complete value chain operation, from production to processing, packaging and marketing. The business has invested in demonstration farms for each crop. The main market outlets for Okata are Maxmart, Koala, Shoprite, the Israeli embassy and also the seat of the Government of Ghana – Jubilee House. Okata Farms has been working with MADE since 2017.
MADE interventions
- Recruited, trained and deployed 15 Farm Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) and one FEA manager.
- Introduced a data management system (M-Access), which was adopted and invested in by Okata.
- Facilitated Okata’s participation in a benchmarking exercise.
- Facilitated the development of road maps and the services of a business development support consultant to address weaknesses identified during the benchmarking exercise.
- Introduced the Advanced Model, which enabled Okata to offer a bundle of inputs and services to smallholder farmers.
Impacts
- Increased smallholder outreach from to more than 2,500 in 2019 – all producing high-quality grains through the efforts of MADE through the FEAs.
- Increased the quantity of crops aggregated to 100 MT of rice, 80 MT of maize and 60 MT of groundnut.
- Increased house-building among smallholders as a result of the higher yields and incomes they are getting through the provision of quality extension services and GAP training.
- Increased trust between Okata and its smallholder farmers, and increased interest among other smallholders for working with the business.
