Wini Ventures produces and aggregates agricultural commodities from smallholder farmers for processing industries. It is the largest aggregator and supplier of maize and soybean to UB Global Company Limited and exports to private traders from Burkina Faso. Wini Ventures is a member of the Jirapa Zonal Outgrower Business Network and has so far reached out to its smallholder farmers with varied services ranging from the sale of improved agricultural inputs (seeds, fertiliser and weedicides) to extension services, aggregation, ploughing and threshing, among others. The company works with 2,478 smallholder out-growers (of which 54% are women) in two districts, with each farmer cultivating on average 1 acre. It joined the MADE programme in 2019 and in that year aggregated 6,000 MT of maize and 2,000 MT of groundnut.
MADE interventions
- Recruited, trained and deployed two Farm Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) and one FEA manager.
- Facilitated links with tractor services.
- Facilitated linkages with extension services from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for remote, underserved farmers.
- Facilitated relationships with other MADE partners, including GAB Ventures, Antika Company Limited and Agric Access.
- Facilitated/strengthened commercial partnerships with other enterprises, including UB Global and AgriLink Technology Limited.
Impacts
- Increased smallholder outreach from 450 in 2017 to 2,478 in 2019.
- Increased access to inputs, credit and markets through the establishment of links with input dealers and buyers.
- Increased understanding of good agricultural practices and proper application of agro-inputs.
- Improved financial forecasting and planning for smallholders.
- Raised yields for smallholder farmers for maize and groundnuts from an average of 500 kg to 800 kg per acre and 300 kg to 500 kg per acre respectively, between 2017 and 2019.
