The partnership that CRAFT has with FreshCrop Co. Ltd is mainly guided by 3 objectives 1) integrating climate smart practises in the production of ware potato, 2) offering bundled climate-smart services to deliver greater value to smallholder farmers and 3) enhancing opportunities from partnerships and structured markets for the benefit of smallholders.
Key interventions
- Build the capacity of the business champion in leadership, business management skills, marketing, and financial inclusion.
- Enhance the capacity of 3,500 smallholder farmers by 2022 on scheduled contract farming agreements to improve sorghum production by 15% through climate smart agronomy.
- Recruit and train 20 Training of Trainers (ToTs) on climate smart agriculture. In turn, the ToTs are expected to train the SHFs, conduct continuous sensitisation, and follow up on agreed actions.
- Facilitate linkages between the farmers and 13 value chain actors in areas of mechanisation, finance, inputs, offtakers, and storage.
- Facilitate the set up 68 demo farms to showcase CSA practices and technologies and facilitate self-directed learning for SHFs.
- Increase supply of volume and sales of potato by at least 10% through developing new market channels and increasing volumes of potato marketed.
About the Business Champion
FreshCrop Co. Ltd. is a registered agri-based company specializing in the production of ware potatoes. The company was established in 2017, after realizing the lack of certified potato seeds in the market. Most of its revenues are from procuring apical cuttings— a rooted potato transplant provided by Stockman Rozen that is developed in adherence to the Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) guidelines—a thorough and intensive agronomy regimen.
In addition, the company provides farmers access to market-based services, training on CSA, and access to inputs and insurance services to smallholder farmers.
