Initially introduced as a pilot in Côte d’Ivoire in September 2016, the Agribooster programme strives to provide comprehensive support to farmers along every juncture of the agricultural value chain. Developed by OCP Africa, a subsidiary of the world’s largest producer of phosphate-based fertilisers, the Agribooster programme operates with a farmer-centred market development model, aiming to equip agricultural workers with the necessary resources and training, ultimately leading to higher crop yields, and improved livelihoods.
The programme assumed greater significance during the Covid-19 pandemic, as it helped mitigate the repercussions of the health crisis on Africa’s agriculture sector and meet the continent’s pressing food consumption needs. By collaborating closely with local governments and public institutions, the Agribooster’s pandemicrelated initiatives reached more than 350,000 smallholder farmers across four countries in 2020. Notably, in Côte d’Ivoire, OCP Africa partnered with the Emergency Rice Programme to bolster food security and augment rice production in the country. Since its launch the programme has expanded to five countries: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, and benefitted 783,425 farmers by 2021. The programme’s momentum continued into 2022, reaching 222,000 farmers that year, including 180,000 farmers participating in ginger, rice, maize and wheat value chains in Nigeria, as well as the provision of agricultural practices training to 30,000 smallholder farmers in Ghana.
In 2020 OCP Africa introduced the Women in Agribooster (WIA) programme, a specialized initiative for women that has rapidly grown. During its inaugural year the WIA reached 5000 female farmers, and this number more than doubled in 2021, encompassing 13,000 women in Ghana and Nigeria. The programme is designed to empower women farmers by enhancing their agricultural knowledge and providing tailored training. By 2022 the programme had registered and trained 25,000 women and resulted in an increase in their yield from 1.9 to 4 tonnes per ha. In Ghana, the WIA facilitated partnerships between local start-ups TROTRO Tractor and SAYeTECH, assisting female farmers in mechanisation through a mobile platform connecting them to tractor operators and smart harvesting machines on demand. To further amplify the reach of the WIA programme, OCP Africa implemented a Training of Trainers initiative in Ghana in 2022. This programme targeted 15 field officers selected from three women’s cooperatives to enhance their capacity to serve farmers in their communities, equipping them with essential business skills including data collection, management and facilitation.
Introduced in 2018, the Al Moutmir initiative is another farmer-centric project, prioritizing the promotion of optimal agricultural, technical and governance practices. “The project invests in technical reinforcement programmes for women, enabling them to enhance farm productivity, financial and project management skills, and sales expertise. Out of the 27,000 total beneficiaries, the programme collaborates with 1000 women, over 400 predominantly female cooperatives and approximately 30 female retailers, with the goal being to foster increased autonomy, business development and empowerment,” Nawfel Roudies, head of Al Moutmir Business Unit within Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, said.
