Nairobi, September 6, 2016 – The top six finalists from the Young Innovators in Agribusiness Competition held in Nairobi in May this year are set to participate in the 6^th Africa Green Revolution Forum scheduled for September 5-9, 2016 at the UN Offices in Kenya. The Forum, dubbed “Seize the Moment: Africa Rising through Agricultural Transformation,” focuses on agriculture policies and investments in Africa.

The top six entrepreneurs, who were the lucky winners of seed capital amounting to USD 20 000, are part of the 120 successful applicants of the Young Innovators in Agribusiness Competition 2015 that saw 90 outstanding participants proceed to the YIAC Competition in Arusha, and 30 exceptional participants qualify for the Agribusiness Innovation and Trade Fair Forum in Nairobi. The competitors, aged between 18-35 years, run small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that address needs arising from various agricultural value chains in their respective countries. The needs include processing, finance, software & apps development, agro-mechanization, packaging and export services.

The SMEs category features exhibitions from Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya. Mr. Abrhame Endrias’  Green Agro Mechanization enterprise in Ethiopia focuses on hiring farm machinery to farmers, supplying farm chemicals and offering farm credit services. Mr. Edmond Murindahabi’s PEBEC Ltd., in Rwanda, focuses on production and export of dry Bird Eye Chilli. Anzazi Kiti’s Taste Afrique Ltd, in Kenya, deals with natural food seasoning.

The start-ups category features exhibitors from Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Mr. Noah Ssempijja`s Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment in Uganda provides credit facilities and farm inputs to youths and women in Uganda. Mercy Kitomari’s Nelwa’s Gelato focuses on ice cream, sorbets and popsicles for homes, hotels and bakeries in Tanzania. Uwintwali Lilian’s M-Ahwill focuses on mobile and online-based solutions to bridge the gaps in agriculture by providing e-extension services and communicating financing opportunities for farmers in Rwanda.

The Young Innovators in Agribusiness Competition`s main objective is to enable East African youth to stimulate sustainable enterprises that attract potential investors and stakeholders through competition. It also aims at strengthening existing start-ups and SMEs, and demonstrating the interconnectedness of players along the agricultural value chains for the purpose of promoting investment, job creation and productivity in the agribusiness sector.

About the partners 

The East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub): The Hub is the U.S. Government’s flagship project under the presidential Trade Africa initiative, launched in 2013 to boost trade and investment with and within Africa. The Hub is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The goal of the Hub is to deepen regional integration, increase the competitiveness of select regional agriculture value chains, promote two-way trade with the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and facilitate investment and technology that drives trade growth intra-regionally and to global markets. www.eatradehub.org

Syngenta: Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 28,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life. www.syngenta.com

IREN: The Inter Region Economic Network Ltd (IREN) is a leading independent African think tank that promotes ideas and strategies geared towards causing prosperity in Africa through free enterprise and sound public policy. IREN has managed business competitions and enterprise screening platforms for the last 15 years.  It has 3 Key Focus Areas:

• Think Tank: with platforms that analyze and give suggestions on public policy innovation to promote prosperity and wealth creation in Africa.

• Enterprise Development: with platforms that grow investible and investor ready enterprises in Africa.

• Consultancy whose aim is to grow productivity and markets in Africa. www.irenkenya.com

Toyota Kenya Academy (TKA) Toyota Tsusho Corporation Group Company -Toyota Kenya Limited opened its human resources training center, Toyota Kenya Academy, on July 16, 2014 at the Toyota Kenya Business Park located three kilometers southeast of Nairobi. Toyota Tsusho operated an automotive training center at Toyota Kenya to nurture its own technical staff before expanding and reopening as the Toyota Kenya Academy to provide learning opportunities that develop the skills, knowledge and attitude of staff, customers, stakeholders and communities. Toyota Kenya Academy offers courses on automobile & autotronics technology, entrepreneurship, agri-prenuership and agri-mechanization.  Through partnering with various recognized institutions in the provision of skills development, the Academy aims to achieve its overall objective of being a learning Centre of Excellence within the region in relevant training, and as part of Company’s corporate social responsibility. www.toyotakenyafoundation.org

For more information, contact 

Leonard Mwasi 0728725722 leonard@irenkenya.com or  Sally  Jepkorir 0724972298 sally@irenkenya.com.