Syngenta and Enactus Kenya have launched the Africa Agribuisness Competition and are looking for youth aged 18 – 30 years.
The competition has two parts; an essay (or Business Idea Competition) and video clips (or Agribusiness Messaging Competition). The competition’s objectives is to promote new business opportunities in crop value chains in Africa; raise awareness of opportunities in agriculture; identify wealth creation activities among communities in Africa and make agriculture “cool” for the youth.
In the business bit of the competition, the focus is mainly bent on selected crop value chains. A crop value chain entails all the activities involved in crop production from farm to fork. These would include farm inputs, logistics, product processing, packaging, marketing and sales to the end consumer.
In the business idea segment contestants are required to:
- Select either one staple crop (Rice, Maize or Cassava) or one cash crop (Vegetables or Potatoes).
- Identify a bottleneck or problem that makes the particular crop’s value chain ineffective and/or inefficient.
- Then propose a replicable, practical idea/solution that has the potential to make a step-change improvement in the chosen value chain.
For the Agribuiness messaging contestant should:
- Develop a multimedia agricultural messaging that targets the youth. The messaging should have as its objective how to make agriculture “Cool” among African youth.
- Submit a 3 minute video clip that promotes agriculture as a cool option for the youth to venture in. The liberty to design the clip format lies wholly with the contestant.
What’s up for grabs? Cash rewards, showcase your ‘Agriculture Is Cool’ ideals, networking with potential employers and access internship opportunities, receive mentorship to grow your agribusiness idea, receive certified recognition and become a member of the Young Africa Agribusiness alumni.
The twenty-five finalists will enjoy fully paid recognition dinner in Nairobi, Kenya. The six finalists will participate in the gala event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Registration and submission of the Agri-Business Idea essays and Agriculture Video Message Clips is on June 19, 2014.