Kenya
July 14, 2015
Kenyan agribusiness entrepreneur Captain (Rtd) James Gichanga Karanja was recently awarded the 2015 African Agribusiness Entrepreneur Award at a high profile event held in Somerset West, South Africa.
The Award, which is given annually by Market Matters Inc., recognises entrepreneurs who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in value-added agricultural innovations in Africa.
Captain Karanja, who is the CEO of Frescho Seeds Kenya Ltd, was announced the winner of the annual award during the closing Banquet of the yearly event, Making Markets Matter Executive Training Program for the Agribusiness Sector.
“As the winner of the African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year Award, I am glad to be recognized among the many African entrepreneurs who contribute significantly to empowering smallholder farmers through access to quality and affordable seeds that have been processed through modern technologies,” Captain Karanja said.
Founded in 2000, Frescho Seeds specializes in the production, processing and distribution of high quality seeds and planting materials to farming communities in Kenya and the larger East and Central Africa. In 2012, Freshco Seeds was awarded a US$ 600,000 grant from The African Challenge Enterprise Fund (ACEF) - a fund established by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa AGRA) - to expand its operations into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Speaking at the Award ceremony, Prof Ralph Christy of Cornell University International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development, said: “It is great to see agribusiness entrepreneurs recognised for their dedication and investment into African agriculture. We will continue to support entrepreneurs like Captain Karanja so that they can continue making a positive difference in smallholder agriculture throughout Africa,”
During his acceptance speech, Captain Karanja said that he was delighted that the world had taken notice of the work his team has been doing over the years adding that the achievement was testament to the fact that the seed industry in Africa was coming of age.
“This achievement has greatly inspired our team and we are more than ever determined to grow our company into a continental business within the next 15 years,” Captain Karanja said. “Our company currently has a presence in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC and we want to spread our wings to East and Central African countries by 2025”.
He noted that the progress of many seed companies in Kenya was deterred by a range of retrogressive policies and regulatory processes that make it difficult for entrepreneurs to establish and efficiently run businesses. He called on governments to institute reforms to attract a larger number of entrepreneurs into the sector.
In his congratulatory message to Captain Karanja, AGRA’s Director, Program for Africa’s Seed System (PASS) Dr Joe DeVries, said he hoped that the Award to the FRESHCO chief executive officer would send a positive message to other seed entrepreneurs in the region and will encourage them to increase investments in the sector.
“Knowing the huge challenges faced in the seed industry in Africa, I am delighted that the organizers of the Award chose to recognize the proprietor of Frescho Seeds for his positive contribution to Africa’s agricultural transformation,” he said. “African governments need to follow suit and support entrepreneurs like James to grow their businesses by creating incentives and providing an enabling policy environment.”
“An African agriculture transformation can only be achieved if farmers have access to the right seeds, fertilizer and other inputs and if they understand the right agronomic practices to increase their yields,” he added.
Freshco Seeds markets a wide variety of cereal and vegetable seeds to smallholder farmers including nine maize seed lines, 17 varieties of vegetables, eight drought-resistant crop varieties and 18 tree seeds varieties as well as planting materials.
The Company also produces maize and pulse seeds in various parts of Kenya and manages its own processing, packaging, marketing and distribution network, alongside being involved in collaborative research and product advancement initiatives for maize and pulses with national and international research institutions and universities.
The African Agribusiness Entrepreneur Award is a gift to outstanding African entrepreneurs from Dr Akin Adesina, an agricultural development professional with a passion and commitment to improve rural livelihoods in Africa. It is administered by Market Matters, Inc., a non-profit organization providing business development services in emerging markets in Africa. It is awarded during the Closing Banquet of the Making Markets Matter Agribusiness Training Program.
Topics
Species
