Business-changing lessons at Strathmore agri-investors’ summit

Exhibitors display bananas value addition products during an expo in Kisii County. Strathmore summit focuses on value addition. [Eric Lungai, Standard]

Research has shown that most businesses crumble within first six months of inception because of costly blunders. Key among them is lack of entrepreneurship skills, lack of mentorship and a template to learn from.

As a result these businesses remain small, operating at minimum capacity and unable to be fully commercial, or may even close down.

But there is hope for investors in agribusiness who want to move from loss making to profitability. Strathmore Business School has organised an intense investor’s summit dubbed ‘Agribusiness Investors Summit 2018’ where agriprenuers will be taught all things business.

“If you are managing an agribusiness outfit struggling to stay afloat or you want to start making tidy profits then the Strathmore investors’ summit is the place you need to be,” says the School’s Director of Agribusiness Programmes and Special Projects Grace Kariuki.

Some of the focus areas will be value addition in dairy and crops markets and how to use technology to maximise on yields and profits.

The annual summit that kicks off from 22 to 23 February, promises to take your agribusiness to the next level.

Kariuki says the summit was uniquely designed to link investors with buyers of their produce, access to credible information and first-hand experience from veteran and successful investors in the agri-business sector.

Other areas of focus are apiculture,  meat production, herbs, aquaculture, fruits and vegetables business among others.

Kariuki says the forum targets persons interested in value addition, potential agriprenuers who don’t know where to start, those who find farming difficult and are losing money.

The Summit expects to host more than 500 agribusiness investors and other key stakeholders

Agriculture is indeed the next big thing. According to Ministry statistics agriculture contributes to 23 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product. In order for Africa to unlock this immense potential, players must be ready to invest sustainably into the sector, develop and diversify our value chains as we create more value through innovation. Sadly, a large percentage of agri-preneurs do not possess the right knowledge and skills to make informed decisions to overcome these challenges and grow their ventures.

This is why the Summit is timely.