Hub / Outgrowers

Productivity in small-scale farming in Africa is extremely low with for example, average yields of maize per hectare of well under 1 tonne per hectare. This might compare to yields of around 5-10 tonnes per hectare for a large scale commercial farm.

We have looked to identify what strategic advantages the larger scale commercial farmers have over small-scalers and try to bridge some or all of this gap in yields over time.

We identified that the following essential elements to successful farming were lacking in rural communities:

1. Access to capital and inputs
2. Access to markets for surplus outputs
3. Technical knowledge and backup

Silverlands and our partners can fill these needs with a replicable model which unlocks potential and creates a competitive value chain. We will do this as a commercial business, not as a charity.

We believe that the true path to sustainability is to maintain the profit motive and, to help small scale farmers by giving them a helping hand up the economic ladder.

The commercial farm will act as the hub for the out-grower program and will be involved in financing the seed and fertilizer, providing training and technical support and purchasing the produce of the out-grower farmers.

This model improves the productivity in the region which raises the levels of food security. The solution has genuine social benefits and we believe is sustainable because it is being run on sustainable solutions.

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