Strengthening maize & soybean supply chains across East and Southern Africa, highlights from the ETG-IFC Agribusiness Advisory Project

Meet Alex Mainza from Mubutu Agro Dealers in Chibombo District, Zambia’s Central Province. With the support of IFC’s Agribusiness Leadership Program (ALP)—delivered by ETG’s senior and field trainers—Alex and his spouse have successfully expanded their business from a single agri-inputs shop to eight outlets in the span of about two years. This growth has increased their outreach from approximately 1,500 farmers to over 20,000, positioning their business as a key resource for smallholder farmers in the region. Through this expanded network, farmers now have greater access to high-quality agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, helping to improve productivity in local farming communities.

Beyond product distribution, Alex has also improved his business management skills, particularly in record-keeping, stock management, and financial planning, thanks to the training he received through the program. By maintaining separate ledgers for each shop and conducting regular stock checks, he has enhanced the efficiency and profitability of his business, setting an example for other agro-dealers in the area.

Alex’s journey is just one of many success stories from the ETG-IFC Agribusiness Advisory Project, an initiative dedicated to empowering agribusinesses and smallholder farmers across East and Southern Africa.

About the ETG-IFC Agribusiness Advisory Project

In June 2022, ETG and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed a Cooperation Agreement to implement a three-and-a-half-year agribusiness advisory project aimed at enhancing agricultural value chains in East and Southern Africa. This initiative focuses on improving the efficiency of ETG’s maize and soybean supply chains by enhancing the last-mile distribution of inputs (mainly fertilizer, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and other inputs) across four countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. By addressing key challenges faced by smallholder farmers and agribusiness enterprises, the project aims to strengthen input distribution, boost farmer productivity, and expand market linkages, driving sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.

Who we serve

The project specifically targets smallholder farmers, agro-dealers, Village-Based Agents (VBAs), and Farmer Organization (FO) leadership. A critical component of this initiative is the “Farming as a Family Business” (FAFB) training program, developed by IFC. Through this program, the household decision-makers – women and their spouses – are equipped with essential skills to manage their agricultural activities effectively, ultimately increasing yields and improving incomes. Overall, the project interventions in Malawi and Zambia aim to reach about 30,000 smallholder farmers over the course of the project.

Partnerships for sustainable agriculture

ETG and IFC are working closely with Empowering Farmers Foundation (EFF) to ensure seamless on-the-ground implementation. EFF plays a crucial role in coordinating field activities and acting as a liaison between the two stakeholders, ETG and IFC.

Key project activities, achievements and impact to date

  • Target group needs assessments: as part of the project’s commitment to providing tailored support, comprehensive needs assessments among target groups in Zambia and Malawi were conducted. These assessments included training needs assessments (TNAs), gender and nutrition questionnaires, and focus group discussions to gain a deep understanding of the specific needs and challenges faced by beneficiaries. Moreover, a total of 243 baseline household surveys were conducted in Malawi, while 353 were completed in Zambia, providing valuable insights to guide the project’s implementation.
  • Strategic project planning: based on the assessment findings, project implementation plans were designed and approved for both Zambia and Malawi, laying a solid foundation for effective project execution.
  • Farmer outreach: through smallholder farmer trainings, coaching, and events such as ETG’s farmer field days, the program has successfully reached 49,162 farmers in Zambia (59% female), far exceeding the target of 21,000. In Malawi, the program will reach 8,000 farmers by project completion.
  • Farming as a family business (FAFB) training: the FAFB program trained 1,000 farmers (500 couples), equipping them with essential skills in farm and household needs assessment, goal setting, resource planning, crop budgeting, risk identification, profit calculation, cash management, sales revenue calculation, and financial record-keeping. Additionally, 820 smallholder farmers (61% women) in Malawi and 1,397 smallholder farmers (51% women) in Zambia received this training, with plans for further scaling in the coming months.
  • Expansion plans: to scale up the project’s success and impact, an agreement was signed in October 2024 to expand the initiative to Tanzania and Mozambique, with implementation set to begin in 2025. This expansion is poised to amplify the project’s reach, supporting even more farmers in the region and driving greater progress toward food security and climate resilience.

Alex Mainza’s success story is a testament to how targeted capacity-building and agribusiness training can transform small enterprises into thriving businesses, ultimately strengthening agricultural value chains and improving livelihoods for thousands of farmers.

Through the combined efforts of ETG, IFC, and EFF, smallholder farmers have gained better access to vital agricultural inputs, training, and business management tools, leading to improved productivity, sustainability, and profitability. With the ongoing expansion into Tanzania and Mozambique, the project is set to reach even more farmers, driving positive change and helping create a more resilient agricultural sector for generations to come.

Agricultural Productivity: Enhance agricultural productivity through sustainable and climate-smart practices, improved access to quality seeds, fertilisers, and modern technologies, and training for small-scale farmers. b. Irrigation and Water Management: Promote water conservation techniques, efficient irrigation systems, and integrated water resource management to ensure a reliable water supply for agriculture. c. Diversification: Encourage crop diversification to enhance food availability and household nutrition by promoting the cultivation of smart food crops and high-value crops for increased income generation. d. Storage and Distribution: Strengthen post-harvest management and improve storage infrastructure to reduce household food losses; and promote efficient aggregation systems for improved inputs distribution and access to markets. e. Market Linkages & Financial Services: Support the establishment or farmer cooperatives/ organisations for effective produce aggregation and market linkages, and provide technical assistance to enable small-scale producers to access domestic and international markets and financial services, fostering income generation and economic growth. f. Skills Training and Capacity Building: Facilitate agronomic training, entrepreneurship development, and business management skills to enhance the capacity of smallholder farmers and communities to generate sustainable incomes.