Kenyan agribusinesses among 20 picked to fight food loss in Africa

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Four Kenyan agribusinesses are among 20 firms selected to join the inaugural cohort of a New Zealand government-funded initiative aimed at tackling food insecurity and post-harvest losses across the continent.

The Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A), commissioned by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), announced the pilot cohort on Wednesday, drawing participants from nine Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) member states.

The four Kenyan firms span agri-processing and clean energy: Nyota Limited processes indigenous foods into frozen and shelf-stable products; BioAfriq Energy develops solar drying hubs for smallholder farmers; Kirima Fresh Dairies produces milk, cheese and yoghurt; and Wedgehut Foods sources and processes fresh potatoes for institutional markets.

Selected companies will receive advisory services, investment readiness support, cross-border trade facilitation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework and expert mentorship, with the possibility of direct funding upon completion.

The broader cohort spans Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Somalia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Burundi and Madagascar. Notable picks include Drought Guard Africa in Uganda, which delivers solar-powered irrigation to over 120,000 smallholder farmers, and Zambia's Stewards Globe Limited, which produces climate-resilient seeds for over 150,000 smallholder farmers.

The programme is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and delivered through E4Impact Africa Foundation in partnership with the FIE-Consult Consortium.