Farmcrowdy Group, leader of tech-driven agriculture in Africa and Best Foods Livestock and Poultry Limited, an agribusiness company in Nigeria have entered into a strategic partnership that will improve food production and security in Nigeria.
According to a statement on the partnership, both companies will combine their expertise, network and strategies to address food security in the country. Farmcrowdy Group, through its subsidiaries Farmcrowdy and Farmgate Africa, will use its financial, technological, sales and marketing resources to complement the trade efforts of Best Foods which focuses on processing and marketing livestock produce.
Speaking on the collaboration, Group CEO and Founder of Farmcrowdy Group, Onyeka Akumah said, “We are going into this relationship with Best Foods for the long haul to improve how Nigerians access quality beef… We are therefore excited that we have a respected expert like Mr. Ijewere offering his years of experience, network, and assets to improve our process while we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come.”
He added that the relationship will see all partners work together to raise quality cattle, process and sell quality beef to major buyers around the country. The partnership will also work towards specifically improving the livestock value chain across the country through Farmcrowdy’s production.
The announcement comes at a time of panic following rising awareness about the circulation of toxic cow skin (meant for consumption) in Lagos state, where over 6,000 cows are consumed daily. The government has issued a warning alert to consumers and has reassured the public of ongoing efforts to investigate and control the threat. Coinciding with the ongoing food poisoning scare, the partnership is targeted at improving the quality of meat production and processing practices in Nigeria, in alignment with international standards.
Also commenting on the partnership, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Farmgate Africa, Kenneth Obiajulu reassured that the company is working to reduce the spread of animal-to-human diseases by providing affordable, traceable, fit-for-slaughter and disease-free bulls coming directly from Farmcrowdy’s feedlots across the country. This will sanitise the system and eventually reduce the risk of infected livestock getting into the market.
The partnership will also boost trade for both companies as they will be able to cover a wider range of service together. Consumers will have more options and better access to trusted meat from the recognized and traceable source of processed meat. “This is tremendous traction for Farmgate Africa. The increasing daily demand for meat in Lagos is encouraging and a pointer to growth,” Obiajulu added.
The world’s population is fast growing thereby increasing the demand for agricultural engagements in order to ensure the supply of food. Governments and industry players at various levels are making efforts to achieve this goal. Nevertheless, the call is for healthy food and disease-free livestock.
