Africa's Young Disruptors: The agribiz taking on the middlemen

In a recent interview with African Business, Asaph Akunda discussed his agribusiness startup, Value Crown Agro Processing, which aims to disrupt the traditional agriculture value chain in Uganda. The 23-year-old founder shared that his company supports small-scale farmers, helping them access markets and add value to their products, while promoting high-quality, affordable, organic items sold locally and internationally.

Akunda's journey began on family farms and construction sites, where he learned the value of hard work and the struggles faced by his community. After an entrepreneurship program in Uganda, he identified a pressing problem: profit-driven middlemen dictate prices and squeeze farmers' earnings, leaving them in poor living conditions despite their labor. To address this issue, Value Crown Agro Processing directly buys from farmers, eliminating the middleman and increasing farmers' profits.

The company focuses on spices, turmeric, ginger, moringa, curry powder, cinnamon, grains, and beans, providing farmers with seed loans and long-term repayment plans. By cutting out the middleman and providing market accessibility, farmers earn more, and Value Crown Agro Processing creates job opportunities for young people like Akunda.

While some farmers are hesitant to switch from their long-term middlemen, Akunda's company builds trust through regular communication and support on pricing, market conditions, and post-harvest handling, including the use of solar-powered drying systems. Despite the challenges of limited resources and funding, Akunda aims to scale the business to reach 10,000 farmers and create 100 jobs across East Africa within three years.