Agribusiness Leadership Institute

  In 2024 I decided I wanted to build a business I could pass on to my children’s children, a generational/legacy business. After having worked with and for MSMEs, I started a couple of hustles I knew more than enough to do something. However, I realised there is a difference between hustling and building a business, there were very few toolkits or roadmaps I could use to equip me to build the type of business I wanted and I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. The Agribusiness Leadership Institute (ALI) is the vehicle I can use to walk with others as we build generational businesses, developing the toolkits that work in Africa and impact one household at a time. Agriculture was a natural and strategic choice  because I love the land and if one is hungry, generational wealth is the last thing on one’s mind .   ALI is dedicated to cultivating visionary leaders who will revolutionize Africa's agricultural landscape , one household at a time.   Vision-  Building Legacy Businesses in

During the Professional Fellows Program, I had the opportunity to visit Sixteen Sprigs Lavender Farm and Gift shop set a whooping 3 acres (1.21ha) in Lansing Michigan USA. The growing season in Michigan is a total of 4-5 months and the rest of the time you have frosty weather. The owner of this farm Prof. Wynne Wright has found interesting ways to increase her income through agro-tourism and value addition to the Lavender she grows. This is not the only farm doing this, and I thought of you here in Zimbabwe.   Agro-tourism is the concept of opening up the farm to paying visitors to learn, view or relax.  Sixteen Sprigs offers Yoga in Lavender, Workshops on value addition, event space, Art and craft sessions, and U cut days (you pay to cut your own lavender bouquet and pay per kg) to promote wellness and agricultural therapy. In Zimbabwe we have multiple farms that have taken advantage of this phenomena such as Panganayi Farm (Hwedza) that offers accommodation on site, and learning  exp

  Dear Young Farmer,   When we spoke the last time, I know I had promised to talk about Curating teams-assembling and leading a High-Performance Team.  However, I realised that would be jumping the gun because I would have skipped laying the foundations that you need before you can even begin to think about curating a team. In the dynamic landscape of the agricultural sector in Africa, where innovation meets tradition, the clarity of Vision, Mission and Values forms the cornerstone of organisational success and competitive advantage. (Studies have shown it takes at least 18 months to replicate this competitive advantage). Today we delve into their definition and explore their role in shaping organisational culture.   Vision (The North Star) (Why do you exist) It guides the trajectory of your business towards the future it aspires to create, rallying all stakeholders behind a common purpose. I have seen statements that include words such as Best, Largest, and First. My question is based

  Dear Farmer, I am glad you have decided to continue on the path of growth.  I admit it isn’t easy  but the results are worth it as I am sure you can agree. Of late I have been receiving messages from many farmers asking if I can link them up with a market because their products are at harvest or slaughter stage and  when I ask why they have operated this way. And the usual response is, I thought I would never go wrong with food.   So today I have decided to tackle the issue of market research. Its something people talk about being essential but few actually follow through and do it. I will unpack the what,why, when, how and who of basic market research. Trust me it isn’t as complicated as you think, I can see you roll your eyes because I always say that.   Sources of data can be primary ( first hand data and you have full control over the whole research process) or secondary (second hand data from the Internet, Government publications, industry bulletins, newspapers etc and you have

Dear Farmer,   The rains are upon us and 2024  looks promising, today I want to challenge you to finish safe and start strong. There are many factors that as farmers that we may not have control over such as the climate, government policy, political landscape etc but through effective planning we can to a certain extent come up with a favorable outcome.   The importance of planning in increasing efficiency, achieving profit targets, providing focus and coordination, aiding decision making, reducing risks, encouraging innovation and creativity can never be overstated. The question that almost always arises is how does one create an effective plan?   Every plan has to answer 5 questions which are:  Why, What, Where, When, Who  and this will help you effectively plan the How  of execution.         WHY? Why are  you in existence, do you operate the way you do, should customers and other stakeholders do business with you? This section deals with your vision and your ability to satisfy  the

  Dear Young Farmer,   During our last fireside chat, one of your friends indicated that the reason he doesn’t consider commercial farming is because he only has 1 acre of land (less than 0.5ha), another mentioned how she doesn’t practice the tenets of commercial farming even though she has large tracts of land. This is because her company has not grown big enough to warrant some of the systems and structures that underpin commercial farming. And yes you are right, I am definitely going to challenge what I call the myth of commercial farming which is essentially about size. The traditional definition of commercial farming is a type of agriculture that involves the production of crops or livestock on a large tract of land with the primary goal of generating profits by selling products in markets. My problem with this definition is the estimated 1.5 million small scale farmers producing 80% of Africa’s food requirements and for it to be distributed it definitely must be sold at some mark