As a woman agrienterpreneur that owns two rural inputs and service shops in northern Mozambique. Despite our initial and current investments to serve almos 30.000 previously underserved smallholder farmers, who today have access to certified seeds, agrochemicals, free extension services, insurance for their maze and sesame crops and a secure market for these crops, for us, finding finance partners is difficult. Commercial finance is out of question with interest around 20-26%.
The most appaulling are the donor and development organizations with grants that are supposed to be financing interventions like ours. We hire youth and women as agriculture extension officers. We want to expand to other areas using a franchise system. Yet these programs find us too small, too risky.
They are looking at risk in the traditional way.
They are looking for no risk investments
They are looking for foreign investors expanding locally
They are looking for large businesses above $1M of matching grant.
Bottom line, they are not looking for local entrepreneurs wantin to find local sustainable solutions to help farmers increase productivity from 500kg to 1.3T per hectare or insure crops to reduce the risk of climate change events like Cyclobe IDAI that recently affected Mozambique.
It’s all about the big $$$$ not about the social impact that will eventually lead to the $$$. This takes time and they don’t have time for it. Results need to be shown within 6 months and the projects are 3 years so, rather look for those they can leverage already invested capital and claim attribution for what they didn’t do.
Therefore, we don’t need more money, we need it to be better invested and adjust the eligibility criteria to the local context.
As a woman agrienterpreneur that owns two rural inputs and service shops in northern Mozambique. Despite our initial and current investments to serve almos 30.000 previously underserved smallholder farmers, who today have access to certified seeds, agrochemicals, free extension services, insurance for their maze and sesame crops and a secure market for these crops, for us, finding finance partners is difficult. Commercial finance is out of question with interest around 20-26%.
The most appaulling are the donor and development organizations with grants that are supposed to be financing interventions like ours. We hire youth and women as agriculture extension officers. We want to expand to other areas using a franchise system. Yet these programs find us too small, too risky.
They are looking at risk in the traditional way.
They are looking for no risk investments
They are looking for foreign investors expanding locally
They are looking for large businesses above $1M of matching grant.
Bottom line, they are not looking for local entrepreneurs wantin to find local sustainable solutions to help farmers increase productivity from 500kg to 1.3T per hectare or insure crops to reduce the risk of climate change events like Cyclobe IDAI that recently affected Mozambique.
It’s all about the big $$$$ not about the social impact that will eventually lead to the $$$. This takes time and they don’t have time for it. Results need to be shown within 6 months and the projects are 3 years so, rather look for those they can leverage already invested capital and claim attribution for what they didn’t do.
Therefore, we don’t need more money, we need it to be better invested and adjust the eligibility criteria to the local context.