NIGERIA –Farmcrowdy Group, a Nigerian agri-tech platform through its subsidiary company Farmgate Africa, has partnered Livestock 247.com in a bid to empower smallholder farmers in the country through improved market accesibility.

Kenneth Obiajulu, co-founder and managing director, Farmgate Africa, said that the partnership was to strengthen Farmgate Africa’s plans to grow the market-access for farmers and buyers, reports Africa Tech.

“Our vision is a shared one with Livestock247.com, and this sees us developing the marketing together both from a production and marketing point,” he said.

According to him, the partnership will also strengthen the offerings in the agricultural space in terms of proper organization and profitable deployment of funds to key areas of production and trading.

“On the production end, Farmcrowdy has partnered with Livestock247.com in piloting its first ever cattle feedlot in Adamawa State.

“The first phases have been quite successful and this sees the businesses scaling production to over 24,000 bulls with about 1,200 feedlot clusters in the North East, North West and Southern parts of Nigeria operating through feedlot systems.

“On the trading end, Farmgate Africa has anchored the relationship that sees Livestock247.com trading in excess of 20,000 bulls in over 10 abattoirs in Lagos for the 2019 financial year alone,” he stated.

Mr Obiajulu noted that the partnership will also facilitate potential customers to purchase quality, traceable and fit for slaughter livestock as well as empower livestock farmers through the feedlot programme.

He added that the move also reinforces the push by the Federal Government to key into the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) through intensification of livestock production.

The Group CEO of Farmcrowdy Group, Onyeka Akumah, expressed delight at the partnership while stating that Farmgate Africa was already creating huge strides in the cattle business with an exclusive partner like Livestock247.

Mr Obiajulu highlighted that Farmgate goal has always been to collaborate with relevant partners in the agribusiness space to deliver value for both smallholder farmers and major processors/buyers.

On his part, Ibrahim Maigari Ahmadu, Co-Founder and chief executive Livestock247.com, said Lagos being among the largest livestock consuming market in sub-Saharan Africa, the patnership will offer a borderless reach and access to the market.

The partnership follows the recent launch of the commodity aggregator platform by Farmcrowdy Group to build agritech solutions with an aim of enhancing food security, sustainability and the growth of Agriculture in Africa.