Welcome to another episode of the Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast! Today, we're diving into a critical topic—branding and marketing for agribusinesses. Many African agribusinesses do great work, yet they struggle to differentiate themselves in the market. Without strong branding, it becomes difficult to attract investors, customers, and partners.

So, what can we learn from global food brands that have successfully built recognizable and trusted identities? Let's break it down.

First, let's talk about Dangote Group. Dangote has established itself as a dominant player, not just in agriculture but across multiple industries. What's the secret? Consistency in branding. From product packaging to marketing campaigns, their identity remains the same, making them instantly recognizable. This is something many agribusinesses in Africa overlook—the power of consistency in messaging, design, and positioning.

Next, we look at Nestlé and how they adapted their marketing to fit African cooking styles. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, Nestlé tailored its branding and communication to resonate with local consumers. This is a key lesson—understanding your audience and localizing your messaging can set you apart.

Then there's Olam Agri, which has positioned itself as a sustainability-driven agribusiness. In today's market, consumers and investors are paying more attention to sustainability. Olam Agri didn't just adopt sustainability as a practice, they made it part of their brand story, which helped them stand out and build trust.

So, what's the key takeaway? African agribusinesses must be intentional about branding. Whether it's through consistency, audience-centered messaging, or sustainability, branding is what makes your business visible, credible, and competitive.

At Let's Talk Agriculture Limited, we help agribusinesses develop strong branding, marketing, and communication strategies that position them for success. If you're struggling with differentiation, now is the time to start building a brand that lasts.

Tune in to this episode to learn how you can apply these lessons to your agribusiness. Let's make African agribusinesses impossible to ignore!

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In this insightful episode of the Let's Talk Agriculture Podcast, host Sharon Idahosa explores the power of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in shaping strong agricultural brands. Brought to you by Let's Talk Agriculture Media, the media arm of Let's Talk Agriculture Limited, this episode dives into: 💫 Understanding how CSR goes beyond philanthropy to create lasting value in the agricultural sector.

💫Why storytelling and strategic communication are essential to maximizing CSR impact.

💫 How effective CSR initiatives build credibility, customer loyalty, and long-term brand equity.

💫 As a leading agribusiness communication firm, we help brands craft compelling narratives, showcase their impact, and position themselves as industry leaders through CSR. If your brand is investing in CSR but struggling to communicate its impact, Let's Talk Agriculture Limited is your trusted partner. We specialize in sustainability communications, branding, and media strategies tailored for the agricultural sector.

Get in touch with us: [email protected]

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[00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast the podcast that connects you with the happenings, the trends, and opportunities in the agriculture sector.

[00:00:52] Sharon Idahosa: So, here's a quick information for us. We will be rounding up the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show for the year in [00:01:00] October and maybe stretch to November. Because we are trying to prepare for our year end vaccine, and if you'd like to be a part of it, please do well to reach out to us. Send an email to [email protected].

[00:01:12] Sharon Idahosa: Now for today's episode, we will be looking at how the Zero Hunger Coalition is mobilizing Agri food systems actors to end hunger and malnutrition. Now, zero hunger is part of the SDGs and it must be addressed. So to help us learn more about the Unifying Effort, join me in welcoming Francine Picard, Director of Partnerships at Shamba Centre for Food and Climate.

[00:01:39] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, Francine. Thank you so much for joining the show today. I hope you've been well.

[00:01:42] Francine: I'm fine, Sharon, and thank you for having me today.

[00:01:45] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure to have you here. When I saw your profile, I just thought, yeah, maybe we could connect. I, to be honest, I wasn't looking at the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast.

[00:01:54] Sharon Idahosa: I was trying to be very biased because I have A podcast for women. And I thought that, yes, maybe I [00:02:00] should have you on my personal podcast, but at the end of the day, we found ourselves here, which I think is amazing. So, thank you once again for joining LTA podcast. So, to get this episode started, maybe you can just give us an overview of what the Zero Hunger Coalition is all about.

[00:02:17] Sharon Idahosa: What is the inspiration behind this and why now?

[00:02:21] Francine: Thank you, Sharon. Before I start talking about the Zero Hunger Coalition, I just want to reflect on You Wanted Me as a Woman, and I think that the Shamba Centre, the organization that I'm one of the co-founders, actually has an amazing story, because it's all about three amazing women.

[00:02:38] Francine: Sometimes it's also nice to recognize who we are, uh, that's joined forces all together to say, okay, let's work on, we have been working on the issue of ending anger, but let's put our forces all together to see, to then try and change things the way that we want to change it. Let disrupt the system the way you [00:03:00] think we are able to achieve it.

[00:03:01] Francine: So the Shamba Center is a new organization. We have two years of existence and then we are drafted by the passion and some of the passion actually is quite huge because it's all about How we can ensure that we are bringing idea, bold idea, and, and how we can move with all our idea to change things. So one of the initiatives that we thought could also respond to that quest is the Zero Hunger Coalition.

[00:03:29] Francine: So the Zero Hunger Coalition actually has been, uh, created, uh, as a response to the urgent global needs to address hunger and malnutrition. As you know, we are facing a huge amount of people. People now more than 700 are going to bed hungry. And this is really outrageous, is not acceptable. But this is also the reality.

[00:03:50] Francine: And I think that's, uh, the whole world gather together in 2021 during the work. UN, United Nations Food Systems Summit and say, what can we do together to actually

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[00:00:00] Intro

[00:00:41] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show, where we share the happenings, the trends and the opportunities in the agriculture sector. Now in today's episode, we will dive into poultry farming. A thriving business opportunity in Nigeria and, of course, across Africa. So while many [00:01:00] young people are super eager to jump into this lucrative field, it is crucial to understand some of the challenges that are involved, including the health issues, the And even mortality rates.

[00:01:14] Sharon Idahosa: So joining me today is Goldbold Chukwuebuka, a young entrepreneur who is excelling in the poultry industry and still experiencing the downside associated with poultry farming. Now we will uncover the essential knowledge every aspiring poultry farmer should have in order to succeed and sustain their business.

[00:01:36] Sharon Idahosa: Now, thank you so much for joining today, Chukwuebuka. I would really, really love to hear about your journey into the poetry, uh, into poetry farming. Please say hello to our guests, uh, audience rather. Thank you.

[00:01:49] Godbold Chukwuebuka: So, hello. By the way, my name is Godbold Chukwuebuka, not Chukwuebuka.

[00:01:53] Sharon Idahosa: Oh my, my apologies, my

[00:01:56] Godbold Chukwuebuka: apologies.

[00:01:57] Godbold Chukwuebuka: Godbold, Godbold, Godbold [00:02:00] Chukwemeka.

[00:02:04] Sharon Idahosa: Ah, thank you. And to think that I was actually singing with the name before and, and now I missed it. My apologies for

[00:02:13] Godbold Chukwuebuka: this. Thank you.

[00:02:14] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure to have you here. So please tell us your journey to go farming.

[00:02:18] Godbold Chukwuebuka: So basically, it all started while I was in university. That was my 300 level, about entering second semester, 3 11 20 18.

[00:02:27] Godbold Chukwuebuka: Entering about entering 400 level. So we had this program in our school then with Central Bank of Nigeria under CDC, Southeast Entrepreneurship Development Center. So they came to empower We the students, about entering year, they came to empower us based on agribusiness and management, because that was what I studied.

[00:02:46] Godbold Chukwuebuka: The school. I studied agribusiness and management. So it was a three month program, was a three month program. The. It's going to go aspect of it is a second one to the practical aspect of it and th

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[00:00:00] Grace Njoroge: Hey, beautiful people. Indeed, that is one of my biggest pleasure, is always when I went to my [00:00:06] Sharon Idahosa: own farm. So, I think it is important to first understand what a healthy relationship with food is, for us to know what it is not. Not trying. I can relate, I can relate. Selfish. So, you could be your own farmer for years. [00:00:18] Sharon Idahosa: Who knows? [00:00:21] Grace Njoroge: Trust, trust me when I tell you there will always be challenges. There will always be risks. [00:00:26] Sharon Idahosa: Seems like we have a lot in common. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. And of course, it's your favorite girl, Sharon De La Rosa. Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. [00:00:46] Sharon Idahosa: My name is Sharon Idahosa and I am your host. Today I'm excited to bring another episode, Your Way, still on the AgriFinance series, here on the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. Joining me [00:01:00] today is one of Mexico's finest, Grace Njoroge. Hopefully I got that correctly. She is the technical director of programs. [00:01:09] Sharon Idahosa: And she will be discussing the impact of digital finance in the agriculture sector. Now they have been actively supporting smallholder farmers, you know, to easily get access to finance and we are here to get more details about it and ensure that. Those that are looking out for finance, especially women can really benefit from this. [00:01:28] Sharon Idahosa: So please guys, stay tuned and get the best out of this episode. Thank you for joining the show today. How are you doing Grace? [00:01:35] Grace Njoroge: Thank you for having me Sharon. I am doing very well. Thank you. Um, thank you for having me on the show and I'm looking forward to the discussion. [00:01:44] Sharon Idahosa: Great. Great. So tell us, how has it been so far working in, in this space? [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Great. I know many people do not like, uh, or many of us that got into this space, we didn't really study agriculture or it wasn't, uh, it wasn't something we planned, [00:02:00] but then again, we found out Celsia maybe because we wanted to, we saw a problem and wanted to solve it. So I want to know what actually got you to this space. [00:02:08] Sharon Idahosa: direction while you're working in agriculture and agri finance as well. So please do share if you can. Thank you. [00:02:15] Grace Njoroge: Thank you. Thanks Sharon. So, um, I always, um, say for those who know my story is I, I got into the Um, digital space, the agricultural space. Um, um, by fluke, I studied, um, I studied, I studied bachelor's of business administration for my undergrad. [00:02:34] Grace Njoroge: Um, and I remember I was in a public university. So, um, I remember we still have the career fairs where, you know, most of the institutions that used to come for the career fairs were, um, financial institutions, the banks, the insurance companies. Some of the consultancy companies, the audit companies, etc. [00:02:51] Grace Njoroge: And so when I was graduating, I really was looking forward to working for, um, you know, that kind of institution and my, my dream did come true. I [00:03:00] joined one of the leading financial institutions, uh, banks here in Kenya. Um, and when I joined I was, you know, starry-eyed. I was very looking forward to it. Um, I got some money from my grandmother to, you know, buy a couple of, um, suits, um, you know, the, um, nice power suits because I, I thought I'd be walking in the banking hall in my power suit, in my high heels, um, you know, serving customers. [00:03:23] Grace Njoroge: 'cause this is the image we had of, um, bank stuff, um, when we were young. But then, um, shocker me when I joined, um, there was this new department that had been opened in the bank, um, the microfinance department.

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Intro: [00:00:00] Sharon Idahosa: [00:43:00] Hello beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show, where we bring you the latest trends, opportunities, and innovations in the agriculture industry. Now this episode is brought to you by Opportunity International, a nonprofit organization equipping families with the tools [00:01:00] and training that they need to build their businesses, improve harvest, provide for their families and send their children to school, and even break the cycle of poverty. Now talk about innovative financial solutions. They can help families living in extreme poverty to build sustainable livelihood. Now, if you'd like to learn more and support the work that they do, quickly visit opportunity.org. Now, this is me bringing to you the impact that they have created so far when it comes to gender financing. We already know that women face so much challenges when it comes to getting access to finance. And if you're one of those, this is the best place, you know, to, you know, learn and get access to this initiative that they've put in place for you as a woman. And of course, if you are one of those supporting women, this is the best place to go. So, I encourage you to really just check out opportunity. org to see the best [00:02:00] ways that you can benefit. So, joining me today is Tim Strong, head of agricultural financing at Opportunity. Tim has successfully led the agri finance initiatives with his team in Malawi and beyond. Hello, Tim. Thank you so much for joining the show today. How are you doing? Timothy Strong: Thank you, Sharon. I'm really excited. As I said about it being Friday, I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead. It's absolutely a pleasure to be invited to join you on the podcast today. Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure to have you. I mean Fridays just look almost the same to me anyway. So, yeah, I looked through, um, the recent feature with you and your team on Bloomberg and I must say that you have done incredibly well. I mean a great job so far. So, I mean, why don't you share with us Um, the objectives of the gender finance projects and the implementation in Malawi. I know it was Implemented in Malawi or is it beyond Africa already? But I mean, let's just have this as a case study. Timothy Strong: Very cool Sharon So, um, it's definitely been a [00:03:00] pleasure to be able to spread the good news I think you and I have some very similar perspectives in terms of the gospel of the small holder farmer Uh, for us at Opportunity, it's really been a journey for us as we've continued to really focus what we do on listening to our clients. Um, so a lot of what, uh, you referenced to in terms of the Bloomberg article and how we're innovating with generative artificial intelligence to support farmers, it all boils down to that same piece is how do we make sure that we implement human centered design. How do we become specialists and listening to the needs of the variety of clients that we have for opportunity has been, uh, as I said, a journey and we've been in operations now for over 53 years Organizationally We've been able to reach over 19. 4 million clients and 95 percent of those whom are women. And we've partnered with 130 different financial institutions across 33 countries within our overall lending book of roughly 2. 3 billion. Um, over 450 million of [00:04:00] that, uh, is financing directly the unlock. Um, so for us, we really see our mission and our mandate to really make sure that we're bringing together the right partners and the right relationships to access, uh, to really have a centered focused on X. It's really, you know, capital as an access piece for farmers, training and support networks. Um, really a lot of this, uh, builds up on that, but, um, for our team and our program. We've come together for agricultural finance around a belief in rural prosperity. How do we really see that farmers are the major driving engine of economic growth in all of the co

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[00:00:00] Sharon Idahosa: Hey, beautiful people. Indeed, that is one of my biggest pleasure, is always when I went to my own farm. So, I think it is important to first understand what a healthy relationship with food is, for us to know what it is not. Not trying. I can relate, I can relate. Selfish. So, you could be your own farmer priest.

[00:00:19] Sharon Idahosa: Who knows? Trust, trust me when I tell you there will always be challenges. There will always be risks. Seems like we have a lot in common. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. And of course, it's your favorite girl, Sharon Idahosa.

[00:00:44] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. I want to appreciate all of my listeners for being patient with me for the past two months. I mean, I really appreciate your support. So I had to go on a short break to welcome my little princess to the world. And I'm back now to, you know, bring fresh [00:01:00] episodes your way. So if this is your first time listening to the podcast, my name is Sharon Idahosa.

[00:01:06] Sharon Idahosa: And I am the founder of Let's Talk Agriculture Limited, a public relations and communications firm specializing in agriculture. Now, Let's Talk Agriculture handles everything about your agriculture business. So if you're ready to build your brand, kindly get in touch with us at hello at letstalkagriculture.com

[00:01:25] Sharon Idahosa: The website and email link will be available. So today my message is simple. I want to share with you all the impact of podcasting on your agriculture communication. So yes, you are an agricultural business founder and you run your own business, or you are an entrepreneur looking to connect and share your message with a wider audience.

[00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Podcasting is one of the best ways you can do that. Now in agricultural communication, podcasting has emerged as a powerful tool or a medium to, you [00:02:00] know, share valuable insights, engage your audience and establish leadership and even showcase your business. You know, it allows you to freely connect and give to your target audience.

[00:02:12] Sharon Idahosa: Making a mark in their lives, positioning your expertise right in front of them and becoming a go to person when they decide to buy. You see now podcasting can do a whole lot and in not just communicating your brand message or connecting with your target audience, it can also set you up for life. Now here are some of the key reasons.

[00:02:34] Sharon Idahosa: Podcasting matters for your agriculture communication. Number one is that it helps you reach a global audience. Now, podcasting helps you to connect with more than just your target audience. You get to connect with farmers, researchers, industry professionals, Consumers and a lot more it doesn't just limit you to just your target audience It helps you to connect with more people more people [00:03:00] from across the globe get to listen and hear about you about your brand So leveraging podcasting will help you connect to a global audience Another one is that it helps you to build credibility now credibility is something that You need as a business owner, it is something that you need for your business.

[00:03:17] Sharon Idahosa: So one of the best things that podcasting can do for you is to help build credibility. And that's one thing, like I said, that you need. Now, through podcasts, you get to share your insights, industry trends, engage with industry experts via your podcast. And this will help you to position yourself as a A trusted authority in the field.

[00:03:37] Sharon Idahosa: Now, let's talk agriculture limited is a public relations and communications film, but yes, we have the let's talk agriculture podcast. And very soon you're pushing out the let's talk agriculture TV show.

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[00:00:00] Sharon Idahosa: Hey, beautiful people. Indeed, that is one of my biggest pleasure, is always when I went to my own farm. So, I think it is important to first understand what a healthy relationship with food is, for us to know what it is not. Not trying. I can relate, I can relate. Selfish. So, you could be your own farmer for years. [00:00:21] Sharon Idahosa: Trust. Trust me when I tell you there will always be challenges. There will always be risks. Seems like we have a lot in common. Welcome to the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast show. And of course, it's your favorite girl, Sharon Idar Russak. [00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the final episode of our technology series. It's really been an amazing time discussing with agri technology brands with innovative solutions. for the advancement of the agriculture sector. But before we dive into today's topic, I would like you to [00:01:00] try out EOS data crop monitoring if you are a farmer, or you can contact EOS data sales team if you are interested in the custom agri tech product. [00:01:10] Sharon Idahosa: So today we want to take a deep dive into how AI power satellite imagery is playing a very crucial role in the agricultural industry today. So to get this episode started, join me. Welcome my guest for today, Lydia Lelychenko, Account Executive at EOS Data Analytics. Hello Lydia, how are you doing today? [00:01:31] Lidiia Lelechenko: Hi, Sharon. It is my pleasure to meet you. Hi, everyone, the audience. So yeah, I'm very excited to be the part of the podcast today to share some insight on the remote sensing and agriculture. Yeah. Thank you. [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Great. Thank you so much for joining. I'm sure that this is going to be an insightful episode for our listeners out there. [00:01:56] Sharon Idahosa: I've seen this, um, topic to be a very interesting [00:02:00] one, and I, I really hope that our young people as well and all the businesses can also benefit from this episode. So thank you so much for joining again. So talking about how AI paths are like imagery and how it is transforming the agriculture industry.

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[00:00:00] INTRO [00:00:44] Sharon Idahosa: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to another episode of our technology series, where we explore the innovative solutions, trends and advancement that are shaping the future of farming and agribusiness. This episode is brought to you by Let's Talk Agriculture; An industry specific public relations and communications firm specializing in agriculture. [00:01:06] Sharon Idahosa: So if you're an agriculture business looking to build your brand, establish total leadership, host industry events, or train your employees on leadership, communication, and more, then quickly visit letstalkagriculture. com to get started. So in today's episode, we want to look at some of the strategies to increase the productivity of farmers. [00:01:28] Sharon Idahosa: And we have the best person right here to share his insights with us. So friends join me. Welcome Ibrahim Maigari, the CEO of Rise Africa, a remarkable player, revolutionizing agriculture through technology. Thank you so much for joining the show today. How are you doing? [00:01:47] Ibrahim Maigari: I'm doing fine, Sharon. Thank you. [00:01:49] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you. It's a pleasure to have you. Hopefully I got your name correctly. [00:01:53] Ibrahim Maigari: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, perfect, perfect. I was looking out for that, but you got it right. [00:01:59] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you. So I would just really like to know a little bit more about you. I mean, I'm sure my audience would like to, you know, want to hear a little bit about you. [00:02:09] Sharon Idahosa: I mean, I didn't give a really thorough introduction. So please tell us a little bit about you. What's your journey like in the agriculture industry? [00:02:16] Ibrahim Maigari: So thank you once again Sharon for having me. I, I sincerely commend you for the beautiful work you're doing and spotlighting the activities of many players in the agricultural space. [00:02:29] Ibrahim Maigari: I think we need more. So yeah, um, my name is Ibrahim. Um, I've been a lawyer for, this is my decade as a lawyer, but, uh, my journey into technology, uh, started about, um, I've been involved in starting managing. Co-founding of technology startups in Nigeria. Um, our journey in technology started with, uh, with animal identification and management system.

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[00:00:00] Intro

[00:00:42] Sharon Idahosa: Hey, beautiful people. Welcome to the technology series, where we explore the innovative solutions and trends

[00:00:48] Sharon Idahosa: that are shaping the future of farming and agribusiness. I'm excited to bring the first episode of the technology series your way, because today we will be hearing from an [00:01:00] agritech startup making waves in the poultry farming industry. And believe me when I say you don't want to miss this one. So sit tight

[00:01:07] Sharon Idahosa: and enjoy this podcast interview. Meanwhile, if you haven't checked out the brand management offering, let's talk agriculture has in store for you, then you should really go see it because there is something for you as an agri SME, as an agri MSME and as a business. So do well to visit letstalkagriculture.com

[00:01:28] Sharon Idahosa: to get started. Now back to today's episode, we are going to be looking at the significance of decreasing feed costs and improving productivity in poultry farming. Now our poultry farmers in Nigeria are faced with high cost of feed that is leading to business closure and increase in the price of eggs.

[00:01:51] Sharon Idahosa: I mean, we all eat eggs in Nigeria. I mean, So many people do, so this is a major challenge for us and this is a challenge [00:02:00] for many poultry farmers and even consumers. I believe that at the end of this episode we would have gotten a solution to the major challenges of our poultry, our poultry farmers are dealing with.

[00:02:13] Sharon Idahosa: I mean this podcast is to help you get, you know, solutions and that is why we are here today. But before we get started. Before we get there, join me, welcome our guests for today's show. Mfon Uwa, the founder and CEO of Yiieldy. Hopefully I got your name correctly.

[00:02:34] Mfon Uwa: Yes, you do.

[00:02:36] Sharon Idahosa: Thank you so much for joining the Let's Talk Agriculture podcast.

[00:02:39] Sharon Idahosa: How are you doing today?

[00:02:41] Mfon Uwa: I'm fine Sharon. Thank you for having me.

[00:02:44] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure. I mean, it's really amazing to have, um, the founders of Startups. I mean, I like to see founders doing amazing things in the agriculture space. You know, so many technology coming to the picture, but yeah, we want to see how [00:03:00] that technology is really transforming the agricultural sector because the agricultural sector has so much to offer and we have to make sure that technologies play a crucial role in advancing the agricultural industry.

[00:03:14] Sharon Idahosa: So thank you for your contribution. And I'm glad to get this episode started and hear your story and what you're doing in your company. So thank you once again for joining the show today.

[00:03:24] Mfon Uwa: You're welcome, Sharon. Thank you for having me.

[00:03:27] Sharon Idahosa: It's a pleasure. So tell us what is the inspiration behind Yiieldy and the development of

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