Business plans in agriculture: 50 entrepreneurs trained to make their ventures bankable

In brief

• From 19 January to 6 February 2026, COLEAD ran a three-week training course introducing business plans in the agricultural sector.
• It was delivered under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme.
• Around fifty participants — agri-MSMEs, cooperative managers and consultants — from 19 partner countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
• The goal: turning hands-on expertise and market knowledge into a bankable business plan.
• A concrete lever to ease access to finance for horticultural businesses.

Why this training?

Many horticultural entrepreneurs have strong technical skills, yet the business plan often remains a daunting exercise. Banks and investors, by contrast, expect detailed, well-structured plans. From 19 January to 6 February 2026, under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD’s Training team ran a three-week course — “Introduction to business plans in the agricultural sector” — designed precisely to bridge that gap. Step by step, it guided participants in translating their day-to-day operations and market knowledge into a bankable business plan.

Who took part?

The session brought together around 50 active participants — agri-MSMEs, cooperative managers and consultants — from 19 partner countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific: Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The cohort was deliberately mixed: some came as early-stage entrepreneurs writing their very first business plan; others, leaders of established cooperatives, were looking to secure funding to expand. It was this mix that fuelled some of the course’s richest exchanges.

Why it matters

For an agri-MSME, a credible business plan often makes the difference between a good idea and the funding needed to make it happen. By giving participants the tools and the confidence to write their own plan, the training eases access to finance, sharpens internal decision-making and puts horticultural businesses on firmer footing with the markets and partners they are targeting.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.