Debrief session on the bottlenecks study for Malawi’s horticultural sector: three interdependent action areas identified
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
No Comments
On 23 April, a debrief session was held as part of the PRCC programme (Programme de renforcement des capacités commerciales), implemented by COLEAD and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). The session brought together 29 stakeholders from both public and private sector organisations. The objective of the meeting was to present and discuss the findings of the bottlenecks study conducted for Malawi’s horticultural sector. Developed through a participatory approach, the study aimed to identify and prioritise the main constraints… +Senegal – mango sector: a training cycle to strengthen phytosanitary surveillance ahead of the 2026 campaign
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the STDF/PG/946 project, COLEAD, in collaboration with the Plant Protection Directorate (DPV) and the Senegal Mango Interprofessional Association (IPMS), is rolling out in April 2026 a cycle of three training sessions focused on the surveillance of mango pests, with particular emphasis on fruit flies. These trainings are co-funded by the PRCC programme – phase 2, illustrating the complementarity of COLEAD’s interventions. Fruit flies represent a major phytosanitary risk for exports to the European Union. Insufficient surveillance can… +Structuring and strengthening a supply chain with outgrowers: example of support to Smart foods in Grenada
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the COLEAD Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, technical assistance was recently provided to SMART FOODS Caribbean to design and initiate the implementation of a structured support programme for its supplying farmers in Grenada. The intervention aimed to develop a comprehensive and practical operational framework enabling the company to secure a reliable supply of high-quality raw materials, while building sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with local producers. It resulted in the development of a full set of… +Strengthening Thanthwe farms’ marketing positioning (Malawi): targeted support to drive strategic growth
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of its continued support to agribusinesses, COLEAD, through the FFM+ programme, provided follow-up technical assistance to Thanthwe Farms Ltd (Malawi), building on a previous intervention focused on market intelligence and strategic guidance. In 2025, the initial phase identified key areas for improvement to enhance the company’s competitiveness in national, regional and international markets. Priorities included strengthening brand positioning, improving marketing visibility, and developing more structured commercial tools, particularly for regional markets such as South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.… +Collecting and structuring data to meet sustainability reporting requirements: the example of LECOFRUIT in Madagascar
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the Fit for Market Plus programme, post-training support was provided to the Malagasy company LECOFRUIT, following the collective training “optimising data collection and management to strengthen organisational performance”. This support aimed to help translate training outcomes into practice by strengthening the company’s data collection, management and analysis systems. The objective was to better structure internal information, particularly to meet growing sustainability and reporting requirements (GRI, EcoVadis). A structured and collaborative approach The mission followed a progressive approach… +Guinea: an example of training to strengthen skills in local production processing
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the Agriéco project (ENABEL), COLEAD recently organised a face-to-face group training session on pineapple processing and good hygiene practices for stakeholders from pineapple clusters in Guinea. This initiative forms part of COLEAD’s support to the implementation of action plans developed following the diagnostic and design phases of the clusters. The training took place in Kindia from 21 to 24 April 2026 and brought together 11 participants holding key roles within processing units, including managers, production managers, hygiene… +Professionalising commercial strategy: the example of TADESSE in Ethiopia’s avocado market
- 04/05/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In Sodo, Ethiopia, Tadesse Agricultural Products Wholesale is taking a new step in structuring its business model by supporting more than 1,300 farmers towards a more commercial and profitable approach. Under the EU-funded MAHEBER programme, seven of the company’s agronomists and supervisors recently completed in-depth training on COQUA tools. This approach aims to bridge the gap between agricultural production and commercial performance by providing practical tools to manage costs, pricing and volumes. Based on real data from avocado orchards in… +Larry Holder, Novo Farms (Trinidad & Tobago) : from caribbean kitchens to global shelves: scaling local food innovation with novo farms
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Standing at the intersection of Caribbean food culture and modern food innovation is Larry Holder, Public Relations Executive at Novo Farms, a fast-growing Trinidad and Tobago manufacturer reshaping how regional ingredients reach the world. With over 15 years’ experience in business development and a professional foundation in marketing and public relations, Larry is among a new generation of entrepreneurs and industry leaders positioning the Caribbean’s food identity on supermarket shelves across the globe. Novo Farms is the company behind LIFE,… +Linette Wawira (Kenya), “By focusing on quality and consistency, we were able to build trust and repeat business.”
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Linette Wawira founded Jiwa Farm Export Limited in Kenya during the COVID-19 lockdown, the objective was straightforward: supply fresh, reliable produce to local households. What began as a small grocery initiative has since grown into a GLOBAL G.A.P.-certified agribusiness serving both local retailers and international markets. Jiwa Farm is now specialised in the production, processing, and export of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, including Asian vegetables, French beans, sugar snaps, butter nuts, and onions. From the outset, the company prioritised… +Action Learning Exchange (ALE) 2026: strengthening alliances to accelerate Africa’s transition towards competitive, integrated and sustainable agri-food systems
- 25/03/2026
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
On 10–11 March 2026 in London, COLEAD participated in the Action Learning Exchange (ALE) 2026, a workshop organised by FCDO, AGRA and Frontier Intelligences. The event brought together public and private stakeholders around a shared objective: accelerating Africa’s transition towards competitive, integrated and sustainable agri-food systems. Four key priorities emerged from the discussions: developing local value addition to move beyond raw commodity exports, advancing trade integration through the effective implementation of the AfCFTA, strengthening sustainable partnerships between African producers and… +