Advanta Seeds International

FROM LAB TO FIELD

Regional Head of Africa and the Middle East, Ndavi Muia, tells us about Advanta Seeds, the company using science to revolutionise agriculture

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

With the agriculture sector standing as the backbone of Africa’s economy, there is no question of how important development is within the sphere.

The agricultural industry supports not only countries within the continent but also the entire globe, supplying food and produce internationally, and being a key producer of goods such as tea, coffee and cocoa, on top of a wide variety of crops and grains.

Behind this continental-scale agricultural output is the science, smart technologies and advanced techniques that are maximising the way individual farmers and related businesses operate within Africa. One company providing such innovative means of agricultural advancement is Advanta Seeds International.

“We are a progressive agrotech company that is adapting to both rapidly increasing food insecurity and climate change by providing farmers with innovative and new agricultural technologies,” begins Ndavi Muia, Regional Head of Africa and the Middle East at Advanta Seeds International.

“Advanta Seeds is a part of UPL, the total crop solutions company which is

the fifth largest agriculture company in the world.”

RECOGNISING POTENTIAL

Despite Africa comprising 24 percent of the globe’s agricultural land, its overall potential is largely untapped. On top of this, the continent’s total population is growing annually at a rate of 2.5 percent; by 2025 it is estimated that 1.5 billion people will live in Africa.

“In Kenya for example, agriculture employs around 50 percent of the working population (reaching as high as 70 percent in rural areas) and is the primary contributor to the Kenyan economy,” Muia explains. “This is a microcosm of sub-Saharan Africa, of which around half the population operate in the agriculture industry.

“This rising population is important when looking at the level of potential there is for the activation of land that is currently unused. This growth produces huge opportunity for productivity improvements in the coming years, and as a result will provide continued growth potential for Advanta Seeds!”

SECURING THE FARMING FUTURE

At the heart of Advanta Seeds’ company commitment sits the security of both food and nutrition, that is driven by the UPL sustainable strategy to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Access to high quality seeds, especially for smallholder farmers, is an essential part of the solution to global food security,” Muia elaborates. “Advanta Seeds is a plant genetics company that operates in 84 countries across the globe, headquartered in Dubai. What makes us the primary choice over competition in the sector, in Africa and beyond, is the wide basket of products that we offer our customers. We are always looking at new opportunities and farmers forecasts, and we continuously seek

to come up with new products and hybrid seeds for the market.”

The creation and distribution of select hybrid seeds is a key part of the company’s success and very much necessary for the further development of African agriculture. Resilience, versatility and high yield are each valuable aspects of such hybrid seeds; their ability to grow in varied and challenging conditions leads to the best results for farmers and communities alike.

“Climate and weather are continuous challenges for us,” Muia notes. “What is absolutely key for Advanta Seeds is to focus on developing and providing seeds that are actually resilient in the face of drought, or other agricultural obstacles such as insects and pests.

“This is already a core part of our company and product offers, but it will be critical moving forward into the future to secure the agricultural potential of the continent.”

ADVANTA SEEDS – AT THE ROOTS

60 percent of Advanta Seeds’ operations in Asia, Africa and Latin America work with majority smallholder farmers based in United Nations countries listed as food insecure.

R&D - The company has 24 biotech and research centres, conducting advanced research in plant genetics using the most advanced R&D technologies available.

SEED PRODUCTION AND TESTING - 24 production centres, ISO certified. Seed technology is tested across a range of environments to ensure high crop productivity.

REACH FARMS, GROW PROFITABILITY - Advanta Seeds is commercially operating in 84 countries. Farmers are provided with the best quality high performing product seeds and agronomic advice to ensure profitability.

AWARDS

Advanta Seeds achieved excellent rank four in the Access to Seeds Index 2021 (ATSI) for both Western and Central Africa and Eastern and Western Africa.

Advanta Seeds, along with its parent company UPL is recognised by ATSI for its outstanding contribution to enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Africa for both regional indexes in the regions. The company has been ranked four out of 64 seed companies that qualified for the ATSI ranking in Africa, and it is the first time that Advanta and UPL participated in the ATSI 2021 ranking.

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY

For Muia, facilitating these kinds of offers in the market is important for both the individual farmer’s crop yield maximisation, as well as maintaining and moving forward the company’s position amid its competition.

Throughout its time in operation, Advanta Seeds has not only been able to offer its wide variety of products to small holder farmers across Africa, but also help educate individual farmers on the best agricultural practices and use of company products.

“Part of our commitment to the pan-African farming community is to spend a lot of time teaching and training farmers on how to use our products coupled with the best agricultural techniques, so that each small holder farmer understands the latest farming methods and gives themselves the best tools with which to reach maximum yield, no matter where they are based,” Muia tells us.

“At the same time, we are aggressively expanding our operations across many African countries. Kenya, Zambia, South Africa and Tanzania have all seen us push to get closer to the farmers, to best teach them and to truly understand their individual and collective needs in the sector.”

AFRICA OUTLOOK:

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CAREER PAST?

Ndavi Muia, Regional Head of Africa and the Middle East:

“After obtaining a degree in sciences, I moved on to work for the Kenyan government. After three years, I joined the private sector and became involved in agriculture - I haven’t looked back since during my 25 years in the industry. “Within agriculture, I have worked in the dynamic economic development space that involves non-profit/governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as a wide variety of African countries including my home country of Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania. “I have been able to experience the agricultural sector from many sides, and I now utilise my experience to help smallholder farmers across the continent.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Moving forward into the new year and beyond, Advanta Seeds’ general goals are threefold. Firstly, the company is focusing on expanding its footprint in all African countries that practice significant agricultural activity. This expansion will allow Advanta Seeds to maintain and grow its position in the market as a premium seed provider.

“On top of this physical growth, we currently leverage a portion of our products from markets in Asia, the US and from Europe,” Muia continues. “One of the things we would like to see is an increase in using local production from African regions, and ramping up our supply chain in this area, especially in places such as Kenya.”

Lastly, Advanta Seeds will be aiming to expand its portfolio of products in Tel: +254 799 835 429 africasupport@advantaseeds.com www.advantaseeds.com

PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

“Globally there is a 20-30 percent yield gap between male and female farmers, and in the face of this we aim to ensure equal access to seeds, agricultural resources, and climate-smart technologies to all. Improving female farmers’ productivity is crucial to achieve food security and nutrition to build the resilience of rural households and communities.

“In Tanzania, we have partnered with Farm Africa to empower women in Dodoma and Manyara with GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), and we also provide seeds and training to enhance female farmers’ productivity. We focused on the training and best practices to increase crop yield, and this improvement allows individual farmers to feed their families and trade the surplus crop for other goods.

“We have reached hundreds of smallholder female farmers to this day, and the number continues to grow.”

the market across the continent. The company holds the goal to have an even greater spectrum of products registered across a substantial number of African countries, so that Advanta Seeds can best provide science-based solutions for farmers and the wider community.