The future of agriculture in Africa took center stage at the inaugural AYuTe NextGen gathering, where the winners of the 2024 AYuTe Africa NextGen were announced. Themed ‘Reimagining Africa’s Agriculture in the Next 50 Years’, the event brought together young agritech innovators, agripreneurs, and stakeholders from across the continent’s agriculture and youth development sectors.
AYuTe NextGen, an initiative of Heifer International, a global non-profit dedicated to ending hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture, celebrated three young agritech entrepreneurs for their transformative ideas.
First Place: Thur Biotech
Based in Ethiopia and founded by Samson Alemu, Thur Biotech specializes in sustainable bacterial biofertilizers. These innovative products replace chemical fertilizers, offering greater efficiency for smallholder farmers while preserving soil quality.
Second Place: Silo Africa
Founded by Eliud Rugut in Kenya, Silo Africa addresses post-harvest losses with digitized grain silos. This technology helps safeguard smallholder farmers against climate impacts by ensuring grain preservation and market access.
Third Place: Extension Africa
Hailing from Nigeria, Extension Africa, founded by Tajuddeen Yahaya, provides data-driven private extension services. They empower rural youth as agribusiness extension agents, connecting smallholder farmers with global markets and offering business advisory and capacity building on sustainable farming methods.
The AYuTe Africa NextGen competition underscores the critical role of youth-led innovation in driving a tech-led revolution in African agriculture. These initiatives not only tackle pressing challenges but also pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for farmers across the continent.
