Highlight

• Agriculture is by far the single most important economic activity in Chad but there is a daunting task of addressing profitability, competitiveness, and sustainability challenges.
• UPi is technically supporting Société de Développement des Produits Alimentaires en Afrique (SDPA), a major player in agribusiness in Chad.

The Challenge

Chadian agribusiness is characterized by exclusive value chains: high fragmentation of producers, market information asymmetry, limited access to finance by producers, transparency challenges among producers and buyers, and weak bargaining power of producers. However, agricultural value chain development is a promising dynamic that will hopefully integrate Chadian sesame and shea butter smallholders into lucrative value chains.

The Approach

SDPA is positioning itself as an off-taker of Alliance des Cooperatives et Mutuelles du Tchad (ACMT.COOP-CA) produce (sesame and shea butter). With technical support from UPi, SDPA is mobilizing and organizing producers in hubs by strengthening their production, productivity, post-harvest handling, market access, and above all, capital acquisition.

The Results

• Develop Competitiveness Assessment Framework
• Set up Quality Standards through Training, Policy Reform, and Outreach
• Establish Market Information Systems for sesame, shea butter, and bovine value chains