Agricultural consultants, lenders and company executives are calling for elevated funding in rural logistics and transport programs throughout Africa, warning that weak infrastructure is stopping tens of millions of smallholder farmers from accessing worthwhile markets regardless of positive factors in farm productiveness.
Talking through the 2026 Africa CEO Discussion board 2026 in Kigali, panelists stated post-harvest losses, insufficient chilly storage, poor feeder roads and fragmented provide chains proceed to undermine meals safety and rural incomes throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
The discussions centered on what contributors described as Africa’s “midstream” agricultural problem the motion, storage and distribution of produce between farms and customers.
Max Müller, International Head of Public Affairs at Bayer, stated enhancing yields alone wouldn’t be sufficient with out dependable transport and market entry programs.
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“Infrastructure is vital for African markets,” stated Müller.
“Addressing these midstream points is strictly what is going to open doorways for smallholder farmers to entry secure, profitable markets.”
Smallholder farmers account for as much as 80 p.c of meals manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa, however practically 40 p.c of harvests are misplaced earlier than reaching customers attributable to poor logistics and storage programs.
The inefficiencies additionally contribute to increased meals costs in city areas whereas lowering earnings for rural farmers.
Hajar Alafifi, Chief Govt Officer of OCP Africa, stated enhancing agricultural worth chains would require funding past farm inputs and manufacturing.
“True transformation should depend on an built-in method combining soil science, innovation, agricultural mechanization, and broader entry to worldwide markets,” Alafifi said.
She added that structured worth chains and insurance policies supporting intra-African commerce would assist combine smallholder farmers into business markets.
OCP Africa cited a Nigerian programme that related 750,000 farmers on to agro-processors.
Ousmane Dione, Regional Vice President on the World Financial institution, referred to as for extra coordinated infrastructure investments tied to regional commerce corridors below the African Continental Free Commerce Space framework.
“Corridors should not nearly transportation. They have to join industries, logistics, agriculture, and power programs.”
Panelists contend that enhancing cross-border commerce programs and rural transport networks might assist cut back meals losses and enhance market entry for farmers throughout the continent.
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