In this edition of Farmers Inside Track, Frédéric Savin, CEO of Limagrain Africa, talks about how their new joint venture company combines the forces of three leading seed companies based in South Africa.
Limagrain is a French enterprise owned by French farmers. The company consists of about 1500 farmer farmers and employees roughly 10 000 people that operate in 60 countries.
In the episode, Savin shares how they are changing the way that farmers farm, especially in African countries.
“Limagrain has not only positively impacted agriculture in France but in many places in the world, including Africa. We have been operating in Africa for 30 years in vegetable activity and about 10 years in field crop activity,” he says.
He shares how, wherever they operate, they bring agility and solutions to farmers. In the episode, he provides an example in which he points to Europe and how they are helping farmers fight a crop-destroying disease. He also hints that Limagrain was the first company to bring a solution to the European market.
Training Africa’s farmers
In Africa, Limagrain has helped thousands of farmers tackle the fall armyworm, a significant issue in tropical Africa. In the episode, Savin can be heard explaining how their expansion transpired.
He also talks about the needs of African smallholder farmers, the future of agriculture on the continent and where Limagrain fits into all of this.
“In Africa, you have very small farmers that need training or education to farm. There is no need to bring them seeds that they can’t use. You must bring the seed to them and train them.”
In this episode, Savin also discusses:
- Training millions of farmers in Africa;
- Africa’s import reliance; and
- His message to farmers in Africa, including South Africa
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