From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It was amazing to be part of Natural Products Expo West this year, I had a chance to introduce our More than Cashews range to the US market. As one of the only African brands showcasing at the largest natural products exhibition in the US, it was great to get all the positive feedback and to showcase the amazing cashews from Tanzania. At the heart of our brand are the farmers and the women that we work with, helping them earn more from their cashews.

It seemed to surprise and impress many people that this was a brand born and produced in Africa. I hope that as years go on this becomes more of the norm.

African brands producing African grown products in Africa.

Africa is the future.

More than Cashews is that dream.

Eat Nuts and Make Change.

Photo: Fahad Awadh at the More than Cashews Booth at Natural Products Expo West, Anaheim, California - March 10-12, 2022

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

We were recently featured in the Jahazi Magazine that is available on the Azam Ferry between Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar.

Enjoy the article below.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

The cashew harvest season is once again upon us. It is a time of year that starts with unbridled enthusiasm and optimism from farmers, processors and traders alike. Of all of those mentioned it is clear that for farmers this season has brought disappointment in the form of lower prices being offered by traders at the auction.

On the subject of pricing, the cashew nut industry does not have a very transparent pricing structure in place. The fact that raw cashews are purchased in Kilograms (Kg) but the cashew kernels are sold in Pounds (lbs) brings even more complication. What rural farmers don’t see is the relationship between these two different prices. The price of Raw Cashews is well known in any cashew growing area in rural Tanzania. But the price of the globally traded cashew kernels is a mystery to them. As this price is influenced and provided by Vietnamese and Indian processors; the main cashew exporting countries.

Tanzania is the 2nd largest cashew producer in Africa; as a whole Africa now produces 60% of the world’s cashew nuts. With very little processing taking place at origin, the raw cashews are purchased by traders and shipped to India and Vietnam. If more processing was to take place in Africa and farmers participated in this value addition, cashew kernels would be the predominant product on which value is attached. Rural communities would be directly connected to the global cashew kernel value chain; participating equitably in the creation of that value.

As an entrepreneur, I am like these farmers, beaming with unbridled enthusiasm and optimism. My mission is to help these farmers create as much value in their rural communities by processing their own cashews and connecting them to the global value chain through the export of cashew kernels. We can change the way cashews are processed in Africa. Our goal is prosperity for rural cashew farmers.

Eat Nuts. Make Change.

Photo: Said Jamal holding freshly harvested cashew apples on his farm in Tandahimba, Mtwara, Tanzania

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It was a pleasure speaking to Mark Edwards, the editor for Twiga Magazine; Air Tanzania's in-flight magazine. It gives me great pride to be featured in the magazine of our national carrier, which has been going through a modernisation and rapid expansion; with addition of new aircrafts and the opening of new international routes. I look forward to one day being the supplier of cashew nuts to the airline, which would be the perfect fit for our goal to showcase the best that Tanzania has to offer to the world.

For now, please enjoy the article below.

Above: Extract from Twiga, Air Tanzania's in-flight magazine.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It was a pleasure to participate in the recently concluded African Economic Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt under the theme “Jobs, Entrepreneurship and Capacity Development for African Youth.” The 14th AEC was organized by the African Development Bank in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Development Programme. The conference brought together African Ministers of Education, Youth representatives, talented young African scholars, internationally renowned academics, private sector operators and development practitioners from Africa and around the world, to discuss recent research and propose pragmatic and evidence-based policy recommendations.

I had the honour of participating as a panelist during the “Youth Dialogue on Employment Challenges and Policies.” The format for this session was for youth panelists to discuss and make policy recommendations that were presented to the round table of Ministers from various African countries. As Young Africans we urged for our voices to be heard in business policy-making across the continent and called on governments to implement friendlier tax policies, improve access to finance and boost support for youth-led business to create jobs. As Young entrepreneurs we need to be at the table when polices are being formed.

One of the things that I really enjoyed was learning what other African countries are doing with regards to Youth-oriented policies. I learned from the presentation of Mr. Tarek Amer, Governor of Egypt’s Central Bank, that they have implemented a policy that provides a target of 20% of a bank's loan portfolio be directed to SME’s. In addition as they have seen banks shy away from lending to startups; the Central Bank has established a 2 Billion Pound Guarantee Trust Fund, which can be leveraged 15x and is targeting startups. So banks can share the risk with the Central Bank. I also learned from Hon. Sunday Akin Dare, Nigeria’s Minister of Youth, Nigeria has established a Nigerian Youth Development Fund, they have provided % targets of a Banks loan portfolio that should be directed to Youth run businesses. The Central Bank of Nigeria has also established Enterprise Development Centres around the country, where graduates can access business development services and single digit interest rate loans to start their business, with a 7-9 year payback period.

It is very encouraging to see the priority and support that is being given to youth; the creation of jobs and youth entrepreneurship is the only way forward for our continent.

Photos Top to Bottom: 1. (L to R) Mr. Anouar Ouedraogo, AfDB; Ms. Juliana Ratovoson, Interim President of the Pan African Youth Union; Mr. Terence Mathe, Southern Incineration Services Zimbabwe; Mr. Fahad Awadh, YYTZ Agro-Processing Tanzania; Mr. Ifeoluwa Adehayo, Special Assistant on Innovation to the Vice President of Nigeria; Ms. Monique Ntumngia, Green Girls Cameroon; Mr. Sobel Aziz Ngom, Founder Social Change Factory Senegal. 2 & 3. Fahad sharing actionable insights on how policy can be shaped to support youth entrepreneurship across Africa.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

While in New York for the UNDP ‘Inclusive Business Forum,' I had a chance to sit down with Susann Tischendorf from the Inclusive Business Action Network. Susann and I instantly connected after she told me how much she loves cashews. We spoke about Cashew Processing in Tanzania and how we are trying to change the way cashews are processed; by including women's processing groups and farmers in the value addition process. Both Susann and I believe that consumers care how their food is produced; sustainability is becoming more and more important in their eyes.

You can read the entire interview here.

Illustration of Fahad Awadh by IBAN

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

I had the pleasure of participating in the recently concluded Africa Together Conference at the University of Cambridge. It was an engaging discussion on the role that Africa plays to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It brought together notable thinkers; including the Former President of Mauritius and a Nobel Peace Prize Winner to share insights and engage in meaningful discussions with faculty and students. I am always amazed by the bright young Africans that are studying at the world’s best universities; armed with an unbridled enthusiasm for Africa. It is now more than ever that we are seeing that our young people are truly the future of our nations. Let us build them up, encourage them and most importantly believe in them.

The future is bright.

Photos Above: 1&2: Fahad Awadh presenting a vision for tackling poverty in the Cashew Nut Value Chain in Tanzania, 3: Esteemed panelists (L to R): Fahad Awadh, Carol Ibe (JR Biotek Foundation), Stephen Ajadi (Ph.D Candidate, University of Cambridge), Jolly Dusabe (Former Senior Government, Rwanda Ministry of Agriculture) and Benny Dembitzer (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate), 4: Fahad Awadh engaging in discussion with H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius and Deola Sagoe, Nigeria, 5: H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius

We are grateful to have been part of a FDA approved food safety training supported by USAID. Beatrice, our facilitator, from the Kenya Bureau of Standards has been working in food safety certification for over 17 years. She really brought the curriculum to life, with many real examples from her work and tips on how to implement the lessons in our business. This training has given us a roadmap for implementing effective preventive controls to meet the new FDA requirements for exporting to the United States. It was also great to be part of the training with another great company in Zanzibar, Zanj Spice Ltd. They are working with smallholder spice farmers in Pemba; creating value from cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, birds eye chilli and paying them more as a result. Implementing an effective food safety management system is paramount when seeking export markets and becomes an integral part of the value addition process.

Photo Above: Fahad Awadh with Beatrice and Raphael and Farouk from Zanj Spice Ltd.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It was a pleasure to take part in the ‘Empowering Women in Agriculture’ African Union Initiative High-Level Breakfast Meeting, held in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the 32nd African Union Summit.

The EWA initiative was officially launched on the sidelines of the 19th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 15th July 2012 and co-chaired by H.E. Ellen John-Sirleaf, President of Liberia and H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda.

The High Level Breakfast Meeting was convened by EWA Champion: His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo, in order to mobilize and engage various stakeholders and move the EWA agenda forward.

Tanzania is one of the 9 pilot countries under the EWA initiative; cashew nut was the value chain chosen to empower and uplift women in Tanzania. As a company that works with women’s groups and farmer to build an inclusive cashew nut value chain; we were able to share our ideas for uplifting women through value addition. There were smallholder women farmers from each of the 9 pilot countries that were to share their story with the different organizations seated at their table. Seated with us at the Tanzania table was Laila, a cashew nut farmer from Mafia Island in Tanzania. Coincidently it is an area that I had heard of just the week before; I was able to hear first hand from Laila about the production of cashew nuts on the island.

It is always amazing to hear the stories of strong, resilient, enterprising women farmers from all over Africa. It is a testament to the idea that the women are the cornerstone of our communities. In the cashew nut value chain, if you are talking about value addition, 90% of that work is done by women. By uplifting these women through mechanization, capacity building and access to a secure market we can transform the rural communities where cashews are grown.

The future is bright.

Photos Above: Fahad Awadh presenting a vision for uplifting women in the Cashew Nut Value Chain in Tanzania, H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo and distinguished guests at the Empowering Women in Agriculture High Level Breakfast Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, held on February 9th, 2019

Video: Fahad Awadh discusses Tanzania's Cashew Nut Sector with BBC's Lynace Mwashighadi

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

I recently shared some thoughts on Tanzania's importance in the global cashew economy. Click here to read.

H.E. President Julius Nyerere at the inauguration of Tanita Cashew Nut Processing Co. Ltd, the factory had a capacity of 12,000MT p.a., Dar Es Salaam 1964

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

I recently visited some of the women processing groups that we are working with in Mtwara region. It is always very inspiring to spend time with this hard working group. We are making preparations as the cashew harvest season has started in Tanzania. We held a meeting with the women processing groups and the feedback we get is always very encouraging. These women have been processing their own cashews for years; the biggest challenge they face is having access to a secure market for their value added cashews. We believe in value addition and we believe that value should reach the communities where the cashews are grown. We are working hard to build a strong, inclusive value chain that includes the farmers and women processing groups. Tanzania has some of the best cashews in the world and we want to make sure the world knows it and the additional value is brought back to Tanzania.

I always learn a lot from meeting with the women processors we work with. I am always inspired by their hard work, dedication, commitment and it gives me the renewed vigour as I work hard to build this value chain. Because behind me are thousands of women and farmers, without whom none of this possible. I am on a journey to connect farmers/women processors to the consumer and in the process bring back as much value as possible to Tanzania.

The future is bright for Tanzania.

Photo: Fahad Awadh with Mama Amina in her living room. She is so inspiring; she has her manual shelling table in the middle of her living room.

Photos: Bint Chande showing us where she works on her cashews. Visiting her cashew farm, you can see the cashews are ripe and ready to harvest.

Photos: Fahad Awadh with members of the Tandahimba District Government meeting with 90 small women processors, exchanging ideas and learning as we prepare for the upcoming cashew harvest.

Photos: Shem from the Small Cashew Processors Association of Tandahimba showing us their facility and how they process their cashews. Fahad Awadh with Shem and Mbita and Sembe from the Tandahimba District Government.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

I had the pleasure of participating in the African Green Revolution Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda last month. I participated in a panel discussion focusing on “Entrepreneurial Youth in Agriculture: New Skills and Technologies for Growth.” We had a great discussion on the opportunities that exist for youth in Agriculture. I was able to share insights from my journey so far as a young entrepreneur working to build the cashew nut value chain in Africa. It was an honor for me to be part of this conference, as it was AGRA’s Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund that was the first to believe in my vision and idea for an inclusive African value chain. It meant a lot for me to be part of this important discussion surrounding youth in agriculture. I am a believer in supporting our youth to participate in agri-preneurship. It is important to create a supportive and encouraging environment to make it east for young people to participate in agricultural value chains. I have faced many challenges in building my business, one of which is the lack of support from banks in Tanzania. We need to believe in our young people and provide them with opportunities to gain knowledge and access to finance to start their business. We need to support them when they are starting out; a good seed needs a wise gardener to nourish it as it grows. Let us plant and encourage these seeds of entrepreneurship all over Africa. Indeed, what we plant today will bear fruits and create the desperately needed jobs we need tomorrow.

The future is bright.

Photos (Top to Bottom): Fahad Awadh speaking at AGRF 2018 with fellow panelist Naledi Magowe and Mr. Alemayehu Koira Konde, Mastercard Foundation and Video highlights from the first day of AGRF 2018

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

This past month we had a chance to visit cashew farmers in Tandahimba, Mtwara. This is the time of year that the cashews trees are flowering. Tandahimba is the largest cashew producing district in Tanzania; production last year exceeded 70,000MT. Tandahimba is also a place known for having the best quality cashews, this is mainly because the farmers take very good care of their trees. I remember a comment made by one of the cashew researchers at the cashew research institute. When comparing farmers in Tanzania, he said ‘Farmers in Tandahimba have received a lot of knowledge training and act on it,’ he went on, ‘the only thing these farmers think and dream about is cashews.’

This is the same impression I got while visiting the farms of some of the women we are working with. The cashew trees are beautifully pruned; farmers rise early to sweep the orchard floors, they punctually spray their cashew trees to prevent disease and pests. The village is empty in the mornings, as farmers are all working on their fields. It is a beautiful sight to see. It is amazing to interact with elders in the cashew community, one such elder is Mzee Chande; he started growing cashews in the 1950’s. His stories on the evolution of the cashew industry are amazing to hear. It always gets me thinking on the future of the cashew nut industry in Africa; a future in which Africa processes all of it’s cashews.

I had a chance to meet with a group of farmers and to explain the opportunity for them to participate in our inclusive value chain, their response was incredible. They said they have been waiting for a secure market; for us that is why we are in business, to ensure that farmers and women groups are part of an inclusive value chain. That is the big picture that we are working towards. One of the women we are working with is Mama Somoye Chande, the daughter of the older man I mentioned earlier, she has been processing her cashews since the late 1990’s. She says that her single biggest challenge has been getting a secure market. These are the kind of women that are the keys to a strong value chain. I had a chance to visit the Cashew Research Centre in Mtwara with Mama Somoye Chande. It was her first time there; we had an opportunity to share insights with Dr. Kapinga, head of the Cashew Research Program. The cashew nut industry in Tanzania has an abundance of knowledge when it comes to cashew, we have the best cashew research program in Africa, and it shows in the quality of the cashews produced here. It was amazing to connect the knowledge leaders and the farmers that are putting this knowledge into action.

‘Information becomes knowledge at the point of action,’ the farmers in Tandahimba are knowledge farmers, consistently acting to improve their trees and their cashews. Let's build on this and add value to our cashews. We want the world to know that we have the best cashews because of all the hard work that is being done by women like Mama Somoye Chande.

Photos: (Top to Bottom) Mama Somoye Chande on her farm, Flowering and nuts setting on the cashew tree, Beautiful kept cashew trees in Tandahimba, Fahad Awadh with a group of farmers showing their enthusiasm for value addition, Fahad Awadh with Dr. Kapinga, head of the Cashew Research Program and Mama Somoye Chande at Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

We recently visited some women processing groups in Mtwara region as we are actively working to include as many women’s groups as possible as we build our cashew nut value chain. Many of these groups share the same sentiments; their biggest challenge is access to a market. Many of these women have been processing their own cashews since the early 1990’s; they haven’t been able to secure a consistent market for their value added cashews. They are very keen to work with us and to supply us with cashews this coming season. They said this is an opportunity for them to really transform their lives. The power of an inclusive value chain is its ability to transform these rural communities through value addition.

Photos: (Top to Bottom) Mama Somoye Chande - Tulinge Womens Processing Group, Leaders of Tulinge Processing Group with Fahad Awadh, Ali Awadh of YYTZ Agro

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It is an honour to be listed for the second time by Forbes' as one of the 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa for 2018. I am humbled to be part of such an esteemed group of young people changing the face of the continent. As young people we have a responsibility to be the change that we seek in Africa. We must use our talents and persevere through hardship to reach the greater goal. Along the way we must inform and make the way easier for those that come after us. I am an advocate for creating value. We must support our young people to add value and create finished products that can compete with the best in the world. Let us strive for greatness. Let us keep building. As young people we have been entrusted with the most precious commodity-time!

In the words of Seneca, "Hold every hour in your grasp. Lay hold of today’s task, and you will not need to depend so much upon tomorrow’s."

Seize the day, the future is bright for Africa.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

I recently had the pleasure of speaking at Startup Grind Dar Es Salaam. Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. They are in 300 cities in the world including Dar es Salaam.

It was a great experience and I had a chance to engage with many young entrepreneurs. We discussed the opportunities that are available in Agriculture and Value Addition. The audience had great energy and the questions were very engaging. I was able to share many insights from my start up journey, which I hope will help many of the young people as they build their business. It was great to see the entrepreneurial spirit and to hear from young people on the challenges they are facing. It is our responsibility to make things better. I believe the future of our continent is in our young people.

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It is a tremendous honor to have been recently nominated for African Leadership Award’s ‘Young Person of the Year’. I believe that young people are the future of our great continent; we will be the ones to change it for the better. As I continue on this journey it is my passion to engage with young people and share from my experiences and to create a supportive environment.

‘The future belongs to those who prepare for it today’ – Malcolm X

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

While in Australia, I took the opportunity to learn more about the dynamic Macadamia industry. I travelled to Lismore in New South Wales to meet Jolyon Burnett, CEO of the Australian Macadamia Society. Australia is the world’s largest producer of Macadamias. Northern Rivers, the area we visited, is the 2nd largest macadamia growing region in Australia.

It was great to meet farmers and to visit Macadamia Direct; one of the biggest macadamia processors in the country. The macadamia industry is currently at an all-time high with increasing demand coming from China; accounting for 35% of exports and the largest importer of Australian macadamias.

Most farmers in Australia outsource pest control and agronomy services to specialized companies called ‘Bug Spotters.’ These companies are contracted by farmers to conduct field visits and diagnose the occurrence of pests and diseases on the trees. They in turn recommend when spraying is to be completed, which is also done by specialized service providers. This practice ensures the best management of the orchard and a proactive approach to prevent the spread of pests and disease. The Australia Macadamia Society also routinely carries out benchmarking studies amongst its member-farmers to discover the best practices of the best performing farmers. They found that the best producers are those that are able to prevent the root exposure and topsoil erosion, which is common with macadamia trees as the roots are close to the surface.

As we continue on our journey to building an inclusive cashew value chain, we are always looking at innovative ways to provide value added services to our rural farmers.

The same evening I was invited to Macadamia Direct’s annual Christmas party for their farmers. This was a party where all the farmers that supply Macadamia Direct were gathered and shown appreciation for the work they are doing and their supply of macadamias. Macadamia Direct supports its farmers by providing agronomy services and field visits and maintaining a good relationship with its farmers.

It is my goal to build a strong cashew value chain like the one I saw in Australia, where farmers are at the center and are supported and appreciated. By creating value through the cashew value chain we will transform the lives of rural cashew farmers. We are in the business of creating value and making sure that we are transforming the lives of rural farmers.

Photos: (top to bottom) 1. L to R: Jolyon Burnett, CEO of Australian Macadamia Society, Fahad Awadh, Jon Perrin, GM of Macadamia Direct, 2. Macadamia farm, with 25 year old trees, 3. Pecan farm with 12 year old trees, 4. Pecan farm with 3 year old trees

From the desk of Fahad Awadh

It was a privilege to be invited by the African Union Commission to participate to the 9th AU Private Sector Forum on “Accelerating Africa’s Industrialization through Digitalization and Youth Techpreneurship” in Pretoria 13-15 November 2017.

It was great to be able to share insights on the use of technology in Agriculture and the potential of technology in providing value added services to rural smallholder farmers. The use of technology in the value chain will enable us to monitor farmers’ performance. With information on the location, number of trees of each farmer, the yield; we can supply the required quantity of inputs, mapping of farms and benchmarking to provide insights from the best performing farmers. We would like to utilize technology to provide rural farmers with the tools that will enable them to be successful and lead to improving their livelihoods. We are on a journey to build an inclusive cashew value chain that brings value to the rural farmer.

Last week, Fahad Awadh had a chance to visit our clients in Netherlands. They had a chance to discuss the current market trends as we are preparing for the cashew nut harvest in Tanzania. These discussions are very insightful as cashews are a globally traded product; 60% of global production coming from Africa and processing is concentrated in India and Vietnam. It is always great to know your customer and understand their challenges, successes and long-term vision. As we continue on this journey we are building relationships that will last many years.

We had a chance to visit a farm in Ruangwa, Lindi, we met a farmer who has been growing cashews since the early 1980’s. His cashew trees now yield 150kg each, every year. He told me that last year he earned 45,000,000Tzs ($20,000) from his cashew farm. This is the kind of income that can have a huge impact on transforming the livelihood of a rural farmer.

The cashew tree is a perennial crop that can create wealth for rural farmers in Tanzania. The farmers we are working with in Singida region are drawn to cashew because of its longevity. They are aware that by planting cashew trees today they are laying down roots for creation of wealth for the future generations. With the right support, market linkage and value addition we can create jobs, increase income and grow our rural and national economies. It is important that we encourage youth in rural Tanzania to participate in agriculture and to make this initiative one that is market driven. An astonishing 45% of Tanzania's population is under the age of 15. Each year 800,000 young people enter a job market that is only generating 50-60,000 new jobs. We need to look at agriculture and entrepreneurship as a means of creating value for young people and future generations.

The future is bright.

During this trip to Mtwara, we had organized with the Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute for 3 farmers from Singida to participate in a cashew farmer training. These farmers are among those we met in Mitundu when we held our first meeting to engage with farmers in that area. Based on the need for know-how on cashew farming, we have been working with NARI to avail a training program for a few farmers. These farmers would be able to then pass on this knowledge to the wider farming community in Mitundu. The training was very hands-on and interactive, it allowed for the farmers to really gain practical experience. They learned about quality cashew seeds, how to plant the seeds, building a cashew nursery, taking care of seedlings, planting seedlings, grafting scions to the rootstock, cashew tree management, disease control and prevention, pests that affect cashew trees, applying fungicides and pesticides and how to prepare the land and laying out your new cashew farm. Our founder, Fahad Awadh, also participated in this training with the farmers and was able to gain valuable knowledge.

Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute is home to one the best cashew research programs in the world. It is because of their hard work that Tanzanian cashews are consistently praised for their quality. Tanzania is the first African country to release commercial cashew varieties and high quality seeds that allow farmers to consistently produce high quality cashews. The researchers at Naliendele play a key role in advancing the cashew industry in Tanzania. We are privileged to be able to collaborate with them as we continue our journey to develop the cashew value chain.

We are very thankful to Dr. Mponda and the entire team at the Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute. We would like to thank Mr. Kapinga, Mr. Bashiru, Mr. Fikiri, Mr. Mgimiloko and Mr. Bashiru for all of their excellent lessons.

Photos: (1-4) Cashew Nursery, Demonstration of Spraying the cashew tree, Samples of cashew disease and approved fungicides and pesticides, Pests that affect cashew tree. (5-6) Demonstration of how to plant the seedling in the farm, At a young cashew farm showing how to take care of the seedling in the field. (7) Cashew Farmer Training Certificate for Fahad Awadh

A week ago our founder, Fahad Awadh travelled to Taiwan and Korea to visit equipment manufacturers and suppliers. Fahad had a chance to test a roasting production line from a company based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This particular production line is used to add value to products like cashews and peanuts by roasting and seasoning. Taiwan is well known for its high-quality manufacturing sector. This particular company has more than 50 years experience in manufacturing of food processing equipment. Taiwan is also home to Apple’s largest iPhone subcontractor, Hon Hai Precision Industry also known as Foxconn Technology Group. The country has excellent infrastructure; a high-speed rail reduces travel time between cities.

Fahad also had a chance to visit a packaging equipment manufacturer in Taichung, Taiwan. This company specializes in cup filling and sealing machines. In addition they also manufacture pouch-filling equipment for nuts and snacks.

In Seoul, South Korea, Fahad had a chance to visit a packaging materials manufacturer and other factories that make up the packaging value chain. This company in South Korea is a supplier of packaging materials to blue chip companies such as Starbucks and Wal-Mart. With a HACCP, ISO-22000 certified production facility they produce the highest quality packaging materials for both domestic and export markets. Their facility houses a 10 color gravure film printing production line; including embossing, lamination, gluing, slitting, pouch making and die cutting. Seoul has a vibrant packaging industry with all the raw materials being produced locally. The packaging materials are FDA approved food grade materials. Fahad had a chance to visit other facilities that produce the film used in the manufacture of the packaging as well as the gravure cylinder production. He also had a chance to visit other packaging equipment manufacturers; Seoul has a vibrant manufacturing industry. With many of these manufacturers having the equipment to machine stainless steel components on-site.

At YYTZ we practice the principle of Genchi Genbutsu; learned from Toyota Motor Corporation, which means going to source and understanding for your-self. By visiting our suppliers’ facilities and understanding the value chain in which they operate in, we are able to understand the quality of the production process. This leads to an understanding of the quality parameters that are employed to ensure the finished product is of the highest quality.

Below we will showcase the plastic packaging value chain. We will start with photos of the printing and finishing facility. We will show you photos of the film making process, which provides the film to the printing and finishing facility. We will also show you the process of producing the cylinders that are used to transfer the ink to the film as per the design. As we mentioned that the production line can print 10-colors per label, each color will have its own cylinder. In order to have a vibrant packaging industry it is necessary to have companies serving each segment of the value chain, this enables a company to have access to the necessary raw materials. There is a synergy that is formed between all actors in the value chain, as a result the customer benefits from a high quality product and shortened lead times.

Photos 1-4 (clockwise): welcome sign, film is printed on these large 10-color printing lines, the next stage is lamination where film is laminated to aluminum foil and other u/v or matte gloss is applied, film is completed in rolls with two pouches per line (front and back).

Photos 5-8 (clockwise): printed labels are ready for die-cutting, cut labels are stacked and prepared for in-mold label application, pouches are being folded, glued and cut.

Gravure Cylinder Production

In Gravure printing, the first step is to create the cylinder with the engraved images that need to be printed: the engraving process will create on the cylinder surface the cells that will contain the ink in order to transfer it to the paper. Since the amount of ink contained in the cells corresponds to different color intensities on the paper, the dimensions of the cells must be carefully set: deeper or larger cells will produce more intense colors whereas smaller cells will produce less intense ones.

The Gravure cylinders are made of steel and plated with copper, though other materials, e.g. ceramics can also be used. The desired pattern is achieved by engraving a diamond tool. Following engraving, the cylinder is proofed and tested, reworked if necessary, and then chrome plated. The process takes two days to complete one cylinder.

Photos 1-4 (clockwise): steel cylinders are ready for copper plating, cylinders have been copper plated, grinding is performed 3 times on the copper plated cylinders, cylinder is now ready for diamond engraving.

Photos 5-8 (clockwise): copper plated cylinders are placed in the diamond-engraving machine where the artwork is engraved onto the cylinder, cylinders are plated with chrome and grinding is performed to provide a smooth surface, cylinder is ready for proofing with ink.

Photos 9-12 (clockwise): cylinders are placed in a gravure printing press to test the colors and ensure the ink as applied as per design, a proof for a Dorito’s chips design, cylinders are prepared for shipment to printing facilities.

Polyethylene Film Production

Blown film extrusion is a technology that is the most common method to make plastic films, especially for the packaging industry. The process involves extruding a tube of molten polymer through a die and inflating to several times its initial diameter to form a thin film bubble. This bubble is then collapsed and used as a lay-flat film or can be made into bags. Usually polyethylene is used with this process, and other materials can be used as blends with these polymers.

Photos 1-4 (clockwise): film production facility, polyethylene pellets are melted and air is blown to form a thin film bubble, the bubble is pulled continually upwards from the die and a cooling ring blows air onto the film, this reduces the temperature inside the bubble, while maintaining the bubble diameter, the film is finally passed through nip rollers to wind up rollers.

Fahad had an excellent trip and was able to experience the vibrant Korean industrial sector, where entrepreneurship is thriving. He ended the day with a Japanese sushi dinner with his hosts. While discussing the future co-operation between our two companies, they shared that Mount Kilimanjaro is very famous in Korea. ‘The Leopard of Mt. Kilimanjaro’ is a very famous Korean song; they were very excited to learn that we are based in the land of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Photo: Fahad Awadh having a Japanese sushi dinner with his gracious Korean hosts.

This past week, Fahad Awadh was invited to the SIMLESA Regional Conference on “Taking Stock on Sustainable Research for Impact in East and Southern Africa: Implications and Strategies for the Future” held in Arusha. He was tasked with giving an inspirational dinner speech on “Enhancing Youth Economic Participation and Entrepreneurship in Agriculture.” As a young entrepreneur, he presented actionable ideas that resonated well with the audience, which included Prof. Andrew Campbell; CEO of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Prof. Martin Kropff; Director General of CIMMYT, Dr. John Dixon; ACIAR Principal Advisor and Research Program Manager, Dr. Eric Craswell; Chair of SIMLESA’s Program Steering Committee, Dr. Mulugetta Mekuria; SIMLESA Project Leader, Dr. Hussein Mansoor; Director of Agricultural Research and Development (Tanzania) and Heads of the National Agricultural Resarch Systems for Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda and Botswana.

The conference was officiated by the Hon. Minister of Agriculture of Tanzania, Eng. Dr. Charles Tizeba. He had an opportunity to share insights on the potential of the cashew nut industry with the Hon. Minister, who was very receptive to the ideas of a young entrepreneur.

About SIMLESA

The Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program, now in its second phase, was launched in 2010 and is working to improve maize and legume productivity by 30 percent and to reduce the expected downside yield risk by 30 percent for approximately 650,000 farm households by 2023.

SIMLESA focuses primarily on improving maize-legume cropping systems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania by encouraging the adoption of sustainable agriculture systems through modern agronomy, conservation agriculture practices such as crop residue and retention, the use of crop rotation to simultaneously maintain and boost yields, increase profits and protect the environment. The program had over 20 research sites in the five focus countries as well as spillover countries of Botswana, Rwanda and Uganda.

Funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the program will run through 2018 with an increased focus on up-scaling sustainable intensification technologies which were initiated and tested in its first phase (2010-2014). Click here to learn more.

Field Day in Arusha

As a part of the conference, there was a field day where we had a chance to see the full maize value chain from seed production to maize milling. We also visited a farmers group in Losikoto, in Aru Meru. These farmers are some of the beneficiaries of the SIMLESA project. They have implemented conservation agriculture practices; correct spacing, use of herbicides and fertilizers, and no tilling of the soil. This combined with the use of certified seeds has resulted in a yield increase. A challenge they have faced is theft of their maize from neighbors that haven’t bought into the conservation agriculture program. Seeing-is-believing for many farmers, which has led to a multiplier effect as many farmers in the community are adopting conservation agriculture practices on their farms.

Conference photos: (1)Fahad Awadh speaking with Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Eng. Dr. Charles Tizeba and Dr. Hussein Mansoor, Director of Agricultural Research and Development (2) Fahad Awadh speaking with Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Eng. Dr. Charles Tizeba, (3) SIMLESA Regional Conference Group Photo

Field photos: (1), (2) Suba-Agro, seed producer using CIMMYT maize parent stock for multiplication. (3) Agricultural Seeds Agency, government agency producing pigeon pea seeds-8 hectares planted for pigeon pea seed production (4) Agricultural Seeds Agency factory for production of pigeon pea seeds. (5), (6) Demo field planted with CIMMYT maize variety TZH-538 as part of the SIMLESA project. (7) Fitarell Mistari 2, 2-row planter from Brazil being distributed by FACASI, (8) Maize Sheller, 3MT per hour capacity being distributed by FACASI. (9), (10), (11), (12) Farmers Group in Losikito, Aru Meru region. (13), (14), (15), (16) MONABAN, Maize Milling company based in Arusha, which buys the maize from the farmers for further value addition into maize flour.

YYTZ Agro recently attended SIAL China 2017 - Asia's Largest Food Innovation Exhibition held in Shanghai. This was a very successful event; we were able to meet and engage with over 50 food packaging and processing equipment manufacturers. We were able to learn about the new technologies that are available to food processing companies. In addition, the companies had setup up their booths to demonstrate the functionality of their equipment to you in person. This gave us a chance to assess the build quality, components, user-friendliness and most importantly - the finished product. As a company we practice a principle learned from the Toyota Motor Corporation called Genchi Genbutsu, which means going to the source and understanding for yourself. Attending SIAL allowed us to meet and engage with many different food packaging equipment manufacturers; this will help us in the future when making our buying decision.

We were able to conclude our trip after two full exhibition days. It was such a large show that we were only in the food packaging and processing section. The other sections included the rest of the value chain; cold-chain logistics, food processing building material suppliers, and also packaged food exporters from all over the world.

Photos (top to bottom): Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (Shanghai, China), YYTZ directors with a food processing equipment manufacturer, booths set up inside the exhibition centre.

YYTZ Agro recently travelled to Central Tanzania to meet with farmers in the Itigi District in Singida Region. We were invited by the Itigi District Co-operative Officer to visit and meet with farmers who are keen to begin growing cashews. The Singida region is an area that has favourable weather and soil conditions for cultivation of cashews. The Cashew nut Board of Tanzania (CBT) and the Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) have been promoting cashew production in the region for the past few years. NARI have distributed seeds to farmers through the district offices; some have been planted and have reached the age of 2-3 years. We organized the meeting to introduce farmers to our company and the work that we are doing with cashews. The meeting was to help us assess the potential of cashew production in the area and the interest from farmers to begin cultivating cashews.

Over 140 farmers attended the meeting; who came to hear about the business of growing cashews. We learned that there is great interest in growing cashews in this district. Farmers were very receptive to the idea of working with YYTZ Agro to add value to their own crop. They were extremely happy that as a company we would establish a facility for them to process their crop and purchase their production from them. The farmers asked us to organize the next meeting to provide education on best practices for growing cashews. We will work with them to provide training on Good Agricultural Practices, planting density and disease prevention. This training will be helpful to farmers in getting the most out of their cashew trees. We noticed some of the trees planted in the area were suffering from cashew powdery mildew disease. The farmers attribute this to the lack of training and a lack of availability of pesticides.

The meeting was successful and we registered 144 farmers that want to join with us and begin growing cashews. They were very keen and insisted we leave behind additional forms for those that weren't able to attend the meeting. We have taken the feedback we received from the farmers and are working with the Cashew nut Board of Tanzania and Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute to provide the latest hybrid cashew seeds and training on how to grow and take care of cashews.



Photos: (top to bottom) a cashew farm in itigi district, a cashew farm alongside the main road from Dodoma to Singida, a young cashew tree afflicted by cashew powdery mildew disease, the farmers meeting with 140+ farmers, Fahad Awadh of YYTZ Agro speaking to the farmers, lunch being served after the meeting

Our founder, Fahad Awadh was recently listed on Forbes 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa 2017. As a young entrepreneur he believes in local value addition and increasing the income of the rural farmers in Tanzania.
Click here to read the full article


In December 2016, Fahad sat down with Mfonobong Nsehe from Forbes Africa to discuss his startup journey as a young entrepreneur. Read the full interview here.