1 rep.cdr

CCLEAr AGRIBUSINESS
INCUBATOR
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
Map of Ghana showing CCLEAr presence
Upper West
Upper East
Northern
Brong-Ahafo
Ashanti
Eastern
Volta
Western
Central
Greater Accra
iii
Contents
MAP OF GHANA SHOWING CCLEAR PRESENCE ................................................... iii
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................ vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................. vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. viii
CCLEAr CONSORTIUM PARTNERS .......................................................................... x
CCLEAr BOARD MEMBERS ....................................................................................... xi
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS ....................................................................... xii
STATEMENT FROM BOARD CHAIRMAN .................................................................. xiii
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF CCLEAr ......................... xv
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................................ 1
1.2 About CCLEAr ............................................................................................ 1
1.3 The Value Proposition of CCLEAr .............................................................. 1
1.4 Incubation Products and Services .............................................................. 2
1.5 CCLEAr Clientele ....................................................................................... 2
1.6 Governance and Management Structure of CCLEAr ................................. 2
CCLEAr INCUBATEE SELECTION PROCESS ......................................................... 4
2.1 Client Engagement .................................................................................... 4
2.2 Due Diligence Process ............................................................................... 4
Value Chain Distribution of CCLEAr Incubatees .............................................. 4
Summary of CCLEAr Clients ............................................................................ 5
Gender Distribution of CCLEAr Incubatees....................................................... 5
A Parade of the Premier Cohort of CCLEAr Incubatees by Value Chain .......... 6
INCUBATION ACHIEVEMENTS ................................................................................. 7
3.1 Incubation Highlights .................................................................................. 7
Key Performance Indicators ............................................................................. 7
Gender Distribution of CCLEAr Clients by Value Chain .................................. 10
CCLEAr Impact Nationwide ............................................................................ 11
Income Segments from Incubation Activities .................................................. 12
Impact on consortium partners ........................................................................ 13
3.2 Capacity Building and Skills Development ................................................ 14
3.3 Technology Commercialization .................................................................. 18
3.3.1 Indigenous Micro-Organism (IMO) in Pig Husbandry ............................. 18
3.3.2 The ARIBRO Poultry Breed .................................................................... 19
3.3.3 Agro-Industrial By-Products Feed (AIBPs).............................................. 19
3.3.4 Pelletized Grasscutter Feed Technology ................................................ 20
3.4 CCLEAr Incubatee Investment Support ..................................................... 20
iv
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
3.4.1 Investment Support for Incubatees in the Meat Processing Value Chain.. 20
3.4.2 Investment Support for Incubatees in the Pig Value Chain ....................... 23
3.4.3 Investment Support for Incubatees in the Poultry Value Chain.................. 24
3.4.4 Investment Support in the Grasscutter Value Chain ................................. 24
3.5 Meet the Champions of CCLEAr .................................................................. 24
Farmers’ Day Award Winners ............................................................................. 24
Some Incubatees Speak about the CCLEAr Incubation Programme ................. 25
3.6 Business Mentorship and Coaching ............................................................. 27
3.7 Market Access and Branding ........................................................................ 28
GRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME ................................................................... 29
4.1 Internship Outreach ...................................................................................... 29
COLLABORATION, PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKING ....................................... 30
5.1 Deepening the Partnership within the Consortium ....................................... 30
5.2 National and International Networking ......................................................... 31
5.3 Business Monitoring and Evaluation with MICS ........................................... 32
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES, LESSONS LEARNT AND THE WAY
FORWARD ..................................................................................................................... 32
6.1 Implementation Challenges .......................................................................... 32
6.2 Lessons Learnt ............................................................................................. 33
6.3 The Way Forward/Future Plans .................................................................... 33
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 34
v
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
AEAs:
AgBIT:
AIBPs:
ANAFE:
ARI:
B2C:
BPC:
CCAFS:
CCLEAr:
CORAF/
WECARD:
COTVET:
CSIR:
DANIDA:
EWB:
FARA:
ICRISAT:
KNUST:
IUCN:
L4W:
MICS:
MoFA:
NBAG:
NFD
PIMI:
SDF:
UCC:
UDS
UEW
UG
UniBRAIN:
Agricultural Extension Agents
Agribusiness Incubator Trust
Agro-Industrial By-Products
African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources
Education
Animal Research Institute
Business to Business
Business Plan Competition
Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security
Creating Competitive Livestock Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness
Conseil Ouset Centre Africain pour la recherche' le developpement/
West African Council for Agricultural Research Development
Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Danish International Development Authority
Engineers Without Borders
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid and Tropics
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
International Union on Climate Change
Learn for Work
Management Information Collaboration Systems
Ministry of Food and Agriculture
National Butchers Association of Ghana
National Farmers' Day
Progress Intern Mentoring Institute
Skills Development Fund
University of Cape Coast
University for Development Studies
University for Education, Winneba
University of Ghana
Universities, Businesses and Research in Agribusiness Innovations
vi
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The CEO and Board of CCLEAr AgriBusiness
Incubator wish to acknowledge the role of
UniBRAIN, FARA and DANIDA in setting up this
facility in 2012. The incubator has since enjoyed
the supreme attention and support of key
stakeholders and technical partners on the
UniBRAIN-FARA network focusing on research
for business development. Management of
CCLEAr cannot however overlook the
contributions of the Technical and R&D
Committee who tirelessly wrote and forwarded
the convincing proposal to UniBRAIN, and also
made the necessary follow ups and updates until
the project inception in June 2012. The Technical
and R&D Committee continues to support the
incubator in its strategic thinking as well as
support incubatee businesses in many ways.
CCLEAr is most grateful to the CSIR-Animal
Research Institute (CSIR-ARI) for hosting the
incubator despite all the initial challenges and
difficulties associated with any new
establishment. We can also not leave out the
contributions of Consortium Partners at various
stages of the incubator, which have contributed
significantly to how far we have come today.
Over the past couple of months CCLEAr has
received massive support, both technical and
f i n a n c i a l f ro m va r i o u s d e v e l o p m e n t
organizations such as the Skills Development
Fund (SDF) of the Council for Technical and
Vocational Training (COTVET), Engineers
Without Borders (EWB) Canada, Business
Development Service Africa (BDSA) and others,
for which we are most appreciative. Last and not
the least are the staff and clients of the incubator
who have endured the difficult moments of the
early days of business incubation at CCLEAr.
vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
trainees from the universities and
agricultural colleges, and also to improve
agribusiness teaching and learning to
respond to industry needs. The aim of this is
to improve the competitive edge for
livestock agribusiness enterprises in the
Ghanaian, regional and diaspora markets,
as well as create opportunities for
networking to facilitate knowledge-sharing
and interactive platforms for CCLEAr
incubatees and other actors in the livestock
value chain.
CCLEAr, AgriBusiness Incubator is one of the
six agribusiness incubators established in
2012 through the UniBRAIN Agribusiness
Innovation Incubator Consortia (AIIC)
under the UniBRAIN facility of the Forum
for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA);
the apex platform championing economic
development in Africa through the
utilization of research results and
innovations for the development of Africa.
CCLEAr was officially given approval to
implement a four year program in
agribusiness incubation with a focus on
commercialization of research
technologies in the livestock value chain to
backstop the entrepreneurial deficit in
managing livestock enterprises in Ghana in
particular, and Africa as a whole. CCLEAr,
the DANIDA-sponsored UniBRAIN facility,
has five Consortium Partners with the CSIRARI as the lead institution; and the
University of Ghana, the Animal Production
Directorate, Ministry of Food and
A g r i c u l t u r e ( A P D - M O FA ) , H e i f e r
International, Ghana and Humbeg Farms (a
private poultry business) as the other
partners.
During the period under review, CCLEAr
implemented a number of projects and
activities towards incubation of
agribusiness in the livestock sector. After
certification, formal incubation started with
public awareness creation and sensitization
on the CCLEAr program, which was followed
by client application and selection.
Highlights of incubation activities for the
period 2013-2014 centred on capacity
building workshops and seminars,
technology commercialization, investment
support for business expansion, and
mentorship and coaching sessions. Market
access and branding activities, graduate
internship opportunities and agribusiness
promotion in universities and colleges also
featured prominently in the operations of
the incubator. CCLEAr has, in a little under
two years of operations, attracted the
attention of the business community and
the general public, especially those in the
livestock sector, with its technical training
workshops and seminars, conducted
fortnightly at the CSIR-ARI, receiving
massive patronage.
With a focus on the livestock value chain,
the vision of CCLEAr is to become a leading
and internationally recognized agribusiness
incubator in Africa for the creation of
competitive livestock enterprises. The
mission is to use a market-first and sciencebased development approach to promote
livestock agribusiness in a private-public
partnership environment, whilst
influencing the teaching and learning of
agribusiness in Ghana's universities and
agricultural colleges. This is to develop
graduates who become job-creators rather
than job-seekers.
The core mandate of CCLEAr is to create
avenues for practical training and business
support services for livestock agribusiness
start-ups and internship opportunities for
In its short time of existence the incubator
has travelled around the country with the
UniBRAIN agribusiness incubation concept,
providing incubation services to several
livestock entrepreneurs in the various
viii
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
livestock value chains. A significant number
of institutions and organizations also visited
CCLEAr during the period of reporting to
engage the incubator in agribusiness
development discussions. These activities
have enabled the impact of CCLEAr to be felt
throughout Ghana, with clients coming
from 8 of the 10 regions of Ghana to
participate in the incubation program.
winners during the 2014 Farmers' Day
celebrations.
Future incubation and CCLEAr's work plan for
2015 are focused on aggressive
commercialization of the Indigenous MicroOrganism (IMO) technology of pig
production, pelletized grasscutter feed
production, and the promotion of livestock
marketing innovations to strengthen the
value chains. CCLEAr in the coming years is
determined to position the livestock industry
as a key player in wealth creation, food
security and job creation in Ghana, and
effectively contribute to the sustainable
transformation of the national economy. It is
envisaged that the UniBRAIN agribusiness
incubation model would unlock the
complexities of agribusiness opportunities in
the livestock value chain for rapid
sustainable national development.
The incubator also played host to a number
of international business partners and
development agencies, remaining widely
connected to the rest of the world through
the FARA platform, especially on the
Management Information Collaboration
Systems (MICS), an electronic wireless rapid
monitoring and evaluation tool for the
UniBRAIN project, and through its website:
www.cclear.org and social media platforms
(facebook, twitter, linkedIn and google+)
A number of competitive entrepreneurs
who were supported by CCLEAr during the
period, have been champions in the
livestock value chains, evidenced by six
incubatees of CCLEAr emerging as award
ix
PARTNERS
CCLEAr CONSORTIUM PARTNERS
CCLEAr AgriBusiness Incubator was established and overseen by a c
and private partners listed below with their value pr
Partner
CSIR - Animal Research Institute
Value Pr
Provide the leadership roles expected to drive the smooth
of CCLEAr.
opera
Provide office space and land for establishment of other
crucial for the opera
of the incubator.
f
Avail the services of CSIR–ARI's laboratories, and other f
to CCLEAr.
Provide technical backstopping to incubatees and other clients
of CCLEAr.
Facilitate research to provide
emerge from the
University of Ghana, Legon
ate in the iden
P
to new challenges that may
of the incubator.
ca
raining of incubatees (start-
ups), SMEs and interns in agribusiness management.
P
ate in the development of improved agribusiness
curricula. Specifically
ate in the teaching and
learning approaches, methods, tes
valida
agribusiness curricula.
P
ate in helping agribusinesses with their growth plans (by
providing analysis of financial procedures, assis
development of Strategic Plans, assis
and ex
Ministry of Food and Agriculture
with the
with the development
of a bankable Business Plans)
Liaise with the relevant government
to influence
policies that will facilitate the rapid development of the livestock
sector.
Provide linkages through the provision of the network of
Extension Agents to disseminate CCLEAr's ideas to the wider
livestock community in Ghana, and act as a partner in
technology dissemina
commercializa
Facilitate access to improved breeds of livestock from the
Ministry's livestock breeding sta
Heifer International (NGO)
Share experiences in building clusters of entrepreneurs and
developing farmers associa
and enables CCLEAr to access
established groups of entrepreneurs to offer resources and
services.
Humbeg Farms (Private)
Share knowledge and pr
livestock pr
used on large-scale commercial
with CCLEAr's community of entrepreneurs.
Provide mentorship to incubatees that have the capacity and
va
x
to become large-scale agribusiness pr
rs.
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
DIRECTORS
CCLEAr-ABI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nana Owusu Afari
Board Chairman
Dr. B. A. Salifu
Ms. Margaret Sumah
Mr. Jonas Osafo Adamu
Director General,
CSIR
Director, APD-MOFA
Manager, Humbeg Farms
Mr. Baba Mahama
Dr.(Mrs) S. Irene Egyir
Dr. K.Boa-Amponsem
Private
Financial Consultant
Sen. Lecturer,
Univ. of Ghana, Legon
Chief
Research Scientist,CSIR-ARI
Dr. N. Karbo
Mrs. Vera Dodoo
Mr. Roland Kanlisi
Director, CSIR-ARI
Ops. Manager,
Prudential Bank
Country Director,
Heifer Int.
Mr. Alhassan Adani
Dr. E.K Adu
MD.
Stanbic Bank Ghana
CEO of CCLEAr
xi
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The institutional structure of CCLEAr embodies a seven member Technical and R&D
Committee to oversee the development, commercialization and dissemination of
livestock agribusiness innovations and technologies.
Name
Designation
Organization
Professional Background
Dr. E.K. Adu
Chairman
CSIR-ARI/CCLEAr
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Charles Domozoro
Secretary
CSIR-ARI
Research Scientist
Mrs. E. Marfo- Ahenkora
Member
CSIR-ARI
Senior Research Scientist
Mr. Vincent Botchway
Member
CSIR-ARI
Senior Scientific Secretary
Mrs. Patricia Aboe
Member
CSIR-ARI
Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Fred Obese
Member
University of Ghana
Senior Lecturer
Dr. Mensah Bonsu
Member
University of Ghana
Senior Lecturer
xii
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
From The
BOARD CHAIRMAN
On behalf of the Board of CCLEAr
AgriBusiness Incubator, and on my own
behalf, I am delighted to present the first
annual report of the incubator covering the
period 2013-2014.
CCLEAr AgriBusiness Incubator which was
established in 2012 under the UniBRAIN
programme on the FARA platform, has come
a long way in the development and
promotion of livestock agribusiness
incubation in Ghana. The period between
2013-2014 have been eventful with
experiential learning in agribusiness
incubation anchored on the vision of CCLEAr
which is “to become a leading and
internationally recognized agribusiness
incubator in Africa for the creation of
competitive livestock enterprises” With a
market-first and science-based development
approach to livestock production in a
private-public partnership environment
CCLEAr is creating competitive enterprises
ready to transform the livestock industry. We
are tackling the issues or agribusiness right
from the base by influencing the teaching
and learning of agribusiness in Ghana's
universities and colleges. We aim to develop
graduates with innovative ideas for job
creation. Our graduates need not become
job-seekers! CCLEAr thus recognizes the role
of youth and the graduate in enterprise
development and the need to promote the
establishment and growth of profitable
livestock businesses capable of generating
jobs and employment opportunities for
national development.
During the past two years of incubation
CCLEAr has made significant strides in the
capacity building of agripreneurs,
provision of investment support for
business expansion, promotion of youth
entrepreneurship under the graduate
internship program, and marketing and
business networking. The incubator has
progressively scaled up operations to
cover 8 regions of the country, with
startups and SMEs rethinking their
agribusiness models. Technology
commercialization and agribusiness
innovation promotion are critical for the
industrialization of the livestock sector.
Our young people are not looking to
doing agriculture the way our fore fathers
did. They are looking to apply
t e c h n o l o g i e s t h a t w o u l d m a ke
agribusiness more attractive and
lucrative to be attracted into the sector.
CCLEAr is happy to champion a sciencebased agribusiness model with the
infusion of technology into agriculture.
Nana Owusu Afari
Board Chairman
xiii
With effective sensitization on the economic potential of the
livestock industry, it has become evident that CCLEAr can
effectively lead in creating elite entrepreneurs to establish
sustainable businesses delivering high value livestock products and
services for economic development. The business model of CCLEAr
under the UniBRAIN initiative, which links universities and research
institutions to businesses offers a
unique opportunity to our
teeming unemployed youth,
especially graduates, to become
business owners.
CCLEAr is proud to be associated
with six award winners during the
2014 National Farmers' Day
celebrations held throughout the
country, owning to the top-notch
a g r i b u s i n e s s t ra i n i n g a n d
incubation services offered to
them. Many clients have given
testimonies to the impact of our
incubation services on their
operations.
The incubator
has progressively
scaled up
operations to
cover 8 regions
of the country,
with startups
and SMEs
rethinking their
agribusiness
models
To our development partners,
especially the UniBRAIN partners,
COTVET/SDF and DANIDA, we say
we are very grateful. To all
stakeholders and our numerous
development partners including
our consortium partners and all
our business friends, we salute
you all. It is expected that going
into the future, we will continue
to develop together.
I thank my colleague CCLEAr
Board members, members of the
Technical and R&D Committee, staff and management of the
incubator for the effort they put in towards this great milestone
within a short period of incubation in CCLEAr. The future is bright
for the livestock agribusiness community and I invite all to come on
board.
xiv
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
MESSAGE
From The
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF CCLEAr
Many developing countries all over the world
are looking for models that would unleash
the creative power of its citizenry for highvalue, knowledge-based jobs for wealth
creation. One of the smartest ways of
promoting the growth of small innovative
firms by creating value based on knowledge,
which is being promoted worldwide, is the
concept of business incubation. Business
incubation in the agriculture sector is
however confronted with a number of
challenges as a result of the complex
environment of the sector due to the
management of more severe risk factors.
In spite of the difficult terrain and the many
challenges that confront many new
agribusiness incubators, and within the
livestock sector where CCLEAr operates, we
have successfully pioneered our incubation
activities for 2013-2014. We have come a
long way with many experiences and lessons
over the past few years of stumbling into the
business of agribusiness incubation and are
better positioned now to make realistic
contributions to the development of the
livestock sector.
For CCLEAr, 2013-2014 have been very
eventful. They have been the years when we
have fought hard to overcome many tough
issues to lift our heads above the rough
waters of business development in Ghana.
CCLEAr recognizes the importance of the
entrepreneur, innovative ideas and a vibrant
market. We are therefore at the forefront of
looking for and working towards a very good
match between entrepreneur, ideas,
technology and the market for economic
growth.
xv
Dr. E.K Adu
As an agribusiness incubator focused on a
sector with very few large-scale
companies, CCLEAr is determined to go
into the future with the view to
transforming the sector by creating
champion enterprises, competitive
entrepreneurs, and to promote value
addition and market-driven businesses.
The vision is to design a well-connected
business chain that can automatically
respond to the demand and supply needs
in the livestock industry. We therefore
call on like-minded individuals and
groups to join with us in this noble march
to modernize this all important sector to
make it respond to its potential for highvalue job and product creation in Ghana.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
CCLEAr AgriBusiness Incubator (CCLEAr) was established by one of the six Agribusiness
Innovation Incubator Consortia (AIIC) being piloted by FARA under the UniBRAIN facility,
which is being sponsored by DANIDA, in five African countries namely Uganda, Kenya, Zambia,
Mali and Ghana. As an agribusiness incubator implementing a livestock-biased business
model, the main goal of CCLEAr is to create agribusiness champions in the livestock value chain
to significantly contribute to job and wealth creation in Ghana, in particular, and Africa as a
whole.
1.2
About CCLEAr
CCLEAr is a public-private partnership agribusiness incubator jointly owned by the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Animal Research Institute as the lead institution, with
University of Ghana; Animal Production Directorate, Ministry of Food and Agriculture; Heifer
International, Ghana and Humbeg Farms as the other partners.
The vision of CCLEAr is to become a leading and internationally recognized agribusiness
incubator in Africa for the creation of competitive livestock enterprises. CCLEAr's mission is to
use a market-first and science-based development approach to livestock production in a
private-public partnership environment, whilst influencing the teaching and learning of
agribusiness in Ghana's universities and colleges. This is aimed at developing graduates with
entrepreneurial and business skills rather than graduates who become job-seekers.
1.3
The Value Proposition of CCLEAr
The business concept of CCLEAr is essentially utilizing a value chain incubator model with the
objective of supporting the development of innovations and commercialization of livestock
technologies within a public-private partnership environment to support the growth and longterm success of livestock agribusiness enterprises. Currently the activities of CCLEAr are
geared towards the development of the following value chains:
Pig
Grasscutter
Poultry
Cattle (beef & dairy)
1
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
1.4
Incubation Products and Service Delivery
Key incubation products offered include improved livestock breeds, investment support,
livestock facility rentals and access to bootstrap capital. Services provided to entrepreneurs,
students and relevant stakeholders include:
§ Training and advisory services in livestock production, processing, marketing and
business development
§ Technology commercialization services
§ Internship and training opportunities for the youth
§ Support for the in development of agribusiness curricula
§ Access to investment capital and credit support services to incubatees.
§ Meat van rental services
§ Livestock infrastructure support, including equipment and other key inputs
§ Feed formulation and milling services,
Laboratory services
1.5
§
§
§
§
Meat packaging
CCLEAr Clientele
Startups & SMEs in the livestock sector
Graduate interns from the universities
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies
Foreign companies in the livestock sector seeking soft-landing opportunities
1.6
Governance and Management Structure of CCLEAr
CCLEAr is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors which consists of professionals from
academia, the scientific and business sectors who provide support for the management and
operations of the incubator. The board also provides strategic recommendations to CCLEAr
staff. There is also a seven-member Technical and R&D Committee comprised of experienced
professionals who advise the Chief Executive Officer on business, agricultural, and scientific
issues relating to the activities of the incubator. Thus, while the Board of Directors guides the
organization's strategic planning, the Technical and R&D Committee shapes the incubator's
operational standards and processes, ensuring a consistent level of excellence.
ANNUAL REPORT
2013-2014
2
The Board has three statutory committees, viz: The Governance Committee, the Finance
Committee and the Advisory Committee. One important working group of the Board of
Directors is the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Committee, which was set up specifically to
guide the implementation of CCLEAr's activities and assist in developing and executing an
effective M&E strategy.
There is also an Editorial Committee which oversees the publication of CCLEAr's newsletter
and other promotional documents. This group is charged with ensuring that the content and
format of the newsletter remain relevant to the wider community of livestock industry
players.
CCLEAr Organogram
Staff and Skills
The ManagementManagement of CCLEAr is headed by a CEO who is supported by the
Operations Manager and the Finance Officer. The organization's MICS and M&E Coordinator,
Office Manager, and Market Access and Branding Officer report to the Operations Manager.
As depicted by the organogram above, all members of CCLEAr staff are accessible to
incubatees and provide direct services to entrepreneurs. The staff has diverse professional
experience and skills in managerial, administrative, technical issues relating to livestock
production, processing and marketing, gender mainstreaming, monitoring & evaluation,
procurement, finance, etc. Currently, a member of Engineers Without Borders, Canada, who
serves as an Advisor to CCLEAr, supports the incubator's staff in growing and enhancing the
organization's activities.
3
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
CCLEAr INCUBATEE SELECTION PROCESS
2.1 Client Engagement
The incubation program started in 2013 with the first cohort of 13 entrepreneurs selected
from over 100 prospective applicants through a rigorous due diligence process. The second
cohort of 62 incubatees received their engagement letters in July and September, 2014.
Clients applying to participate in the incubation process at CCLEAr go through a process which
can be represented diagrammatically as shown :
Client Application
Screening &
Shortlisting
of Applicants
Elevator
Pitching
Due Dilligence
Process
Selection for
Incubation
Issurance of
Engagement
Letter
2.2 Due Diligence Process
An important component of the incubation process is the due diligence process. This involves
visits to business sites of prospective incubatees to ascertain the veracity of claims in the
applications. It also involves interviews with the view to prioritizing and the re-orientating
client's requests to ensure that CCLEAr support would make the greatest impact to the
applicant's business.
Value Chain Distribution of CCLEAr Incubatees
ANNUAL REPORT
2013-2014
4
Summary of CCLEAr Clients
Incubatees
Female
Male
Total
cohort 1
2
11
13
Cohort 2
15
47
62
National Butchers Association of Ghana
0
300
300
Abokobi Grasscutter Assoc.
5
23
28
Koforidua Grasscutter Assoc.
3
7
10
Total CCLEAr Clients
25
388
413
Gender Distribution of CCLEAr Incubatees
5
CCLEAr Agribusiness Incubator
A Parade of the Premier Cohort of CCLEAr Incubatees by Value Chain
Grasscutter Entrepreneurs
Ben Doe Agbeko
Adotei Brown
Ezekiel Donkor
Moses F. Adu-Agyei
Pig Entrepreneurs
Grace Okai
Christopher Anang
Joseph O. Mensah
Samuel Tufour
Andrew Asamoah
Poultry Entrepreneurs
Ekow Addae
Cattle Entrepreneurs
Osman Alhassan Gomda
6
Eunice Dindori
Kwame D. Appiah
INCUBATION ACHIEVEMENTS
3.1
Incubation Highlights
In 2013-2014 incubation and operational activities of the incubator concentrated on
commercialization of agribusiness innovations, graduate internship and youth in agriculture
programs as well as business networking and collaboration with the wider business community
both locally and internationally. Incubation was essentially directed towards achieving results
and impact in the three UniBRAIN output areas.
Commercialization of agribusiness innovations
supported and promoted
Graduates with potential to become efficient
entrepreneurs produced
UniBRAIN's innovative outputs, experiences and
practices shared and upscaled
Key UniBRAIN
Output Areas
Key Performance Indicators
STARTUPS
NUMBER OF INCUBATEES
NUMBER OF STARTUPS CREATED
75
10
NUMBER OF ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
IN PRE-INCUBATION
CLIENT ENGAGEMENT FOR
INCUBATION
413
338
7
INVESTMENTS AND JOB CREATION
CAPACITY BUILDING AND
BUSINESSES TRAINED
TOTAL INVESTMENT SUPPORT TO
INCUBATEES
$73,567.84
727
NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED BY
SUPPORTED BUSINESSES
PERCENTAGE OF NEW JOBS
CREATED FOR WOMEN
276
36%
8
STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
NUMBER OF STUDENTS APPLYNG
FOR INTERNSHIP
NUMBER OF STUDENTS REACHED
92
1607
NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING
PART IN INTERNSHIP
NUMBER OF INTERNS RECEIVING
BUSINESS SUPPORT
2
24
9
Gender Distribution of CCLEAr Clients by Value Chain
10
CCLEAr Impact Nationwide
Upper West
Greater Accra Region
No. of Incubatees: 45
Consortium Partners: 4
Business Engagement
National Butchers Association: 300
Abokobi Grasscutter Association: 28
Graduate Internship outreach
University of Ghana: 2 Interns
Ashesi University: 1 Intern
UPSA: 1 Intern
Upper East
Northern
Brong-Ahafo
Ashanti
Eastern
Volta
Western
Central
Greater Accra
Eastern Region
No. of Incubatees: 19
Consortium Partners: 1
Business Engagement
Grasscutter Farmers'Associations
Koforidua: 10
Suhum: 15
Upper East Region
No. of Incubatees: 1
Due Diligence on Livestock Marketing
with Acumen Foundation
Ashanti Region
No. of Incubatees: 3
Graduate Internship Outreach
KNUST: 4
Kwadaso Agric. College: 2 Interns
UEW-Mampong: Internship Seminar
EjuraAgric College: Business Plan
Competition (BPC)
Central Region
No. of incubatees: 5
University of Cape Coast: 13 Interns
Western Region
No. of Incubatees: 1
No. of SME Engaged: 1
Farmers' Day celebrations in Sefwi
Wiawso
Northern Region
Due Diligence on Livestock Marketing with Acumen
Foundation
Graduate Internship Outreach
UDS: 1 Intern
Damango Agric. College: BPC
Pong-Tamale Vet. College: BPC
11
Income Segments from Incubation Activities
12
13
College of Basic and Applied
Sciences, School of Agriculture
(SoA)–University of Ghana
APD-MOFA
Humbeg Farms
Heifer International, Ghana
CSIR – Animal Research Institute
Partner
Impact on consortium partners.
Supported the organization ofBusiness Plan
Competitions
Improvement in the National Agribusiness
curriculum
Leveraged extension service to promote application
to CCLEAr incubation program to livestock
entrepreneurs.
Provided informal advice and mentorship to startups, SMEs, and graduate interns.
Trained over 20 incubatees in poultry workshops
Provided technical assistance in formation of dairy
cluster groups.
Leveraged grant for Learn4Work project to train outof-school youth in grasscutter cage construction,
grasscutter production, and value addition
Technology commercialization centers for ARIBRO,
AIBPs &Hatchery
Leveraged project grant of USD 640,000 for
SDF/COTVET project
Contribution to CCLEAr
Curriculum Development partnership
Participated in validation workshop on Agribusiness Tracer
Study in Mulungushi University
Received professional agribusiness backstopping and served
as centre for student internship training
50 AEAs trained in 10 districts on competitive agribusiness
along the pig value chain.
Supported to participate in Agribusiness Forum organized by
European Marketing Research Centre (EMRC).
Benefitted from Value Chain Incubation training in Africa (South
Africa)
Assisted to secure grant from Learn4Work project in
Grasscutter value chain.
Supported with refurbishment of equipment and machinery (for
on-station training in Animal Feed Processing)
Participated in Agribusiness Forum organized by European
Marketing Research Center (EMRC)
Leveraged Food Processing Business Incubation Centre from
the Government of the Republic of India
Benefits from CCLEAr
Output 1: Commercialization of Agribusiness Innovations
3.2 Capacity Building and Skills Development
CCLEAr completed two cycles of the capacity building and customized technical training
program during the reporting period. Due to the unique design and business-tailored
training workshops and seminars, the CCLEAr training program received wide patronage
with agripreneurs and livestock related business managers coming from all over the country
to attend. The training which covered relevant topics in livestock agribusiness has
effectively exposed entrepreneurs to innovative livestock management practices and
business opportunities within the sector. Many entrepreneurs who participated in these
training programs have admitted shortcomings in the business approach to their work.
Within the incubation period CCLEAr has trained 727 agripreneurs from 8 regions of Ghana,
made up of livestock producers, processors, marketers, input suppliers, as well as
distributors of various products and services in the value chain. The CCLEAr workshops have
brought entrepreneurs closer to business realities on how to maximize returns from
livestock enterprises; and many participants who lamented their poor records and
bookkeeping practices, immediately put in remedial measures to change their attitudes
towards record and book keeping in their business operations.
Relevant Training Topics Covered
Topics treated in the various value chains included the following:
Grasscutter training topics
Piggery training topics
Grasscutter housing and
equipment
Nutrition at different stages
of production and water
management
Grasscutter breeding
Grasscutter health
management and disease
control
Waste management and
environmental protection
Piggery housing &
equipment
Pig breeds and reproduction
Nutrition at different stages
of pig development
Piggery health and hygiene
(disease & vaccinations)
14
13
General and business topics
Poultry training topics
Poultry training topics
Poultry housing and
equipment
Nutrition at different
stages of poultry
production and water
management
Poultry health and
hygiene (diseases &
vaccinations)
Farm records keeping
Basic computer skills I
Marketing 1: Business to
Consumer marketing (B2C)
Mentor to mentee relationship
Entrepreneurship
Self-management, personal
growth and networking
Veterinary and livestock laboratory
services
Marketing 2: Business to Business
marketing (B2B)
Business monitoring and
evaluation requirements
Business plan development
Pitching to investors
Basic computer skills
Livestock slaughter and packaging
A training evaluation at the end of every training
session showed that more than 80% of participants
rated the CCLEAr training topics 'highly relevant' for
their business operations
15
Participants at CCLEAr business training
16
Participants at CCLEAr workshop
Group Picture after a training workshop
Meeting with grasscutter farmers
Military officers at CCLEAr training
Training on pig production
17
3.3
Technology Commercialization
Four technologies programmed for commercialization in 2013-2014 included:
Ÿ Indigenous Micro-organism (IMO) technology for raising pigs
Ÿ ARIBRO poultry bird
Ÿ Agro-Industrial-By-Products (AIBPs) feed for pig production
Ÿ Pelletized grasscutter feed.
3.3.1 Indigenous Micro-Organism (IMO) in Pig Husbandry
This technology, which is an improved method of producing pigs, was introduced from
Uganda through the UniBRAIN partnership and networking as part of knowledge sharing
andinnovation dissemination. The indigenous micro-organism method of producing pigs
eliminates the stench associated with pig production, thereby making it possible for pigs to
beraised in urban communities. The technology was introduced to mitigate the threat posed
by increased urbanization on the pig industry in Ghana. Pig producers are often forced
intothe outskirts of communities due to frequent confrontations and conflicts with neighbors
and city authorities over issues of sanitation only to be caught up by rapidly growing cities.
So far more than 100 agripreneurs have visited the maiden IMO Commercialization Centre at
the CSIR-Animal Research Institute, whilst many more pig farmers continue to contact CCLEAr
from all over the country. News of the IMO technology has excited pig entrepreneurs in the
country and some have travelled from as far as Tamale and Kete Karachi in the Northern and
Volta Regions respectively, to CCLEAr to learn more about the technology.
Merits of IMO:
reduced cost of feed by 20-30%
reduced labour cost
cleaner animals
reduced disease outbreaks
18
3.3.2 The ARIBRO Poultry Breed
The ARIBRO is a tropically adapted breed of
broiler poultry bird, developed by the CSIRAnimal Research Institute, with fast
growing and high feed conversion ratio.
The ARIBRO has the potential to
significantly reduce Ghana's dependence
on imported day old chicks, which are
usually poorly adapted to our environment
and management conditions. So far CCLEAr
has facilitated the delivery of 5000 ARIBRO
day old chicks to 4 clients from the local
hatchery at the CSIR-ARI.
3.3.3 Agro-Industrial By-Products Feed
(AIBPs)
This innovation makes use of agroindustrial waste to formulate well-balanced
diets for pig production. The technology
relies on scientifically determined
proportions of the various feed ingredients
in formulating the diet. Agro-industrial byproducts such as palm kernel cake, cassava
peels, rice and wheat bran are used to
formulate well-balanced,least cost diets.
.
Widespread adoption of this technology
has the potential of not only reducing feed
cost in pig production, but also the potential
of convertingagro-industrialwaste to
wealth, with the attendant benefit of
improved environmental health.
Ten pig farmers who adopted the
technology, received practical training in
how the technology works
Pig farmers training in the formulation of AIBP diets
19
3.3.4 Pelletized Grasscutter Feed Technology
The number one constraint to grasscutter production is the
drudgery associated with feeding, especially during the dry
seasons. The pelletized grasscutter feed is well-balanced to
meet the nutritional requirements for growth in the
grasscutter. CCLEAr is seeking to commercialize the
technology by supporting some grasscutter incubatees to
produce the feed on commercial basis. Arrangements have
been finalized with the Abokobi Grasscutter Farmers
Association and some individuals to promote this
innovation. Grasscutter rearing is increasingly becoming a
profitable business, and a significant number of small-scale
farmers are actively employed in the value chain..
Technology commercialization generated a combined total
income of USD 3,723.73 in 2014, and it is projected that scaling
up the commercialization of current technologies and promoting
additional ones in the coming years will generate substantial
incomes for CCLEAr and entrepreneurs
3.4
CCLEAr Incubatee Investment Support
Provision of bootstrap capital and infrastructure support for startup businesses and SMEs
constituted a major operational activity in the CCLEAr incubation process. A total of 18
incubatees in the various livestock value chains received investment support to expand
their businesses.
3.4.1 Investment Support for Incubatees in the Meat Processing Value Chain
Two incubatees, Mr. Osman Gomda of OAG Farms from the first cohort and Mr. Alex Osei
Kwame of Gonja Meat from the second cohort, have received investment support to
expand their businesses.
20
OAG Farms Received Support for
Mechanized Borehole
CCLEAr provided support for a fully
mechanized borehole for OAG Farms to
improve the water supply to his abattoir.
Inadequate and unreliable source of water
had constrained operations of the
slaughterhouse, leading to underutilization
of the facility. With adequate and regular
water supply system now in place, the
abattoir has doubled its operations,
increasing the weekly slaughter of 150 to
350 animals. The company has also
employed 10 more workers and engaged 3
livestock suppliers. An unintended benefit
of this support is that the borehole is now a
source of portable water for over 20
households in the community.
21
Rehabilitation of Cold Room Facilities for Gonja Meat Company Ltd
Gonja Meat Company Ltd operates an abattoir and meat processing centre in Kumasi, with the
capacity to handle 400 cattle and 5,000 birds per day, but operated below 25% of its capacity
due to infrastructure and financial challenges. With support from CCLEAr Gonja Meat
Company has rehabilitated its cold room facilities, and is now able to handle a daily slaughter
of 4,000 birds and 50 other animals. It has also employed more than 80 permanent workers
and 22 casual workers, 66 of them women. It is projected that when fully operationalized, the
company can employ close to 200 permanent workers and more than 300 casual labourers.
About 300 butchers belonging to the Greater Accra
Butchers Association are undergoing pre-incubation with
CCLEAr with the view to modernizing their operations in
terms of meat handling, packaging, transportation and
supply of live animals
22
3.4.2 Investment Support for Incubatees in the Pig Value Chain
Thirteen out of a total of 41 incubatees in this value chain received investment support to
expand their businesses, including 10 females and 31 males:
ŸMr. Andrew Asamoah of Western Premier Farms in the Western Region received
financial support to expand his facilities which has enabled him to increase his flock size
of 86 to 211 pigs. The incubatee has also adopted the IMO technology of pig production
as a result of his association with CCLEAr. Due to the increased business following
CCLEAr investment support, 3 additional workers have been added to his staff strength,
bringing to 7 the number of permanent workers.
ŸMrs. Grace Okai, owner of CONAIH Farms has
also received support to expand the housing
facilities by about 30 stys, which can
accommodate additional 300 pigs. The
incubatee who was linked to higher value
markets in the Accra Metropolis through
CCLEAr network now has great demand for her
pork due to the quality of meat produced on
her farm. According to Mrs. Okai, the Marina
Mall has a weekly demand of 1,500 kg of pork,
valued at USD 5,666.00 but she can only supply
50% of that. Increased business at CONAIH
Farms increased the number of permanent
workers from 4 to 7, and additional casual
labour of 6 workers.
ŸMr. Kwame Appiah Danquah of Kaddie Farms
located at Afienya in Accra has been supported
with improved breed of pigs (2 sows and 1
boar), and a commercial freezer to enhance
distribution of quality meat to customers.
Before CCLEAr support
With CCLEAr support
ŸTen pig farmers in the Greater Accra Region also received support to enable them
expand their businesses. The support package included improvement in their
infrastructure, 5 weaner pigs for fattening, a package of AIBP feed and a weighing
equipment. The incubatees, together with their respective Agricultural Extension
Agents (AEAs) from MoFA, have been trained in the formulation of the AIBP feed
formulation for pigs at different stages of growth. Collaboration with MoFA is to ensure
further up-scaling of the innovation in the pig value chain
23
3.4.3 Investment Support for Incubatees in the Poultry Value Chain
Incubatees in the poultry value chain include 3 from the first cohort and 7 in the second cohort.
Two incubatees: Mr. Omani Mensah of K.C Organic Farms and Mr. Samuel Tuffour of Delcos
Farms, both took delivery of day old layer chicks from a local hatchery, Akate Farms, through
support from CCLEAr. The two incubatees received a total of 5,850 birds. CCLEAr investment
support increased the layer size of K.C. Organic Farms from 500 to 2,550 birds, and that of
Delcos Farms from 1,500 to 3,300 birds.
3.4.4 Investment Support in the Grasscutter Value Chain
CCLEAr has adopted a cluster model to incubate two grasscutter Farmer Based Organizations
viz: the Abokobi and Koforidua Grasscutter Farmers Associations, with a total membership of
38 entrepreneurs. The grasscutter industry is characterized by numerous individual SMEs of
variable scales of operations, with different investment support requirements. The cluster
model of incubation for this value chain is in response to the production and business
dynamics in the sector. Poor housing structures, challenges of feeding animals according to the
required standards are among the constraints confronting entrepreneurs in the grasscutter
industry in Ghana.
CCLEAr is also reviewing the business plans of 2 incubatees to provide support for the
construction and supply of well-designed cages. Two other incubatees have also submitted
business proposals to undertake commercial production of pelletized grasscutter feed for
supply to farmers. Commercialization and supply of grasscutter cages and the commercial
production of pelletized grasscutter feed could greatly enhance sustainability of businesses in
this value chain and subsequently generate jobs and incomes for key actors.
Meet the Famers' Day Award Winners
Six incubatees of CCLEAr who won awards at the 2014 National Farmers' Day Celebrations
from various parts of the country attested to the benefits of CCLEAr's workshops, especially
the emphasis on market-first and science-based approach to
business operations.
They are (from left to right):
Mr. Philip Annoh, Best Regional Grasscutter Farmer, Eastern
Region
Mr. Foster Danso, Best Municipal Grasscutter Farmer, Suhum
Mr. Jacob Amaning Mensah, Best District Grasscutter Farmer,
Birim North.
Mr. Samuel Anyrator, Best Regional Pig Farmer, Central Region
Mrs. Grace Okai, Best National Pig Farmer
Mr. Andrew Asamoah, Best Regional Pig Farmer, Western Region
24
According to the award winners, the CCLEAr incubation program
contributed significantly to their becoming award winner, especially
the emphasis on record keeping and business approach to their
operations.
Grace Okai
Andrew Asamoah
Some Incubatees Speak about the CCLEAr Incubation Programme
Western Premiere Farms
“I started the piggery business 6 years ago and
ran into difficulties with marketing of my
products. CCLEAr linked me to the Accra Mall
and now I have to outsource pigs from my
colleagues in the CCLEAr network to meet the
demand because of the quality of my pork.” said
Mr. Asamoah.
Mr. Asamoah holds a Master's Degree in
Business Management (MBA) from University
of Ghana. His livestock operations include
production, processing and supply and
distribution of pork in the Western, Central and
Greater Accra Regions.
CONAIH Farms
“I am a happy woman today. I nearly stop my
piggery business, but having met CCLEAr in the
past two years, things have improved. I have
learned a lot about agribusiness, and even
emerged best National Pig Farmer in 2014” This
is the story of Mrs. Grace Okai, an incubatee of
CCLEAr.
Delcos Farms
Mr. Samuel Tuffour is a poultry entrepreneur of
CCLEAr, and Manager of Delcos Farms located at
Medie-Amasaman in Accra. Mr. Tuffour is one of
3 poultry incubatees in the first cohort of CCLEAr
AgriBusiness Incubator and has this to say.
“Before my association with CCLEAr my business
profitability was around 40-50%, but with
CCLEAr assistance, my returns are around 6070% of my investment. The CCLEAr incubation
and innovation promotion has done the trick for
me”
25
Farmer Brown
“CCLEAr has been of great assistance to me in my
business, especially linking me up to sell my
products to higher-value markets in Afrikiko in
the Accra Metropolis, and also giving me
technical training to improve the quality of my
products. Now with an average annual
production of 600 grasscutters, 2,400 rabbits
and 250 turkeys/ducks I make annual sales of
USD 80,000.00 representing a monthly cash flow
of USD 6,667 and approximately a monthly
salary of USD 4,000 after taking my cost of
operations. This vindicates my resignation from
the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as a Director
to undertake full time agriculture”.
Joseph Adjetey, Pig Farmer
“My piglets were dying of diarrhorrea, but when I
came to CCLEAr and was trained to parboil the
Agro-Industrial-By-Products (AIBPs) before
feeding to my pigs, the problem stopped
immediately. I am really grateful to CCLEAr for
the training”
Augustina Tawiah, Pig Incubatee
“I started my piggery business 5 years ago, but I
did not appreciate the value of records keeping,
but when I came to CCLEAr they taught us alot
about record keeping and I started keeping
records. Now I can see the difference in my
profitability analysis. I am proud of CCLEAr”
26
3.5 Business Mentorship and Coaching
The Progress Intern and Mentorship Institute (PIMI), the agency responsible for providing
mentorship and coaching services to CCLEAr clients, has over the period rendered services to
incubatees through a number of seminars, breakfast meetings, site visits, personal contacts by
phone or email. For many of the
incubatees, the mentorship and
coaching sessions provided a unique
Highlights of Mentorship
opportunity for them to have a
& Coaching
professional perspective to their
businesses. Due to the effective
Creation of company names
mentorship and business coaching,
Company registration
some incubatees immediately took
Design of company logos
steps to have their businesses
Business plans development and reviews
registered, whist others have
intensified their records and book
Partnership and networking
keeping practices. As compared to the
Competitive business advertising
pre-CCLEAr era, most entrepreneurs in
Product branding
the livestock business have shown an
Marketing plans
obvious paradigm shift in their
business practices.
Goal and target setting
An important aspect of the CCLEAr
mentorship program has been the
peer-mentorship relationships, which
has been given a significant place
under our incubation process.
Feedback from incubatees on this
aspect of the incubation process has
been encouraging, especially in
marketing of their products where
incubatees have pulled resources
together to meet contract demands
and also to minimize transactions
costs.
27
3.6 Market Access and Branding
Over the years entrepreneurs have hardly paid any attention to branding within the
livestock sector, predominantly trading in the sale of raw carcasses. In 2014, 13
incubatees were assisted to design their company logos and to develop their company
vision and mission statements. This has resulted in two incubatees, Mr. Joseph Adjetey
and Rev. Kwadwo Nkrumah both of the second cohort, developing their business
proposals, and also being linked to some credit institutions for investment support.
In July, 2014 Acumen Foundation in collaboration with CCLEAr conducted due diligence
on the prospects of livestock market access in Northern Ghana and neighbouring
Burkina Faso to advance support to OAG Farms with the view to increasing supply of
animals for efficient utilization of its abattoir facilities. This initiative was part of the due
diligence process to attract an equity investment of USD 666,000.00 from Acumen
Foundation into the operations of OAG's abattoir
Marketing Services
Cold van rentals service provided by CCLEAr is expected to increase the operations of
clients in the meat distribution and supply value chain.
28
GRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME
OUTPUT 2: Graduates with Potential to Become Efficient Entrepreneurs Produced
4.1 Internship Outreach
The UniBRAIN concept highlights graduate internship in the agribusiness incubation program,
with the view to producing graduates capable of becoming job owners, rather than job
seekers. Since the beginning of CCLEAr's incubation program over 1,600 students in 5
universities and 5 agricultural colleges in Ghana have been introduced to the graduate
internship opportunities within CCLEAr. So far 92 students followed up with applications.
However, only 24 students made up of 20 males and 4 females, actually participated in the
program. During the internship period students are taught how to develop business plans and
to pitch their businesses to investors. Of those participating in the program two students, a
male and a female, have been supported to establish their own businesses.
A Breakdown of Outcome of CCLEAr Internship Drive
Institution
No. of
student
sensitized
165
University of Ghana
Applications N\o. of
Received
Interns
6
2
210
8
4
University of Cape Coast (UCC)
67
15
13
Ashesi University
105
16
1
University of Education-Mampong Campus
400
0
0
Agric. Colleges (i.e. Kwadaso, Ejura, Ohawu,
650
38
2
-
1
1
10
8
1
1,607
92
24
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (KNUST)
Damago, Kpong-Tamale)
University for Development Studies (UDS)
University
for
Professionl
Studies
and
Accountancy (UPSA)
Total
29
Registration of student interns during ACSU Games, Ohawu, April 2014
COLLABORATION, PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKING
OUTPUT 3: UniBRAIN's Innovative Outputs, Experiences and Practices Shared and Up-scaled
5.1 Deepening the Partnership within the Consortium
The importance of knowledge and experience sharing through collaboration and networking
with partners and business stakeholders is well articulated by the UniBRAIN agribusiness
model. The active participation of CCLEAr in programmes organized on the FARA platform over
the past year has afforded the incubator the opportunity to establish strong working
relationships with partners within the UniBRAIN network. CCLEAr equally enjoyed strong
collaboration and effective partnership with key stakeholders. CSIR-Animal Research Institute,
apart from hosting CCLEAr and providing infrastructure facilities, has implemented projects in
collaboration with CCLEAr e.g. SDF/COTVET. Scientists and technical personnel from the
institute also provided backstopping on technology commercialization and assisting
30
incubatees with technical support in livestock production and processing. The Animal
Production Directorate of MoFA, on the other hand, has been the central partner and link
between the incubator and agribusiness stakeholders, especially key policy institutions.
Heifer International, Ghana, is the lead agency in facilitating the dairy cluster development.
Heifer International, Ghana, has also collaborated with CCLEAr in securing a grant from the
Learn4Work project to develop businesses along the grasscutter value chain for out-of-school
children in Ghana. Humbeg Farms provides technical support on commercial poultry
production and remains one of the most readily available principal consultant and mentor to
CCLEAr clients.
5.2 National and International Networking
The incubator received several visits from prominent officials and dignitaries from both
private and public organizations and interest groups including CORAF/WECARD, ICRISAT
technical support teams, First Avenue International business group (FAI), Canadian MPs and
officials from Engineers Without Borders (EWB). CCLEAr also participated in the 2014 National
Farmers' Day celebration and mounted an exhibition to showcase products and services of the
Incubator. More than 100 people signed onto the CCLEAr community during the function.
Six CCLEAr incubatees who received awards during the Farmers' Day celebrations across the
country included Mrs. Grace Okai an incubatee in the first cohort who emerged the Best
National Pig Farmer. The others are Mr. Philip Annoh and Samuel Anyrator, Best Regional
Dr. V. Mama and Juilliene Kusieu with CCLEAr incubatees
President Mahama inspects CCLEAr exhibition
Grasscutter Farmer for the Eastern and Central Regions respectively. Mr. Andrew Asamoah
won the Regional Best Pig Farmer for the Western Region. Mr. Foster Danso and Jacob
Ananing, won the Suhum and Birim-North Districts' Best Grasscutter Farmers respectively.
Other important events CCLEAr participated in in 2014 included FARA@15, the Youth in
Agriculture Agribusiness Promotion Fanfare in Accra on 26th May 2014, and the SDF Fanfare
on 3rd November 2014.
31
Dr. E.K. Adu in a chart with Canadian MPs
Best National Pig Farmer
5.3
Business Monitoring and Evaluation with MICS
Use of the Management Information Collaboration Systems (MICS), the electronic M&E
tool, provided a platform for effective monitoring and evaluation of CCLEAr
implementation process. Regular monitoring and updates of the portal provided relevant
business information for progressive incubation management decisions. The MICS also
provided a platform to foster partnership and collaboration with partners on the
UniBRAIN-FARA network and the global business community. The website and social
media platforms of CCLEAr received regular updates and a boost in networking and
connectivity and also provided feedback to visitors' comments.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES,
LESSONS LEARNT AND THE WAY FORWARD
6.1
Implementation Challenges
The concept of agribusiness incubation in the livestock sector presented a new business
direction for livestock agripreneurs. Rolling out the CCLEAr business model suffered some
initial difficulties, which slowed down the journey of incubation, and some crucial
activities. Some programs have therefore had to be postponed, and in some cases several
times e.g. the official launch of the incubator. The newness of the concept of incubation
sounded too good to be true to most prospective incubatees when they were first
introduced to the program. Most applicants were therefore slow in their responses. Most
prospective incubatees had had previous experiences with government agricultural
programs which gave grants to them. The concept of paid for services within the
incubation program therefore did not sound right to them Many applicants for the
graduate internship could also not turn up for the programme due to lack of
accommodation.
32
6.2
Lessons Learnt
The approach used at CCLEAr ensures that each entrepreneur receives tailor-made
services to suit their needs. Developing personalized plans for each agribusiness
located across the country involves time and finances. Adoption of the mix-model of
both business accelerator and business incubator model made it possible for CCLEAr to
increase its reach to many more entrepreneurs.
The bootstrap support to incubatees will continue to remain a major attraction to
incubatees, and can be a major pull factor to the incubator. There is therefore the need
to perfect it to serve many more entrepreneurs in need of such support. The
infrastructure rental is a major need for most young livestock entrepreneurs and must
be given more emphasis in subsequent years. It also has the potential of building a
cluster around a particular value chain, thus improving delivery to markets.
To increase its revenue stream CCLEAr is diversifying its operations to include a
horticulture park, which will make use of the manure from the livestock operations. This
also has the potential of attracting many more youth who want to go into vegetable
production.
6.3
The Way Forward/Future Plans
Over the next 5 years, CCLEAr aims to achieve the following outcomes
Expanding Technology Commercialization
Increase Number of Youth Entrepreneurs in Livestock Agriculture
Strengthening Livestock Value Chains
Greater Reach, Diversity, and Social Impact of Incubation Activities
Continuously Enhance Operations and Organizational Effectiveness
Dr. E.K. Adu talking to students of KNUST
National Farmers' Day Wards
Students surround CCLEAr at Farmers' Day
CCLEAr Man happy with Award Winner
33
APPENDICES
APENDIX 1: TOTAL DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS
EXPENDITURE BREAKDOWN (USD)
Operational Expenses – 363,381.64
CASH CONTRIBUTIONS (USD)
UniBRAIN 791,113
Skill Development Fund -
Administrative Exp. Capital Exp. TOTAL EXPENDITURE:
229,159.40
640,000
Internally Generated Fund TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
61,537.29
$654,078.3
34
13,570.20
$1,444,683.20
APENDIX 2: TOTAL CASH CONTRIBUTIONS AND DISBURSEMENTS BY THEMATIC
AREAS
OPERATIONAL EXPENSES
Output 1 - 109,143.88
Output 2 5,495.83
Output 3 1,693.66
Percent Breakdown by Expenditure
35
13
UniBrain partners meeting in Accra
CCLEAr incubatees
Ms Aba Eshun, CCLEAr welcoming Dr. V. Mama of CORAF
36
CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. E. K. Adu
CCLEAr AgriBusiness Incubator
C/O CSIR-ARI
P.O. Box AH20,
Achimota-Accra
Office Location:
Foster Home Down
Fafraha, off Adenta-Dodowa Highway,
10 minutes drive from Adenta Barrier
Office Line: +233(0)302983362
+233(0)264783992
+233(0)244037103
[email protected]
www.cclear.org
MICS:
www.cclear.incubatorportal.com
www.facebook.com/CclearAgriBusinessIncubator
CCLEArAgri-Business@CCLEAr_gh
[email protected]
CCLEAr Agribusiness [email protected]
[email protected]
2013
2014