from AMADOU NDIAYE in Dakar, Senegal
Senegal Bureau
DAKAR, (CAJ News) – SENEGALESE start-ups driving agricultural transformation in the country have received a boost after Heifer International announced a new challenge, offering up to US$20 000 in prizes to agritech startups.
The fourth annual AYuTe Africa Challenge has been announced in the capital Dakar at the ANDE Pan African Conference, which focuses on empowering youth, fostering digital innovation, and supporting diverse, culturally rich enterprises.
The challenge identifies and supports agritech innovators developing scalable solutions to empower smallholder farmers and improve food security.
AYuTe is short for Agriculture, Youth and Technology. It harnesses the potential of African youth and emerging technologies to help smallholder farmers grow their businesses and increase their incomes.
The national competition in Senegal provides early-stage agritech startups with not only funding to accelerate their growth but also access to valuable mentorship and training programs.
Through this initiative, Heifer International aims to make agriculture an attractive and profitable career path for young Africans, empowering them to leverage technology across the entire agricultural value chain, from farm to market.
Daouda Ndao, Country Director, Heifer International Senegal, encouraged young innovators to seize this opportunity.
Senegal’s agriculture sector is vital to economic development, employing 60 percent of the workforce while contributing significantly to food supply.
“Technology offers immense potential to transform our agricultural sector,” Ndao said.
“We are committed to supporting entrepreneurs who can develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of our farmers and increase their productivity and incomes.
Applications will be accepted from March until April 2025. Eligible startups must be run by Senegalese citizens aged 18-35 years.
Heifer International is a development organization working to end hunger and poverty around the world.
– CAJ News