This Week, on African Farms

President Trump officially signed the law to bring the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) back to life. It’s now reauthorized through the end of 2026, and the best part for businesses is that it’s "retroactive."

That means importers will get back tariff benefits since they expired in September 2025, which is a massive relief for exporters who were sweating over high tariffs.

For anyone selling things like citrus, macadamia nuts, or textiles into the U.S., this is a huge weight off their shoulders. Without AGOA, African products suddenly became much more expensive for Americans to buy, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

But while the U.S. was quiet, Africa didn't just wait around. During the months of uncertainty, we saw a serious pivot. Many countries stopped waiting for "permission" to trade and started looking elsewhere. We saw Kenya and South Africa deepening deals with China for their produce, and more countries leaning into the UAE and Middle Eastern markets. There’s also been a much bigger push for smoother trading with each other under the AfCFTA.

The big question now is: Now that the duty-free access is back, are we just going to return to business as usual? The U.S. is already saying they want to "modernize" the program to be more "America First," which means the rules might get even tougher. Did the months of expiry teach us that relying on a single Western trade favor is too risky? Or will we fall back into the same old rhythm and forget how vulnerable we felt when the "AGOA tap" was turned off?

West Africa is ramping up processing of its own cashews. Last year, the amount of cashews processed into kernels in West Africa jumped by over 50%. Most of this growth is coming from Côte d’Ivoire, which processed about 600,000 tons on its own. It’s a huge move toward keeping the "value" of the crop at home instead of just shipping raw nuts to Asia for processing. Data shows that the growth was driven almost entirely by three producers: Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Ghana, while processing actively stagnated or declined elsewhere in the region.

Nigeria is turning its universities into mega-farms. The Federal Government is handing out $1.3M to several agricultural universities, including FUOYE, to start large-scale mechanised farming. The goal is simple: let the experts in the agriculture faculties actually produce food to feed their students and the communities around them, rather than just teaching it in a classroom.

Tanzania just opened a massive new rice mill. Located in the Kahama district, this $40 million facility is one of the biggest in the region. Tanzania is already Africa’s 4th largest rice producer, and this mill which is built on a 54-hectare site, is going to help them process even more local paddy to feed the growing demand across East Africa.

Zimbabwe is officially wheat-secure. For the first time in years, the country has announced it has enough wheat in its silos to last the entire year without importing a single grain. It’s a massive win for local farmers and proof that with the right support, the region can definitely feed itself.

British International Investment (BII) is putting $5 million into Lovegrass Ethiopia. They’re looking to scale up the production of Teff: Ethiopia's indigenous super-grain to turn it into high-value products for both local and global markets. 

Sahel Capital has closed a $1.5 million loan for Rasad Nigeria. This cash will help Rasad buy and consolidate cocoa and cashews from over 1,000 smallholder farmers in Ogun State.

Mariseth Farms in Ghana has secured $850,000. This women-led agribusiness processes palm oil, soy, and maize, and they’re using the funds to support their network of over 9,000 smallholder farmers.

The AYuTe Nigeria Challenge 2026 is now open for applications. Young agritech innovators can compete for prizes of up to $40,000 by showcasing solutions that bridge the gap for smallholder farmers. The challenge is looking for technically feasible, climate-smart tools that can scale across the Nigerian market.

The Africa FarmTech Expo Zambia & Southern Africa is scheduled for March 6-8, 2026. The pan-African trade show targets commercial and medium-scale farmers, focusing on food processing, packaging, and agricultural technologies across the Southern African value chain.

The WASSMAS Agriculture Grant is currently accepting applications from small and mid-scale agricultural startups across West Africa. They provide financial support of up to $10,000, with capacity-building training, technical assistance, and equipment support.

The Leventis Foundation Nigeria is now accepting applications for its 2026 One-Year Agricultural Training Programme. This is a fully funded, residential program that equips young Nigerians with practical skills in modern agribusiness. Applications are open to passionate youth looking to build sustainable livelihoods.