Startups and those aspiring to venture into the agribusiness space must strive to be consistent and reliable in terms of the services and the produce they provide, in order to succeed in the sector.
This was the advice from the founder and Chief Executive officer of Eden Tree Ghana Limited, Catherine Krobo Edusei, on the virtual forum of the Citi Business Festival, on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
The forum, which aired live on Citi TV and on social media, was themed: ‘Feeding Ghana with a sound import substitution strategy.’
Eden Tree is a major producer and distributor of high-end fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in Ghana. Its produce are patronised by several companies and major supermarkets in Ghana.
According to madam Krobo Adusei, most supermarkets lose confidence in agribusiness startups because some are really unreliable.
“You have to be consistent. Sometimes when supermarkets sign on a supplier, when they request supplies, some of the startups give several excuses, including claims that they are attending funerals. Once that happens, the supermarkets lose their trust in you. You have to be consistent. At Eden Tree, we supply every blessed day of the week, except Sundays. Once that happens, they trust your brand and deal with you. You have to be reliable,” she said.
The Eden Tree CEO also called on the government to support the youth in agribusinesses by connecting them to retailers and supermarkets.
“If there can be assistance from government, cooperatives or bodies by getting them into business and connecting them to retailers, it will be a good thing [because it is very difficult getting ready market]. My advice to startups is that one thing you have to focus on is reliability, and you have to be consistent,” she added.
About Citi Business Festival
The Citi Business Festival is an extensive program of business events and on-air activities providing inspiration, business ideas, and information to persons who are starting, building, or growing their businesses.
Held in June, the festival has lined virtual business fora aired live on Citi TV every Tuesday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
The radio on-air series on the Citi Breakfast Show at 9:20am from Monday to Thursday, is themed to correspond with the various virtual forums.
The Festival is currently in its third week focusing on agribusiness.
The Citi Business Festival is sponsored by Absa Bank, Ghana, with support from IT Consortium and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).
It is also powered by Citi FM, Citi TV, and Ghana’s most comprehensive business news website, www.citibusinessnews.com.