Dakar — Heifer Worldwide in the present day introduced the launch of its fourth annual AYuTe Africa Problem in Senegal, providing as much as US$20,000 in prizes to agritech startups driving agricultural transformation within the nation. The announcement was made throughout the 2025 ANDE Pan African Convention in Dakar, which focuses on empowering youth, fostering digital innovation, and supporting various, culturally wealthy enterprises. Launched in 2021 below Heifer Worldwide’s AYuTe Africa NextGen initiative, the problem identifies and helps agritech innovators growing scalable options to empower smallholder farmers and enhance meals safety.
The annual AYuTe (Agriculture, Youth and Know-how) Africa Problem harnesses the potential of African youth and rising applied sciences to assist smallholder farmers develop their companies and enhance their incomes. The nationwide competitors in Senegal gives early-stage agritech startups with not solely funding to speed up their progress but additionally entry to priceless mentorship and coaching applications. By means of this initiative, Heifer Worldwide goals to make agriculture a pretty and worthwhile profession path for younger Africans, empowering them to leverage know-how throughout your entire agricultural worth chain, from farm to market.
Daouda Ndao, Nation Director, Heifer Worldwide Senegal, inspired the nation’s younger innovators to grab this chance. “Senegal’s agriculture sector is important to our financial improvement, using 60% of our workforce whereas contributing considerably to our meals provide,” stated Ndao. “Know-how gives immense potential to rework our agricultural sector, and we’re dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who can develop modern options that meet the wants of our farmers and enhance their productiveness and incomes.”
Final 12 months’s AYuTe Africa Problem winner in Senegal, Aar Mbay Mi – which means “defending crops” in Wolof – developed a bird-repellent machine to safeguard crops
Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s Minister for Agriculture, Meals Sovereignty, and Livestock, and likewise the nation’s AYuTe Ambassador, endorsed the initiative. “The AYuTe Africa Problem completely aligns with Senegal’s Meals Sovereignty Technique (SAS), which goals to make sure sustainable meals and dietary safety for all Senegalese by 2035,” stated Minister Diagne. “By encouraging native innovators to leverage know-how and mix it with conventional data, we will speed up the strengthening of our meals techniques and uplift farming communities. We’re grateful for Heifer Worldwide’s ongoing help and their dedication to improvement in Senegal.”
Final 12 months’s AYuTe Africa Problem winner in Senegal, Aar Mbay Mi – which means “defending crops” in Wolof – developed a bird-repellent machine to safeguard crops from seed-eating birds. Reflecting on their success, Marie Touré, a member of the successful crew, shared, “Profitable AYuTe supplied us with extra than simply funding; it linked us with mentors and opened doorways that helped us develop our resolution to over 20,000 smallholder farmers. We encourage different startups to embrace this chance and contribute to a extra sustainable agricultural future.”
The 4th AYuTe Africa Problem in Senegal welcomes purposes from March till April 2025. Eligible startups should:
- Be Senegalese residents aged 18-35 years.
- Have developed a technological resolution that addresses the challenges confronted by smallholder farmers, with sturdy potential for scalability.
- Display vital demand for his or her product/service from smallholder farmers.
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Agritech startups throughout Senegal are inspired to use for this competitors and showcase their transformative concepts to win funding, mentorship, and acquire priceless visibility to scale their impression.
About Heifer Worldwide: Since 1944, Heifer Worldwide has labored with greater than 52 million folks around the globe to finish starvation and poverty in a sustainable approach. Heifer presently operates in 19 nations throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas, together with the US, supporting farmers and meals producers to strengthen native economies and construct safe livelihoods that present a residing earnings. For extra data, go to: https://www.heifer.org
Media Contact: Oumar Diouck
Communications Officer
Heifer Worldwide, Senegal
[email protected]
