TYI will establish an Agricultural Transformation Centre (ATC) to serve farmers in the Equatoria District. ATC will be an ambitious initiative to turn agricultural technology around Equatoria District smallholder farmers and hook the farmers to more commercially viable farming for alternative livelihoods. It will be a research and development facility envisioned as an anchor institution in the agriculture technology (ag-tech) and innovation ecosystem. The ATC will host an output aggregation point, an input supplies warehouse, and a drying, sorting, and grading facility. There will be demonstration farms to offer extension services. The centre will also have an information and innovation centre to conduct research, and provide information on business development, market intelligence on prices, market trends, and current market demand in terms of products and quality, among other services.
At its core, the centre is focused on accelerating agricultural transformations and improving food security for many public, private, and social sectors. Because the centre leverages its labour force for a nuanced understanding of the private sector, deep expertise across diverse fields, and world-class analytics to improve decision-making in agricultural transformations, there will be a distinctive partnership with government, donors, companies, and civil society; thus, enabling more effective and efficient use of resources to transform rural economies at the national and state levels as well as within industry sectors.
The agriculture training Center
The Agriculture Training Center, housed at the ATC, can develop various engagement models with partners, including performance-based and long-term relationships. The centre’s core mission is to accelerate agricultural transformations and improve food security for various public, private, and social sectors. It will be a science, technology, and innovation hub where entities with inclusive business models and the public can experiment, use data, exchange ideas, develop business plans, and form partnerships to advance new livelihood opportunities for smallholder farmers.
The ATC will collaborate with a consortium of leading agricultural development and academic institutions to train youth in modern agriculture, agricultural extension services, and policy formulation. The goal will be to promote, streamline, coordinate, and regulate crop, livestock, genetic resources, and biotechnology research. It also seeks to accelerate equitable access to research information, resources, and technology and promote the application of research findings and technology in agriculture. Its formation was intended to transform agricultural and livestock research into a dynamic, innovative, responsive, and well-coordinated system driven by a shared vision and goal.
Farm-level infrastructure to support agricultural production:
- An Irrigation schemes
- Small dams and water intake systems
- Upgraded power supply and main feeder lines
- Well-maintained all-weather road network, bridges and drainage systems
- Telecommunication towers for improved internet connectivity.
- Social and other support infrastructure and facilities
