Expert Farmer mobilized a multidisciplinary team to conduct a comprehensive review of Bahareya Farm. The activities were structured into key areas as described below.

Technical and agronomic assessment

Our experts conducted field inspections and reviewed crop management practices, irrigation systems, and soil quality. We identified opportunities to improve yields by 25% through better agronomic practices and input management.

Infrastructure and equipment review

We evaluated the condition and adequacy of farm infrastructure, including workshops, irrigation systems, and equipment fleets. Recommendations were made for critical CapEx investments to ensure operational continuity and efficiency.

Economic and strategic analysis

A detailed review of crop profitability, cost structures, and business planning was performed. We highlighted the need for a crop-focused strategy to enhance EBITDA and long-term profitability.

Management and HR evaluation

The team assessed organizational structure, staffing, and management practices. We proposed improvements in HR policies and incentive schemes to attract and retain skilled agronomists and operators.

Site diagnostics and field investigations

Expert Farmer performed in-depth field visits to each site, collecting data on topography, soil profiles, climate, and water resources. Our team conducted soil sampling and analysis, evaluated existing infrastructure, and documented land use patterns. This groundwork provided a robust foundation for assessing agricultural potential.

Agronomic and technical assessments

Crop suitability was assessed using parameters including soil texture, pH, nutrient content, and climate conditions. Irrigation feasibility was appraised by conducting studies on water availability and infrastructure. Crop rotation plans were developed, and potential opportunities for mechanization and value-added production were identified for each site.

Infrastructure and access evaluation

Expert Farmer reviewed access for national roads, energy availability, and water conveyance systems. On some sites, our reports highlighted rehabilitation needs and investment requirements for canals, pumping stations, and power connections. We also assessed logistical constraints affecting market access and input supply.

Socio-economic and institutional analysis

We engaged with local communities, reviewed land tenure status, and identified potential social risks. Our work included mapping stakeholder dynamics and proposing inclusive models such as outgrower schemes. We also evaluated institutional readiness for public-private partnerships.

Strategic recommendations and valuation

Each report concluded with a SWOT analysis, suitability matrix, and rough land valuation. We tailored recommendations to investor profiles, highlighting scalable opportunities and risk mitigation strategies. Our deliverables supported IFC’s efforts to attract responsible agribusiness investors.

Strategic project leadership in fragile contexts

We proved our ability to operate effectively in a politically unstable and logistically complex environment. From the outset, the team established a permanent presence in Wad Medani, enabling close coordination with local institutions and farmers. Despite political upheaval and extreme weather events, we maintained uninterrupted project execution through:

• Over 20 field missions and 12 international experts mobilized.
• Continuous engagement with the French Embassy, Gezira Scheme, and Ministry of Irrigation.
• A flexible governance model that adapted to shifting ground realities.

Revitalizing irrigation infrastructure and water governance

At the heart of the project was the challenge of restoring efficient water distribution across a century-old irrigation network. We conducted a full diagnostic of the system and proposed actionable solutions to improve water use efficiency and equity:

• Drone-based topographic surveys to identify siltation and leveling issues.
• Satellite imagery and remote sensing to monitor crop water stress.
• Technical recommendations to restore night storage, optimize canal flows, and reintroduce coordinated crop rotations.

Modernizing agronomic practices and farmer support

We worked directly with over 370 farmers across two pilot zones to test and scale improved agricultural practices. The approach was hands-on, data-driven, and tailored to local realities:

• Introduction of manual and motorized seeders to improve planting precision.
• Field trials on wheat, sorghum, cotton, and vegetables to optimize fertilization, seeding density, and varietal selection.
• Daily agronomic support and end-of-season debriefs to reinforce learning and assimilation of taught notions.

Deploying digital tools for decision support and monitoring

We integrated cutting-edge digital technologies to enhance decision-making and transparency across the project:

• Cropwin (ITK): A crop modeling tool adapted to Sudanese wheat conditions.
• FieldSim (Tumba): A mobile-compatible farm management system enabling inspectors to track field operations and communicate with farmers via SMS.
• Airbus Verde: A satellite-based crop monitoring platform for real-time assessment of vegetation health and crop allocation.

Building institutional capacity and enabling scale-up

Beyond technical achievements, we fostered a collaborative ecosystem to ensure long-term impact:

• Convened a multi-stakeholder “Partners’ Club” including French institutions, Sudanese ministries, and private sector actors.
• Delivered training sessions, field demonstrations, and a final conference attended by over 60 stakeholders.
• Developed a scale-up roadmap and investment teaser to attract international financing for broader deployment.

The experiment in Quevedo, Ecuador, successfully addressed multiple facets of resource planning, logistics, and financial management. We orchestrated the training of a group of 150 producers and facilitated the procurement of fresh CCN51 and Nacional cocoa, sourced directly from producers across Manabí, Los Ríos, and Guayas provinces resulting in 500 tons of cocoa for export in 2021.

Our expertise extended to implementing fermentation protocols for national cocoa varieties, including polyphenol-rich purple cocoa and profiled cocoa. Additionally, we pioneered the development of a process to extract, produce, and export juice from the mucilage of cocoa pods, resulting in an output of 8,000 kilograms in 2022.

Through our technical support, we have empowered producers to enhance their income by over 300% while significantly improving the quality of their cocoa beans. This included targeted advancements such as optimizing grain size, promoting the selective use of insecticides, eliminating fungicides, and enhancing plant nutrition. These efforts culminated in achieving exceptional yields of up to 3,500 kilograms per hectare per year, a benchmark of success that underscores our commitment to sustainable and impactful consultancy services.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Madagascar’s strict entry conditions, the study was conducted in two phases. Initially, a comprehensive review was carried out remotely. Once entry became possible, an on-site mission was organized to refine the conclusions.

Remote study

To evaluate the feasibility of the sugarcane project, the initial step was to collect information from the client and supplement it with current data sources. This involved examining past studies on a Jatropha crop project from 2010 to 2016, as well as analyzing the land’s geomorphology and hydrogeology. Our experts in sugarcane farming and hydrogeology were mobilized to provide valuable insights.

We conducted the analysis of the project’s conditions. This included calculating the water requirements for sugarcane cultivation and taking into account the local pedoclimatic environment as water availability was the first concern of the client. The potential of surface water resources was assessed, leveraging data on existing networks with possibilities for direct pumping and storage. Furthermore, the potential for groundwater usage in irrigation was estimated. We also performed crucial appraisal, such as estimating the necessary water flow and the associated infrastructure expenses.

The overall findings and conclusions were positive, albeit with a number of reservations..

On-site study

The project on-site involved a focus on soil quality, existing vegetation, and water conditions. These observations were carefully compared to remote data to ensure their accuracy. It became apparent that the local expertise provided by the client for the performance of the remote study did not fully capture the complexities of the site. This on-site review proved crucial in identifying fundamental challenges, such as the unsuitability of the soil, due to the top-soil structure and erosion, as well as the overestimation of water availability, which had been overlooked during the initial evaluations.

Hopefully, the on-site mobilization allowed to support the client selecting an alternative site. There, examined factors such as soil composition, water availability and climate conditions confirmed the suitability for sugarcane cultivation and its potential to meet the needs of the planned factory.

Course design

• Preliminary update production conditions, client profiles, and current farming practices to adapt the crop husbandry plan to the local conditions.
• Elaboration of training materials, including said crop husbandry plan, production cost model, presentations, and informational leaflets.
• Selection of the most promising attendees to ensure the enhanced efficiency of the training sessions.

Desk training

• Presentation of the key aspects of wheat production, including soil preparation, seeding, irrigation, pest control, and harvest techniques.
• Performance of an interactive training course with discussions, feedback questionnaires, and practical examples.
• Collaboration with local farmers through a technical visit to a nearby wheat farm, where participants were able to see firsthand the concepts taught in the training.
• Participation to the « Club 80 » show to promote wheat production good practices.

On-site training

• Performance of on-field training in the two pilot projects to teach crop development monitoring and preventive actions.
• On-site visits during crucial phases such as soil preparation, seeding, crop management, and harvest for capacity building.
• Provision of technical support to the project stakeholder during the whole production cycle.

Project Assessment

During the initial evaluation of the proposed corn cultivation project, the Expert Farmer team has evaluated the viability of the site. We examined the site’s characteristics, noting areas with uneven terrain that were not suitable for mechanization and identifying regions susceptible to landslides if cleared.

Furthermore, we analyzed environmental factors, such as soil quality and weather conditions, to forecast their influence on the potential yield. Our expert farmers conducted a detailed remote-sensing topographic review to assess the suitability of the land. We also consulted with farmers and local agricultural managers to collect insights into land use and potential contractual arrangements.

In conclusion, our team delivered a thorough report, outlining our findings and suggesting practical approaches for the site’s future development.

Agri-feasibility

As part of the feasibility analysis, our team of expert farmers developed the plan for the complete crop production. We considered realistic scenarios, encompassing the entire production process. It covered the necessary technologies and operational methods, as well as the specific input requirements, needed for a successful outcome. Moreover, the project included the creation of a comprehensive drainage system spanning the entire developable area.

The corn crop husbandry plan, including rotation schedules, best practices, and necessary equipment, was adapted to the local, challenging conditions. Future efficient operation was supported by an organizational chart that was customized for the staff, their roles, and responsibilities in the production process. The project was carefully structured to maximize resources and minimize risks.

A detailed investment and cost analysis were conducted. Expert Farmer developed a business plan, including an assessment of production costs, expected profits, and potential margins. This allowed the client to secure financing from the bank.

Expert Farmer as successfully provided the following scope of services.

Management support

• Definition of the sizing of the operations, with number of contracting parties and surface covered,
• Nature of the contracting conditions with outputs of both sides of the contract, and targeted performance per phase of the project,
• Mapping of the area secured for the project with relevant data (economic, geographic),
• Management structure of the contractualisation, for ingrower and outgrower systems,
• Operation management organization with an emphasis on the data recording and processing of the project.

Technical aspects

• Advanced design of the crop husbandry plan dressed with all relevant matters: equipment, inputs, water requirements, genetics, rotation, activities, manpower, cropping schedule, soil quality,
• Scaling of infrastructure requirement for the project, and all investment necessary,
• Training requirements and inventory of skills for the project prior to the project, and during the project to ensure quality of operations,
• Proposition of tools to help in the management of operations (software and hardware).

Economic topics

• Analysis of the Operational expenditures (OpEx) of the project
• Analysis of the Capital expenditures (CapEx) of the project
• Global financial analysis of the project

The agronomic and management design for the project was successfully completed by Expert Farmer. The crop planning for alfalfa, corn, sorghum, and Rhodes grass was meticulously designed with minimal soil preparation and optimized crop husbandry plans. The crop husbandry plan was optimized to reach top-level quality production, and farming equipment was procured for minimum tillage practices. The organizational structure of the farm, the workshop, and the maintenance procedures were established, as well as the record-keeping and budgeting systems for farming operations.

Expert Farmer successfully managed the full-time crop management. The recruitment recommendations were followed, and job descriptions were prepared for on-site and remote recruitment processes. The new management team and workforce were trained and evaluated, and the project was managed on-site by one of our dedicated senior farm manager. 

The economic analysis was conducted successfully, including the economic study and profitability forecast for each cropping season. The Business Plan was reviewed and updated when relevant, and economic recording and analysis for SAP integration were performed.

In addition to the full-time management team involved in daily operations, Expert Farmer organized complementary  missions to update the farm design according to the evolution of shareholder requirements and specific tasks requiring subject matter experts. These included:

• Review and update of large-scale equipment line
• Validation designs for housing, warehouse, storage and civil engineering
• Development of the project and setup of farm extension project
• Topographic and crop status remote-sensing with dedicated drones
• Site assessment of the full project extension potential reaching 87,200 ha
• Economic forecast

The project was a resounding success, showcasing Expert Farmer's expertise and meticulous planning in every aspect of the agricultural endeavor.