Africa investor’s Agribusiness Investment Awards winners announced

Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment and communications group, yesterday announced the winners of its prestigious 2012 Africa investor Agribusiness Investment Awards to the global agribusiness investment community.The Awards are the first of their kind to internationally recognise Africa’s agribusiness investment leaders improving the continent’s agribusiness investment profile. The Ai Agribusiness Investment Awards recognise achievements across the main agriculture sectors and reward the personalities transforming Africa’s agribusiness investment climate.Commenting on the Award winners, Hubert Danso, Chief Executive Officer, Africa investor, said; “This year, not only our winners, but our nominees too, have outdone themselves in the African agribusiness sector. With these Awards, we are recognising the very best in both private and public sector players. We congratulate our winners with the challenge of surpassing themselves further next year.”Winners this year included Export Trading Group, which took the Award for Agricultural Commodities Initiative of the Year. Agri-Vie was recognised for Agribusiness Investment Initiative of the Year, while African Trade Insurance Agency was awarded Export Credit Initiative of the Year.Development Finance Initiative of the Year was awarded to Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), while Exxon-Mobil took Biofuels Initiative of the Year. Structured Trade Finance Deal of the Year was awarded to African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank), while the award for Agri-Processing Initiative of the Year was deservedly given to Tiger Brands.Trade Finance Bank of the Year was awarded to Standard Chartered Bank, while Ghana Agricultural Development Bank took the Award for Agricultural Development Bank of the Year. The Agribusiness Fund of the Year Award was given to Phatisa for their African Agriculture Fund. Finally, the Honourable Dr Bukar Tijani Borno, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was awarded Minister of Agriculture of the Year for his work in helping Nigeria diversify away from oil and into the essential agriculture sector.