Teddy Ruge
Teddy Ruge, founder and CEO of Raintree Farms, runs a moringa-growing and processing business in Masindi, Uganda. Moringa, a nutrient-rich superfood, has global demand – but Ruge’s journey has been anything but smooth, navigating halted contracts, geopolitical fallout, and other unexpected challenges.
Ruge says that through all this turbulence, he has learned what it takes to build a stable agribusiness in Africa. The most important requirement, he notes, is time to overcome the various challenges. “Yes, money makes it easier but I think patience is really the key to succeeding.”
“You’re building an agriculture entity in Africa. It’s not somewhere like the United States where you have billions and billions of subsidies going out into the agriculture sector. You’re on your own in agriculture in Africa,” Ruge explains. “So all of the problems you think should be solved by government or government bodies, it’s you to solve them.
Watch our full in-depth interview with Teddy Ruge – Building an agribusiness venture in Africa: The tough road to success
