Latoya Rattray
Latoya works in the agriculture and animal care sector as the Founder, Co-Owner, Marketing Manager, and HR Manager of LAE Farm Ltd. For local supermarkets, households, factories, and exporters who seek seasonal produce, LAE Farm Ltd is a supplier of packaged produce that delivers seasonal produce year-round to end users and farm-to-table restaurants at consistent, competitive prices. Latoya aims to access more land and farming equipment (such as tractors) in the short term. The main long-term vision is to operate a full-service farming business utilizing technology such as farming equipment, cold storage, and packing facilities on the farms and offer marketing/sales services to the other farmers. Coming into the YLAI Fellowship, Latoya’s top business challenge is Finance. With the required finances, the organization could access technology such as drones for spraying and a tractor to prepare the land, ensuring higher and more sustainable produce yields and satisfying the current market demand. During the Fellowship Placement, Latoya hopes to gain experience and insights into how big farms use technology to reduce production costs, minimize wastage pre- and post-harvest, and reduce reliance on manual labor.