Agribusiness Africa’s Post

Study led by agricultural economist Ashok Gulati highlights the potential for increasing farmers’ incomes by diversifying towards animal husbandry and pisciculture. Recommendations from "New Deal for Agriculture for Viksit Bharat@2047" include policy options for better market access, encouraging FPOs, and leveraging digital commerce in agriculture. The study also emphasizes the need to revive the futures market in agriculture and liberalize trade policies to benefit farmers. Explore more insights for sustainable agricultural growth. . . #agriculture #farmers #sustainablegrowth #dairydimension https://lnkd.in/dJhT4Yyh

Govt. Advises Ekiti Farmers on NiMET’s Rain Prediction Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade has advised farmers in the State and other southwest States in Nigeria to end the first farming season in the year in July and start the second season towards the end of August. In a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, Mr. Boluwade also advised poultry farmers to lower their stocking density during the heat stress period between February and May, adding that the floor of the pens should always be kept dry to prevent the growth and spread of bacteria as well as fungi common during the wet season. Mr. Boluwade explained that the advices are based on the Nigerian Meteorology Agency’s weather forecast for the year. According to him, NiMET’s prediction for the year 2024 indicated that the onset of the growing season is likely to vary from normal to delayed in the most parts of the country, adding that it was predicted that Farmers would have normal short length of the growing season and therefore encouraged to plant early and use early maturity varieties of crop. Boluwade assured that the State Government would carry out massive sensitization of farmers in the State towards achieving optimal yield in the year, adding that Agricultural Development Project (ADP) and Fadama extension officers would visit the farmers in their farmsteads, communities and Local Government Areas to properly inform and educate farmers on how to utilize the NiMET’s prediction to the benefit of all stakeholders. He stated that “agriculture is the art and science of growing crops and raising livestock. We subscribe to NiMet weather forecast every year to serve as a guide for farmers. Farmers in the southwest are advised to end the first season in July and start 2nd season in late August while Poultry farmers are advised to lower stocking density during the heat stress period (Feb -May). “The State ADP/FADAMA extension officers will step down this information to all our farmers in their farmsteads/town/local govt. We will use radio/TV outlets to spread the information. “It is very good that NIMET provides some level of rainfall predictions to guide Nigerian farmers. “Government will continue to make improved seeds, seedlings of rice, maize etc and cassava cuttings available through the ADP to farmers to intensify production because we now have a lot of companies that will off-take the produce from the State”.

NEWS REVIEW: FG EMPOWERS 700 POULTRY AND CASSAVA FARMERS IN EDO The Federal Government has trained and empowered over 700 farmers in Edo State, including 200 poultry farmers with day-old chicks and 500 cassava farmers with cuttings. Samuel Owoicho, Edo coordinator for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the initiative’s role in enhancing livelihoods, boosting Edo’s economy, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Click on this link to read more... https://lnkd.in/dBaTgk3r #agribusinessafrica  #agribusinessnigeria  #agribusiness  #nigeriaagriculture  #economicgrowth  #agricnewsinafrica  #agrinews  #agriculture  #foodsecurity  #agribusinessnews #agriculture

McCain Foods Reports Strong Yields Despite High Pest Infestation: Insights from Agronomist Lesego Matlala In a recent update from Lesego Matlala, an esteemed Agronomist and Nematologist at McCain Foods’ Farm of the Future Africa, promising news emerges amidst concerns over pest damage in potato crops. Despite facing a significant infestation this season, Matlala reports that yields are holding up impressively well, with no apparent damage from Potato Tuber Moth […] https://lnkd.in/givafEEK

🇰🇪 IRRI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), recently hosted the First National Rice Stakeholders’ Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Aligned with IRRI's goals in Africa, the conference highlighted several areas where improvements are needed to transform the rice value chain, including the need to optimize water management, leverage Public-Private Partnerships, and the adoption of climate-smart technologies and digital platforms like IRRI’s SeedCast. 📱🌾 Read more: https://bit.ly/49qQi17 #RiceScience #Kenya #Farmers #Agriculture

Yesterday, I was at the South African Society for Animal Science 2024 Congress in East London. The livestock and poultry industries account for nearly half of South Africa’s agricultural economy. Themes covered at the congress included animal diseases, reproduction, nutrition, climate change and animal welfare.   My task was to kickstart the day with reflections on the South African agricultural economic conditions and policy options to boost growth in the sector. I view South Africa’s agricultural economic performance in the first half of 2024 as mixed. One can broadly categorise our farming economy into three subsectors: horticulture, livestock and field crops. Horticulture — fruits and vegetables — had a reasonably positive start to the year, benefiting from improved dam levels for irrigation and a stable electricity supply. All of South Africa’s fruit and vegetables are under irrigation. The livestock industry is recovering after an intense period of animal diseases (although there remain cases of foot-and-mouth disease in some regions of the country). The better grazing veld due to early rains in the season and late rains in April have helped somewhat. The poultry industry is also recovering following an intense avian influenza spread at the end of 2023. Meanwhile, the field crops have suffered from the midsummer drought. For example, South Africa’s 2023/24 summer grains and oilseed harvest is estimated at 16.0 million tonnes, down by 20% year on year. Considering the developments in these subsectors, it is unsurprising that South Africa’s agricultural gross value grew by 13.5% quarter on quarter (seasonally adjusted) in the first quarter of 2024. Indeed, the base effects also contributed to the robust performance as South Africa’s farming economy contracted in 2023. The trade figures were also strong in the first quarter, a signal for a better harvest of fruits and improvements in port performance. Still, we worry that the poor harvest of summer grains and oilseed may suppress the figures for the third-quarter performance in the sector. Perhaps the slowdown may even show in the second-quarter figures when they become available. Read my full article here. https://lnkd.in/dySEz3Pj

NEWS REVIEW: NIGERIA HAS 40.2M AGRICULTURE HOUSEHOLDS – NBS Nigeria has 40.2 million agricultural households, according to the National Agricultural Sample Census (NASC) 2022. Conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the FAO, the census revealed that 91% of households cultivated crops, with 48% raising livestock. Explore this link to read more... https://lnkd.in/d943JWYg #agribusinessafrica  #agribusinessnigeria  #agribusiness  #nigeriaagriculture  #economicgrowth  #agricnewsinafrica  #agrinews  #agriculture  #foodsecurity  #agribusinessnews #agriculture

Nakuru County Agriculture: A Comprehensive Overview Nakuru County, nestled in the heart of Kenya’s Rift Valley, is a pivotal region for agriculture, livestock, and fisheries. Known for its rich soil and favorable climate, the county stands as a crucial agricultural hub, contributing significantly to the country’s food security and economic growth. Agricultural Landscape Nakuru County’s diverse agricultural landscape supports a wide range of crops and livestock. The county’s fertile soils and varied climate allow for the cultivation of both staple and cash crops. Key crops include maize, wheat, beans, and potatoes, which are staples in the Kenyan diet. The region is also renowned for its horticultural […] #ComprehensiveOverview #NakuruCountyAgriculture >>> Read more

Recent Changing Markets Foundation’s report The New Merchants of Doubt revealed the FAO’s overwhelming bias for the livestock industry, prompting key recommendations for the organisation’s overhaul. This comes on top of concerns from academics and NGOs about the FAO’s recent studies, which put it at odds with the scientific consensus on the urgency to reduce livestock emissions and shift to more plant-based diets. Ironically, the FAO was the first international institution to suggest that the world’s livestock production model needed to be changed. Back in 2006, the FAO’s ground-breaking study Livestock’s Long Shadow described livestock production as ‘one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global’, with an impact ‘so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency’. Our investigation shows how these findings caused a storm of industry backlash, using a simple PR error to discredit the entire report. This had a profound impact on the FAO’s work, leading to it progressively align itself more and more with industry narratives, highlighting the need for efficiency improvements and techno-fixes, while turning a blind eye to the potential of dietary shifts and alternative protein. As the debate around the climate impact of food and farming is already extremely polarised and riddled with industry-funded disinformation, it is of paramount importance that the FAO presents impartial and scientifically robust reports that can serve governments as a guide for climate action in the sector. Read my op-ed: https://lnkd.in/eTCTC3yr Read the FAO case study: https://lnkd.in/eHuq9EC8 Ariel Brunner Faustine Bas-Defossez Martin Bowman Paul Behrens Matthew Hayek Jonathan Foley Shefali Sharma Alma Castrejon-Davila Caitlin Smith Irina Gerry Sonalie Figueiras Nico Muzi Katie Roche Arthur Neslen Rachel Sherrington Peter Elwin Joanna Sullivan Ben Lilliston Nicholas Carter Robbie Lockie🚦Carole Mitchell Alberto Alemanno Robin Willoughby Trees Robijns Stephanie Wunder

Farmers’ union major player in agriculture sector: The governor of the Oshikoto region, Penda ya Ndakolo, has called on the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) and its members to move from subsistence farming to commercial farming. This is to benefit its members and the country. He made these remarks at a two-day NNFU national council meeting at Tsumeb which started on Sunday. Farmers unions, said Ya Ndakolo, are central organisations that maintain organised agriculture and advocate service deliveries to farmers. He said more than 70% of the Namibian population lives in rural areas and people in these areas are both directly and indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods and, therefore, NNFU has a duty to promote agricultural production in rural areas so that the country can attain food security. Oshikoto governor Penda Ya Ndakolo Ya Ndakolo said the meeting should be a platform to build synergy and improve service delivery to farmers. “This collaboration is especially critical in light of the continuous drought we are facing, which is not only threatening agricultural production, but also livelihoods and food security. Farmers must come together and strategise to find sustainable solutions and this can be achieved if NNFU can take the lead,” he said. The meeting, which is being held under the theme ‘Inclusion and Unification of Namibian Farmers’, is attended by NNFU members from all 14 regions of Namibia. James Zahengwa from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry said in an effort to assist farmers facing climate change challenges, the ministry has come up with a livestock support programme funded by the European Union. The programme, he said, entails improving rangelands, pastures, markets for farmers, as well as addressing animal diseases. He said thus far, the programme has set up animal fodder production demonstration sites in regions, whereby farmers are trained on how to produce lucerne or grass. “We are doing this, because lucerne is very expensive to obtain. We have set up two demonstration sites in every region,” he said. NNFU is a national federation of regional farmers unions, established in June 1992, to serve as a mouthpiece for Namibian communal and emerging farmers. The post Farmers’ union major player in agriculture sector appeared first on The Namibian.