The Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria Universities (ADAN) has honored the Director-General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga, with an Award of Excellence for successfully pioneering the IITA Youth in Agribusiness program. The award was presented to the IITA boss during the 64th annual general meeting of ADAN…
New study identifies best practice in livestock production and marketing for small emerging farmers
A comparative study exploring the challenges farmers face in two cattle-farming provinces in South Africa and Kenya shows that trader or broker market control, prevalent in Kenya, should be avoided in South Africa as market access for farmers is improved. It further identifies the Meat Naturally Initiative (MNI) in the Eastern Cape as a successful…
Bayer develops herbicides for cassava to tackle weeds and raise yields
Bayer has developed and launched a new crop protection product known as Lagon to help farmers tackle the problem of weeds in cassava and raise yield. Tested on more than 200 trials and demos across Nigeria and Tanzania, Lagon was rated among the top best preemergence herbicides for control of both grasses and broad-leaf weeds…
Kenya-based enterprises shine at the UN Food-System Summit
By checky Abuje joabuje@gmail.com Two Kenya based enterprises were among the 50 best small- and medium-sized enterprises around the world announced for Best Small Businesses of the “Good Food for All” competition held in conjunction with the UN Food Systems Summit. Toothpick Company Limited, for example makes a herbicide that kills the worst weed…
Off-farm activities are a growing share of food-system greenhouse gas emissions
The UN FAO has said that the Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to land use changes such as converting forests to agricultural land have been decreasing over the past 20 years, a decline that has been counterbalanced by increased emissions – notably high in industrialized countries – from off-farm activities before and after food production.…
World Food Safety Day: Desert Locusts Control Strategies Compromising Food Safety
Ahead of the World Food Safety Day, Greenpeace Africa is urging the Ministry of Agriculture to prioritise the safety of the food consumed by Kenyans. The World Food Safety Day, commemorated on 7 June, 2021 aims at drawing attention to production and consumption of safe food which contribute to the wellbeing of the population and…
Invasive alien species may cost African agricultural sector $3.66 trillion per year
Invasive alien species – harmful species introduced by human activity to an area in which they are not native – are estimated to cost the African agricultural sector $3.66 trillion per year – approximately 1.5 times the gross domestic product of all African countries combined. The findings are published in the open access journal CABI Agriculture…
AGCO Agriculture Foundation and Kenya Red Cross Society pact to address Climate Change and Food Insecurity in Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee Complex
By Julius Kericho The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation committed to ending hunger through sustainable agricultural development, today announced the second phase of a USD $125,000 project partnership with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) to respond to climate change and food insecurity in the Dadaab Refugee Complex. The project began this…