There are negative consequences if Africa continued to pay lip service to agriculture, and failed to invest in the sector, the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga has warned. Addressing members of the Board of Trustees of IITA and researchers during the 2016 Partnership for Development Week (P4D…
Integrated agricultural research systems key to Africa’s transformation
Integrated systems research approach in agriculture is key to sustainable transformation in Africa with benefits including increase in yields and livelihoods improvement of resource-poor farmers, according to the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr Nteranya Sanginga. The systems approach places the farmer at the center and develops an understanding of the…
Africa urged to avoid being caught in the ‘capacity building syndrome’
Africa should avoid the ‘Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) trap’ by perpetually pushing capacity building and miss out on serious climate funding opportunities, Balgis Osman Elasha of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has said. Dr. Osman Elasha, who is the Principal Climate Change officer at the bank’s Quality Assurance and Results Department, says “Africa could not…
Picking profits from indigenous vegetables in Kirinyaga County
By Clifford Akumu The sweltering heat and the winding dusty roads leading to Block Kamuchege A village in Thebere location, Kirinyaga County paints a gloomy picture of unrelenting effects of climate change. Kamuchege region heavily relies on rice production, but one woman has decided to go against the grain by venturing into commercial vegetable farming…
New Drought-Resistant Pasture Grass to boost African livestock farmers yields, income
BY Brian Odhiambo New varieties of high-quality, drought-resistant forage grasses could boost milk production by 40 percent and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for struggling East African dairy farmers, according to a new analysis by experts at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture – a CGIAR Research Center. “Farmers could benefit more from…
Researchers flag threats to Nigeria’s cassava industry
By Michael Oleja Nigeria’s rising population, particularly in the cities, coupled with low productivity (yield per hectare) of cassava roots is threatening the country’s cassava industry and could impede the gains made in the sector, putting the country at risk of becoming a net importer of staple crops. Grown by over 4.5 million people in…
Kuwait’s Al-Sumait Prize For African Development Announces winners for Health and Food Security Categories
Today’s Board of Trustees meeting of the Al-Sumait Prize for African Development honored ground-breaking research on tackling childhood malaria and addressing undernourishment through Africa, which both impact the lives of ten millions of children across the continent. The Board awarded the 2015 Al-Sumait Prize for Health to Professor Kevin Marsh, from the University of Oxford…
Integrated weed control holds promise for cassava revolution in smallholder farms, says Cornell professor
Integrating diverse but proven weed management options could help small-scale farmers overcome the limitations posed by weeds and help them maximize the benefits of genetic improvement, according to Prof Ronnie Coffman, Director of International Programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (IPCALS), Cornell University. Prof Coffman said efforts in weed management should be…