Agribusiness

BY Samuel Nabwiiso. The Government of Uganda through the Uganda Free Zones Authority (UFZA) has inaugurated the construction of the first public Free Zone in Uganda. The free zone facility is established at Entebbe International Airport and it’s estimated to cost Government UGX48 Billion. Upon  construction completion  whose construction is said to last for 6 […]

As Uganda prepares to conduct its National General Election in 2021, smallholder farmers have called upon all political parties intending to participate to prioritize Agriculture while drafting their manifestos. Under their Umbrella Organization of Eastern African Small-Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) Uganda chapter, they urge that politicians, especially Members of Parliament, play a crucial role when […]

The 10th edition of the annual African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Kigali Rwanda, saw heads of state, government ministers, civil society, and business leaders resolve to use the flourishing urban food markets as a launchpad for growing the continent’s agricultural investments into stable businesses. The AGRF, the world’s premier forum for advancing Africa’s agricultural […]

Dr André Bationo and Dr Catherine Nakalembe have been announced as the 2020 winners of the Africa Food Prize (AFP) for their exceptional contribution towards the promotion of food security across the continent. Dr André Bationo, a researcher from Burkina Faso, has been recognized for his efforts into the improvement of micro-dosing fertilizer technology. Dr […]

The 2020 Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) has been launched at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) virtual summit in Kigali, Rwanda. This year’s AASR focuses on Feeding Africa’s Cities by assessing the opportunities, challenges and policies required to enable African farmers and agribusinesses to serve the rapidly growing urban food markets. The report seeks […]

CASSAVA farmers in Serere District found in Eastern Uganda participated in planting field trials of disease-resistant cassava varieties at the National Semi-Arid Resource Institute (NaSSARI) in Serere. The Cassava Varieties were developed by Ugandan Scientists in collaboration with their global counterparts using Biotechnology Science. NaSSARI is one of the places where trials for disease-resistant cassava […]

Milk is a key component of any balanced diet and yet many people are not well versed with its processing or value chain that impacts the quality of milk before it gets to their glasses. According to the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) in Uganda, although milk production in Uganda has increased from 2.08 billion litres […]

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) have signed an agreement to work together to tackle aflatoxin contamination of grains in the region to help ensure that they are safe for human and livestock consumption and meet export standards. Aflatoxin is a highly poisonous chemical […]

Serious hunger and malnutrition loom for millions of refugees across Eastern Africa who depend on assistance from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to survive, as the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reduces vital funding from donors. WFP has already been forced to reduce food or cash transfers by between 10 to 30 […]

The Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated existing food security issues in Africa and given rise to some new challenges. With an economic downturn under way, efforts to combat hunger are being accelerated. While short-term measures are part of the solution, the crisis has also made a powerful case for long-term change. The IMF projects that a […]

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Africa’s foremost multilateral trade finance institution, has approved a $400-million revolving global credit facility agreement for the Export Trading Group (ETG), one of the largest and fastest-growing integrated agricultural conglomerates in Africa. The agreement will enable ETG  to keep playing its vital role in the agri-foods supply chain of efficiently […]

Muhammed Magassy BANJUL – Africa is becoming a new COVID-19 epicenter. In the recent weeks, South Africa reported a 60% increase in natural deaths, suggesting a higher COVID death toll than reported. And the World Health Organization recently warned that cases are proliferating across Sub-Saharan Africa, including my country, The Gambia. Unless the European Union urgently rethinks its protectionist […]

A former Danish minister and a Non Governmental Organisation operating in the Horn of Africa are planning to set up a fish production plant in Somaliland. Christian Friis Bach who served as the minister for development cooperation in Denmark says Somaliland has a great potential to produce fish for export and gain the much needed […]

The Future Is Hydroponics partners with growers, businesses, and community leaders that share their values to deliver as much quality information as possible. They want to encourage young people to pursue purposeful work and forge new careers in hydroponics and also inspire families to grow their own food year-round. “We believe in a future where […]

The COMESA Business Council recently convened a webinar on “Unlocking Food Security Through Improved Seed Trade in COMESA” aimed at discussing issues of access to quality and affordable seed and challenges in trade facilitation in the movement of seed across borders amidst COVID-19. It also discussed causes, impacts and measures to curb illicit seed trade […]

As part of its mandate to strengthen the entrepreneurial fabric of the region, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) SME Programme has signed an initial 4-year senior/ mezzanine debt facility of USD 1 million to be managed by Grassroots Business Fund (GBF), to finance agribusiness SMEs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. […]

On July 21st , JICA disbursed the second tranche of 30% equivalent to 28 million USD as a result of achievements of the second set of policy actions by the Government of Rwanda (GoR) in its continuous efforts to improve nutrition through agriculture transformation. On August 16, 2019, the Governments of Japan and Rwanda agreed […]

 By Layla Liebetrau NAIROBI – A mounting body of evidence suggests that industrial agriculture is failing the planet and its people. In particular, harmful chemical pesticides increasingly threaten the environment and public health. Along with synthetic fertilizer, pesticides fuel the industrial agriculture system – and their use is steadily increasing in almost all regions of […]

Without sustainable growth of its livestock sector, Africa is expected to import up to a fifth of meat and milk within the next 30 years, according to the Malabo Montpellier Panel. Wednesday, July 15 2020, Kigali, RWANDA– Africa will be unable to meet demand for meat and milk by 2050 and benefit from growth in […]

Climate change has made it difficult to accurately predict weather patterns thus farmers must adapt their farming practices and grow crops with higher resilience to the impacts of a changing climate. One such crop is green grams also known as mung beans or ‘ndengu’. The crop has the potential to perform better than maize, which […]

In a new briefing published recently, Oxfam warns that hunger linked to COVID-19 could kill as many as 12,000 people a day by the end of the year, potentially claiming more lives each day than the disease itself. ‘The Hunger Virus,’ reveals how 121 million more people (globally) could be pushed to the brink of […]

Over the years, hidden hunger has been limiting the growth and development of children; affecting the health and working capacity of different individuals hence becoming a great contributor to the never-ending poverty built over generations. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines hidden hunger as the lack of vitamins and minerals which occurs when the quality […]

Nespresso’s Reviving Origins program celebrates second year by introducing new coffee, AMAHA awe UGANDA, from the Rwenzori Mountains Investment, training and resources provides Rwenzori coffee farmers with the tools to improve their livelihoods through the increase of the quality of their crop Reviving Origins program drove productivity boost of 9% in Eastern Zimbabwe for 2018/2019. […]

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and lenders have welcomed the first disbursement of $200 million of a syndicated loan facility to boost cocoa productivity in the world’s second-largest producer. The occasion was marked by a ceremony held in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday 23 June, followed online by hundreds of observers across the globe. In attendance were […]

The Bank’s current portfolio in Somalia totals $298 million, covering operations in agriculture, water and sanitation, transport, social and energy, and multi-sectoral projects ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 10, 2020/ — In early 2020, Somalia, with support from the United Kingdom Government and the European Union, settled its arrears to the African Development Bank, paving the […]

A report released alongside the roadmap recommends immediate, short- and medium-term solutions for the agriculture sector ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 8, 2020 – The African Development Bank has unveiled a strategic roadmap of projects and programmes to assist African countries in tackling the nutrition and food security aspects of the COVID-19 crisis through a raft […]

Oxfam has announced that will phase out 18 of its country offices, which changes in total will affect around 1450 out of nearly 5000 program staff and 700 out of nearly 1900 partner organizations. The humanitarian organization said it is bringing forward a reorganization of its global operations as it implements its new strategic framework […]

Rwanda has not witnessed any disruptions in the supply of seeds to its farmers despite the lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. The Ministry said the country is on course to achieve its target of being self-sufficient in seed supply. It is also exploring the […]

By Carmen M. Reinhart and Rob Subbaraman  PETERSBURG/SINGAPORE – Even before the pandemic, there were signs that global food prices could soon surge. Extreme weather events induced by climate change have become more common. African swine fever wiped out over one-quarter of the world’s pig population last year, causing food prices in China to increase […]

By Carmen M. Reinhart and Rob Subbaraman  PETERSBURG/SINGAPORE – Even before the pandemic, there were signs that global food prices could soon surge. Extreme weather events induced by climate change have become more common. African swine fever wiped out over one-quarter of the world’s pig population last year, causing food prices in China to increase […]