The participants of the 15th African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) Conference and Exhibition in Ethiopia lauded nation's peace and stability.   Participants who exhibited their products at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa told The Ethiopian Herald that they had not seen any problem of peace and security during their stay in the country.   Martha Rutynowska-Eising who represented Bosch Packaging, a Germany company, confirmed.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 23rd February 2017

Nziu — Solar-powered cold storage and biological pest control are helping protect Kenya's mangoes from climate change   It is a hot and cloudless morning, a sign that it will be sunny right through the afternoon. Joseph Mailu moves along rows of fruiting mango trees with a long pole in his hand, harvesting the mature fruits.   The succulent green mangoes drop inside a net tied to the tip of the pole which prevents them from.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 23rd February 2017

Some twenty-five years back, Ethiopia had rarely been attracting the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) since the market was largely dominated by command economy.   Tribute to the viable economic policies of the current government and its engagement to make the country a destination for foreign-owned businesses, the annual FDI inflow to Ethiopia has reached 2.2 billion USD in the 2015/16 fiscal year.   While the figure placed Ethiopia.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 22nd February 2017

Dar es Salaam — The opposition Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) yesterday advised the government to increase the budget for agriculture inputs and irrigation projects to combat food shortages in the country.   The party faulted the government for slashing agricultural input subsidy from Sh78 billion in 2015/16 to Sh10 billion in the current financial year.   ACT-Wazalendo Secretary for Social Development.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 21st February 2017

In a bid to increase yields of Irish potatoes production in the country, Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzanians (SAGCOT) has introduced a new system where its growers are encouraged to use modern tilling tractors in its pilot study areas.   The SAGCOT Centre Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Geoffrey Kirenga, yesterday told stakeholders attending a workshop organised here to increase yields of the crop by hiring the.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 16th February 2017

A coffee farmer in Mbozi District, Mbeya Region, has urged the government to push researchers who could come up with new crop varieties that withstand effects of climate change. The farmer made the appeal while noting that coffee, which was once a popular crop in the district, was slowly losing its prominence.   He noted that many coffee farmers in Mbozi are at a loss over what to do after the crop, which they have always counted on,.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 16th February 2017

London — "Improving agricultural productivity is going to be one of the main ways to reduce hunger and improve livelihoods in poor parts of the world"   U.S. researchers have come up with a new method of estimating crop yields from small farms in Africa using high-resolution images from the latest generation of satellites - a development which could help cut hunger in poor parts of the world.   Improving.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 15th February 2017

The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) does not use genetically modified organism (GMO) technology in its large scale farming initiatives in the country as it is not yet approved by the government.   The SAGCOT Chief Executive Officer, Geoffrey Kirenga, said in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that the seeds used in their initiatives have been approved by the government and would never adopt a technology that has not.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 15th February 2017

Simiyu — Simiyu Region has allocated at least 3,000 acres to pilot irrigation farming at Mwananyili area in Busega District, in efforts to turn the newly formed region into food production hub.   The Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Anthony Mtaka, revealed here yesterday that the irrigation project is scheduled to commence next year. He said the region aspires becoming the country's main food producer, adding that plans are already in.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 15th February 2017

New Sugar factories construction and the upgrading activities carried out on existing ones are to come to fruition as the country halts sugar importation by end of this year.   Ethiopian Sugar Corporation CEO Endawek Abtie said that the country is in the era of 'Sugar Revolution' since 2010/2011 with visions to meet domestic demands and export surplus product.   Endawek unveiled that existing and new factories, which are entering.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 14th February 2017

Rome — The depletion of forests risks creating tensions with local communities and disrupting the ecosystem   A million trees are to be planted in Ethiopia to fight deforestation around camps hosting hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese refugees who rely almost entirely on wood for fuel, a United Nations agency said on Wednesday.   The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the trees would be planted on 150.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 14th February 2017

Despite East Africa's increased public investment in infrastructure, an area long considered a sure source of employment for locals, the region continues to depend on the agricultural sector for jobs.   But experts warn that the agricultural sector fuels underemployment, which is a common feature in many countries in East Africa. In Uganda, underemployment is just 9.3 per cent, while in Rwanda, this figure is even lower at two per.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 14th February 2017