Kunene — System isn't cheap - but for one farmer it has cut crop losses from drought from 70 percent to 10 percent   Dressed in brown overalls, gumboots and a hat, John Njeru kneels and scoops up a handful of soil at his small farm in central Kenya, where he grows tomatoes, spinach and carrots.   "Not only has there not been enough rain in the past few months, it's also been unevenly distributed," he said, picking.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 25th January 2017

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-day visit to the country is a powerful symbol of relationship between the two countries.   Mr Erdogan jetted into the country on Sunday along with a delegation of representatives from the Turkish business community. The delegation included more than 150 traders and other government officials. His visit demonstrates the gains and positive changes in the business relations between Tanzania and.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 25th January 2017

Dar es Salaam — As Tanzania grapples with delayed rains that are certain to adversely affect agriculture, new analyses tout increased investment in irrigation as a solution to food insecurity.   Tanzania generates its food mostly through rain-fed agriculture which is currently being threatened by drought facing East African countries.   Agriculture accounts for about 25 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 24th January 2017

President Uhuru Kenyatta has banned exportation of maize until the ravaging drought ends.   The Head of State further ordered the arrest of unscrupulous traders, who were hoarding maize to make "abnormal" profits.   Addressing a rally in Isiolo Town, President Kenyatta, who was flanked by Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and Governor Godana Doyo said the drought in the country was dire and that his government was.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 21st January 2017

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has found a new markets for tea in Iran and Russia after the United Nations lifted a 10-year embargo.   According to KTDA national chairman Peter Kanyago, the agency will continue expanding the orthodox tea product in order to dislodge India and Sri Lanka that has dominated the market over the years.   "We have done heavy marketing and penetration to the two market frontiers as we intend.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 20th January 2017

Farmers in the district have appealed to the government for more agricultural extension officers to help turn around the fortunes of an increasing number of locals turning into farming.   Speaking to The Citizen recently, farmers said over the last few planting seasons, they have been missing out on essential guidelines from agricultural experts amid the biting effects of climate change.   "We lack guidance on what types of.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 20th January 2017

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is considered as one of the potential crop to alleviate the challenges of recurrent drought in Ethiopia.   Since the inception of sorghum research in Ethiopia considerable achievements have been obtained in developing early maturing and/or drought tolerant sorghum varieties and production managements practices nationally and regionally.   Currently, a total of 20 open pollinated varieties and.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 20th January 2017

The effects of the ban on importation of chicken and poultry products from Uganda have started being felt in Kenya, with egg prices rising instantly in western region.   The government on Monday banned the importation following an outbreak of bird flu that killed several birds in parts of Uganda, including Entebbe, on Sunday.   Busia chief veterinary officer Juma Ngeiywa on Wednesday directed public health and veterinary officers.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 20th January 2017

Kenyan authorities Wednesday announced a ban on the importation of poultry and poultry products from Uganda, where an outbreak of avian flu was reported Sunday.   The Agriculture ministry in Nairobi also cancelled all permits that had already been issued for the import of poultry in a bid to safeguard the 32 million chicken in the country.   Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said that surveillance and rapid response teams.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 20th January 2017

Farmers need soft loans to modernise agriculture and improve production, which is vital in supporting efforts to build an industrial economy.   But according to the World Bank (WB), banking sectors in developing countries, including Tanzania, lend a much smaller share of their loan portfolios to agriculture compared to agriculture's share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).   Most commercial banks in Tanzania regard agriculture as a.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

Minister for Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba said yesterday that until October, 2016 a total of 1.5 million metric tonnes of cereals were sold to neighbouring countries from Tanzania.   The Minister was reacting on the recent comments on the state of food in the country. He said so far there is enough food in the country.   He said in the last season, the country had a total of 3 million metric.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

Mastercard has launched 2KUZE, a digital platform that connects smallholder farmers, agents, buyers and banks in East Africa.   The platform that is live already in Kenya and had reached over 2000 farmers at its piloting stage. Mastercard seeks to launch the platform in Tanzania and Uganda in the coming weeks. The company also targets to reach close to half a million farmers in two years.   2KUZE, which in Swahili means "Let's.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017