With one of the best group of students ever, the January 2014 trip to Kenya was another huge success. Many animals received treatment or prevention interventions, many farmers received training and/or assistance, ten veterinary students (three Canadian and seven Kenyan) received clinical training in treatment and health management of dairy cattle on smallholder farms, many animal health personnel received continuing education, and six.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 4th August 2014

 The Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) has sought Government support for boosting contract farming in the East African country.   TCB acting director general Gabriel Mwalo recently said that contract farming is the best way through which cotton farmers can reap maximum output.    Cotton farming in Tanzania suffers mainly due to constraints like use of uncertified cotton seeds, lack of farming machinery as well as little or no.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 31st July 2014

Highlights: Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the agriculture sector is under-performing Four east African countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – are collaborating to marshal the power of science and tackle common problems facing farmers A new video documents the East Africa Agricultural Productivity Program and its sub-regional approach to boosting the quantity and quality of food produced by.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 31st July 2014

 A recent report released by Rabobank has suggested that governmental effects will be required to allow Tanzanian farmers to enhance the quality of their beans in order to encourage further growth in the East African country's coffee sector Coffee-beans-advencapThe Tanzanian government's influence on improving coffee production was highlighed in a recent report from Rabobank. (Image source: advencap) According to the report, Climbing.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 31st July 2014

 The European Union (EU) will spend US$13.6mn into developing research on the indigenous crops and livestock in the arid and semi-arid areas of Baringo county to boost food production in Kenya Kenya-farmer-K. TrautmannThe European Union will provide farmers in Baringo county with funding to improve food production in Baringo, Kenya. (Image source: K. Trautmann.) According to the African EU coordinator responsible for agriculture, Dominic.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 31st July 2014

 The Zambian government has signed a US$26 million loan agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in a bid to provide rural financial services to small-holder farmers Zambia-farmers-wateringcrops Small-holder farmers in Zambia will benefit from a loan deal entered by the Zambian government and IFAD. (Image source: Bread for the World) The Zambia rural finance expansion scheme will receive support from IFAD.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 31st July 2014

 A guarantee fund needs to be set up to allow financial service providers to hedge their risks in the multi-stakeholder livestock value chains, according to speakers at a recent conference in Nairobi on livestock and dairy farming in Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (ACT) countries Cattle-Africa-ILRIAccording to speakers at a conference hosted by the ILRI, developing livestock-relevant financial products and services should be a key priority for.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 31st July 2014

 Increasing agricultural productivity and adapting farming to climate change are central to Africa's development prospects. There are important opportunities to enhance yields and increase resilience through the adoption of improved crop varieties.   In some cases, biotechnology, and in particular genetic modification (GM), offers advantages over conventional plant-breeding approaches.   Accordingly there are a various.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 30th July 2014

Kenya's ministry of Agriculture is pushing for the implementation of e-agriculture extension services to enable farmers in rural areas access information on modern production methods and improve productivity as Agriculture remains the most important economic activity in Kenya. The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Romano Kiome said yesterday that plans were underway to establish information desks in all districts across the country as a.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 30th July 2014

The Kisumu county government plans to invest in farm inputs and educating farmers on modern agriculture methods and technologies. Agriculture executive Stephen Orot yesterday said this will enhance food security in the county. He said they will improve provision of certified seeds, extension services and irrigation to boost the quality of agriculture products and increase yields. Orot told the Star in his office that the county has.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 28th July 2014

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea – At the 25th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council Monday, Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa urged member states to seriously rethink policies on agriculture, whose share of GDP, he warned, has been on the decline. “The progress in agricultural productivity level has been uneven across countries, ranging from an increase of 325% in Nigeria to a.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 28th July 2014

More than 100,000 smallholder farmers in Tanzania will benefit after today’s announcement of US$4.25-million in new grants to increase their productivity and as a contribution to the country’s food security. The funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) aims to improve incomes, productivity and access to markets for farmers in the Southern Highlands – Tanzania’s main breadbasket region and a.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 29th July 2014