UAE adds to 2 to ecosystems heritage sites

NaijaAgroNet

In the United Arab Emirates,two date palm oases have joined an increasing number of ecosystems that are properly renowned by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for their significance as repositories of genetic resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage report NaijaAgroNet

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, made this known while speaking at the annual Khalifa International Date Palm Award Ceremony in the United Arab Emirates, noted they selected both oases as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and praised the Emirates’ active conservation efforts.

The Al Ain and Liwa oases prompted da Silva to add the GIAHS Initiative promotes public understanding, awareness, national and international recognition of Agricultural Heritage systems.

“Advancing towards the future while preserving your roots is not always an easy task, but the Emirates have been able to do that with their sustainable date palm production.” said the FAO Director General, José Graziano da Silva 

NaijaAgroNet found that the Emirates In recent years, have implemented an active and dynamic conservation program to revitalize these oases through measures such as security against urban encroachment, restoration of ancient irrigation systems (falaj) and re-introduction of traditional agricultural management.

Chidozie Anibueze/GEE ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Experts urge GMO protection for Small-Scale Farmers in Africa

NaijaAgroNet

A study by the Friends of the Earth International, African governments must do more to control the planting of genetically modified (GM) crops that could affect smallholders.

The environmental Non Governmental organization (NGO) says international agricultural company exercise too much power over safety and trade legislation related to GM organisms (GMOs) in Africa which result, to many governments ignoring the threats these crops may pose to local farmers, it says.

The report with the title “Who benefits from GM crops?” was released last February 23^rd and looks at the quality of GMO legislation around the world.

It was gathered by NaijaAgroNet that In Africa, only Burkina Faso, Egypt, South Africa and Sudan produce GM crops commercially, according to the report and In contrast, it says, Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have strict controls on the growth and sale of GMOs.

Author Haidee Swanby, who is a researcher at the South Africa-based African Centre for Biosafety, which campaigns for food sovereignty, says the influence of pro-industry lobby groups lowers safety standards. Laws in many African countries are "essentially GMO-permitting" rather than safety focused, she says.

"The laws are there or are being developed, but they are the wrong laws promoting the interests of the wrong group," Swanby tells SciDev.Net.

Chidozie Anibueze/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

IPCC-East Africa should get ready for Global warming

NaijaAgroNet 

As the year progresses, come December this year, scientists said East Africa will face severe risks from changing disease patterns to extreme weather events, reports NaijaAgroNet

In respect to this, scientists from the United Nations-affiliated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) haveadvisedmillions of people in East African nations to bracket themselves for intense weather events related to climate change.

The experts, NaijaAgroNet reports went on to say that global warming is no longer an issue of argument because since the 1950s a lot of the observed changes have been dramatic.

Guled Artan who joined officials representing the membership of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) at the conference represented the director of the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC), said the challenges on east Africa due to climate change is grave.

“The problem in East Africa is serious,” Artan said.” When there’s rain, the rain will be more intense, so there will be floods. The dry spells will be wider, so there will be more droughts. That’s the risk so, increased likelihood of floods, increased likelihood of drought; and two extremes:  too much water, too little water.”

Chidozie Anibueze/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Barloworld, BayWa joint supply to hit sub-Saharan Africa

NaijaAgroNet 

Two giant distribution groups Barloworld and Munich-based BayWa,have plans to put up a joint venture for the supply of agricultural equipment into sub-Saharan Africa, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Barloworld, a distributor of leading international brands providing integrated rental, fleet management, product support and logistics solutions, and BayWawhich offers machinery and equipment for farming and forestry, yard and barn and for local authorities, are establishing a joint venture, in which every one of the partners will embrace an equal 50 per cent shareholding.

Though the approval of the establishment is still a topic to the competition authorities but, the associates anticipate commencing operations at the middle of this year in Zambia by offering consulting, sales and services, including for the Allis-Gleaner Company (Agco) brands Challenger and Massey-Ferguson.

Clearing up the reasons for the establishment of the combined venture, Barloworld chief executive, Clive Thomson said yesterday that agriculture in Africa offers vital growth opportunities to those able to offer solutions.

“It is estimated that the continent has more than 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land required to feed 9 billion people globally by 2050 so Barloworld’s understanding of local mechanisation requirements, combined with our strong focus on after sales infrastructure and service, makes expansion beyond southern Africa a natural progression and together with BayWa we look forward to building on shared competencies to provide region-specific resources and solutions to the agriculture value chain in Africa,” he said.

Chidozie Anibueze/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Will cultivation of Beer benefit African Farmers?

NaijaAgroNet

Ever since Ephraim Opusi, a farmer in Uganda had strugles to meet up with responsibilities cultivating corn on his five-acre plot in the hilly Kumi district in eastern Uganda.But now that he cultivates white sorghum, a grain used in beer brewing, Mr Opusi has managed to provide for his six children.NaijaAgroNet has report.

Ephraim Opusi started growing sorghum that earned him $750 during his first season in 2010; Mr Opusi harvested three tons of sorghum where an average Ugandan makes $510 a year, according to World Bank data.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that farmers are now growing less food, preferring to grow sorghum varieties specifically developed for brewing in order to earn them more profit from brewing giants Brewing like SABMiller and Diageo that have invested millions of dollars into African farms, providing a guaranteed market and better returns to smallholder farmers as they look for more locally sourced materials such as sorghum.

Okasai Opolot, the head of Uganda’s crop production and marketing and the agriculture ministry has said that most families are experiencing food shortage as farmers have focused on sorghum the brewing crop

"There isn’t enough land to accommodate both kinds of crops and more families are exposed to food shortages."

The question now is, will depending on alcohol going to sustain farmers in Uganda and Africa?

Chidozie Anibueze/GEE/ED

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

ATA-SP Phase 1 to attract private sector investment – Adesina

NaijaAgroNet

The Federal Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has said that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP-Phase1) will support infrastructure as four fasten Crop Processing Zones are to be implemented, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The project, he said came as a joint effort from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the African Development Bank(ADB) develop programmes for capacity building of the

youth and also create 200,000 new jobs for them.

NaijaAgroNet also report that while speaking at the project launch in Abuja, Dr Akinwumi  Adesina said, “The project will support the costs of infrastructure and value chain development and programme management for four Staple Crop Processing Zones to be implemented in Enugu, Anambra, Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Jigawa States and will add an additional 20,000 metric tonnes of key commodity crops per year and create 200,000 new jobs for the youth.”

Also speaking at the launch, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga, affirmed NaijaAgroNet that the institute is to back up the programme with significance addition on cassava, rice and sorghum and also guarantee the programme extends to the north central zones, through capacity building and training of the youth.

Dr Nteranya Sanginga said “We supported the first cassava bread and now we are also supporting the government to monitor, train and give new varieties which would be more productive.It is a five- year phase, but we have to start very quickly for the centre to be established here, we want it to be operational in 6 months’ time.”

Chidozie Anibueze/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology