Drought: Food security worsens in Southern Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

A total of 34 countries, including 27 from Africa, are currently in need of external assistance for food due to drought, flooding and civil conflicts, according to a new edition of FAO's Crop Prospects and Food Situation reports NaijaAgroNet.

The drought associated with El Nino has "sharply reduced" 2016 crop production prospects in Southern Africa, while expectations for the harvest in Morocco and Algeria have been lowered due to dry conditions, the report revealed.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that in areas of Central America and the Caribbean, ongoing dry conditions linked to El Nino may affect sowings of the main season crops for the third consecutive year. 

Moreover, persistent conflicts in Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, Somalia, and the Central African Republic have taken a heavy toll on the agricultural sector, further worsening the humanitarian crisis in those countries.

In most cases, the impact of conflict extends into neighbouring countries such as Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo that are hosting refugee populations. 

In several countries already in need of external assistance for food, conditions generally worsened in the past three months, according to the report from FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), mainly in the Southern Africa sub-region, where food prices have reached record highs. 

The report also warned that last year's reduced production would negatively impact the food security situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, where "most households were already estimated to have borderline or poor food consumption."

Elsewhere, the outlook for the 2016 crops already in the ground, mostly winter grains in the northern hemisphere, is generally favourable. Early forecasts indicate large 2016 wheat crops in most countries of Asia. 

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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FAO receives US ratification instrument against rogue fishing

NaijaAgroNet:

The office of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has received the ratification instrument against rogue fishing from the United States (US), reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, industry watchers say adds momentum to global efforts targeting illegal fishing by adhering to a FAO-brokered international pact.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations agencies in Rome, David Lane, who formally presented FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva with the US' instrument of ratification of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, said, FAO is a strong partner in the promotion of sustainable fisheries, and US looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the organisation and the entire global community in the fight against illegal fishing.

FAO Director-General appreciated US for its partnership on such an important issue, adding that combatting illegal fishing is a crucial goal not only for small island developing states, but also for major countries like the US.

NaijaAgroNet reports that the Agreement comes into force when 25 countries or regional economic blocs have deposited their instrument of adherence with the FAO Director-General. 

To date 22 instruments of adherence have been deposited by 21 countries, and the European Union on behalf of its members. Among the latest are Barbados, Republic of Korea and South Africa.

Graziano da Silva told Ambassador Lane that several other countries have expressed a willingness to become party to the Agreement and that the target of 25 could be reached by July this year.

 +Naija AgroNet
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Nigeria, Zambia, 3 others selected as AU disease control centers

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Five countries including Nigeria, Zambia Gabon, Kenya and Egypt, have been selected as sub-regional disease control centres by the Africa Union (AU), reports NaijaAgroNet.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the Director, Social Affairs, African Union Commission (AUC), Mr. Olawale Maiyegun, as saying at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, weekend, that these designated centres represent a cluster of regional collaborating centres for AU on disease related control efforts.

He explained that these countries have a coordinating office within the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia based on laid down criteria which was approved last year, 2015 under the Article 26 of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) statutes.

“We are in Nigeria and our aim is to determine if the National Centres for Disease Control, which serves as centre for disease control in West Africa, meets the criteria that are contained in the statutes. We are not comparing the countries with each other rather we are evaluating and assessing them to ensure they meet every criteria.”

He stressed AU expectation on its mandate through government commitment, human resources, infrastructure and funding.

Maiyegun further commended efforts of the current Nigerian government toward the CDC concept fulfillment.

Isaac Oyimah with agency report/GEE

 

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PermSecs reiterate commitment to accelerate agriculture in Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

The second retreat for the Permanent Secretaries ended in the city of Accra, Ghana with reiteration to accelerate agricultural transformation across the continent, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The retreat, NaijaAgroNet also reports was aimed at accelerating the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to transform agriculture in Africa, assembled over 100 participants including Permanent Secretaries and CAADP Focal persons of Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development, Livestock and Aquaculture and the Regional Economic Communities. 

Declaring open the expert gathering convened by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the NEPAD Agency in Accra, the Ghanaian Minister for Food and Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed-Munira Limuna noted that even though the agricultural sector is faced with numerous challenges such as low uptake of modern technologies, depleting natural resources especially water and climate change negative impacts, solutions that could be adopted to counter them at national level should be sought and implemented.

In addition, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the retreat provided space for Permanent Secretaries to reflect on several thematic and policy factors, especially on the El Nino and implications on agricultural transformation and food security; Trade and industrialization drive and implications for agriculture; and Land tenure systems and trends and implications for the Malabo commitments.

They also focused on validating the revised Country CAADP Implementation Guidelines.  This includes modalities for monitoring and evaluation, reporting and accountability including operationalisation of the African Union Biennial CAADP Review Cycle.  Country perspectives were also sought on CAADP-Malabo Financing Architecture; technical networks arrangement to mobilise and make accessible expert support arrangements, and; revising the CAADP partnership architecture. 

NEPAD’s Head of Programme Development, Mr. Martin Bwalya told participants that the outcomes of the meeting will clarify the necessary measures needed to achieve the CAADP Malabo Declaration targets for results and impact in agriculture, food security and nutrition.

While the AUC Director for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Dr. Janet Edeme, reiterated one of the critical objectives of meeting as being “The review of progress in implementing CAADP and the guidelines developed to help guide countries in implementation.” 

NaijaAgroNet recalls that permanent secretaries are the primary custodians of government policy and practice.  They are also the overall accounting officers in their government ministries, thus putting their offices and mandates at the centre in driving institutional reforms and overall transformation in national development goals.

  
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Obiano takes vegetable export campaign to churches

NaijaAgroNet:

The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano last Sunday took the success story of the Anambra vegetable export to the church, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Obiano who was at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, capital of Anambra State with the wife, beckoned on citizens of the State to embrace the new trend by taking agriculture and farming seriously.

He gave this as part of his response after his conferment with Grand Pillar award, while his wife Ebelechukwu, also received the Mother of Charity award from the Justice, Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), at launch of N150 million projects.

Obiano told the congregation as he acknowledged the award that Anambra’s vegetables sell like hot cakes overseas.

He also said that in the next one year, Anambra would export its brand of rice. The state would procure license for farmers who would in turn export the farm produce after it is certified to be of high quality.

“Vegetable is a goldmine waiting to be explored. When I said we would provide jobs for some thousands of youths from the state I did not know I was underestimating the obvious,” he said.

In addition, he encouraged Anambrarians to plant vegetables in their farm lands and backyards because, “Anambra soil is suitable for many crops.

Gov. Obiano further stated that even in his compound in the United States of America, he planted bitter leaf and used to give it to visitors as gifts.

He thanked the JDPC for the award bestowed on him and wife, just as he promised to assist churches where he can.

Ejiofor Ejiofor/GEE

 

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Anambra rice set for formal launch

NaijaAgroNet:

The Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture has unveiled plans to standardize the process for Anambra rice and introduced the Anambra State Rice Brand Seal to the farmers, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

The Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, NaijaAgroNet reports, this directive was given last weekend by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, as part of the sensitization programme for rice farmers hosted by the state Ministry of Agriculture.
 

The directive, which NaijaAgroNet gathered has Chief Willie Obiano, the Governor of Anambra State consent, showed that for any rice to qualify to bear the Anambra rice seal under the standardization policy, it must be properly par boiled, stone free, long grained, sorted, polished and bagged according to international best standards.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that the farmers commended the Governor for buying their rice and distributing it in the state during the Xmas festivities, stressing that this gesture has increased their liquidity and will encourage them to even farm more land mass in the 2016 farming season.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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