Zambia Tries New Way to Beat Drought: Solar Grain Mills

Voice of America, January 17, 2017 LUSAKA — For Inonge Imutowana, buying food for her family of six is becoming increasingly costly. On the outskirts of the capital, a 25-kilo bag of staple mealie meal that cost 65 kwacha a year ago now is selling for 140 kwacha ($14). Across Zambia, drought that swept across the region last year, leading to …

Uganda’s attempt to economic recovery in 2017

The economic distress that became more apparent through 2016 can be traced to as far back as 2011 when inflationary pressures ravaged the country after a controversial election. By Frederic Musisi, the Daily Monitor. Published January 6, 2017 In Summary Rough terrain. There were all these telltale signs for the past five years that the Ugandan economy was sickly. But technocrats …

Malawi to receive MK6bn drought insurance payout from African Risk Capacity

By Green Muheya, Nyasa Times. Published November 17, 2016 Malawi government will get a US$ 8.1 million (about K6 billion) payout to support its response to the drought which resulted from the poor 2015/16 agricultural season African Risk Capacity Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd). The payout will be released to Malawi as soon as the government’s plan on how the payout …

Cry, the beloved, hungry country

Arundhatie B Kundal, Independent. October 26, 2016 One in four of South Africa’s people are hungry on a regular basis, causing malnutrition and deformities among children, writes Arundhatie B Kundal. As another balmy summer begins, not all South Africans will be enjoying braais in sun-splashed backyards. An estimated 13 million people (one in four) in South Africa go hungry on …

Harness large-scale farming, state told

By Kelly Njombo, Daily Mail. October 21, 2016 An agricultural research institute says Zambia needs to urgently harness large-scale commercial farmers’ potential to produce winter maize for export under irrigation to reduce smuggling how to lose weight fast. The Indaba Agricultural Policy and Research Institute (IAPRI) says the country needs to embrace a well-managed formal export trade regime to increase foreign …

Maize production to increase – IAPRI

By Kabanda Chulu, Daily Mail. Published October 12, 2016 An Agricultural think tank says Zambia is likely to increase its annual maize production from the current three million tonnes to over four million tonnes by 2025 if favourable weather patterns continue and more farmers adopt the use of improved technologies. The Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) also advised Government …

Crop farmers optimistic about recovery in 2017

Published by New Era on September 1, 2016 Given that the exceptional decline in white maze production in Namibia’s dryland maize areas in 2016 was largely a result of the drought as opposed to economic considerations, maize producers and the Namibian Agronomic Board are cautiously optimistic about a rather strong recovery in 2017 and up to 2020. While all eyes …

UZ develops flood prediction system

By Brenda Ziga and Margaret Matibiri, The Herald. August 16, 2016 The University of Zimbabwe has established a satellite-based flood monitoring system to predict the occurrence of floods in the Sadc region to help prevent unnecessary loss of life and property. Officially opening the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) workshop at the university yesterday, UZ Vice Chancellor Professor …

ReNAPRI Special Feature in OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook

ReNAPRI is collaborating with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to provide a special “African Chapter” in the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, is a collaborative effort of the two institutions that brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organizations and input …