By Jeandre van der Walt. 1 March 2018. This story was originally posted in Farmer’s Weekly. The Western Cape’s agricultural sector is set to lose an estimated R5,9 billion in the 2017/2018 season due to prevailing drought conditions across the province. This is according to a recent policy brief report by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) in collaboration …
Costly diesel sets stage for higher food prices
By Gerald Andae. 19 March 2018. This story was originally posted in Business Daily. Commodity prices are expected to rise as farmers factor in the steady rise in the cost of diesel over the past eight months. The price of diesel has been on an upward trajectory since July last year with Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) attributing the rise to …
Cassava farming is rapidly expanding in Zambia
Lusaka Times. 8 March 2018. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with Indaba Agriculture Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) has created renewed political and social interest in the cassava value chain. Speaking at a workshop held in Lusaka, Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa said cassava is an important crop grown after maize by over 500,000 small scale …
African Farming Must Plot Its Own Course
By Wandile Sihlobo, 01 FEBRUARY 2018. This aritcle was orignally posted on BusinessDay. Last week, I came across an interesting article by US agricultural economist Jayson Lusk, highlighting the disruptive trends in food and agriculture. Lusk identified six key trends on the horizon, the two most notable being blockchain the technology that facilitates bitcoin trades and could be applied to …
Farmers urged to embrace technology to boost food production
By Beth Nyaga, January 15, 2018. This article was originally posted on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Egerton University has come up with new ways of ending perennial shortage and sky rocketing prices of maize in the country. Through its constituent college, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development (TIAPD), the institution of higher learning is urging farmers to embrace technology in …
More research needed to reduce crop pestilence
By Notícias. 20 November 2017. Originally posted in Portuguese; translated using Google Translate services. Research and the development of research projects are one of the alternatives to reduce the harmful effects of pests, which contribute to the destruction of 30 percent of national agricultural production. The point of view was defended by University Dean Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), Orlando Quilambo, who …
Experts trained on partial equilibrium model
CARD hosts ReNAPRI training on the partial equilibrium model. The workshop brought together stakeholders from Ministry of Finance, Malawi Revenue Authority, National Statistics Office and other government and private agencies.
Kenya to continue grappling with acute food shortage
Tegemeo Institute Director, Dr. Milton Ayieko, said the Kenya is still staring at an acute shortage of food up to April next year, a situation likely to prompt the Government to resort to a subsided programme.
Why researchers need to work with grain farmers?
By Sally Nyakanyanga. 21 August 2017. This story originally posted in African Independent. Maize seed in drought-prone regions of Zimbabwe should by now come with a government health warning: “Planting can seriously damage your well-being”. That’s because although maize delivers like a champion under the right conditions, it’s highly vulnerable to water stress. If the rains come too late, …
SA’s top ranking in African food trade not assured
By Denene Erasmus. August 2, 2017. Farmer’s Weekly. The sub-Saharan African agri-food system is undergoing significant changes. Consumption is growing due to rapid population growth, and consumers are increasingly demanding higher-value food products such as animal proteins and dairy. This was according to Lulama Ndibongo-Traub, of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), who spoke at the launch of …