Happy New Year From Food Farm News Management

Happy New Year

This New Year we thank you for providing us the opportunity to serve you and we promise to make your experience a satisfying and enriching one in the coming days.

FG deliberates on establishing Commodity Pricing Boards by 2017

Audu Ogbeh

The Federal Government is considering holding a public debate to set up commodity pricing board by 2017.

Rwanda: Over 100 Vets Acquire Genetic Improvement Skills, Equipment

vet

A total of 101 veterinarians from 17 districts have received equipment after undergoing a two-week training in artificial insemination (AI).

East Africa: U.S Mission Gives Uganda U.S. $40 Million for Refugees

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was in Uganda recently and met South Sudanese refugees at Pagirinya refugee settlement in Adjumani, Uganda. The US has boosted efforts to feed the refugees.

The US Mission in Kampala has tripled US food aid contributions to Uganda in 2016 by announcing a new $40 million emergency humanitarian package.

Tanzania: PM Summons Cashew Board Over Unpaid Dues

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has demanded to be told why cashew nut farmers had still not been paid for crop that had been delivered to buyers.

Africa: A Pivotal Moment for Biofortification

Joane Nkuliye, a rural entrepreneur from Rwanda’s Eastern Province, grows biofortified beans on a commercial scale.

 This year's World Food Prize pays tribute to biofortification, an intervention that strengthens efforts to address one of the world's most insidious and pervasive public health challenges--hidden hunger.

Algeria: Bluefin Tuna Fishing - Algeria's Quota Rises By 500 Tonnes

fish

Algeria's bluefin tuna quota for 2017 has been brought up to 1,046 tonnes, from 546 tonnes before, by the Internation Commission on Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a source from the ministry of Agriculture told APS.

An Interview with Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Obesity and Health Disparities Researcher

farm land

Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Washington and the Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the School of Public Health, has dedicated his career to research on obesity and social disparities in diet and health. we recently spoke with him about his research into food price as a link between climate change and obesity.

Ethiopia: U.S. Program Helps Ethiopian Farmers

farmer

Feed the Future Ethiopia Commercial Farm Services Project is set to provide funding for 20 entrepreneurs and farmers' cooperative unions to open new farm service centers in Ethiopia's four major regions.

Africa's Agricultural Production Systems Need a Radical Change - ECA's Karingi

ECA

"Regardless of the approach or transformative pathway chosen to change food systems and trade regimes, African countries need to undertake radical change in agricultural production systems, adopt agribusiness and promote regional agricultural value chains as a vein for regional integration."

The Importance of Agroecology in Sustainable Agriculture, an Interview with Dr. Gliessman

 Dr. Gliessman

Dr. Steve Gliessman is a Professor Emeritus of Agroecology in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

What Africa Can Learn From China's Green Revolution in Its Agro-Allied Industrialization Quest

Xiaobo Zhang, professor at the China Center for Economic Research at Pekin University

Is there a future for smallholder farmers in Africa?

Participants at the 2016 African Economic Conference think there is future for smallholder farmers on the continent. They think African countries can use build upon the Green Revolution in Asia and use the lessons learnt raise their productivity.

Zimbabwe: Oil Making Industry Capacity Drops to 35 Percent

cooking oil

Capacity utilization in the cooking oil manufacturing industry has plunged to below 35 percent largely due to failure to secure adequate foreign currency to import raw materials.The manufacturers have since approached the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to lobby for an increase in foreign currency allocation to prevent further drop in capacity utilization in the oil processing industry.

BOI acting boss says cassava processors are well assisted

The Bank of Industry

The Bank of Industry (BOI) has said the processing of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) embarked upon by the Federal Government during the last administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been well supported across the six Geo political zones of the federation to ensure the needed processed quantity to millers for 10% inclusion to all bakeries.

Kano wheat farmers blame CBN for delay in wheat farming

wheat

Kano State wheat farmers have faulted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the delay in the take-off of this year’s wheat planting season in the state.

From Surviving to Thriving - How AfDB Is Helping Transform Agriculture in Africa--New Report

The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) work in agriculture has delivered a wide range of benefits to farmers: better seeds, irrigation and sustainable technologies, and greater access to finance and to markets. Bank projects have increased yields, production levels and incomes for farmers, resulting in more dynamic local economies. We recognise, however, that much more needs to be done" - 2016 Development Effectiveness Review on Agriculture

97 percent of the Bank's agriculture projects rated satisfactory.

4000 kilometers of feeder roads built; three million people trained on farming practices

150,000 microcredit loans, water systems on 181,000 hectares of farmland

By 2025, Africa aims to feed its fast growing population with its own production. What is more, the world will need Africa's help to feed an extra two billion people in the coming generation. So making the right investments right now is crucial to unleash the huge potential of Africa's farms and agribusinesses.

Student-led Initiatives Aim to Promote Agriculture on U.S. Campuses

Agriculture on U.S. Campuses

Across the United States, students are developing initiatives to promote agriculture and increase access to healthy food on campus.

Africa: Countries Urged to Prioritize Protection of Pollinators to Ensure Food Security At UN Biodiversity Conference

bee

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are increasingly under threat from human activities and countries must transform their agricultural practices to ensure global crop production can meet demand and avoid substantial economic losses, the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity heard today.

Is The Rice You Are Eating Real, Or Plastic?

rice

Preliminary laboratory tests indicate "no evidence" backing claims of "plastic rice" in circulation, health minister, Isaac Adewole said .

Putting Compost on Wheels

Putting Compost on Wheels

Reclaimed Organics is taking leftover meals and throwing them onto bike wheels, reducing both automobile transportation and food waste through a simple, low-input service.

Kaduna state joins in wheat production says Lake Chad ED, Dr. Olabanji

Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, Dr. Oluwasina Olabanji

 The Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, Dr. Oluwasina Olabanji has said that Kaduna state Government in its economic diversification is about to finish planting five thousand hectares of wheat to upscale productivity towards substituting import bill of four billion annually expended by the Federal government..

Zimbabwe: Chiefs to Get Maize Seed

maize seeds

Traditional leaders across the country yesterday received a shot in the arm as they are set to receive 20 kilogrammes of maize seed from a local seed house as part of improving crop yields in the country.

Nigeria: Experts Rally Youths On Agric Enterprise

youths

Experts at a forum on smallholder farmers have advocated for a new economy driven by agriculture and urged farmers to consider it as an enterprise.

SANI DANGOTE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF NABG

Middle: Sani Dangote, Group Vice Chairman Dangote Ltd as President,  2^nd from Right: Chief Emmanuel Ijewere, the CEO of Best Foods as Vice President, AnttiRitvonen, the Managing Director of Dizengoff W A (NIG) Ltd) as Secretary, 2^nd from left: Akin Sawyerr, Secretary of AFGEAN as Treasurer, Dr. Tony Bello, Director General NABG

On December 13^th 2016 in Abuja, the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), the apex organization of all agribusiness stakeholders in Nigeria, held its Annual General Assembly Meeting at the Reiz Continental Hotel.

When Meal Kits Go Vegan: An Interview with Andy Levitt of The Purple Carrot

food

Andy Levitt is the Founder and CEO of The Purple Carrot, a vegan meal kit delivery service based in Needham, Massachusetts. Since its launch in October 2014, Purple Carrot has delivered countless plant-based meals that are good for the eater as well as the environment.

Farmers express anxiety as IITA hands over aflasafe

IITA

The Nigeria farmers have expressed fear over the Institute of International Tropical Agriculture ( IITA) preparedness  to commercialize aflasafe as a measure to ensure easily availability to checkmating aflatoxin infestations of grains saying the decision should be given a second thought especially in the face of adulteration in the seeds and fertilizers productions.

PRESS RELEASE- FG LAUNCHES N10bn NAIRA INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE - Lokpobiri

Senator, Heineken Lokpobiri

The  Federal Government has kick started the Agricultural Policy through which it intends to achieve some key targets among which is using women to unlock food potentials via the launching of a N10

Billion Women in Agriculture Environment Impact Fund (WAEIF) in Abuja.

Press Release- Nigeria to host ApiExpo Africa 2018

FMARD

Nigeria is to host the ApiExpo Africa 2018. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh gave this indication on Tuesday, 20^th December, 2016 in his office when he received the ApiExpo Africa hosting flag.

press release- South Africa: Minister Gugile Nkwinti Launches 50/50 Farm Wine Estate in Franschhoek, 10 Dec

south africa

The Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr. Gugile Nkwinti is to launch a wine estate that is part of the policy on Strengthening the Relative Rights of People Working the Land (50/50) policy the Western Cape on Saturday 10 December.

Tanzania: Dar On the Verge of Facing Acute Meat, Milk Shortage

Tanzania Livestock Master Plan

Tanzania may in the next 15 years experience acute shortage of red and white meet as well as milk, the Tanzania Livestock Master Plan (LMP) has warned.

Ten Farmers You Need to Know

soil

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there are more than 570 million farms in the world and global trade in agriculture totals more than US$1 trillion annually.

press release- Mauritius: Organic Crop Production - Award of Certificates for Training of Trainers

Organic Crop

A total of 53 trainees who have completed a five-day Training of Trainees module in Organic Crop Production, under the programme Support for the development of organic farming and institutional capacity building in Mauritius, received their certificates on 7 December 2016 at the R. Burrenchobay Lecture Theatre, University Of Mauritius, Réduit.

Uganda: Pack Pupils' Food in Flasks to Keep It Warm - Ms Museveni

Janet Museveni

Education minister Janet Museveni has advised parents against packing cold food for school going children.

Ms Museveni advised parents to buy food flasks so that pupils can eat food when it is hot.

Americans Feel Guilty about Food Waste, but Still Throw Away Food

food waste

Despite increasing evidence of the social and environmental consequences of food waste, a new study in PLOS One found that Americans throw away nearly 37 billion kilograms (80 billion pounds) of food annually, and almost half of all Americans do not realize that food waste is a problem in the United States.

press release- Africa: Ongoing Conflicts Continue to Intensify Food Insecurity

africa

Global agricultural prospects are improving but lean seasons loom in near future

Civil conflict and weather-related shocks have severely stressed food security in 2016, increasing the number of countries in need of food assistance, according to a FAO report.