More avian flu outbreaks detected in four countries

Bangladesh lab workers identified the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu in crows.

A Bangladesh lab investigation into deaths of crows in one of the country's major western cities yesterday confirmed highly pathogenic H5N1 as the cause, and authorities in France, Nigeria, and Vietnam reported more outbreaks involving it and other strains.

Farmers fear for Ivory Coast's drought-hit cocoa crop

Ivory Coast's cocoa

Ivory Coast's cocoa farmers fear that the hot, dry weather that continued for most of last week could reduce the size of the beans and of the mid-crop.

Milk prices 'to start going up' - but not by much

Milk prices

Milk prices are to "start going up" – but not significantly, at least for the first half of the year, US dairy giant Dean Foods said, although the outlook failed to prevent a sharp drop in its shares.

Massive cocoa production will revive struggling economy of West Africa

cocoa

Experts of African economy believe that the growing cocoa production will help the West African countries to recover from the flagging economic condition. Many economists have requested the government to focus more on the cocoa harvest. Nigeria, a West African nation, is considered to be the largest contributor to Africa's economy with more oil deposits that have attracted many to invest in the country.

African Development Bank : Agriculture as a Business: Approaching agriculture as an investment opportunity

Akinwumi Adesina

 African smallholders are the private sector - the largest segment on the continent. By seeing agriculture as business, smallholders as customers and entrepreneurs, and companies as organizations that want smallholders as customers and suppliers, policymakers and investors can leverage the continent's existing assets to catalyze economic transformation rather than trying to create it from whole cloth.

Cultivating Africa’s economic fortunes on the family farm

Farmer

I recently joined more than a dozen of the world’s sharpest minds on African agriculture in an unprecedented effort to devote an entire issue of the influential magazine Foreign Affairs to consider the future of the African farmer in our digital age.

LASG Encourages Farming in Schools

LASG

The Lagos State Government has called on pupils of primary school to take to farming as well as sports and voluntary youth clubs.

Cocoa Ends Higher but Still Stuck in a Tight Trading Range

Cocoa prices ended higher

Cocoa prices ended higher Wednesday as investors await word from the International Cocoa Organization later this month about the state of the upcoming smaller, midcrop in West Africa, the largest growing region.

Response to the Open Letter from the International Cocoa Farmers Organization

Dear Mr. Sako Warren

We would remind you that the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) represents all stakeholders in the cocoa value chain, and as such, is prepared to cooperate with any actors in that chain.

Agriculture is the way to go in Nigeria —Olafunmiloye

Bolanle Olafunmiloye

Bolanle Olafunmiloye is the Chairman of the Ondo State Wealth Creation Agency, WECA. In this interview, the legal practitioner spoke about the mandate of the agency, its achievements as well as challenges. Excerpts: