Zimbabwe: After Drought, Zimbabwe Contends With Fall Armyworm Invasion

maize

This reporting is part of a special project that explores the impact of climate change on the food security and livelihoods of small-scale farmers in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

It was first detected in Africa barely a year ago, yet the fall armyworm, a type of caterpillar whose name derives from its tendency to maraud in vast numbers, has already infested hundreds of thousands of hectares of maize across more than a dozen countries on the continent, presenting a serious threat to food security.

Africa Needs Its Own Version of the Vertical Farm to Feed Growing Cities

lettuce

The Netherlands is building its first large-scale commercial vertical indoor farm. It's expected to serve Europe's largest supermarket chains with high quality, pesticide-free fresh cut lettuce.

East Africa: Why the Horn of Africa Is Starving Again

Drought

The current drought in the Horn of Africa has caused an unprecedented food crisis that is quickly turning into a regional humanitarian disaster.

Early Generation Seed Poses Challenges to Nigerian Green Revolution

Seeds

*Stakeholders Cry over scarcity of breeders, condemn seed importation.

Scientists and other stakeholders have identified early generation seeds as serious challenge to agricultural development in Nigeria, just as scarcity of breeders in research institutes was spotted with condemnation to seed importation.

Nigeria Pulling Out of Recession Through Agricultural Activities - Presidency

farmer

Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu says efforts to get the nation out of its present economic challenges is beginning to yield positive results, especially in the area of agriculture.The presidential aide said this in a statement issued in Abuja.

Dutch company partners Debiro farms to boost sorghum production

The Executive Director Nigerian  Dutch Multinational Investment  Mr. Henk Wymenga & Mr. Uzodinma Onouh

A Dutch multinational company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Debiro Farms towards commercial production of sorghum in Nigeria using local small scale farmers as out growers that will be supported with improved inputs as discussion in this light has recently been held in Lagos and Kenya.

Ethiopia: 'My Commitment Made Me Agricultural Investor,' Dereje Belay, Model Agricultural Investor

Dereje Farming Development Enterprise

Dereje Belay is owner of the Dereje Farming Development Enterprise. Above and beyond, he is a model agricultural investor engaged in farming activities at Benshagul-Gumuz State, Assossa District. Dereje works to transform himself and his family, starting with small-scale farming and with the support of technologies in agriculture. Dereje is married and has a child. The Ethiopian Herald has held an interview with him. Excerpts:

‘Research has to continuously develop technology, improved varieties, improved production practices, even the end use of this product…’

Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, the Executive Director IAR and the Regional Coordinator of the Support for Agriculture Research and Development of Strategic Crop (SARD-SC) in Africa, and Regional Coordinator for West Africa.

African Development Bank (AfDB)’s support to SARD-SC wheat productivity through research innovation platform has helped to increase production from 100,000-400.000 metric tons. In this interview, the Executive Director Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, spoke on the need for sustainability of the project, for food import bills to become a thing of the past in Africa. Excerpts… 

Cockroaches by the million give Chinese farmer a healthy profit

Wang Fuming, a cockroach farmer from Shandong province in eastern China

Wang Fuming, a cockroach farmer from Shandong province in eastern China, looks on as his 15 million insects devour a ton of fresh vegetable pulp.

Researchers to unveil techniques for controlling weeds in cassava

Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture(IITA),Ibadan, Dr Kenton Dashiell; Project Leader, Cassava Weed Management Project, IITA, Dr Alfred Dixon; Senior Programme Officer, Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, Lawrence Kent; and the Technical Advisor,(Africa & Middle East) ,Agronomic Product Development, Bayer CropScience, Dr Mohammed Elsherif, at the 2017 Cassava Weed Management Project annual workshop at IITA, Ibadan on Monday.

Researchers working under the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture led Cassava Weed Management Project (IITA-CWMP) will this week share findings and recommendations on how to tackle weeds in cassava farming systems.