Despite Boko Haram, Borno Launches First Rice Pyramid in North-East

Pyramid

The thousands of bags that was piled into a pyramid at the city's civic centre, Ramat Square, was a demonstration of the bumper harvest recorded in parts of the state during the last farming season by farmers who are mostly assisted by government.

Combination of resistance genes offers better protection for wheat against powdery mildew

Plant

Plant researchers have tested newly developed wheat lines with improved resistance in field trials. They have demonstrated that a combination of two variations of a resistance gene provides wheat with better protection against the fungal disease.

'Low Levels' of Listeria Detected At Tiger Brands' Pretoria Plant

Three food manufacturers have been issued with safety recall notices after being identified as the source of the listeriosis outbreak in the country. The symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.

Tiger Brands announced on Monday that "low levels" of listeria had been detected at its plant in Pretoria.

Ban On Movement of Bananas From Nampula and Cabo Delgado

Bannana

The Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture has banned the transport of bananas from the northern provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado to anywhere else in the country, in an attempt to stop the spread of a fungal disease, fusarium wilt, which can wipe out banana production entirely.

Mobile App and Study Tours to Combat 'Voracious' Crop-Munching Pest in Africa

Africa is battling with a fall armyworm infestation

Researchers looking to steal a march on a maize-eating pest that has infested millions of hectares of crops in Africa over the past two years are deploying an app as part of their efforts to combat it.

Why Microbes Are Key to Solving Africa's Food Security Crisis

Healthy soils are critical for global food production and provide a range of environmental services.

AgFunder, an online investment platform, just announced its innovation award winners.

Topping the list was Biome Makers, a startup company that takes advantage of the natural agricultural microbiome-community of microorganisms. It does this by testing soil to determine what microbial species - microscopic organisms such as bacteria - are present. It then uses the information to offer recommendations about how to improve the quality and yield of the crops.

The Future of Food: To GMO or Not To GMO?

The Future of Food: To GMO or Not To GMO?

An organic diet has never been more in style than it is right now, with millions of consumers willing to shell out extra dollars for organic foods.

Cocoa Farming Breakthrough - Farmers Granted First-Time Ownership of Timber TreesCo

Cocoa

• UN International Day of Forests announcement positions farmers to benefit from agroforestry and contribute to fight against deforestation and climate change
• Ghanaian Forestry Commission approves tree registration for 150 cocoa farmers near Asankrangwa, in Ghana's Western Region
• Shade trees are conducive to a positive cycle of afforestation on cocoa farms

For the first time ever in Ghana, cocoa farmers have obtained official ownership of valuable non-cocoa trees on their farms. Benefiting from this breakthrough are 150 farmers in Ghana's Western Region who have successfully petitioned the Ghanaian government to register ownership of trees planted on their cocoa farms.

Once And For All, Here’s What Science Says About GMOs

GMO

You’ve probably heard the same conversation, in one way or another, for years: Some say genetically modified organisms (GMO) are harmful, while others say they’ll help us feed the growing billions of humans that populate our planet.

Pigeon Peas - How India Contravened WTO Rules

Pigeon Peas

Local producers and exporters of pigeon peas are disappointed by the government's silence on the blocked market of their produce to India.