Africa gets new agricultural innovation centre

Bimini1002016-02-18T08:38:19-05:00

Africa has a new innovation centre aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, increase incomes of smallholder farmers and create job opportunities for the youth and women in various African nations The innovation centre will focus on boosting agricultural produce of rice as well as create jobs for women. The Green Innovation Centre, inaugurated at Benin’s AfricaRice, will particularly help Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia. Through this initiative, the exchange of knowledge and interaction between [...]

February 11, 2016 Uncategorized 1 CommentRead more...

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) hosted a planning meet with a delegation from Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) to revitalise and transform agriculture

Bimini1002016-02-16T21:03:14-05:00

The meeting was also attended by the consulting firm Dalberg Global Development Advisors, which has been contracted by the bank to develop the African Agricultural Transformation Strategy. Raising agricultural productivity depends on a number of factors, but the most critical one is new knowledge and technology generated from research. AfDB director of agriculture and agro-industry department Chiji Ojukwu spoke about the numerous studies that show the GDP growth generated by agriculture can be up to four times more effective in reducing [...]

February 9, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

US Dept of Agriculture studying Brazil’s success as an agricultural powerhouse

Bimini1002016-02-11T10:53:30-05:00

Over the last 25 years, the US farmer has become increasingly aware of the impact of South American agricultural output on the global supply of grains and oilseeds. For example, in recent years Brazil has risen to the number one position as an exporter of soybeans.   Further, the combined output of Brazil and its neighbors, Argentina and Paraguay, is challenging the United States’ position as the world’s leading supplier of corn. According to a paper from the US Department of Agriculture, [...]

February 3, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Rwanda aims for US$140mn annually as export returns through horticulture

Bimini1002016-01-23T16:59:37-05:00

Rwanda is depending on its horticulture sector to fetch export returns worth around US$140mn annually by the end of the decade Around 10-20 medium-sized exporters and production on 2,000 hectares of nucleus farms with 6,000 hectares of outgrowers could accomplish the set target, said officials. According to the country's National Agricultural Export Development Board chief George William Kayonga, the horticulture sector presents huge investment opportunities, and the government is keen to support the sector to push exports from US$6mn to US$140mn [...]

February 1, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Malawi begins solar-powered irrigation

Bimini1002016-01-23T16:54:48-05:00

Malawi has begun solar-powered irrigation in arable land expanses along the Lake Malawi Solar-powered irrigation is more relevant in Malawi now than ever, mainly due to the drying up of the Malawi lake bed. Malawian minister for agriculture irrigation and water development Allan Chiyembekeza said the ministry is implementing the country's first ever irrigation and investment master plan that was launched formally in September 2015. The main solar-powered schemes include Chitindi, Lemero and Ndembwera, constructed using resources amounting to US$93mn from the [...]

January 27, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

UN declares 2016 the International Year of Pulses

Bimini1002016-01-23T16:49:20-05:00

The United Nations 68th General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) has been nominated to facilitate the implementation of the Year in collaboration with Governments, relevant organizations, non-governmental organizations and all other relevant stakeholders. The IYP 2016 aims to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition. The Year will create a unique opportunity to encourage connections throughout [...]

January 20, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Digital Agriculture: The Future is Now

Bimini1002016-03-02T10:07:57-05:00

By Anna McConnell DES MOINES, Iowa (Agriculture.com) -- Digital agriculture is here and will continue to advance production farming in the U.S. and worldwide. “The world is digitized, and we’re going to see the same digitization on the farm,” said Michael Stern of Climate Corporation. On Thursday at the World Food Prize, a panel of representatives weighed in on precision technology that is helping farmers work more efficiently without producing more waste. At Climate Corporation, technology is developed based on field measurements, [...]

January 18, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Ignitia teams up with BCtA to deliver text message weather forecasts to farmers

Bimini1002016-01-08T22:08:55-05:00

Social enterprise Ignitia has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) to deliver tropical weather forecasts via text messages to farmers in West Africa Iska, Ignitia’s forecasting model, creates reliable, GPS-specific weather forecasts. Two-day, monthly and seasonal forecasts are sent to customers via text. By the end of 2017, around 1.2mn small-scale farmers in West Africa will receive such text updates, said BCtA. A global initiative backed by the United Nations, BCtA helps businesses like Ignitia engage with economically-backward sections of [...]

January 13, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Ugandan university designs low-cost multipurpose tractor

Bimini1002016-01-08T22:05:25-05:00

Uganda’s Makarere University has designed the MV Mulimi – a multipurpose tractor for African farmers The MV Mulimi has been created by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) in the Makarere University, following the rising need to develop low-cost farming solutions in Uganda. The tractor, according to officials from CAES, can thresh maize, pump water from a depth of seven metres to a height of 33 metres, plough gardens, transport 20 adults and their goods for a reasonable distance [...]

January 11, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

AgDevCo’s initiative to boost smallholder farmer incomes in Africa

Bimini1002016-01-09T10:03:29-05:00

AgDevCo, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, has announced a US$15.4mn initiative to boost the incomes of smallholder farmers in seven African countries AgDevCo’s mission is to reduce poverty and improve food security, and it has invested over US$50mn in 49 agribusinesses in sub-Saharan Africa until now. Activities in Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia will include providing training and better quality inputs to farmers, implementing mobile technology solutions, and brokering long-term purchase contracts. AgDevCo, specialist agriculture impact investor, has [...]

January 6, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...