Below are some current developments on agriculture in Africa:
Media Reports
Ghana Announces GH¢4 Million as Premium for Cocoa Farmers
Olam Ghana, a leading supply chain manager of agri-products and one of Ghana’s biggest cocoa buying agencies, has announced the payment of GH₡ 4 million in premiums to cocoa farmers for the 2015/2016 season at a cocoa farmers’ durbar at Mumuni, near Samreboi in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region. The durbar attracted more than 1,000 cocoa farmers from all the cocoa growing regions in the country. The amount represents a 100 per cent increase over the total premium of GH₡ 1.9 million paid to farmers last year. The premiums, popularly known as bonuses, are paid to deserving farmers for selling certified cocoa beans to the company, based on premium grading by cocoa buyers on the international market.
Local Cashew Processors Face Competition from Exporters
The 3rd edition of the master training programme on cashew value chain brought together over 70 cashew experts from the producing countries of the sub-region to discuss best practices and lessons learnt as well as to build national and regional networks for future collaboration. The programme afforded participants the platform to share industry experiences from experts from countries including Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Mali, Togo and Nigeria to share knowledge. The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan addressing the programme mentioned that local cashew processors are unable to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials for processing due to intensive competition with purchases by exporters of raw cashew nuts at the farm gate, resulting in the closure of nine primary processing units out of thirteen with total installed processing capacity of 65,890 metric tonnes. He indicated that plans are very much advanced in respect of the establishment of a regulatory board for the cashew sub-sector in Ghana and very soon approval will be given for the commencement of its activities.
Cocoyam Faces Neglect
Cocoyam has been identified as one root crop which has the capacity to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers through investment and value addition, but its cultivation is on the decline. The Root and Tuber Liaison Officer at the Directorate of Crop Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), George Prah, told the B&FT that the crop, which has been abandoned in recent years, has the potential to contribute to rural poverty alleviation. Cocoyam, he said, is a cash crop and foreign exchange earner, as well as an important component in the rural development of many areas and individuals. MoFA’s Crop Services Extension and Research, in collaboration with the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP), a World Bank-sponsored project, is disseminating information and supporting farmers with planting materials of the improved varieties aimed at reviving cocoyam farming. The project, which is in its second phase, spans 2013 to 2018, and involves the dissemination of the technology developed during the first phase of the project.
Students Urged to Tackle Climate Change Challenges
At the opening ceremony of a five day summit, organised by All Africa Students Union (AASU), on the theme: “Students Response to Climate Change and Implications for Food Security in Africa.” Mr. Fred Awaah, General Secretary, (Head of Missions) of AASU, has called on students across the African Continent, to as a matter of urgency help address the challenges of climate change. Mr. Awaah said it is estimated that by 2020 most African countries that are still relying on rain-fed agriculture for food cultivation will have a 50 per cent reduction in terms of food production. He said it also estimated that 250 million Africans would go through water related stress as a result of climate change; and these are the things that are threatening to students of the continent, knowing that they constitute more than 60 per cent of the Continent’s population. “Addressing climate change and its implications for food security, there is a need to discuss the challenges and as well develop appropriate measures to salvage the situation for future generations,” he added.
Agriculture Scientists Seek New Ways to Communicate Findings
Stakeholder engagement for research uptake, has been organised to discuss new and most effective ways of communicating agricultural research knowledge to different audience other than publishing it in peer review academic journals. The meeting was also used to launch the Agriculture Research for Adoption Network (ARAN), an initiative advocating the adoption of agriculture research outcomes for value-added and increased farm output. The network is intended to discover novel means to bridge the gap between researchers and end-users of research information as well as build skills of scientists to carry out relevant and timely studies to help boost agribusinesses in the country. A number of young researchers, students, extension service personnel, farmers including fisher folks, representatives from the Ministry Food and Agriculture, media, policy makers and donor partners attended the stakeholders’ engagement for research uptake.
Reports/Articles
A Political Economy Analysis on Small Scale Farmers and Food Security in Nigeria
CPEN ONWURAH - European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2016
Agriculture is a very important sector, aside ensuring food security, employment and the supply of raw material to industries; it is the base for the development of other sectors of the economy in the developed and developing countries. Smallholder farmers have been the major contributors to food production in Nigeria; in the colonial and postcolonial era their surpluses were used for development projects in educational development, industries, infrastructures among others. This paper examined the role of smallholder farmers to food security and economic development but these contributions has no significantly impact on their livelihood as they still live in poverty and are marginalized. As the economy grows, the role of agriculture in the economy shrinks and agriculture is relegated to the background. The implementation of trade liberalization and the removal of subsidies exacerbated the conditions of peasant farmers especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, many of them have not been able to cope with the business of farming because of poor supply of inputs, poor infrastructure, land tenure system, finance, science and technology, etc these problems have led to the abandonment of farming by some famers to some non-farm activities.
* The GSSP News Digest just summarizes news that is reported in the press. Any errors of fact or omission are not IFPRI’s responsibility*