Agricultural News
The Questionable Quest to Improve Local Rice Production
GhanaWeb
It is a well known fact that Ghana has been dependent on importation of rice for 70% of local demand for a considerable time. The quest to make Ghana self-sufficient with regards to rice supply is however proving more difficult than expected. The blame for this situation is largely placed at the doors of the Bretton Woods Institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, and consecutive governments. As part of the agreement to support Ghana with development aid and loans the Bretton Woods Institutions insisted that Ghana follows a liberated trade policy that opened its doors to importation of rice from both America and Asian countries. [more]
Government Seeks OPIC Support For Agriculture
Daily Guide
Government is planning to source funds from Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to strengthen the country’s agricultural value chain. The establishment of two new rice mills and 14 warehouses, as well as four ultra-modern markets with cold storage and health facilities at designated locations would be carried out as part of the plan. The funds will also go into the construction of two modern abattoirs and milk processing facilities under Government’s medium term agricultural sector investment plan (2011-2015). Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Food & Agriculture stated this while delivering a speech on behalf of President John Mahama at the 4th National Food and Agriculture Show (FAGRO) yesterday in Accra. [more]
Government Secures $100 Million Credit to Implement Agricultural Projects
Peace FM Online
Government has secured a 100 million-dollar credit from the World Bank and USAID for the implementation of the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project. [more]
Food Crisis/Security
Global Food Prices Soar
AllAfrica.com
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Food Price Index has soared to 6 percent in July 2012 after three months of decline. The Index, which measures the monthly change in the international prices of a basket of food commodities, averaged 213 points, up 12 points from June. That was still well below the peak of 238 points reached in February 2011, however. The Index's sharp rebound was mostly driven by a surge in grain and sugar prices. International prices of meat and dairy products were little changed. The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 260 points in July, up 17 percent, or 38 points, from June. That was 14 points below its all-time high of 274 points in April 2008. [more]
Reports
Learning From Others: Increasing Agricultural Productivity for Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
WP 2012-007: January 2012
Human development - the advancement of people's capabilities and functionings – depends on human resources, constraints, and capacity to make and implement considered choices. All these depend on income, nutrition (especially in children), and access to and conditions of work. All these are usually likelier to be inadequate or insecure for the poor. So, for human development, access by the poor to more, better and safer income, nutrition and work has high priority anywhere, but perhaps above all in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). [more]
Water for Wealth and Food Security: Supporting farmer-driven investments in agricultural water management
Synthesis Report of the AgWater Solutions Project
Sub-Saharan Africa is blessed with significant land and water resources and diverse agro-ecosystems but agricultural productivity is low and hunger and malnutrition persist, particularly in rural areas. The area under irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest of any region in the world. Making effective use of available water can help to improve productivity and reduce poverty. Smallholder farmers attracted by the benefits of irrigation are already investing in small-scale irrigation as documented in this report. The report is significant because it provides practical recommendations and tools for governments, the private sector, donors and organizations to effectively support these farmer-led initiatives to improve the lives of millions of families sustainably and equitably. [more]
The Political Economy of Large-Scale Agricultural Land Acquisitions: Implications for Food Security and Livelihoods/Employment Creation in Rural Mozambique
WP 2012-004: January 2012
This paper will provide a brief assessment of the impacts of investments on food security and rural livelihoods/ employment creation in Mozambique. Based on the lessons learned from the Mozambican experience the paper will discuss the potential role of large-scale land acquisitions in promoting food security and reducing poverty. The paper will also discuss some of the opportunity costs associated with large-scale farming and look at the alternative rural development strategies available to Mozambique, as well as other land-abundant African countries. The paper concludes that, despite some recorded positive impacts, the relatively high number of negative impacts from recent large-scale land acquisitions in Mozambique give cause for concern. The country`s demographic and sociopolitical characteristics suggest that a labor intensive rural development strategy may be more suitable than the attraction of large-scale investments in farmland. [more]
Thank you
The articles included in this news digest have been generated from online news sources and the daily graphic newspaper published within last week. For more information on any of these articles, please contact Adwoa Kwarteng at A.Kwarteng@cgiar.org
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