Agricultural News
Nigeria, Ghana Set to Establish Regional Agricultural Union
Leadership Newspapers
The Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN) and the General Agricultural Workers Union of Ghana on Friday announced a joint commitment to establish a West African Agricultural Union. Representatives of the unions told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the establishment of the regional union was to foster food security and to protect the workforce in the agricultural sector in the sub-region. Comrade Blessing Oladele, the General Secretary of AAEUN, told NAN that the regional union was long overdue considering the dwindling morale of agricultural workers. ``It is an urgent call for the sector within the West Africa sub-region to have a common body that will look into the salary structure and field benefits. “On hazards allowance, the nature of our job in the area of chemical usage and tractor usage, our interests must be protected across the sub region.” Comrade Walter Atiako, a representative of the union in Ghana, said the union in his country was working towards strengthening the sector between the two countries. [more]
News Articles from the Daily Graphic Newspaper
Bring Back Akuafo Cheque
At a stakeholder’s meeting on Cocoa Payment Systems in Accra held on Tuesday, September 12, the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association called on the government to re-introduce the Akuafo Cheque payment systems. The National Chief Farmer, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari stated that the current cash payment system has given farmers a lot of challenges and has rather enriched buying companies. The association stated that the use of Akuafo Cheques should be made mandatory for all License Buying Companies (LBCs). The meeting was funded by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC) and was attended by all regional heads of the association, officials from COCOBOD and the Bank of Ghana.
Management of COCOBOD stated that it had not stopped using the Akuafo Cheque which was introduced in during the 1982/83 cocoa season. The system is still being used alongside the cash system. The Public Relation Officer of COCOBOD, Mr. Noah Kwesi Amenyah said that they would have wished the cheque system to be the main means of payment. However, this was not possible due to difficulties associated with the use of the cheque system.
For his part, Mr. Charles Nyarko from BUSAC said that research indicated that farmers wanted to revert to the old system. He stated that farmers were able to cultivate banking and saving cultures under the old system.
Daily Graphic, Wednesday, September 12, 2012. No. 18944, page 1.
If you need additional information of this article, please contact Adwoa Kwarteng with the citation of the requested paper.
Reports
The Role of Agricultural Growth on Millenium Development Goals in Kenya: A Strategy of Poverty Reduction
Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(4): 324-331
Agricultural is the backbone of Kenyan economy. Its growth is a prerequisite for rural development, hence poverty reduction. The agricultural sector is required to absorb an increasing number of employees and income generation of the people occupied in the agricultural sector, hence increasing the purchasing power of the people. This paper examines the role of agriculture on millennium development growth in Kenya. Kenya being a developing country has developed millennium goals to achieve in vision 2030 and it is in ground this paper wants to look at the role of agricultural growth in achieving those visions. In this paper data from Africa development indicators from World Bank are considered for graphical analysis to study the trend and annual pattern of behavior which supports the hypothesis of the paper that agricultural growth is important on achieving the goals. On the basis of the research findings agriculture sector is an important player in helping Kenya in achieving its millennium goals. Based on the participation of all parties involved eliminating the challenges that may face it, and benefits all citizens and the nation. It is expected that this study will benefit the government and the parties concern to ensure that the millennium goals are achieved and more so the improving of living standards of Kenyans and academicians in filling the knowledge gap and lay foundation for further research. [more]
Micro-livestock for Livelihoods: Meeting Practical and Strategic Needs of Women in Sunyani District, Ghana
A Thesis Presented to The University of Guelph by Kathleen Lara Kinsella
This thesis investigates how capacity development techniques, including training and group formation, can be leveraged to aid in new livelihood development for women living in rural areas who lack the resources necessary for agricultural livelihoods: lack arable land, labor, and capital. This study is situated as a case in an agroforestry development project. The study used multiple qualitative methods to identify how these micro-livestock rearing activities contributed to women’s practical and strategic needs. Key informant interviews (n=5); in-depth interviews, including ranking and scoring exercises, with beneficiaries (n=16); and participant observation all contributed to an in-depth understanding of the relevant phenomena. Interviews were coded and analyzed for key themes that emerged. The study focuses on how micro-livestock as a development intervention may contribute to increased capacities of women in the communities. The conclusions emphasize the importance of fostering knowledge exchange amongst beneficiaries for the maximization of tangible and intangible benefits. [more]
The Role of Productive Water Use in Women’s Livelihoods: Evidence from Rural Senegal
Water Alternatives 5(3)
Enhancing livelihoods and promoting gender equity are primary goals of rural development programmes in Africa. This article explores the role of productive water use in relation to these goals based on 1860 household surveys and 15 women’s focus groups conducted in four regions of Senegal with small-scale piped water systems. The piped systems can be considered 'domestic plus' systems because they were designed primarily for domestic use, but also to accommodate small-scale productive uses including livestock-raising and community-gardening. This research focuses on the significance of productive water use in the livelihood diversification strategies of rural women. In Senegal, we find that access to water for productive purposes is a critical asset for expanding and diversifying rural livelihoods. The time savings associated with small piped systems and the increased water available allowed women to enhance existing activities and initiate new enterprises. Women’s livelihoods were found to depend on productive use activities, namely livestock-raising and gardening, and it is estimated that one half of women’s incomes is linked to productive water use. While these findings are largely positive, we find that water service and affordability constraints limit the potential benefits of productive water use for women and the poorest groups. Implications for targeting women and the poorest groups within the domestic plus approach are discussed. [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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