Below are some current developments on Agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues
IFPRI holds Conference on Building Resilience to End Hunger
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has asked that the post-2015 agenda should aim at ending hunger by 2025 by building resilience to various environmental, political and economic shocks that threaten food security and livelihoods. “Building resilience is about helping vulnerable individuals, households, communities, and countries prepare for, cope with, and recover from shocks and even to become better off. The shocks can be natural or man-made, short- or long-term, and acute or chronic.” Mr Shenggen Fan, IFPRI’s Director-General, said this at the just ended meeting on “Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security organized by the Institute. IFPRI 2020 Vision Initiative noted that strengthened resilience in turn would be key to achieving an end to hunger.
Mahama Orders New SADA Board to Address Corruption Reports
President John Mahama has charged the new board of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to respond to the various allegations of corruption against the authority. “With regards to SADA, it is my expectation that the new board that has been named and the new Chief Executive that will be announced shortly will together make it a priority to ensure that systems are put in place and to guarantee integrity in the execution of SADA programs. “The current audit report of SADA being serialized in the media must be responded to by management and the finalized audit recommendations dealt with by management and the audit report implementation committee and any matters deserving attention of the Attorney General should be referred to the Attorney General for prosecution or sanctions,” he said.
Scaling up OFSP Consumption to Improve Nutrition in Women and Children
Ghana, like other countries, has signed on to the Millennium Development Goals with a target to halve the proportion of people who suffered from hunger and help reduce deaths among children under 5 by 2015. Under the programme, the country also hopes to improve on the conditions of children who are severely underweight and under nourished before the MDG deadline. Over a decade down the lane, Ghana has proudly exhibited great feat with strategies in child health services, critical among them being the promotion of the insecticide treated bed nets, immunizations and Vitamin A supplementation. Although Ghana’s child health services have made great impact to increase the proportion of children below age two to fully receive immunization and reduce deaths, a lot more needs to be done. Health problems in children can…
Ghana Embarks On Regaining Cocoa Producing Top Spot
Dr Francis Oppong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, has urged stakeholders in the cocoa industry to ensure that Ghana regains the top spot as the leading cocoa producer in the world. He said from 191 and 1977, Ghana was the world’s leading cocoa producer but lost that position to neighboring La Cote d’Ivoire due to the many challenges which plagued the industry. Speaking during the inauguration of four technical committees of Ghana Cocoa Platform (GCP) on Tuesday, Dr Oppong, who is in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control, said although COCOBOD as regulators had done their best to ensure that the cocoa industry continue to drive the socio-economic development of the country, the sector has been beset with a lot of challenges.
Women Learn Skills on Sweet Potato Utilization
Twenty women from the Weedaga, Sonoo and Unity women groups in the Kassena-Nankana West and Kassena Municipality, with their counterparts from the Bawku West and Bongo Districts, have under-gone a three-day training in new forms of sweet potato utilization, in Bolgatanga. Dr Mary Opoku - Asiama, Director, Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD) at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), said the training enhanced trainees capacity in the uses of sweet potato, for them to share the acquired skills with more people. Mrs Asiama disabused the minds of the trainees about outcomes of potatoes in the past when cooked . She said the lack of knowledge in the past when the crop was harvested limited its uses. She said breeders had over the years, worked on the varieties of sweet potatoes to improve the produce, and hoped the use of it would promote good health, improve nutrition and generate income.
Cocoa Farmers Deserve Price Increase
In the midst of the still raging furor over the collapsing fortunes of the Cedi since late last year President John Mahama has, at long last, had to accept the need to increase the price paid to cocoa farmers. He conceded during his recent visit to Tepa in Ashanti Region. But the critical question is how soon and by how much will the producer price be raised? Last October 2013, the Government announced its decision not to increase the price paid to cocoa farmers in the current 2013/14 farming season. The reason advanced by the Government in support of this decision was that prices of cocoa on the international market had declined. A close examination of cocoa prices on the international market for the relevant marketing periods does not confirm a drop in Dollar prices to justify such a punitive decision against cocoa farmers.
Cocoa Farmers to Receive Payments from E-zwich
Cocoa farmers would from the beginning of this year’s light crop season receive payments for cocoa sold to the licensed buying companies (LBCs) only from e-zwich and by cheque. The use of cash, the authorities say, would no longer be permitted. An intensive education campaign to assist the farmers to have better understanding of the electronic payment system and encourage them to go for the biometric smartcards has been launched. This is being spearheaded jointly by the BUSAC Fund and the Bank of Ghana (BOG). Mr Joseph Awantungo, Consultant on the new payment project, said at an education forum held for the Ashanti branch of the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Shea-nut Farmers Association (GCCSFA) in Kumasi that…
Ghana: Peace Corps Ghana Cashew Initiative Benefits Local Farmers
Peace Corps volunteer Michael Underwood of Pineville, Ky., is helping cashew farmers in his Ghana community use mobile technology to boost production and improve their business. Giving local farmers the tools to map their farms and better track sales of cashews enables them to identify operational efficiencies and ensure fair prices. Underwood is one of a number of volunteers working on the effort, known as the Peace Corps Ghana Cashew Initiative. He is also one of more than 1,265 Peace Corps volunteers bringing important food security messages and practices to the grassroots level through the Feed the Future program. This week, Underwood is representing the Peace Corps at the Feed the Future Global Forum in Crystal City, Va., and sharing his experiences with some of the 300 global leaders attending who drive the U.S. government's global hunger and food security initiative.
Farmers Interest Groups Attend Workshop on Citrus Disease
A field workshop to create awareness for citrus farmers, crop researchers and interest groups on angular leaf spot of citrus, also known as citrus airborne disease, has been held at Mankranso in the Ahafo Ano South District in the Ashanti Region. The two-day workshop, attended by about 50 participants, was organised by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with the Platform for Africa-European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD), an agent of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and sponsored by the European Commission. The workshop aimed at finding solutions to angular leaf spot of citrus disease, which is affecting the quality and yield of citrus plantations in the country.
Tomato Prices Shot Up Again in Tamale – Survey
There has been sharp increases in tomato and yam prices in the Tamale Metropolis this week as a bowl (Olonka) sells at GH¢25 as against the GH¢15 last week while a tuber of yam (small size) sells at GH¢3:00 instead of three tubers that were sold at GH¢7:00 last week. A GNA survey conducted in the two main Aboabo and the Tamale Central markets on Friday observed that the tomato (Navrongo variety) had been in short supply and the few market women who had it were selling at exorbitant prices. On the issue of the yam, some of the market women told the GNA that this was the planting period for yam and that the commodity could be rotten easily this period hence the fear to venture into storing large quantities.
Ban all GM Foods in Ghana – FSG
Food Sovereignty Ghana(FSG), a body opposed to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) on Tuesday called for an indefinite moratorium or ban on the propagation, cultivation, raising, and growing of GMOs in Ghana. We call for a total ban on everything GMO, including but not limited to, the introduction into the environment, contained and confined use or field trials, import, export, GMO in transit, or placement on the market. We demand that this ban be put in place until the science of GM foods and human health, as well as environmental impact, has been thoroughly studied and cleared as safe by independent science rather than corporate-driven, profit-oriented scientists and regulators, ridden with conflicts-of-interest, a statement issued by Jason Tutu, Member, Communications Department of FSG said.
Silent March Against Monsanto in Accra on Saturday
Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) and Coalition of Farmers against Genetically Modified Organisms, will organise a silent march in Accra, on Saturday, May 24 against the imposition of genetically modified foods (GMOs) on Ghanaians. It is part of an international March against big agriculture companies such as Monsanto. A statement issued by Jason Tutu, Member, Communications Department of FSG, said millions of people around the globe would participate in local demonstrations on the day to call for a permanent end to the use of GMOs and other harmful agrochemicals used by big agriculture companies. The march dubbed the March against Monsanto, will attract protests in more than 400 cities in more than 52 countries on six different continents.
Plant Breeders Bill Won’t Introduce GMO- Agbesi
Mr Alfred Agbesi, Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, has reiterated that the Plant Breeders Bill before Parliament is not intended to introduce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) food into the country. Mr Agbesi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, said: This bill seeks to regulate the production, offer for sale, sale marketing and advertisement of new varieties. The bill is therefore not introducing GMO as some section of the public would want us to believe. He said this during the Ashaiman Municipal Assemblys First Ordinary Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Second Assembly. The Deputy Majority Leader explained that the bill is to establish a legal framework to protect the right of breeders of new varieties or plant groupings.
TRAX Ghana Embarks on Project to Address Nutritional Needs in UE
TRAX Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation promoting farming has introduced the cultivation of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) to help address the nutritional needs of children in the Upper East Region. Health authorities have identified the Upper East Region as having nutrition problems particularly among children and women. Speaking at a forum in Bolgatanga to share a baseline survey undertaken by the NGO to scale up the project in some farming communities in the Nabdam and Bongo Districts, the Director of TRAX, Mr Vincent Subbey disclosed that apart from the nutritional aspect of the crop, it would help address climate change problems in the area as well as promote food security. He stated that OFSP has short maturity period of about three months and could be cultivated in any marginalized land and still provide good yields.
Human Activities Destroy Mangroves
Mr Stephen Kelleher, Senior Director of Cross-Cutting Issues and Coordination of Forest Carbon, Markets and Communities (FCMC) Programme, has said degradation of mangroves along the coast was a threat to the livelihood of people who live there. He said mangroves are among the most important species of plants which could protect the coast line against the effect of climate change. Mr. Kelleher said this at a day’s workshop at Elmina on the importance of mangrove plantation along the coast. The workshop, organized by FCM in collaboration with USAID, was under the theme “The key to climatic change adaptation and mitigation,” and attended by 40 participants from West African countries. It is to define a collective approach to help sustain the West African coastal mangroves to enhance ecosystem development in the sub-region.
Youth must change Perception About Agric – Sakara
Dr. Abu Sakara, Convention Peoples Party (CPP) presidential candidate in 2012, has challenged the youth to change their perception about agriculture. He said agriculture production is key in the changing of the architecture of the economy. Dr. Sakara was speaking at the Ghana Youth Agrifair and Youth in Agriculture stakeholders’ forum in Accra. The forum forms part of the closing activities of the year-long African Union (AU) at 50 celebrations, coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in partnership with the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG). The forum, which was under the theme: “Promoting Youth in Agriculture: It is time to walk the talk” seeks to interrogate issues aimed at realizing the potential of the agricultural sector as the vehicle for youth development and Africa’s economic transformation.
Mangroves are Key to Climate Change Mitigation – Workshop
More than 40 policymakers, researchers and practitioners have taken part in a four-day workshop in Ghana on the theme: West Africa Mangroves A Key to Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). A statement from the Public Affairs section of the U.S Embassy said, In spite of their existing and potential uses for humanity, mangroves remain poorly understood, said Bradley Wallach, USAID West Africa Acting Mission Director. They are often marginalized in national climate change plans and frequently mismanaged, resulting in the rapid depletion of resources and benefits that they have provided for generations.
KITA Promotes Organic Farming
Mr. Samuel Owusu-Takyi, Director of the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA), has encouraged farmers to adopt organic farming techniques to ensure the production of wholesome food crops. Research, he said, indicated that the nutritional quality and micro-nutrients were present in higher quantities in organically-produced crops and that this makes them ideal for human consumption. Organic farming is a technique used in farming without the use of any chemicals or synthesis to maintain the life of the soil, not only for the current generation, but also for the future generation…He said studies had shown that as of 2011, approximately 37, 000, 000 hectares were farmed organically, representing…..
Food Security/Crisis
Prof Danquah Urges ECOWAS Countries to Ensure Food Security
Professor Eric Y. Danquah, Director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, has urged ECOWAS countries to address the issue of food insecurity through research funding. He said the sub-region needs a critical mass of scientists orientated towards working in national breeding programmes, and the private sector in their home countries to develop improved varieties of staple crops needed for food security, sustainability, and economic development. Prof Danquah made the appeal during a presentation at the on-going World Bank’s Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project meeting in the Nigerian Capital Abuja, which had brought together over 100 renowned academicians and researchers from the sub-region. He said food security is a major challenge in West and Central Africa, due to a number of…
AU Declares 2014 year of Agriculture and Food Security
The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has said that the African Union Assembly of Head of State and Government has declared the year 2014 to be the year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa. It said the year also marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). In a release issued to the Ghana News Agency on Friday in Accra, it said as the AU commemorates 2014 as the “Year of Agriculture and Food Security” across Africa, a number of questions have been raised about the state of Agriculture in Africa and in particular the role of the sector in Africa’s economic transformation.
Reports/Articles
Combating Poverty among Women through the Poverty Alleviation Fund in the Savelugu-Nanton District in the Northern Region of Ghana
The purpose of the study was to assess the extent to which the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) was helping to reduce poverty among women in the Savelugu-Nanton District. The quotas, purposive, snowball and simple random sampling techniques were used to obtain a total of 172 respondents for the study. Two sets of interview schedules were used for the two groups, a questionnaire for the PAF loan staff and focus group discussion guide for the beneficiaries. The data analysis was done with the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) Version 16 software. Findings from the study indicated that loans were generally perceived by the PAF women beneficiaries to be helpful to them in sustaining and expanding their income-generating activities, supplementing household incomes and acquiring some...
Compliance Of Agrochemical Marketers With Banned Cocoa Pesticides In Southwest Nigeria
IU Mokwunye, FD Babalola, UE Asogwa, N Idris… - Journal of Agricultural …, 2014
This study investigated the compliance of marketers of agrochemicals with the approved and banned cocoa pesticides in selected cocoa producing states of southwest Nigeria. Primary data was collected through the use of structured questionnaire administered to randomly selected agrochemical marketers. All the marketers (100%) were aware of the recently banned cocoa pesticides, however, majority still have the pesticides in stock. About 70.6% of the marketers in Osun state and 58.8% in Ogun state stated that they did not receive information on the banned pesticides from government agencies but through other channels. More than half of the marketers (52.9% in Ogun, 55% in Kwara and 47.1% in Osun) strongly disagreed that government should place a ban on pesticides. Availability of banned pesticides in their stock, insufficient information from the concerned government agricultural agencies, and fear of short supply of approved pesticides are among the reasons proffered by the marketers for not supporting the ban of pesticides.asic assets. The conclusion reached was that loans can be beneficial to women only if a genuine effort is made by District Assemblies (DAs) to remove barriers that militate against the empowerment of women in rural communities in Ghana.
Relative Undernourishment and Food Insecurity Associations with Plasmodium falciparum Among Batwa Pygmies in Uganda: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Survey
JA Lewnard, L Berrang-Ford, S Lwasa, DB Namanya… - The American Journal of …, 2014
Although malnutrition and malaria co-occur among individuals and populations globally, effects of nutritional status on risk for parasitemia and clinical illness remain poorly understood. We investigated associations between Plasmodium falciparum infection, nutrition, and food security in a cross-sectional survey of 365 Batwa pygmies in Kanungu District, Uganda in January of 2013. We identified 4.1% parasite prevalence among individuals over 5 years old. Severe food insecurity was associated with increased risk for positive rapid immunochromatographic test outcome (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 13.09; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 2.23–76.79). High age/sex-adjusted mid-upper arm circumference was associated with decreased risk for positive test among individuals who were not severely food-insecure (ARR = 0.37; 95% CI = 0.19–0.69). Within Batwa pygmy communities, where malnutrition and food insecurity are common, individuals who are particularly undernourished or severely food-insecure may have elevated risk for P. falciparum parasitemia.
Impact of Land Administration Programs on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Development: Existing Evidence, Challenges and New Approaches
J Gignoux, K Macours, L Wren-Lewis - 2014
Investment in land administration projects is often considered key for agricultural productivity and rural development in developing countries. But the evidence on such interventions is remarkably mixed. This paper reviews the literature and discusses a number of challenges related to the analysis of the impacts of land administration programs, focusing on developing countries where the starting position is one of land administration systems based on the Napoleonic code, with existing individual rights that may be imperfect and insecure. We examine a set of conceptual and methodological challenges including : 1) a conceptual challenge related to the need to unbundle property rights and to establish the plausible causal chain for land administration interventions; 2) the existence of other binding constraints on productivity, implying the need to consider heterogeneities in policy impacts and the complementarity between property rights and other productive interventions; 3) the need to account for spillovers of land interventions on non-targeted households; and 4) methodological challenges related to the causal identification of the impacts of such interventions.
Poor Nutrition Status and Associated Feeding Practices among HIV-Positive Children in a Food Secure Region in Tanzania: A Call for Tailored Nutrition Training
BF Sunguya, KC Poudel, LB Mlunde, DP Urassa… - PLOS ONE, 2014
Undernutrition among HIV-positive children can be ameliorated if they are given adequate foods in the right frequency and diversity. Food insecurity is known to undermine such efforts, but even in food rich areas, people have undernutrition. As yet no study has examined feeding practices and their associations with nutrition status among as HIV-positive children in regions with high food production. We therefore examined the magnitude of undernutrition and its association with feeding practices among HIV-positive children in a high food production region in Tanzania. We conducted this mixed-method study among 748 children aged 6 months-14 years attending 9 of a total of 32 care and treatment centers in Tanga region, Tanzania. We collected quantitative data using a standard questionnaire and qualitative data through seven focus group discussions (FGDs)….
Perceived Effect of Farmers Field School Approach on Capacity Building in Controlling Pre and Post-Harvest Losses
A Khatam, S Muhammad, I Ashraf - Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 2014
The present study was conducted in the central region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan comprising seven districts: Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat and Hangu, during 2010. The objective was to analyze the perceived effect of Farmer Field School (FFS) approach on farmers’ capacity in controlling pre- and post-harvest losses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected from 280 randomly selected farmer respondents. The analysis revealed that FFS had remarkably built up farmers’ capacity in controlling pre and post-harvest losses caused by rodents, birds, immature harvesting/picking, and inappropriate packing, storing, and transportation of the produce. Furthermore, FFS helped farmers in reducing losses at the market and controlling grain borer, wheat weevil, and store weevils effectively. The study concluded that the highest improvement as a result of FFS activities was in controlling stored grain pests like grain borer and wheat weevil. By and large, farmers’ capacity was built up in almost all aspects of controlling pre- and post-harvest losses, except a few i.e. losses due to immature harvesting of crops, and controlling.