Below are some current developments on Agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues
FAO Advice Ghana To Upgrade Agric statistics
Dr Larmoudia Thiombiano, the Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has advised Ghana to improve upon its agriculture statistics to serve as a planning tool for national development. In a statement read on his behalf at a National Dissemination and Advocacy workshop at Koforidua, Dr Thiombiano said it was imperative to integrate agriculture into national statistical system for effective and reliable data for developing of the national economy. He said particularly rural statistics on agriculture was crucial in decision making on support for the masses in any national development agenda. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service and supported by the FAO to present findings of country assessment and medium term action plan of activities for improving agricultural and rural statistics in Ghana.
Independent Panel Urges Collective Action on Food Waste
A new report released by the United Nations High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security has called for collective action on food waste. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), almost one-third of food produced for human consumption – approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year – is either lost or wasted globally: their reduction is now presented as essential to improve food security and to reduce the environmental footprint of food systems. The report dubbed "Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems", which was made available on Friday to the Ghana News Agency by the FAO, provides a systematic analysis of the impacts of food losses and waste on the sustainability of food systems and on food security and nutrition.
COCOBOD to Provide Cocoa Farmers with Fertilizers
At the 2014 Cocobod syndication loan presentation in London, CEO of Cocobod, Dr. Stephen Opuni told the meeting that Cocobod would introduce a free fertilizer initiative which will see Cocobod supplying free fertilizers to cocoa famers and aiding them in its application and utilization. Dr. Opuni said because a substantial amount of cocoa farmers in Ghana are unable to afford and properly utilize fertilizer, Cocobod would use the services of cocoa extension farmers to educate the farmers on its proper application to ensure maximum yield. The annual Cocobod finance facility syndication meeting was held in central London on 27th June and it was to meet the bankers as part of the process before the signing ceremony which takes place in September.
COCOBOD to Open 2014 Light Crop Season
The Ghana Cocoa Board has announced that the purchases of the 2014 light crop season will commence on Friday, 4th July, 2014. A statement signed by Mr. James Kofi Kutsoati, Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (Operations) and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Friday, stated that, the producer price to be paid at all buying centres is Two Hundred and twelve Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 212.00) per bag of sixty-four kilograms gross. He said one (1) tonne is Three Thousand, three hundred and ninety-two Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 3,392.00).
Ghanaian Farmers to Use e-Zwich Cards
The use of e-Zwich cards is expected to increase significantly soon, as cocoa farmers are expected to be brought on board. Holders of e-Zwich cards would find it a lot easy to use their biometric smart cards, following the rollout of a number of initiatives, including Automated Teller Machines (ATM), hybrid Point of Sales (POS) terminals and the offer of e-Zwich services at all banks. Currently, the Student Loan Scheme disburses money onto the cards of beneficiaries while National Service allowances are also paid onto the card, besides the payment of wages and commissions by some private companies. Also, workers on government payroll in the Greater Accra region will soon be paid onto their e-Zwich cards to curb the incidence of ghost names.
Farmers Express Concern about Withdrawal of NHIS Facilities by CHAG
Farmers in the Upper East Region, have expressed great concern about the withdrawal of NHIS facilities by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and called on government to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to resolve the issue. The farmers who made the call at Garu in the Garu-Tempane District of the Upper East Region during an interactive workshop on 'Access to Health Care', organized by the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), observed that there would be much pressure on government health facilities if the situation was not reversed. It would be recalled that the Board of Trustees of CHAG, in a public notice published in the Daily Graphic's edition some few days ago, explained that they had been forced to take that decision due to the inability of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to pay…
Consultative Meeting for Commercial Farmers Opens
A roundtable consultative meeting for commercial farmers to increase their knowledge and enhance future investors on the rules and regulations in the agricultural sector has been organized in Accra. The forum supported by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana and the Africa Lead, an agribusiness program, brings together participants in the Agricultural industry to dialogue and ensure enabling environment for investment and transparent in the sector. The objective of the meeting is to create a forum for sharing information on current developments in the commercial farming front, and foster public private sector partnerships. Mrs Felicia Ansah-Amprofi, Deputy Director of Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said the Pesticide and Fertilizer Regulatory Division of PPRSD is mandated to safeguard quality of fertilizers and also to provide technical services on their proper use.
Nigeria Agriculture Show Slated for Oct. 13
The National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN) said on Monday that the 2014 National Agricultural Show, would hold in Tudun Wada, Nasarawa State, from Oct.13 to Oct. 16. A statement issued by Dr Samuel Negedu, the National Coordinator of the foundation in Abuja, said that the 2014 show, the eighth in the series, would hold back-to-back with the World Food Day celebrations scheduled for Oct. 16. It said that the show would hold at the show ground, Km 28, Abuja-Keffi Road, Tudun Wada, Nasarawa State, with the usual seminar holding Oct. 13 while the official opening ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 14. The show would end with an award ceremony, where the best exhibitors would be honoured, the statement said.
Dr. Shiva Floors Dr. Atikpo On GMOs
Dr. Atikpo and OFAB appear brilliant at building straw men to argue against and tear down with much ferocity. Unfortunately they do not address the points made by Dr. Shiva regarding GMOs. They do not address the real dangers of GMOs to Ghana or to the people who live here. Nor do they address the expressed concerns of Ghanaian farmers and citizens. They ignore Ghanaians who care about the sovereignty and independence of our beloved Ghana. Dr. Atikpo and OFAB claim that GMOs are not toxic. There are two aspects to the question of toxicity. Dr. Atikpo addresses neither of them and instead batters away at her straw man. We know very little about GMOs themselves because the corporations that own the patents do not permit independent testing. What effects GMOs have on our bodies, what effects they may have over time or that may be inherited through us to successive generations, are not known.
African Leaders Pledge Greater Investment in Agricultural Sector
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the Equatorial Guinea’s President urged African countries to invest heavily in their agricultural sector to decrease their dependence on the West, ensure food security, and significantly reduce hunger in their countries. He made his remarks at the closing session of the Assembly of Heads of State of the African Union (AU). “Africa should reorient itself to ensure its independence and security of African states through the safe production of its own consumer goods, Africa cannot be content to continue with the current dependence on the economies of the developed world,” Obiang said. According to Obiang, the development of agriculture can greatly reduce dependence, “Africa can ensure food security and significantly reduce hunger in our countries. Africa should heavily invest in agricultural development to transform itself in order to accelerate growth to increase production and productivity,” he said.
Food Security/Crisis
CRI Embarks on Project to Improve Food Security
The Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in association with its partner institutions, is in the advanced stages of a four-year project to improve food security in the country. The partner institutions are the Animal Research Institute (ARI) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Under the project, the CSIRO of Australia, a foreign collaborator of the CRI, has been providing funds and technical support to ensure that the project becomes successful. The “Small-Crop Ruminant Project” was begun in November 2011 and is expected to end in November 2015, and it brings all actors in the small-crop ruminant food chain processes together to brainstorm on ways to improve yield.
Reports/Articles
Effects of Motivation on Job Performance of Local Government Workers in Ghana: A Case Study of Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly in the Ashanti Region
CA Bonsu, A Kusi - 2014
Motivation is very important to growth and development of every business. Motivation continues to be a well-research topic to both academics and the business companies. The aim of motivation is to have well motivated employees that can give out their best. The purpose of the study was to find out the effects of motivation on job performance of District Assemblies Workers in Ashanti Region. Today, workplace motivation plays a key role for workplace productivity and quality. The researcher indicated the lack of employees’ motivation brings high absenteeism and high cost .In other to achieve the purpose of the study, qualitative and quantitative case study methodology was used and questionnaires administered using a simple random sampling. The findings show that employees prefer higher salaries as a main incentive to….
Political Economy of Climate Compatible Development: Artisanal Fisheries and Climate Change in Ghana
T Tanner, A Mensah, ET Lawson, C Gordon… - 2014
Interest in prospects for policy processes that contribute to development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, known as ‘climate compatible development’, has been growing in response to increasing awareness of the impacts of climate change. This paper provides insight into the complex political economy of climate compatible development in Ghana’s artisanal fisheries, a sector that has received comparatively little attention in climate change literature and policy processes. It focuses on two contentious policy areas where there is potential for climate compatible development, namely the subsidized premix fuel provided to artisanal fishermen, and mangrove protection. Regarding the premix subsidy, while there is theoretical scope for a ‘triple win’ outcome by removing the subsidy to reduce incentives to unsustainable fishing and supporting alternative policies, in practice this is highly problematic. Artisanal fishermen strongly oppose removing the subsidy on the grounds that it would damage their livelihoods, and do not have the …..
Investigating the Place of Population Increase and Level of Income Earning in Food Security A Study of Yam Supply in Awka Urban, Anambra State of Nigeria
EA OBIENUSI, M EKEZIE, SU ONWUKA - Journal of Natural Sciences Research, 2014
This research was carried out to present yam supply and food security situation in Awka urban, Anambra State. Data used were collected through questionnaires and oral interview, using the simple random sampling to select the respondents. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was employed in testing the hypotheses formulated. It was found out that there is a significant relationship between population increase and yam supply and that there is a significant relationship between the income of the consumers and yam consumption. The increase in the population in Awka urban has led to a decrease in food production causing the people to look outward for food supply. This can be averted if agricultural productivity is increased and more jobs are provided for the people to earn income to purchase food.
Social Grants and Poverty Reduction at the Household Level: Empirical Evidence from Ghana
C Agbaam, MF Dinbabo - J Soc Sci, 2014
This paper assesses the impact of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) social grant programme in alleviating household poverty in rural Ghana. From a social justice perspective, the study unravels the contribution of the programme in improving the general welfare of beneficiary households in the case study area. Using data from structured household questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, the study establishes that the LEAP social grant has a significant positive impact on food consumption, frequency of utilization of healthcare facilities and the school enrolment rate for children aged 6-13 years in beneficiary households. However, although hypothesized, no significant impact is observed in relation to the incidence of child labour in the household. The study also uncovers that the insufficient nature of the cash transfer, irregular payment periods, lack of access to complimentary services and limited staff capacity pose serious challenges to the programme. It is therefore recommended that government increases …
Social Networks and the Adoption of Agricultural Innovations: The Case of Improved Cereal Cultivars in Central Tanzania
E Muange, S Schwarze
Literature on the adoption of agricultural innovations highlights the importance exposure to these technologies for the adoption decision of small scale farmers. This study assesses the relevance of exposure and other constraints in the adoption of improved sorghum and maize cultivars in Central Tanzania. Specifically, we analyze the determinants of exposure to improved varieties; and of adoption itself, focusing more on the role of social networks. We use survey data collected from 345 farmers between September and November 2012. We apply Poisson models to assess exposure, and average treatment effect procedures to analyze adoption. Our results show that about 79% and 74% of the respondents are exposed to at least one improved variety of sorghum and maize respectively. The average intensity of exposure (number of improved cultivars a farmer is exposed to) was 1.7 for sorghum and 1.8 for maize. Farmer networks are found to be a key source of variety information, and exchange of this information among farmers is triggered when ….