Below are some current developments on agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues
President Mahama Commended for Resolving Agricultural Challenges
Mr. Bright Edward Kodzo Demordzi, the Member of Parliament for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfrom, has commended President John Dramani Mahama, for his inspiring State of the Nation’s Address. He said the address had resolved all major challenges facing the agricultural sector. Mr. Demordzi, who is a member of the Committee on Food Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, told the GNA in an interview, that the President’s determination to provide 50,000 seedlings to cocoa farmers and his readiness to assist the Scientific and Industrial Research Institute to come out with new varieties and provide subsidies for the seeds was commendable. Mr. Demordzi said he was impressed about the President’s commitment to give out 180,000 metric tonnes of subsidized fertilizer to farmers in the 2015 crop season.
CocoaLink Partners Hand over Project to COCOBOD
Partners in the CocoaLink project has officially handed over the server used in the pilot phase to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to ensure sustainability in implementation of the programme. In addition, the partners, including the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Hershey Company, handed over 60 solar chargers, 125 Samsung Galaxy Young smart phones and 30 pieces of LED bulbs to the COCOBOD. The WCF and Hershey were the donors for the pilot phase of the project, which spans three years and a transition phase of six months. CocoaLink is a public-private partnership that uses mobile technology to deliver timely farming, social and marketing information to local cocoa farmers to improve their farming processes, income and livelihood. The CocoaLink project uses voice and SMS messages to connect cocoa farmers with one another as well as the COCOBOD. The service is free for any cocoa farmer…
FAO Unveils New Crop to end Hunger in West Africa
The Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO) has stepped up efforts to end hunger and poverty in West Africa following the introduction of a new crop meant to contribute to National and Global food security. The crop, known as Quinoa, is described as a highly nutritious food crop that can survive in a variety of growing conditions. Quinoa also has a high potential to contribute to regional and global food security due to its nutritional characteristics and agronomical versatility. According to the FAO, Quinoa is the only food plant that offers all essential amino acids, trace elements and vitamins in a healthy balance and also gluten free. Similarly, the crop can be an important alternative, especially to populations that have no access to adequate sources of protein. FAO characterized Quinoa as one of humanity's most promising crop relative to the fact it is the answer to the myriad of problems of human nutrition.
The World Food Programme (WFP) Aids Farmers to Boost Food Production
The World Food Programme (WFP) has pledged to step up efforts at helping to build the capacity of small-holder and low-income farmers to substantially raise crop yield. Ms. Magdalena Owusu Moshi, the Deputy Country Director, said they would continue to aid them to update their knowledge and skills in production and post-harvest handling and processing of local food stuffs - cassava, maize, soybean cowpea, yam and rice. They would also be sensitized on the use of appropriate agricultural equipment, how to access marketing opportunities and provide them with technical support services. Ms. Moshi, who was addressing a consultative meeting on the WFP's Purchase for Progress (P4P) Initiative at Akyawkrom, in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, described as quite disheartening the situation, where in spite of the critical role played by small-holder farmers in food production, "they are the most food-insecure people in most countries".
Access to a Crop Varieties Crucial to Smallholder Farmers –TASAI
Joe Devries, the director of the Program for African Seed Systems at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), says it’s crucial that smallholder farmers in Africa have access to a wide range of crop varieties. This, he said, was because small farms were the mainstay of food production in the region. He was speaking at the launch of the African Seed Access Index (TASAI) - the first ever initiative dedicated solely to monitoring the state of Africa’s rapidly evolving seed sector issued detailed scorecards on seed development and distribution in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe, with a focus on increasing choices for smallholder farmers. A statement from TASAI said “by tracking indicators along the seed delivery chain - like the number of crop breeders, varieties released, industry competitiveness, availability of seed in small packages, and quality of the seed policy framework - investors and policymakers can target choke points that are impeding the flow of seeds to smallholder farmers.”
COTVET Supports CSIR to Transfer Modern Plant Extraction Technology
The relevance of science research and technology to national development cannot be taken lightly. There is a general consensus that science research is paramount to promoting environmental sustainability, wealth creation, better human health, food security and overall good governance. In addition, the development and application of science research provides the most effective means of converting natural resources into products. In the past, the Government of Ghana had recognized this important benefit of the application of science research to the socio-economic development of the nation, however the initial enthusiasm for bootstrapping the nation into development, using research waned over time, resulting in a loss of confidence in the catalyzing power of science and technology… The policy focuses on areas which include research and product development, standardization, quality assurance and large-scale production.
SADA to Open Office in Volta Region
The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is to establish a permanent office in the Volta Region. The office infrastructure is to make the presence of the Authority felt in the beneficiary districts in the Region, Dr Emmanuel Abere-Inga, the SADA Director of Programmes told the Ghana News Agency. Dr Abere-Inga, who was speaking on the sidelines of a media launch of SADA Business and Investment Forum (SABIF) 2015, at Tamale, said the UNDP funded office infrastructure would clear perceptions that the Volta Region had been shelved in SADA activities. He said the office would facilitate SADA programmes and offer opportunity to the local people to determine their needs and potentials. Dr. Abere-Inga said already, the Region had benefitted from a 500 hectare mango plantation at Kete-Krachi, constituting 25 per cent of all SADA mango plantations. He said the Region had also received 57 tractors, representing nearly 10 per cent as stated in the project disbursement framework. Dr. Abere-Inga said the Authority would soon construct a landing site in the Krachi area to open up the zone for rapid socio-economic development.
SADA Organizes Business Forum in Tamale
The Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is repositioning itself to effectively facilitate, coordinate and leverage investments into the SADA zone. This is expected to bring the needed development transformation that will increase the income levels of the people and also accelerate the development of the Northern Savana Ecological Zone (NSEZ). To achieve this, the SADA Board has begun re-strategizing processes that will transform the authority into a first-class public sector institution which will be accountable, transparent and effective in its delivery. The Board Chairman of SADA, Naba Sigri Bewong, made this known at the media launch of an international investment and business meeting dubbed the SADA Business and Investment Forum (SABIF) 2015, in Tamale. The launch brought together journalists working within the SADA ecological zone, comprising the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, …
Nestle Uses Drama to Improve Farming
Nestle has succeeded in using drama projected on screens to improve farming practices to improve the quality and safety of grains used for its products. This strategy has addressed the problem of high content of aflatoxin, a type of mycotoxin in maize production, which saw high tonnes of maize being rejected at the market by Nestle eight years ago. Mycotoxins are fungal-based toxic compounds which are hard to destroy if they enter the food-chain. Toxin-reduction can only be achieved through good agricultural and storage practices, developed in co-operation with national extension partners. A crop contaminated with a mycotoxin in very high proportions when consumed can result in serious health problems. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Aaron Fenu, Communications Officer of Nestle Ghana, said eight years ago, Nestlé rejected around half of its locally grown grains supplied to its factories in Ghana and Nigeria because they contained high levels of aflatoxin (a type of mycotoxin that is a potent carcinogen).
Good News On Food Security in West Africa
Indications are that if Ministers of Agriculture and their technocrats plan aright the phenomenon of the poor in West Africa going to bed hungry every night would soon be a thing of the past. If the human capital in agriculture remains selfless and dedicated, the West African poor would sleep soundly night after night, filled with food that at a go provides all their protein, essential amino acids, trace elements and vitamin requirements equally gluten-free. This follows the outdooring of Quinoa, a crop, at a regional train the trainer's workshop at Dodowa, Greater Accra, by Dr. Lamourdia Thiombiano, the Food and Agricultural Organization’s Regional Representative for Africa. According to the FAO, Quinoa is a "highly nutritious food crop that can survive in a variety" of growing conditions. "It is one of humanity's most promising crops relative to the fact that it is the answer to the myriad of problems of human nutrition.
Trade Hub Plans to Boost Cashew-nut Production
The West Africa Trade Hub of the USAID has earmarked over US$150,000 to help finance processing raw cashew nuts to increase regional trade competitiveness, improve food security, and reduce poverty over the next five years. The programme, which is in partnership with Cashew Alliance, is among other objectives aimed at boosting international exports, jobs, and investments; and also to promote broader, more sustainable growth by improving both the private sector’s capacity and policies, rules and practices that govern regional and external trade. It will also increase regional trade in key commodities through more value added exports: shea, cashew, mango, rice, maize, millet/sorghum, livestock - cattle, and small ruminants.
‘Support Efforts to Combat Food Security Threat’
The Global Agriculture Development Director of DuPont Pioneer, Lystra Antoine, has asked food producers and other stakeholders in the agricultural value chain to support efforts to combat the threat of food scarcity. He made specific reference to the ones brought on by the fast-changing global climatic conditions and population explosion, mostly in developing countries. She repeated the call for agriculture in developing countries to undergo significant transformation in order to meet the related challenges of achieving food security and responding to climate change. She said: “Projections based on population growth and food consumption patterns indicate that agriculture production will need to increase by at least 70 percent to meet the needs of 2050”.
Water and Sanitation Remain Top Priority in Africa
Poor access to improved water and sanitation are still a daily reality and a high-priority policy issue for majority of citizens in 34 African countries, a new Afrobarometer survey has reported. Half of the population on the continent goes without enough clean water for home use, the report said, while 44 percent of surveyed communities lack access to piped water supply. The report stated that 72 percent lacked access to sewerage and that access rates were even worse in rural areas and across much of Africa, saying citizens rated their governments’ performance on water and sanitation issues as “fairly” or “very” poor. In observance of World Water Day - March 22 - Afrobarometer data amplifies the voices of ordinary Africans who urge their governments to address inadequate water supply and sanitation as a top priority. Water and sanitation rank fourth among important problems that citizens say their …
Ministry Celebrates World Water Day
Government would ensure that its citizens had the water they needed to live healthy, happy and productive lives as the world marks World Water Day. A statement signed by Mr Sampson Ahi, the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, said World Water Day celebration, a UN priority, would fall on Sunday, March 22, dubbed: “Water for Life 2005-2015.” The theme for this year’s celebration offers an opportunity to address the inequities especially for the millions who leave in the urban slums and communities and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services ... Activities have been planned to draw public attention to the interdependence between water and health, nature, urbanization, energy, food and their crucial impact on poverty alleviation. Prizes would be awarded to basic schools that took part in a tree planting competition among other things as art of the celebration.
Reports/Articles
Household Protein Intake and Distribution of Protein Sources in the Markets of Southern Ghana: A Preliminary Report
K KOMATSU, K KITANISHI - African Study Monographs, 2015
This paper describes protein intake in the forest areas of southern Ghana. The paper is based on research conducted at markets and observation of meals at households. The protein sources have changed due to the natural and economical environment in the area. Primary protein sources are wild animals, fish, livestock, and beans. Deforestation due to cacao field expansion and some other reasons decreased the number of animals hunted in the forest. We studied what protein sources are distributed at markets, where they are produced (local or outside production), which protein sources households consume, how they are cooked, and cultural values. Results indicate that fish is a primary protein source. Frozen, sun-dried, smoked, and salted marine and freshwater fish are widely distributed, depending on the development of truck transportation. Therefore, it seems that the self-sufficiency of protein sources in local areas has decreased. Analyzing the case of Ghana is important in terms of considering the future of central Africa’s forest areas.
Potentials of Rice Husk ash, Cowdung ash and Powdered Clay as Grain Protectants against Callosobruchus Maculatus (F) and Sitophilus Zeamais (Mots)
RA Adebayo - Applied Tropical Agriculture, 2015
Experiments to assess the potential of cowdung ash, rice husk ash, and powered clay in the control of Callosobruchus maculatus (F) (cowpea beetle) and Sitophilus zeamais (Mots) (maize weevil) were conducted at the Entomology laboratory of the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria from April – July, 2011. The experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions of 28 ±2 C temperature and 55-75% relative humidity. Twenty clean uninfested seeds of cowpea and maize were weighed and placed in petri–dishes to which 1g and 2g of decarbonized ash of rice husk, cowdung and powdered clay were applied as well as the control. All treatments were replicated three times. Data were taken on number of eggs laid, number of seeds with eggs, number of seeds with holes, adult emergence and weight loss for C. maculatus while adult emergence, seeds with holes and weight loss were taken for S. zeamais. The effects of the various concentrations of the treatments on the number of cowpea seeds with C. maculatus eggs were not significant (P>0.05), though the highest number of eggs was recorded on the control (0g). The lowest number of C. maculatus adults emerged from seeds treated with cowdung ash, which was significantly different (P<0.05) from that of the control…
Finger Millet: Potential Millet for Food Security and Power House of Nutrients
V Thapliyal, K Singh
The growing public awareness of nutrition and health care research substantiates the potential of photo chemicals such as polyphenols and dietary fibers on their health beneficial properties. Hence there is no need to identify newer sources of neutraceuticals and other natural and nutritional material with the desirable functional characteristics. Fingertail millet (Eleusine coracana), is known for several health benefits and some of the health benefits are attributed to its polyphenol and dietary fiber contents. It is a major staple food crop in India for people of low income groups. Nutritionally, it is importance is well recognized because for its high content of calcium (0.38%), dietary fiber (18%) and phenolic compound (0.03%-3%). They are also recognized for their health beneficial effects, anti-diabetic, anti tumerogenic, atherosclerogenic effects, antioxidants and anti-microbial properties. The millets are source of antioxidants, such as dietary fibres (soluble and insoluble), phenolic acids and glycated flavonoids. Millet foods are characterized to be potential prebiotic and can enhance the viability or functionality of probiotics with significant health benefits.
* The GSSP News Digest just summarizes of what is reported in the press. Any errors of fact or omission is not IFPRI’s responsibility.*