Below are some current developments on agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues
Local Farmers to Benefit from GH¢90 million Agric Subsidy
Farmers are to benefit from a GH¢90 million subsidy on fertilizer and seeds this year, the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr. Fifi Kwetey, has said. At the 2015 Fertilizer and Seed Subsidy Programme in Accra last Monday, Mr. Kwetey said the subsidy would target smallholder farmers cultivating maize, rice, sorghum and millet, emphasizing that food crop farmers would be given the priority. Currently, the government is subsidizing fertilizer at about 21 per cent… Agriculture is Ghana’s most important economic sector, employing more than half the population on a formal and informal basis and accounting for almost half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export earnings. The country produces a variety of crops in various climatic zones which range from dry savanna to wet forest and which run in east-west bands across the country. Agricultural crops such as yam, grains, cocoa, oil palm, kola nuts and timber form the base of the country’s economy.
Poultry Farmers Contest EDAIF’s GH¢7.7 million Claim
The Ghana Poultry Farmers Association (GNAPF) says none of its members has received grants from the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund (EDAIF) to revamp their farms. Subsequently, the association has challenged EDAIF to publish the names of beneficiaries of the GH¢7.7 million it claims to have disbursed to the poultry farmers in the country as grants. “If they claim they have really given GH¢ 7.7 million to the poultry farmers in the country, they should name those who have benefitted from the grant,” the Chairman of the association, Mr. Kwadwo Asante, said in an interview with the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on March 20….The government, in 2013, indicated that it had initiated an intervention to revamp the poultry sector. Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, the then Minister of Trade and Industry, who signed the correspondence to GNAPF, said by the last quarter of 2014, there would be a stimulus support for the production of poultry to facilitate the economic development of the country. The cost was estimated at GH¢39.54 million.
President Mahama Dialogues with AGRA Board
Ghana’s rice import bill of about $500 million annually saw a reduction of about $200 million last year, President John Dramani Mahama has said. The development, he explained, was the result of effective collaboration between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the private sector to improve local production of the crop, which stood at about 60 per cent last year. The nation had been spending an estimated $500 million annually on rice importation, but the President believed the quest to realize the twin goals of becoming self-sufficient in rice production and a net exporter of the crop were on course. Speaking when board members of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) called on him at the Flagstaff House last Thursday, the President said, "We've targeted rice as a crop for which we want to increase production to feed ourselves and for export." The huge importation of rice contributed to swelling….
CPP to join Suit against Release of Genetically Modified Rice, Cowpeas
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) is to join the suit against the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the National Biosafety Committee to stop the release and commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). As a co-plaintiff, the CPP will support the Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) which is seeking an injunction at the Human Rights Division of the High Court to stop the two government institutions from releasing and commercializing genetically modified rice and cowpeas. At the last hearing of the injunction at the court on April 2, 2015, the Chairperson of the CPP, Ms. Samia Nkrumah, said the party was yet to take the decision. “The Central Committee of the CPP will soon approve a decision to join the suit in support of Food Sovereignty Ghana which has sued the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Biosafety Commission.
Stakeholders in Kassena-Nankana Hold Agriculture Policy Forum
An agriculture policy sensitization forum has been held at Navrongo in the Upper East Region to diagnose challenges facing the sector and come out with effective solutions. The forum which was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana and the Agricultural Development and Value Chain Advancement (ADVANCE) programme, brought together major stakeholders in Agriculture from the area. Mr. Festus Kwadzokpo, Capacity Building coordinator, USAID Agricultural Policy Support Project, in a presentation highlighted on the five-year Agriculture Policy Support Project (APSP) saying it had a goal to improve food security-enabling environment for private sector investment in agriculture. Mr. Kwadzokpo who did the presentation together with Mr. Roland Akabzaa, a representative of ADVANCE, indicated that in collaboration with other development partners such as Feed the Future (FtF) project, APSP would support the policy agenda of the Government of Ghana (GoG ), especially the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to implement the …
Low Food Production Threatens Ghana’s GDP Growth – Scientist
Agricultural production now contributes about 20 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) instead of the original 60 per cent to 70 per cent. Dr Victor Agyemang, the Director General of Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), who stated this, said the sinking production levels was affecting overall GDP growth, while it threatened food security. Therefore, Dr Agyemang said it was important to adopt various technological platforms to increase the growth rate of agricultural production. Dr Agyemang was addressing stakeholders at a workshop, organized in Accra, on Monday, by the CSIR to share findings on a study conducted to review and appraise the various Innovation Platform (IP) cases, draw lessons and make recommendations for an improved IP implementation.
Experts Trained on Digital Soil Mapping
Participants at the end of a 12-day training workshop on Digital Soil Mapping for Western and Central African countries have called on governments to provide the needed infrastructure for the implementation of the project. The experts from 21 countries said most governments in Africa have not prioritized soil management and they need to know the importance of soil in the development of agriculture and other developmental processes. The workshop organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization followed a similar one for East and Southern African countries, last year in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr. Christian Omuto, the workshop facilitator, told Ghana News Agency that the workshop was to build the capacity of participants using the state of the art technology on digital soil mapping. He said it was to bridge the gap in terms of improving the availability of updated, quantitative and reliable soil data….
Use Appropriate ICT Tools in Farming Practices – Minister
Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, the Northern Regional Minister, has advised farmers to use the appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in farming to produce more food to better their living conditions. He said, “We are in the age of technology and we cannot be smart farmers, processors, marketers and other service providers without the appropriate ICT tools”, and urged stakeholders in agriculture to make good use of tools that could make available information on markets, weather and good agronomic practices for better decision-making. Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru gave the advice in Tamale, in a speech read on his behalf at the 5th Annual Northern Ghana Pre-Season Planning and Networking Forum hosted by the Ghana Agro-Input Dealers Association (GAIDA). The event on the theme: “Smart Technologies for increased productivity”, hosted about 800 maize, rice and soya bean value chain stakeholders at the planning and networking forum, which created the avenue for interaction and planning to establish market linkages for the 2015 planting season.
Agro-input Dealers to License Shops - Director
Mrs. Felicia Ansah- Amprofi, Birim Central Municipal Agricultural Director, in the Eastern Region, has urged agro-chemical dealers to license their shops. She called on them to allow qualified agro-chemical handlers to operate their businesses to facilitate the education of farmers in the handling of the inputs. Mrs. Ansah-Amprofi gave the advice when she met with the Municipal Agricultural staff and some farmers of the area. The Municipal Agricultural Director expressed concern that some farmers are not familiar with the usage of agro-chemicals. She said the extension officers are understaffed and their itinerary for visiting farmers are so stretched that farmers do not get them regularly. Mrs. Ansah-Amprofi advised the farmers to visit the municipal office to familiarize themselves with the agricultural knowledge available and put it into good use.
Reports/Articles
Consumer Preference and Willingness to Pay for Fish Farmed in Treated Wastewater in Ghana
SA Gebrezgabher, S Amewu, P Amoah - 2015
The reuse of treated wastewater for aquaculture has been practised in several countries and has a potential to create a viable fish farming business in low income countries. However, wastewater aquaculture practices which satisfy health and hygiene guidelines and standards will not be viable if consumers are unwilling to purchase fish reared in treated waste-water. In this study we investigate consumers’ preference and willingness to pay for fish farmed in treated waste-water in Ghana. A consumer survey was conducted in Kumasi. We utilize a dichotomous-choice contingent valuation methodology to estimate willingness to pay for fresh Tilapia and smoked Catfish farmed in treated wastewater and analyze factors that affect consumer choice. Consumers in the survey ranked price, size and quality of fish measured by taste and freshness as the most important product attributes influencing their decision prior…
Modelling Heat Stress Effect on Two Maize Varieties in Northern Region of Ghana
TD NA, H Webber, WA Agyare, M Fosu, J Naab… - 2015
Agriculture in Ghana accounts for more than 30% of GDP and three-quarters of export earnings. In Sub Saharan Africa, climate change is predicted to affect the agricultural sector most. The objectives of this study were: to use the SIMPLACE (Scientific Impact assessment and Modelling Platform for Advanced Crop and Ecosystem management) to simulate maize yield under heat stress. To compare SIMPLACE model output with heat stress, and without heat stress. Finally simulate the effect of heat stress on maize yield depending on the sowing date. The study collected and analyzed data from field experiments during the 2012/2013 dry season and repeated in 2014 at Bontanga irrigation site and the 2014 rainy season at Gbulahagu farming community based on three (3) sowing dates (SD). Comparing the SIMPLACE model output to the observed field data, the duration of development phases were …
Factors Determining Adoption of New Agricultural Technology by Smallholder Farmers in Developing Countries
M Mwangi, S Kariuki - Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 2015
Agricultural technologies are seen as an important route out of poverty in most of the developing countries. However the rate of adoption of these technologies has remained low in most of these countries. This study aim at shedding some light on the potential factors that influence agricultural technology adoption in developing countries. It does so by reviewing previous studies done on technology adoption. From the study technological, economic, institutional factors and human specific factors are found to be the determinants of agricultural technology adoption. The study recommend the future studies on adoption to widen the range of variables used by including perception of farmers towards new technology…
African Edible Insects for Food and Feed: Inventory, Diversity, Commonalities and Contribution to Food Security
S Kelemu, S Niassy, B Torto, K Fiaboe, H Affognon… - Journal of Insects as Food …, 2015
This paper reviews entomophagy as practiced in Africa within the context of food and nutritional security by providing an inventory of the various species of insects that are consumed on the continent and suggests a research for development (R4D) agenda for sustainable utilization of insects for food and feed. Our survey showed that over 470 species of insects are eaten in Africa. The Central African region remains the most important hotspot of having a culture of entomophagy. The insects mostly eaten in the continent are dominated by the orders Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Coleoptera. Commonalities were observed across the majority of the insects consumed across Africa, providing opportunities for related R4D activities. An R4D agenda and pathways for using edible insects suggest that socio-economics and marketing studies should address issues of communities’ perceptions, based on their cultural background, income and beliefs. Cost-effective rearing, harvesting and processing technologies are required to prevent depletion and ecological perturbations while ensuring continuous availability of insect-based…
Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation: A Review of the Empirical Links
H Suich, C Howe, G Mace - 2015
We present the results of a review of the empirical evidence and of the state of knowledge regarding the mechanisms linking ecosystem services and poverty alleviation. The review was undertaken to determine the state of current knowledge about the scale and nature of these linkages, and focus the future research agenda. Research has, to date, focused largely on provisioning services, and on just two poverty dimensions concerning income and assets, and food security and nutrition. While many papers describe links between ecosystem services and dimensions of poverty, few provide sufficient context to enable a thorough understanding of the poverty alleviation impacts (positive or negative), if any. These papers contribute to the accumulating evidence that ecosystem services support well-being, and perhaps prevent people becoming poorer, but provide little evidence of their contribution to poverty …
Capacity-building in the Management of Moderate Acute Malnutrition
A Jackson, A Ashworth - Food & Nutrition Bulletin, 2015
Evidence from low- and middle-income countries indicates that although there is a willingness to prevent and treat malnutrition at scale, there is very limited capacity to achieve this. Three broad areas of concern are human resources and the quality of services; management systems and supplies; and demand side factors. This paper focuses on building human resources in the context of preventing and managing malnutrition. Training should provide several options and approaches suitable for different settings and focus on core competencies. Pre-service training should be the main focus of training, while in-service training should be used for continuing medical education and refresher training. Communities of Practice, in which national and international health professionals come together to deepen their knowledge and pool their skills to pursue a common ambition, are seen as one way forward to building the necessary human resources for scaling up training.
* The GSSP News Digest just summarizes of what is reported in the press. Any errors of fact or omission is not IFPRI’s responsibility.*