Below are some current developments on agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues
Ziope Earmarked for Vegetable Cultivation - President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has announced the government’s decision to designate Ziope in the Volta Region as a special project area for the cultivation of vegetables for the local and foreign markets. He said the special project area would be supervised by the Extension Services Division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Ziope Traditional Area to climax the fifth edition of their farming festival, known as Agbleza, last Saturday, President Mahama said there was a huge market for vegetables and, therefore, asked the people to take advantage of that to produce more to earn higher incomes. The Ziope Traditional Area, with 58 communities and a population of more than 22,000, is a large farming community on …
AfDB Unveils New Report to Empower Women
The African Development Bank (AfDB), has unveiled a new report to economically empower women giving them additional leverage to participate gainfully in the agricultural added value-chain. The report dubbed: “Economic Empowerment of African Women through Equitable Participation in Agricultural Value Chains,” was produced by the office of the Special Envoy on Gender and the Department for Agriculture and Agro-industry of AfDB, which was launched at its headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The details of the event copied to Ghana News Agency, high-level participants, including stakeholders from both the private and public sectors from the countries and sectors examined by the report in cocoa, coffee, cotton and cassava sectors in …
Government is Wrecking Agricultural Sector – Minority
Minority in Parliament has accused the Mahama-led administration of destroying the agricultural sector. According to the Minority spokesperson on Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, the allocation of only 1.1 percent of the budget and only 8.4 percent of oil revenue to the sector over the last few years is not enough to revive agriculture in the country. Speaking to Citi News on the need to revamp the agricultural sector, Dr Afriyie Akoto charged government to allocate more fund to the sector. “The rate of growth has suddenly gone down. Not only that. If you take the average for the last eight years, agriculture has been going down at only half the rate of the national economy which is a very dangerous trend, giving the fact that we have a new discovery of oil.”
Cocoa Production to Decline below 500,000 metric tons – NPP warns
The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) has predicted a huge decline in Ghana’s cocoa production in the coming years if government continues with its “misguided policies and poor implementation of projects” in that sector. They have forecast that production of the country’s main export commodity may dip to below 500,000 metric tons from the current 900,000 metric tons if the interventions put in place by the previous government are not critically appraised. According to the Minority Spokesperson on Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, since the attainment of the record one million metric tonnes in the 2011 crop season, there has been a consistent decline in output to figures below 900,000 metric tons in three consecutive seasons.
US Delegation to Visit Cocoa Farmers
A delegation from the Hershey Company, producers of quality chocolate in North America and students of Milton Hershey School, would visit Ghana in 2016 to interact with cocoa farmers in Assin Sienchem in the Central Region. The visit would afford the students of the philanthropic school in Pennsylvania to learn at first-hand the operations of the farmers, support in planting shed trees, get understanding of the country’s culture and community and emerging issues important to Ghanaian farmers. Dr Francis Baah, Executive Director of Cocoa Health and Extension Division, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) told the Ghana News Agency in the Central Region that the delegation is scheduled to pay a working visit to the Assiman Young Cocoa Farmers Association in the Region. Dr Baah noted that COCOBOD has a long standing relationship with the Hershey Company, which sources Ghana's cocoa as one of the best in terms of quality for its factory.
Agricultural Researchers Brainstorm to Improve Cassava Production
A two-day regional workshop to review the first phase of the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme’s (WAAPP) Diffusion of Approaches for the Control of Cassava Diseases (DALIMA) Project has opened in Kumasi. The project being spearheaded by the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), aims at maximizing cassava production, using disease-resistant planting materials. Research indicates that the sub-region produces about 31 per cent of the world’s cassava, but this is being threatened by viral diseases including the African Cassava Mosaic Virus. Funded jointly by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and WAAPP, the DALIMA Project had since its inception in 2009 helped to cultivate about 40 hectares …
Farmers Trained on Cereal Storage
Professor Joan Fulton of the Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business has advised farmers to adopt proper means to store their grains after harvest to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food security. She urged farmers in the country to adopt the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags method in storing their grains since the technology could keep the grains for more than one year after harvesting. Prof. Fulton made the suggestion in Tamale at the weekend, during a training of trainer's workshop on PICS, which was aimed at improving food security and increase income of smallholder farmers.
Research Institutions to Develop Improved Cereal Varieties
Two research institutions are conducting research into developing crop varieties with useful biological traits that will not only be high-yielding but also tolerant to pests, diseases and drought. Some of the crops the research is being conducted on are cassava, sweet potato and cocoyam. The initiative by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and the Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is being supported by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP). Its focus is ensuring access to improved genetic materials. It is expected that the outcome of the research will contribute to achieving food self-sufficiency in the country and other neighbouring nations through the exchange of crop genetic materials.
WACCI Holds Workshop for African Centres’ of Excellence
The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) of the University of Ghana (UG) has organised a two-day workshop for the five World Bank Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) in agriculture. The workshop dubbed: “Workshop for the Agriculture Education Front-runners in West Africa: ACEs Learning Experience at WACCI” was on the theme: “The march towards food security in Africa.” The workshop drew 52 participants, including scientists, researchers, Centre and Management staff from West and Central Africa. Its purpose was to allow the ACEs draw on lessons from the experiences of WACCI and also exchange institutional best practices. The WACCI is a partnership between the UG and Cornell University, United States that was established in June 2007 with funding from the …
Farmers’ Demand Transparency in Dividend Payments
Kuapa Kokoo Farmers’ Union (KKFU), a Ghanaian farmers’ cooperative, with majority shares in the United Kingdom (UK)-based chocolate manufacturing company, Divine Chocolate Limited, has complained about the lack of financial transparency in the operations of the company. The National Executive Council of the Union insists the company has not been fair in its dividends payment and is demanding that there must be some level of openness. Ms. Fatima Ali, National President of the Union, said they were not comfortable with the returns on their shares. “Our investigations indicate that the company has been doing well on the international market but we continue to receive paltry amounts as dividends.” She conveyed the sentiment, when she addressed the annual delegates’ …
Deforestation on the Rise in Northern Regions
Deforestation is assuming high proportions in the Northern Regions, especially the Upper East region as some unscrupulous persons have resorted to cutting down young trees to sell as fuel wood and charcoal. The tree choppers use dangerous chemicals to uproot the trees without necessarily using chainsaws to cut them and by so doing avoid attracting Forest Officials and the community members. On daily basis, trucks and pickups cart the wood from Pwalugu in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region and the Karimenga and Wulugu communities in the northern parts of the Northern Region that share boundaries with the Upper East Region. A Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigations in the Upper East Region shows that the practice was widespread in the Bawku West District, as …
Cheap Vegetable Oils Killing Oil Palm Industry – OPDAG
Mr. Samuel Awonnea Avaala, President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG) has said that the import of cheap sub-standard vegetable oils into the country is killing the local oil palm industry. “The imported oils have a significant negative impact on the refining sector and a ripple effect on the value chain, including farmers, and all direct/indirect dependents in the palm oil sector,” he said. Speaking at the Association’s first stakeholder meeting in Accra, which brought together major players in the Oil-palm value chain, Mr. Avaala said such trade practices were causing substantial revenue loss to government. “With appropriate duty, the palm oil sector will be able to attract investors to invest in the plantations (which normally come with associated smallholder …
Northern Region Farmers Benefit from Training program
More than 4,000 small holder women farmers from 10 districts in the Northern region have been trained on best agronomy practices and soil fertility management to ensure best agriculture practice which will in turn boost food security. The training organised by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA-GHANA) under its Agricultural Productivity Improvement and Marketing Project (INTAPIMP) is a three-year project funded by DANIDA and the Rockefeller Foundation through the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) at a cost of US$1,049 million to enable the farmers adopt to best practices that would help increase yields…
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor Urges Africa to Take Lead Role in Climate Change
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, a UN Special Envoy on Climate Change, has tasked African leaders to take a lead role in the fight against the devastating effects of climate change. Speaking at the launch of Globo Hydro Power, a fuel enhancement system onto the Ghanaian market, he said Africa just like the rest of the world would not be spared the effects of climate change. According to him, GHP fuel enhancement system, which is designed to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuelled combustion engines, will go a long way in helping the country curb its carbon dioxide emission which is the causative factor in climate change. He said, since Africa stands to suffer more from the consequences of climate change, it is prudent it takes a forefront role in the battle to …
Study Assesses the Impact of Climate Change on Populations
An international collaborative study worth 13.5 million Canadian dollars by researchers to understand the effects of climate change on people living in Deltas in Africa, and South Asia and how they respond is progressing. Researchers from the University of Ghana (UG) in collaboration with four others in the United Kingdom, India, Bangladesh and Egypt are undertaking the project. The DECCMA (DEltas, vulnerability and Climate Change: Migration and Adaptation) project is being funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre and the UK’s Department for International Development. Deltas are economic and environmental hotspots and often support high population densities, estimated at more than 500 million people globally, with particular concentrations in …
Edaif-Aribro Project Poised to Meet 20million Poultry Production Target
An EDAIF-ARIBRO project aimed at significantly reducing the reliance on imported day-old chicks for the poultry industry in Ghana, is contributing heavily to achieving President John Dramani Mahama's 20 million broiler production target by the end of 2016. The president, during his 2015 ‘State of the Nation’ address, noted that this target would reduce the importation of poultry by 40 per cent by the end of 2016 and save the economy about $150million. He said according to latest statistics, Ghana had achieved a drop of 30 per cent in poultry imports from $208.7million to $149million - but the target would ensure further reduction in the current import figures…
Wa Seed Growers Benefit from EDAIF Support
Operations of the Seed Growers Association of Ghana (SEEDPAG) in the Upper West Regional capital, Wa have significantly improved following interventions made by the Export Trade, Agricultural & Industrial Development Fund – EDAIF. The 60-member association, which, in the past, used to purchase foundation seeds from the Grains and Legumes Board with contributions from individual members, is currently able to acquire large quantities of seeds thanks to EDAIF. Aside the acquisition of increased number of seeds, the association is also able to produce; process and market certified seeds as well as engage in export of same. These have contributed to the growth of the seed industry in the region and created jobs for the youth in the area…
Stakeholders Sensitized on Forest and Water Conservation
A Rocha Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) focused on forest conservation, has held a sensitization forum for stakeholders in and around the Atiwa forest on the need to keep and sustain the forest reserve for biodiversity, livelihood and future gains. The forum was on the theme: "strengthening the position and role of communities making processes and management of Atiwa forest reserve’’ at Kwabeng in the Eastern Region. Mr. Emmanuel Akom, the Project Manager, A Rocha, said the NGO sought to support and enhance the important biological areas, ecosystems and species of the reserve and looked for alternatives for communities whose livelihoods depended on it. He said the forest had been under several threats from illegal hunting, farm encroachment, small scale and…
UCC, Fisher Folks Dialogue on Sustainable Fisheries and Coastal Management
The Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Department of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Wednesday engaged members of fishing communities in the Central Region in a dialogue on Sustainable fisheries and Coastal Management in the country. The workshop, which was on the theme “Developing tools for Sustainable Coastal Resources Management” brought together Chief Fishermen, Canoe Owners, Fishmongers and other stakeholders in fishing communities across the Region. It was in line with series of policy and research dialogues being held under the 5.5 Million dollar United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/UCC Fisheries and Coastal Management Capacity Building Support Project. Started in 2014, the project aims at strengthening capacity for sustainable fisheries and resource management and the improvement of infrastructure for training and research of fisheries and coastal management…
Reports/Articles
The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the Performance of the Agricultural Sector in Ghana
AA Iddrisu, M Immurana, BO Halidu - … Journal of Academic Research in Business …, 2015
The impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the economic growth of host economies has attracted significant debate in the literature with empirical evidence being inconclusive. Sectoral analysis was therefore introduced in the literature to understand the heterogenous response of the performance of the various economic sectors to changes in the inflows of FDI as opposed to the impact of the latter on the whole economy. On the sectoral paradigm, very little attention has been given to the agricultural sector which holds the key to food security in the world and poverty reduction in developing economies such as Ghana where the sector employs majority of the active working population. In this respect, our study looked at the impact of FDI on the performance of the agricultural sector in Ghana with data over the period 1980 - 2013 using Johansen cointegration test…
Postharvest Quality Response of Tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum, Mill) Fruits to Different Concentrations of Calcium Chloride at Different DipTimes
E Arthur, I Oduro, P Kumah - Am. J. Food. Nutr, 2015
The postharvest quality of tomato fruit harvested at the pink stage and dipped in 3 different concentrations of CaCl2 for different dip times (30, 20 and 10 minutes) were studied. Tomato fruits dipped in 6% CaCl2 for 30 and 20 minutes retained significantly (P < 0.05) higher level of firmness, titrable acidity and vitamin C than fruits dipped in 2% CaCl2 and the control. The calcium chloride treated fruits showed significant (P < 0.05) levels of delay in the changes of weight loss, firmness, titrable acidity, total soluble solids, vitamin C and decay than fruits without CaCl2 treatment. Tomato fruits dipped in 6% CaCl2 for 20 or 30 minutes maintained significantly (P < 0.05) higher vitamin C and firmness than fruits dipped for 10 minutes and the control. Therefore, postharvest quality of tomato fruits such as vitamin C, titrable acidity, weight and firmness can be maintained by harvesting at the pink stage and dipping in 6% CaCl2 for 20 minutes. Maintaining these postharvest parameters may help …
Farmers’ Perceptions about Adaptation Practices to Climate Change and Barriers to Adaptation: A Micro-Level Study in Ghana
F Ndamani, T Watanabe - Water, 2015
This study analyzed the farmer-perceived importance of adaptation practices to climate change and examined the barriers that impede adaptation. Perceptions about causes and effects of long-term changes in climatic variables were also investigated. A total of 100 farmer-households were randomly selected from four communities in the Lawra district of Ghana. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs). The results showed that 87% of respondents perceived a decrease in rainfall amount, while 82% perceived an increase in temperature over the past 10 years. The study revealed that adaptation was largely in response to dry spells and droughts (93.2%) rather than floods. About 67% of respondents have adjusted their farming activities in response to climate change.
On-Farm and Off-Farm Works: Complement or Substitute? Evidence from Nigeria
RO Babatunde - 2015
Farming as a primary source of income has failed to guarantee sufficient livelihood for most farming households in Sub-Saharan Africa. To overcome their credit constraints, farm households are increasingly seeking alternative sources of income by participating in off-farm activities. While the poverty and inequality effects of off-farm income have been analyzed in different developing countries, much less empirical studies have been conducted on the impact of off-farm income on agricultural production and efficiency. In this article, I analyzed the effect of off-farm income on farm output, expenditure on purchased inputs and technical efficiency among farm households, using survey data collected from 40 villages in Kwara State of Nigeria. In line with previous study from other countries, it was found that off-farm income is important for the vast majority of the households: almost 90% of the sampled households have at least some off-farm income and on …
Clipped Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) Fodder Management: A Potential for Soil Organic Matter Enrichment in Degraded Savannah Soils of Nigeria
BE Sambo, EC Odion - Sustainable Agriculture Research, 2015
Severe nutrient depletion of the soils of the savannah tropics of Africa over the years has made it difficult to improve the productivity of varieties of crops using cultural practices alone. But interestingly, it has been observed that when a cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) crop is cut (clipped) before senescence; it can regenerate after defoliation (provided there is enough soil moisture). And when the clipped organic fodder is added and/or ploughed back into the soil, it enriches the soil organic matter (SOM) content that in turn enhances crop productivity. Thus, this study was carried out with the objective of determining the influence of intra-row spacing, clipping height and time on the productivity of cowpea and SOM; at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; during the 2002-2005 wet seasons….Results showed that the textural class of the experimental site soil was loam silt; with a conducive pH of (6.6 in 2002 and 5.5 in 2005), for crop …
Inheritance Customs and Agricultural Investment∗
B Dillon, A Voena - 2015
This paper examines the connection between women’s land inheritance rights and investments in land productivity in Zambia. We study whether the threat of land expropriation upon widowhood deters households from fallowing, applying fertilizer, and employing labor-intensive tillage techniques. The primary source of policy varation comes from village customary norms governing the transfer of land after the death of a head of household, which we observe in a survey of village leaders and match to a 2008 household agricultural survey. Controlling for a large number of factors, including geographic location, household composition, and tribe, we find consistent evidence of reduced land investment by married couples in villages where widows are less likely to inherit land…
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