Below are some current developments on agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues:
Ibrahim Musah is 2015 Best Farmer
Mr Ibrahim Musah, a 48-year-old farmer from Dormaa in the Brong Ahafo Region is the 2015 National Best Farmer. For his prize he received a three-bedroom house, GH¢3,000 from Kasapreko Distilleries, a desk top computer with printer, a lap top and a certificate. Mr. Musah who has no formal education, has 13 years farming experience, and is married with six children. He won the award with a record of cultivating 207 acres of maize, 10 acres of cocoyam, a seven-acre cassava plantation, 12 acres of citrus, 10 acres of plantain, two acres of okro, six acres of yam, one acre of tomatoes, 20 acres of teak, 12 acres of oil palm and two acres of pepper…
Ghana Government Spent GH¢120m on Agriculture – President
President John Dramani Mahama has stated that this year, the government spent GH¢120 million in supporting the rice, cashew and agro-processing sectors, as well as the importation of tractors for farmers. “Additionally, the government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture opened up more mechanization centres across the regions of the country and this has led to increased food security,” he stated. President Mahama who disclosed these in a speech read for him by a Member of the Council of State, Mr. Adenze Kanga, at the 31st edition of National Farmers Day held in Bolgatanga on Friday, said Government recognised the important role the agriculture sector played in the socio-economic development of the country…
Ghana on the Brink of Food Crisis - Bawumia
Vice Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has attributed the paltry allocation to the Agriculture sector as one of the reasons it is not doing well. According to him, growth in Agriculture moved from 7.4% in 2008 to 0.04% in 2015. “Agriculture is stagnating and has since 2008 underperformed. Real growth in Agriculture tumbled from 7.4% in 2008 to 7.2 in 2009 through 5.3% in 2010; 0.8 in 2011; 2.3% in 2012; 5% in 2013; 4.6 in 2014 and now the rock-bottom figure of 0.04% for 2015. Indeed the crops sub-sector, the dominant factor in agriculture, experienced a negative growth rate, i.e. -1.7%," Dr. Bawumia said…
Working Together to Address Global Food Insecurity
As a daughter of farmers, and as someone who has spent her career working on behalf of farmers, one of the things I care most deeply about is the future of agriculture – both in the United States and around the world. That is why one of my highest priorities at USDA has been to help develop the next generation of farmers, ensuring that women, young people, and others have access to the programs and support they need to farm successfully. As Deputy Secretary, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Africa, Central and South America. I’ve met many inspirational farmers from around the world, and while the languages we speak, the crops we grow, and the production methods we use may differ, one thing rings true in every conversation: we share the same passions and the same challenges in feeding a growing world population…
Agric Contribution to GDP in a 7-year Slump
The contribution of agriculture, the backbone of Ghana's economy, to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has dropped by an alarming 12.8% in just seven years. It dropped from 31.8% in 2009 to a mere 19% as of September 2015, a period of seven years. The contribution of agriculture to GDP in the other years is: 2010 - 29.8%, 2011 -25.3%, 2012 - 22.9%, 2013 - 22.4%, 2014-21.5%. It dropped from 31.8% in 2009 to 29.8% in 2010, representing 2% GDP contribution lost. In 2011, agriculture's contribution dropped by 4.5% to 25.3% while 2012 recorded a 2.4% drop to 22.9%. The year 2013 recorded a 0.5% drop in the contribution of agriculture from 22.9% in 2012 to 22.4% in 2013…
Sixth National Farmers Day Forum Held in Bolgatanga
The Sixth National Farmers Day Forum has been held in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, ahead of the National Celebration of the main event. The forum brought together awardees from the country's 10 regions who arrived in Bolgatanga ahead of the National Farmers Day scheduled for Friday. In his address, Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, acknowledged the contributory role of farmers to national development and said the country needed experienced and committed farmers to expand and sustain agricultural production to be able to feed the growing population. He said challenges of market and credit access would be tackled and more opportunities created for farmers to explore and expand their…
4000 Members of Cocoa Abrabopa Association Attend 7th AGM
Over 4000 cocoa farmers who are members of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA) converged at Asankragwa in the Western Region of Ghana to hold their 7th Annual General Meeting. The AGM is held every year for members of CAA to come together to consider the Audited accounts and trustee report, update of the Cocoa Abrabopa Pension Scheme (CAPS) and Elect regional representatives. The 7th AGM was highly attended by very important personalities and stakeholders in the cocoa supply chain. Nana Aduboahene I, acting chief of Asankragua and Gyasehene of Asankragua divisional area was the special guest of honor. In his welcome speech he urged all members to be hardworking and loyal to the Association…
Farmers Lament over Bad Rice Seeds
The Ho cluster of rice farmers on Wednesday complained about poor quality of rice seeds from the Rice Sector Support Project of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). They claimed the seeds were “contaminated” and could only be described as “grains”. The farmers raised the issue at a governance meeting with rice producing Farmer Based Organizations in Ho. The meeting was at the instance of Small Actions For Enterprise (SAFE-Ghana), a rice production focused non-governmental organization. The farmers said the “seeds” were mixed with different varieties, affecting yield quality…
Farmers Benefit from Rice Seed Scaling Project
Efforts at increasing local rice production to fight poverty has received a huge boost as more farmers of the Golinga Irrigation Scheme in the Northern Region are assisted to produce certified improved seeds for cultivation. This is being spearheaded by AfricaRice in partnership with the Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (SARI) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Rice Seed Scaling Project (RSSP). Dr. Boubakary Cisse, the Project Coordinator, said the goal was to encourage the use of quality and high yielding seeds to raise production levels and improve the livelihood of the farmers. The other high points of the project include right seed planning, connecting and strengthening the capacity of actors along the rice seed value chain, facilitate access to equipment and proper storage…
Eagle Lager Builds Irrigation System for Famers in Yikene
Eagle Lager, a brand from Accra Brewery Limited brand brewed from locally grown cassava, has handed over a new furrow irrigation system and a solar powered mechanised borehole to farmers in Yikene, a community within the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly in the Upper East Region. The Ghc 80,000 project is the Eagle brand’s contribution to ensuring that farming activities in the area are sustained. The initiative forms part of Accra Brewery Limited’s Sustainable Development Initiative to improve the livelihoods of rural farmers. Speaking at the handing over ceremony at Yikene, the Upper East Regional Minister, James Zuugah Tiigah commended the company for the innovative initiative which will go a long way to ensure food security and further reduce poverty among over 200 households...
Fisheries Industry Ready to Expand - Minister
Ms. Hanny Sherry Ayittey, Deputy Minister in charge of Fisheries and Aquaculture on Friday said a major breakthrough had been made in the fisheries industry to expand production and combat illegal, unprotected and unregulated fishing in the country. To that end, she said the fisheries amendment regulation (LI 2217) 2015 had been reviewed to give meaning to the fisheries amendment act, Act 880 of 2014, and for the two amendments to help regulate the fishing industry. Ms. Ayittey was speaking at the 31st edition of the National Farmers Day celebration in Bolgatanga in the upper East Region. It was celebrated on the theme, “Transform Ghana, Invest in Agriculture”…
Former President Kufuor Calls for Action to Tackle Climate Change
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for a concerted effort from stakeholders to tackle the menace of climate change which is impacting negatively on our endeavours. Speaking at the maiden REDD+ forum in Accra, President Kufuor said the long-term welfare of billions of people are at stake from the effect of climate change. The REDD+ forum organized by the Forestry Commission was to solicit political commitment and public support for actions and measures targeted at addressing drivers of deforestation, as part of Ghana’s contribution to ongoing global efforts towards abating climate change and its impacts…
Peasant Farmers Call for Investments to Reduce Climate Change Impacts
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has appealed for more commitment to reduce the impact of climate change on Ghana’s agricultural sector. According to them, output will increase marginally with the provision of efficient systems to produce throughout the year. The 2016 budget statement showed that government expenditure on agriculture has been reduced by 40 million cedis. The sector had planned to spend 395.19 million cedis this year but the government allocated 355.14 million cedis in 2016. About 85 percent of the allocated amount is also expected to be spent on the Fertilizer Subsidy programme and the Agricultural Mechanization Service Centres…
Climate Change Hits Poor and Hungry People the Hardest – FAO
Dr José Graziano Da Silva, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has appealed to world leaders to show courage and resilience by opting for changes that promote a safer, fairer and more inclusive world. Dr Graziano da Silva made the appeal in Paris at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP21), which was made available to the Ghana News Agency by Peter Mayer of the FAO Media Relations. “There will be no peace without sustainable development and there will never be sustainable development while people continue to be left behind and while people are suffering from extreme poverty and hunger. “We must demonstrate that we are not afraid of promoting the changes needed to achieve this,” he said…
FAO Intensifies Effort to Combat Climate Change
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched a new regional project to improve the livelihoods and economy of the rural population in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. A statement copied to the GNA said the project was launched during a two-day meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “Africa is blessed with an abundance of natural resources,” said Dr Jane Edeme, Deputy Director for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union. She said “and even though it is home to some of the fastest growing economies, the number of hungry people has increased in 2014.” “In both the Sahel and the Horn, the majority of the population are dependent on farming and pastoral activities both…
GhanaVeg Organizes Training for Agronomists
About thirty Agronomists have undergone a Training of Trainers course to equip them with the requisite knowledge and practical exercise to further advance and professionalize the production of vegetables. The agronomists would transfer the knowledge gain to farmer groups in the vegetable sector. The training, which was the first in a series to be organized by GhanaVeg, was designed as an on-field experience to run for two to three months intervals between October 2015 and December 2017. The exercise was spearheaded by three agronomists from the Department of Applied Plant Research of Wageningen UR in the Netherlands led by Mr. Herman de Putter…
GSA Schools Journalists on International Food Standards
The Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) says current information or data on pesticide residue in Ghana is not too good, compromising the health safety of the people as they consume various farm produce, especially fruits and vegetables. A Food Safety expert of the GSA who disclosed this at a training workshop said there is the need for government to commission the research institution to undertake a study to investigate the levels of contaminants in food to know “whether what we are consuming is safe”. “Such a study will also give us a national data for Ghana to use at international levels,” Mr. John Oppong-Otoo, CODEX Contact Point Manager at a GSA, said in Accra…
PPP Assures Farmers of Enhanced Agricultural Growth in Ghana
The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has lauded the commitment and hard work of farmers in providing food for the nation. “We sincerely appreciate you for continuing to remain our economic backbone all these years. We congratulate each and every one of you,” A statement signed by the National Secretary, of the party, Mr. Murtala Mohammed, to mark Farmers’ Day Friday, said any country that is not capable of feeding itself and export some of its produce cannot talk of economic development let alone talk about social development. According to the PPP, successive Governments, had failed over the years to tackle issues regarding farming head-on…
Youth in Akatsi-North prefer “Okada” to Farming
Young people in the Akatsi-North District would rather go into operating commercial motorbikes, locally referred to as Okada business, than cultivate irrigated fields available perennially. As a result, the 25 acre and more fields around the Ave-Afiadenyigba dam remains grossly underutilized. This situation is inhibiting, the overhaul of other existing dams at Ave-Xevi, Metrikasa, Seva and Ave-Dakpa, all of which, even in their present state, are being underutilized. Mr. Anthony Ekor, Akatsi-North District Director of Agriculture, was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the District’s Farmers' Day held at Ashiagborvi. This situation is in spite of available huge vegetable markets within the district, its precincts and in Accra/Tema areas and beyond…
Reports/Articles
Determinants of MD2* Adoption, Production Efficiency and Technology Gaps in the Ghanaian Pineapple Production Sector
A Mensah, B Brummer - 2015
This study examined the response of the Ghanaian pineapple production sector to the 2004/05 crisis where a swift shift of international market demand from the traditional smooth cayenne and sugar loaf variety to the MD2 variety nearly destroyed the entire fruit industry. We quantify the proportion of our sample farmers cultivating the MD2 variety and analysed the factors influencing adoption of the MD2 variety using a logistic regression model. We further employed a metafrontier analytical technique to assess the current productivity level of organic and conventional pineapple producers in three regions where commercial production for export is most concentrated. The high average performance scores (i.e. 97% mean TE and 95% …
Agricultural Index Insurance for Sub-Saharan African Development
ND Jensen, CB Barrett - 2015
Index insurance is often promoted as a solution to many of the barriers that are thought to limit the supply of formal insurance coverage to small-holder farmers and livestock owners in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper summarizes the current state of index insurance in low- and middle-income countries, paying special attention to the arguments of its critics and barriers to further market growth. We then offer a set of recommendations for strategic investments that aim to address those issues by developing public goods and services that work towards improving the quality of the marketed products and addressing key informational gaps…
Agroecological Niches as Ecosystem-Based Adaptive Option to Environmental Change in the Forest-Savanna Transition Zone of Ghana
BD Ofori, JS Ayivor, O Pabi, C Gordon - Journal of Sustainable Development, 2015
Generally, local farmers are able to adapt to environmental change (and developments in socio-economic conditions) by engaging in a range of creative practices of on-farm management, use of improved crop varieties and adoption of new technologies. However in the past few decades, there has been growing interest in other adaptive options with the potential of addressing household food security and the multiple dimensions of sustainable agriculture. This study therefore examined the use of niche environments in the agricultural landscape as ecosystem-based adaptive strategy to environmental change among 102 farmers of 9 fringe communities of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve of the forest-savanna transition zone in …
Weather Index Insurance for Managing Drought Risk in Smallholder Agriculture: Lessons and Policy Implications for Sub-Saharan Africa
MA Tadesse, BA Shiferaw, O Erenstein - Agricultural and Food Economics, 2015
This paper reviews recent advances in, and challenges for, weather index insurance for managing drought risk in smallholder agriculture, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its promise to integrate local agricultural risk smoothing with insurance principles, there remain many challenges to its mainstreaming in low income countries. Scaling up of weather index insurance pilot projects is particularly constrained by high-basis risk, related to the divergence between the calculated weather index and actual productivity loss on the farm. Various options may be considered to enhance uptake of weather index insurance. Linking reliable weather data with location-specific crop and agronomic conditions using flexible geospatial crop modeling tools is one option to reduce the basis risk. The other option is interlinking weather index insurance with credit or safety nets…
Connectivity as engine for productivity among smallholder peanut farmers in Senegal
LM Séne - 2015
Peanut is a major source of income for many farmers in Senegal. However, this sector faces several problems in all the segments of the value chain such as yield decline and serious market disturbances. Agricultural production has to be increased to address these issues. This can be done by reinforcing the connectivity of farmers. This study aims to evaluate connectivity as a catalyst for agricultural productivity. An appropriate measure of connectivity integrating various dimensions is computed and an estimate of multilevel mixed-effects linear regression shows its positive and meaningful effect on the output…..
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