The deadly listeriosis outbreak in South Africa could potentially spread to 16 other African nations, says the World Health Organisation (WHO). “This is a wake-up call for the continent to strengthen national food safety and disease surveillance systems,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa. Also read: Listeriosis epidemic in…
The Zambian government has enrolled 1 million smallholder farmers under its Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) on weather index insurance. Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said the development is in line with government’s efforts to mitigate the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change. Katambo said so far payouts amounting to…
The European Union (EU) has given Zambia €5 million to help it curb wildlife poaching. EU Programme Manager Friedrich Mahler said Zambia is rapidly losing iconic species due to the crime perpetrated by locals with the backing of international criminal syndicates. “Protecting fauna remains a huge challenge despite the many…
More than 250 million litres of milk go to waste annually despite the deficit the nation faces, says the Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ). “The wastage comes about because producers cannot get to the milk to market due poor road networks and the high cost of transportation,” DAZ said in…
Namibia has recorded the first case of listeriosis, the Namibian Minister of health Bernard Haufiku confirmed. “A 41 year old man was diagnosed with the disease on Monday and is being treated in a hospital in Windhoek. This is the first case of listeriosis reported in Namibia since the outbreak…
United States (US) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced a US$533 million aid package to fight famine and food insecurity in Africa. Tillerson also elevated trade and investment, citing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) as a key priority area during his recent trip to Africa. Also read: Zambia gears…
Seven investors have pledged nearly K1 billion to develop farm blocks in Zambia’s Copperbelt, Northern, Luapula and North-Western provinces, said Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo. Katambo said one of the anchor investors, Seventh China Railway Group, will invest in development of infrastructure at the cost of K390 million at Kalungwishi Farm…
The Zambian government has implemented a slew of legislative measures to promote better water management. The measures include revisions of water tariffs and ground water usage regulations. Minister of Water Development Dennis Wanchinga said the measures were aimed at ensuring effective and sustainable water management across all sectors, including agriculture.…
Empowering women leads to more progressive farmers and greater economic and social opportunities for households in low-income nations, according to a study conducted by Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. “The study was not only able to directly link empowerment with agricultural and household decision-making, but the ability…
Zambia’s House of Chiefs wants a national summit to break the impasse on the proposed national land policy. “Our view is that government should call for an indaba to make sure that all 288 chiefs attend, and ample time be given to go through the draft national land policy,” said…
The Zambian Ministry of Fisheries imposed a 30-day nationwide fishing ban to prevent the spread of cholera. The ban, coming bare after the 90-day annual mandatory fishing moratorium expired, affected more than 30 000 fishermen, fish traders and transporters. “As a preventive measure against the outbreak of cholera in the…
The Zambian government has assured traditional leaders that they will continue to be custodians of customary land under the proposed land reform policy following last week’s stand-off that. “Some chiefs might be worried that the intention of government was to repossess land and strip them of powers to administer traditional…
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has launched a competition challenging all data lovers to come up with novel ways to use a big new dataset to improve understanding of farming practices and outcomes in low-income nations. The competition is co-sponsored by United Kingdom (UK) University of Bristol’s Jean Golding…
Zambia has banned the import of processed meat products, including polony, sausages and ham, from South Africa (SA) to safeguard citizens from contracting listeriosis, which broke out in SA last October. Listeriosis is a disease caused by infection with listeria, with pregnant women, elderly people, children, and immune compromised adults…
The price of tomatoes in Zambia soared to K290 per box from a low of K120. The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) attributed the increase to scarcity of the crop as a result of diseases and high input costs. “There is a low supply as most farmers suffered losses due…
Poaching has reached dire levels across Africa and Zambia has raised the anti-poaching ante by deploying drones to conduct surveillance in its national parks. Zambian Tourism Minister Charles Banda says the drones will be especially useful to curb poaching in hard to reach areas. “The use of drones fits into…
Zambia is braced for more floods in most parts of the country due to continued extreme rainy conditions. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit’s (DMMU) weather warning is still in place, with people in flood-prone areas told to take precautions. The DMMU urged people to move to safe areas and seek…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is offering Zimbabwean farmers who shifted to Zambia at the height of the controversial land reform programme, incentives to return. Zambia’s online newspaper Watchdog reports the drive to get the farmers to relocate back to Zimbabwe is being carried out through special emissaries, while a high…
Tobacco production in Zambia is at an all-time low as compared to Malawi and Zimbabwe, said Rhidah Mungomba, Tobacco Board of Zambia Chairperson. “Today our national production has fallen to an all-time low of 23 million kg/year compared to Zimbabwe’s 180 million and Malawi’s 150 million,” Mungomba told the 2017/’18…
Zambian chiefs yesterday walked out of a crucial consultative meeting, protesting a proposed revised land law stripping them of powers to administer customary land. Lands Minister Jean Kapata said she was surprised by the decision of the chiefs to reject the draft law after exhaustive consultations with them. “The revised…
Cereal by-products will play an increasing role in building sustainable livestock futures across the developing world, says the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The aim is to treat cereals like straw from fine grain crops such as rice, wheat and teff and stover from coarse grain plants such as maize,…
Zambia’s southern areas may face food shortages arising from a recent drought, says the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI). In its latest bulletin titled The 2017/2018 dry spells: Should Zambia panic?, IAPRI says the scenario in the southern parts of the country requires the coordination of the Disaster Management…
Zambian Vice President Inonge Wina has ruled out importing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) despite the nation’s uncertain outlook for maize production. “We will not import GMO foods,” Wina told Parliament when it resumed sitting. This comes as the food security outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, including Zambia, looks grim due to climatic…
In an attempt to stem severe deforestation, Kenya wants to enact bylaws to compel land owners with more than 1 acre to plant at least 100 indigenous tree seedlings. Other measures being considered in the renewed push to address forest destruction, included the use of prisoners to plant trees. “Those…
