The Ugandan government has lifted the ban on the movement and sale of cloven-hoofed animals following the eradication of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Alebtong District. The quarantine was imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries following a localised outbreak of FMD in October last…
Up to 40% of Mozambican crop produce has been lost to pests and plant diseases since April 2017, the government has said. Government Spokesperson Ana Comoana said the maize crop has been besieged by fall armyworm, while coconut plantations have been ravaged by yellow-leaf plague. Banana plantations are reportedly under…
Southern African countries have updated the regional preparedness and response plan for the management and control of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 following the outbreak that devastated the poultry industry in 2017. The updated plan was crafted by regional experts and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).…
The European Union (EU) has donated €15 million to help Ugandan government fund the development of a market oriented and environmentally sustainable beef sector. Assistant Commissioner for Animal Disease Control at the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Noelina Nantima said the 5-year programme seeks to create a…
The government of South Sudan has confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) among domesticated livestock and humans in 3 counties of the Eastern Lakes State. In a statement, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said a state of emergency has been declared following the confirmation of the disease outbreak…
The World Bank (WB) has called for more and better investment in Ghana’s agriculture sector to help improve productivity, employment, and rural poverty reduction. In a summary of its latest country-focused report entitled Agriculture: Ghana’s Engine of Growth for Jobs Creation, the bank said due to lack of investments, the…
At least 1 078 veterinary health professionals from 13 African countries are among the 4 700 trained by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture and Organisation (FAO) to strengthen the developing countries’ capacity to manage livestock disease outbreaks. In a statement, the FAO said with funding from the United States…
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) says it will this year provide a US$70 million support facility to shore up productivity and competitiveness in the small-scale tobacco production sector. Central bank Governor Dr. John Mangudya said the interventions will be made through the RBZ Tobacco Finance Facility, administered by the…
The Zimbabwean government says fall armyworm has destroyed nearly 150 000 hectares of the maize in all 10 provinces of the country. According to the preliminary findings of an impact survey done by the Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (Agritex), the current fall armyworm (FAW) outbreak poses a threat to…
The Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN) says the federal government has agreed to support Irish potato growers with farm mechanisation, capitalisation loans and inputs to boost productivity. POFAN President Chief Daniel Okafor told local media that the government has included the association in programmes involving the distribution of disease…
The Ethiopian government plans to set up 5 big clusters of horticulture farms to help shift the focus of the sector to export-oriented productivity. Deputy Ethiopian Investment Commissioner Belachew Mekuria said the plan entails setting up horticultural farm parks in selected areas that have access to one-stop export processing services…
The Zimbabwean government has halted imports of a wide range of processed meat products from South Africa (SA) to prevent the spread of listeriosis. Listeria has killed 180 people since breaking out in SA late last year. On Sunday, Health Minister Aaron Motswaledi identified a food processing plant in Polokwane…
The Namibian Ministry of Land Reform says South African and German citizens form the majority of the 281 foreign nationals who still own large tracts of farmland in violation of a law that prohibits foreign ownership of land. Ministerial Spokesperson Chrispen Matongela told local media that foreigners own a total…
Nigeria’s overall farm yield remained below the African and global average in 2017 due to climate change, the absence of government input support, inefficient agricultural extension services and insecurity arising from militancy in various parts of the country. The 2017 national agricultural performance survey was done by the National Agricultural…
The Bank of Zambia (BOZ) says the high level of debt among agricultural producers has left the banking sector “nervous” and less willing to provide finance and credit lines. In a statement released after a meeting held between BOZ Governor Denny Kalyalya and Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis…
The Zimbabwe Coffee Mill (ZCM) says the country’s formerly vibrant commercial coffee farming sector has all but collapsed. ZCM director Johane Jori told local media that production has slumped by nearly 3 000% over the past 28 years due to production disturbances arising from the land reform programme and lack…
The Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has confirmed the outbreak of a vaccine-resistant strain of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in various parts of the country. In a statement, the State Department of Livestock (SDL) blamed the emergence of the serotype O FMD strain on the ineffectiveness the…
Ghanaian Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says the government is re-examining its management and use of land to add value and reap more benefits from the resource. Addressing the 2018 Land Administration Forum held in Accra on Wednesday, Bawumia said the government will digitise land title registration and management systems…
The Eastern African Grain Council (EAGC) has gazetted 9 standards that will be applied across the region to govern the quality of staple foods like cereals and pulses. The standards are part of a drive to promote and formalise intra-regional trade in staple foods, which remains largely uncoordinated and informal…
The Seychelles National Biosecurity Agency (NBA) has approved the importation of 21 fresh produce commodities from Kenya. NBA CEO Marc Naiken said following the signing of a preliminary trade agreement with Kenya in January, the agency has tested and analysed 21 Kenyan crops including cabbages, mangosteen, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, potatoes,…
The African Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) has donated a refrigerated milk truck to the Mauritius Livestock Marketing Cooperative Federation (MLMCF). The truck is expected to improve the transportation and storage of milk products as part of a broader government plan to boost the dairy value chain. Mauritian Business, Enterprise…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed an agreement to provide the government of Mozambique with a US$29 million to support the uptake of agricultural technologies, techniques and small-scale irrigation equipment to increase climate resilience among smallholder farmers. In a statement, the AfDB said a significant chunk of the funding…
The Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM) has started domesticating wild buffaloes to provide draught power and milk to poor smallholder rural farmers. A pioneer herd of 18 buffaloes, comprising 16 adults and 2 calves, is already undergoing training at the Estação Zootécnica de Chobela (EZC), a cattle management research…
The Namibian Agro-marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA) says the country still relies heavily on imported fresh produce because it has no long-term cold storage facilities. According to AMTA’s annual report for 2016/’17, all perishable products like vegetables, tomatoes, onions, butternuts, potatoes and cabbages must be consumed shortly after harvest due…