By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian Rwandan President Paul Kagame has praised the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for ensuring that Africa has a clear voice in the future of its food systems. Speaking at the recently concluded Africa Food Systems Forum 2024, Kagame highlighted the critical role of food production in Africa’s economy, noting that…
By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has released its 2024 Africa Agriculture Status Report, titled “Harnessing the Private Sector for Food Systems Transformation in Africa.” The report examines the crucial role that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play in reshaping food systems across the continent. Created in partnership with…
By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian Africa’s vast arable land presents significant opportunities for collaboration between India and Africa in the agriculture sector, according to Vikramjit Singh Sahney of the BRICS AgriBusiness Council. Sahney, who is also a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, emphasized that Africa could become a key source of pulses, oilseeds, and other agricultural products such…
Tanzania ranks second in tobacco production in Africa after Zimbabwe. TANZANIA is the second main tobacco producer in Africa after Zimbabwe, a milestone achieved following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to change policies and attract investments while enabling farmers to access inputs. Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe made this observation here yesterday in remarks to welcome President Samia to place…
Avian Flu Virus in Cattle Highlights Urgent Need for Ramped Up Efforts to Prevent Spillover of Viruses from Animals to People Avian flu virus in cattle highlights the urgent need for ramped-up efforts to prevent spillover of viruses from animals to people Statement by experts from Preventing Pandemics at the Source on global implications of bird flu’s spread Following…
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – In a landmark ceremony held , 7th December 2023 in the vibrant city of Addis Ababa, 78 exceptional leaders in food systems celebrated the culmination of their journey through the Center for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) programme. This initiative, spearheaded by AGRA and co-implemented by the African Management Institute (AMI) and Policy Link, marked…
Privatizing extension systems can catalyze and sustain the momentum of food system transformation in Africa. By Japhet Laizer Agriculture in Africa has the potential to satisfy not only its own domestic food but also those of the rest of the world. Agriculture remains one of the driving engine sectors for the continent, empowering most of the population and accounting…
Kilimokwanza.org team Tanzanian President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s southern tour, brimming with initiatives and projects, is not just a testament to what has been achieved but also a blueprint for what lies ahead in the developmental journey of Tanzania. The citizens of Mtwara and Lindi, like many Tanzanians, find ample reasons to rally behind their leader, who is proving…
*AGRA’s Vision to Transform Africa’s Food Systems” By Anthony Muchoki In a passionate and urgent address at the United Nations Headquarters on September 17, 2023, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA, shed light on the pressing need for a radical transformation of Africa’s agri-food systems. Dr. Kalibata eloquently articulated the challenges facing the African continent and outlined AGRA’s innovative…
By Neema Munisi | Mass Impacts Ltd A New Perspective: My Hindsight on the Encompassing Nature of Food SystemsThe sun was already high in the Dar es Salaam sky when the email came in. An invitation to a media breakfast hosted by AGRA. As an agribusiness consultant, I, Neema Munisi, have had my fair share of conferences, meetings, and…
With Tanzania set to host the transformative Africa Food Systems 2023 Summit next week, Mr. Gerald Mweli, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, is front and center in setting expectations sky-high for the event. Under his leadership, Tanzania’s agriculture stakeholders are gearing up for a summit that promises to be more than just another conference—it’s envisioned as a…
AGRA (formerly known as Alliance for Green Revolution) is pleased to announce an important update concerning our organization’s name change. This rebrand aligns with our new strategy, which will be our roadmap for future success for African farmers, centered around Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems. For over 15 years, AGRA has been at the forefront of driving agricultural transformation…
TANZANIA, Dar es Salaam : TANZANIA’S plans to increase agricultural production are set for a massive boost on the back of expected increased fertiliser supply from Russia. Russian producers of mineral fertilisers announced to be ready to double their shipments to African countries in the next five years to bridge a supply shortage that threatens to exacerbate food insecurity….
Vice President Dr Philip Mpango, says a lot of progress has been made, with 60.6 percent of the target already achieved, equivalent to 727,280.6 hectares of land under irrigation Dar es Salaam. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the development of irrigation infrastructure, with an ambitious target of reaching 1.2 million hectares of irrigated land by the…
By Morkporkpor Anku Accra, May 29, GNA – The seventh African Leadership Forum (ALF) has ended in Accra with participants urging African countries to focus on agri-business rather than agriculture. The Forum said agri-business encompassed agriculture and required a multifaceted approach across multiple stakeholders, including ministries beyond that of agriculture. Climate change. Dr Emmanuel Maliti, an Economist, iReview Limited, presenting…
Accra. Delegates at the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF) have urged African countries to refocus on how to build a stronger supply value chain for agriculture on the grounds that the sector occupies the best opportunity to grow the highly needed intra-trade. Leaders and other participants noted that Africa is endowed with adequate arable land to contribute substantially to the…
Tanzania is positioning itself as a champion of food security and agricultural advancement on the global stage as it fervently prepares for the eagerly awaited Africa’s Food Systems Forum 2023 Summit (AGRF-2023) in Dar es Salaam, hosted by H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, and the AGRF Partner’s Group. Tanzania organised three significant events…
A major meeting this week brought together farmers, bankers, governments and development partners from across Africa and beyond to discuss ways to ensure smallholder farmers, the backbone of the region’s food system, have access to the finance they need to improve and scale up sustainable forest and farm management practices. The three day African Regional Exchange was organized by…
By Anthony Muchoki Dr. Agnes M. Kalibata, President of AGRA, has commended the Tanzanian government for taking a significant step towards enabling youth to participate in food system transformation. A strong advocate for youth empowerment in agricuture, Dr Kalibata believes that “the younger generation needs to have productive, meaningful lives. Let’s give them the technologies and opportunity to be…
The disruption of grain deliveries from Ukraine can be a chance for African countries to step up food production at home, the African Union’s Commissioner for rural economy and agriculture, Josefa Sacko, told EURACTIV in an interview. While pressures on global food prices had relaxed somewhat by the start of this year according to data from the UN’s Food…
Source | Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA (Nairobi) Tanzania will host the AGRF 2023 Summit, the announcement was made by Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of the United Republic of Tanzania and H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn, the Chair of the AGRF Partners Group on the sidelines of the U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit currently taking place in…
*50 Potential Outcomes for Tanzania The AGRF Food Systems Forum will take place in Tanzania in 2023. John Muchoki and John Beda will examine the potential outcomes of the Summit on agriculture in Tanzania, building on the efforts made by various stakeholders to improve the sector. The Summit seeks to advance the progress of the Malabo Declaration and prioritize…
Tanzania will host the AGRF 2023 Summit, the announcement was made by Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of the United Republic of Tanzania and H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn, the Chair of the AGRF Partners Group on the sidelines of the U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit currently taking place in Washington, DC. The AGRF, Africa’s Food Systems Forum, is the…
The Kenyan government has waived import duty on maize and rice for a period of six months to ease shortage of the cereals and avert a food crisis. The prices of maize flour and rice in Kenya have gone up sharply in recent months due to low local production caused by a persistent drought and high cost of inputs…
Global food systems have been battered by overlapping crises in recent years. Key among these are the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russo-Ukraine war and extreme weather events resulting from climate change. These have resulted in forced migration, loss of employment, climate stress, loss of biodiversity, and economic instability. In Africa, which is home to 1.5 billion people, these shocks and…
Summary The ready-made market, poses a challenge to Tanzania to increase production, raise quality of the products Dar es Salaam. Existence of a ready-made US market for branded consumer packaged cashew nuts could mean less competition for Tanzania’s products at a better price, stakeholders told The Citizen on Friday. This may be the case because Tanzania will no longer…
Summary The marginalised Rif region has long been a major source of illicit hashish smuggled to Europe while Moroccan authorities, wary of social unrest, have often turned a blind eye. In the hills of northern Morocco, vast cannabis fields are ready for harvest, but farmers complain that a government plan to market the crop legally is yet to deliver…
Tanzania’s vision is to be a global food supplier and the market leader in agro-industrialization in Africa. She said the achievement would be realized. Dar es SalaamTanzania’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, has called for concerted public and private sector actions to make Tanzania the centre of Africa and the world food trade. The minister, Dr Ashatu Kijaji,…
Tanzania dramatically increases its irrigation budget to stay the top regional food exporter. FacebookTwitterEmailShare Tanzania’s FY 2022/2023 budget has allocated Shs 420 billion (USD 181 million) for the construction of irrigation schemes infrastructure, about an 805 per cent increase compared with the Sh46.5 billion (USD 20 million) set aside in FY 2021/2022. By Anthony Muchoki As food systems and…
The Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) has announced the 2022 edition’s Top 15 applicants. The outstanding women agripreneurs were selected by a panel of independent judges under three categories; Outstanding Value-adding Enterprise, Female Ag Tech Innovator, and Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star). The selected Top applicants are from nine African countries: Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria,…
Nairobi — Kenya has overtaken South Africa to become Africa’s top exporter of avocados. In Central Kenya, where the majority of the country’s small-scale avocado farmers are found, coffee bushes are fast being replaced by avocado trees amid global demand and higher earnings. There is a problem, however, theft. Avocado thieves are keeping farmers in the county awake as…
By Duncan Miriri and Joe Bavier THIKA, Kenya (Reuters) – Watching workers poke avocados from the treetops in an orchard owned by Kenyan agriculture firm Kakuzi, managing director Chris Flowers revels in the thought some might soon go to the crown jewel of emerging consumer markets: China. Taking advantage of Beijing’s deeper focus on trade with African countries to…
By DR. AGNES KALIBATA The food price crisis of 2007-2008, Covid-19, the Russia – Ukraine War, and climate change have exposed the fragility of food systems. The greatest risk lies in refusing to learn from lessons of the past. At the start of 2022, we were already facing the prospect of a food crisis. Even before the first Russian…
Mr. Geoffrey Kirenga is the CEO SAGCOT Centre Limited. He has a wealth of experience in East African agriculture value chains. Mr Mwakasaka Ipyana spoke with him about food systems transformation, seeds and AGRA support to the agricultural sector, including his views on AGRA impact. The following are excerpts of the interview: Tanzania is currently undergoing a significant food…
*Workable input distribution networks key to technology adoption, sustainable and improved food systems Dr Joseph Mhagama is a Member of Parliament for Madaba Constituency in Tanzania, chair of parliamentary committee on Law and Constitution and the CEO of RUCODIA (Ruvuma Commercialization and Diversification of Agriculture)” a vocal civil society about commercialization and diversification of agriculture as a pathway to…
Dr Akinwumi Adesina President of the African Development bank (AfDB) group, says there is no need for Africa to beg other countries for food. He noted that there is no dignity for Africa, the continent known for its rich natural resources, youthful population and occupying about 20 percent of earth’s total land area to depend on others for food…
Banana production in Tanzania yesterday got a major boost following the release of a high yielding variety called Tariban. The hybrid in four strains – Tariban 1, Tariban 2, Tariban 3 and Tariban 4, can yield between 25 and 35 tonnes of bananas per hectare per year. The variety which has been developed after many years of research is…
The decision came as the continent, a net importer of food, faces rising prices of products after the main suppliers—Ukraine and Russia—went to war earlier this year, disrupting production and supply to the global market. According to the Bank, Africa’s demand for food means that the continent faces a shortage of up to 30 million metric tonnes this year,…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $1.5 billion emergency programme to alleviate the impact of worsening food insecurity due to the Ukraine war, its director said on Monday. About 20 million farmers on the continent will benefit from the fund as Africa faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tonnes of food, especially wheat, maize,…
Official trade statistics show expenditure on goods trucked from Tanzania nearly doubled last year to Sh54.47 billion from Sh27.88 billion the year before. Tanzania has become the largest source market for Kenya on the continent after overtaking South Africa, partly on the back of increased orders of maize and rice by millers. Official trade statistics show expenditure on goods…
Ethically-founded Madagascan premium chocolate company MIA (Made In Africa) is delivering a claimed industry first in becoming the only bean-to-bar business operating in two countries within the region, under its ambitious plans expanding into Ghana, reports Neill Barston. As its owners explained to Confectionery Production, the move allows it to extend its impact and offer an additional unique range…
*Financing needed for formulating remaining District Agricultural Development Plans By Vianey Rweyendela Smallholder farmers in Tanzania have something new to smile about. Early March 2022, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa inaugurated District Agricultural Development Plans (DADPs) for 30 out of 184 Local Government Authorities(LGAs). DADPs are pivotal bottom-up planning tools, considering the vast geography of the nation. It will…
In Africa, rice is a staple food. But its people rely heavily on imported rice from Asia that is of superior quality. Of recent, however, there have been moves to upgrade milling technology to enable the processing of local rice so it can compete with imported variants. Rice is third most important cereal crop in the world after maize…
The Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted wheat exports, driving wheat prices up by 60% in Africa, the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said Tuesday, warning that the continent will lose up to $11 billion worth of food due to the conflict. “Already, the price of wheat has gone up about 60%. Maize and other grains will also be…
As the foundation of the food sector, fertilizer is responsible for half of the world’s food production, according to analysts. The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) says fertilizer feed about 50 per cent of the world’s population which amounts to around 20 billion meals per day. It provides almost one million jobs in production around the world. Behind this phenomenal…