Posted on March, 1, 2016 at 11:35 am
Regional News
East Africa: Informal markets 'key to farmers'
Arusha — Informal markets largely ignored by seed initiatives depend very much on smallholder farmers in Africa, according to a recent study, whose findings were released in Nairobi early last week. The study indicates that reliance on formal markets to deliver seeds for crop varieties is low, forcing small peasants to purchase more than a half of their seeds every year through local markets and other informal outlets.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201602291501.html
Africa: Seed firms accused of neglecting female farmers
Global seed companies are failing to meet the specific needs of female farmers and provide them with the plants they need, according to a study launched today. The Access to seeds index report 2016 found that seed firms focus their research efforts on major cash crops, such as maize and rice. But they rarely strive to develop better varieties of seeds that are important to female farmers in developing countries, such as sweet potato or peanuts, the report says.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201602292259.html
Africa: What can be done about badly depleted nitrogen levels in Africa's soil
African soils have been mined for their nutrients for far too long. Nutrients are removed in harvesting across the continent, but they aren't being returned to the soil. This usually happens in the form of manures or fertilisers. As with a bank so too with soil: if you don't deposit as much as you withdraw you'll be left impoverished.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201602291464.html
Kenya News
Kenya secures Sh7.2bn deal to fund Galana irrigation project
Kenya’s mega food security project received a major boost after President Uhuru Kenyatta clinched a Sh7.2 billion loan deal during his tour of Israel. The President has also secured the backing of Parliament to proceed with the Galana/Kulalu irrigation plan.
Who will hear the cry of suffering wheat farmer in Kenya?
Farmers feel abandoned by the government, which has, through some stupid policy, allowed the flooding of the market with cheap wheat imports! They, therefore, cannot find market for the wheat, a primary product of bread.
104,000 tonnes of cheap fertiliser finally arrives
Subsidised fertiliser imported by the Government has arrived in Mombasa and will be available to farmers Tuesday. The 104,000-tonne consignment was immediately loaded onto trucks after it arrived on Friday, and delivered to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores countrywide.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201602290940.html
Why inflation hit low of 6.84 per cent in February
The country’s year-on-year inflation rate slowed to 6.84 per cent in February from 7.78 per cent previously, new Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data shows. February’s rate is the lowest in more than a year when it stood at 5.61 per cent in February last year. The fall was largely attributed to the steadiness in the prices of key food items and non-alcoholic drinks between January and February.
Cashing in on rising demand for arrowroots
Safari Muliatsi, 24, is enjoying a good market for his arrowroots after being among a few farmers cultivating the indigenous food in Vihiga County at a time when demand for the tubers is high.
http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/people-daily/203129/cashing-in-on-rising-demand-for-arrowroots/
Tanzania News
Cross-border trade for increased integration
THE cost of doing business in the East African region has come down significantly after Tanzania and Kenya started joint border clearance procedures through one-stop border posts at Holili and Taveta border of the two countries.
http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/business/47454-cross-border-trade-for-increased-integration
Uganda News
Makerere don urges UNBS to harmonize grain standards
A Makerere University nutrition expert has advised the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to harmonize grains standards with the international one to protect government from being blacklisted over trading substandard commodities. The meeting which attracted grain dealers, government officials and stakeholders in grain industry was organized by Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) in conjunction with UNBS and supported by Food Trade East and Southern Africa.
Rwanda News
MINAGRI tasked to recover over Rwf11bn from farmers
Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) should move faster to recover more than Rwf11bn worth of fertilisers that was loaned to farmers, Members of Parliament have urged. The call was made, yesterday, by members of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Gender as they quizzed Tony Nsanganira, the state minister for agriculture, on issues in the sector raised in the 2014/15 report by the Ombudsman. The report, which was released last year, indicated that farmers across the country still owe Rwf11,062,039,460 to the ministry for fertilisers that were distributed between 2010 to 2015. “We need to know the tangible measures in place to recover this money. It has been a long time since the fertilisers were distributed. We should even consider legal action against those not willing to pay so they are forced to do so,” said MP Esperance Nyirasafari, a member of the committee. MP Alfred Rwasa Kayiranga, the committee chairperson, also urged for a systematic follow-up on the farmers, to talk to them to find out why they are unwilling to pay. “If people are not paying for the fertilisers, it probably means that they didn’t find them useful. If the fertilisers were useful, the people could have paid for them and went ahead to acquire more. The debt raises issues on how this programme is being followed up,” he said.
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2016-03-01/197559/