Browsing: Agriculture in Africa

Governments can play a crucial role in enhancing agricultural productivity in Africa for economic growth. Individual nations can accomplish this by establishing policy environments to promote agricultural investment, including providing tax incentives and subsidies to producers. Governments can also prioritize agricultural development in their national budgets by allocating a more significant proportion of their resources to the sector.…

• Exports expanded from N$400 in 2020 to N$1.4 billion in 2022.
• The fact that Namibia is able to export to countries in Europe highlights the potential for Africa to expand its trade relationships with other regions of the world.
• This diversification is important for SADC region countries since it reduces reliance on a single commodity.

Namibia’s fruits and nuts industry has seen significant growth in recent years, with exports worth over N$1.4 billion between November 2021 and November 2022. This is a significant figure compared to imports, which were just shy of N$400 million. This export bill, although dominated by grape exports, shows that Namibia has a good market in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, Germany, and The Netherlands.

Grapes and dates are considered the gold of the southern part of the country. However, there have been claims that producers are exploiting labor. Workers have constantly complained of late …

• Kenya is set to host the 6th edition of Africa Agri Expo in February 2023 amidst dwindling growth in the Agricultural sector. 
• The expo is aimed at bringing the entire agricultural value chain under one roof and open up a vibrant platform for agribusiness experts.
• Some of the key areas of focus during the event include irrigation, crop protection, technology, food safety & security,  mechanisation, investment opportunities as well as government policies.

Kenya is set to host the 6th edition of Africa Agri Expo in February 2023 amidst dwindling growth in the agricultural sector. 

The expo which has been endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is aimed at bringing the entire agricultural value chain under one roof and open up a vibrant platform for agribusiness experts, top global companies, key policymakers and other stakeholders to explore the commercial opportunities in the continent through effective meetings and networking …

Policymakers must advocate for pooling resources to support the most affected, particularly in Africa. They can financially support and share land restoration and climate adaptation technologies. Collaborations to expand inclusion that can attain a new paradigm in climate change mitigation.

The leaders of the major polluting nations and donor countries, as well as the leaders of African nations—must commit to implementing policies, allocating resources, and taking the necessary actions to address the deteriorating climate situations globally.…

• Industry experts now say that the lack of youth involvement in Agriculture is inhibiting the sector’s growth
• Farmer on Fire Founder Wangari Kuria said that young people in Sub-Saharan Africa often view agriculture as inefficient and uninteresting
• Kuria said the issue has led to a situation where the average age of Africa’s farmers is 60 while the median age of the population is 19

An industry expert has said that the lack of youth involvement in Agriculture is inhibiting the sector’s growth.

Farmer on Fire Founder and Chief Executive Officer Wangari Kuria said that young people in Sub-Saharan Africa often view agriculture as inefficient and uninteresting.

Kuria said the issue has led to a situation where the average age of Africa’s farmers is 60 while the median age of the population is 19.

“Young people aspire to formal sector employment and modern urban lifestyles. They do not consider agriculture as …

• Ministers of Agriculture from Africa and the Americas committed to working together to develop a cooperation agenda
• The ministers also agreed that the two continents face common challenges and opportunities regarding transforming their agri-food systems to make them more sustainable and inclusive
• Other topics of common interest that emerged from the debate were the recovery of degraded soils, efficient water management, and the promotion of more open, fairer, and more transparent international food trade

Africa and America agriculture ministers meet

Ministers of Agriculture from Africa and America meet and committed to working together to develop a cooperation agenda and agreed that the two continents face common challenges and opportunities regarding transforming their agri-food systems to make them more sustainable and inclusive.

The agreement was reached during the First High-Level Roundtable between Africa and the Americas, convened and organised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the …

SMEs are the major contributor to investments in the agricultural sector in Africa. In most cases, most African enterprises are run as opportunistic arbitrage entities keen on profiting from demand/ supply disparities because of a lack of substantial capital. 

Investment into value addition business is limited in this sector due to challenges arising from lack of finance, poor access to markets, and lack of supporting policies. The continent’s main formal economic activity is agriculture, contributing 80% to the region’s employment. 

Snapshot of the industry

Crocodile farming is an agricultural niche that holds vast potential for profit-making and value addition for SMEs. The risk of failure in this market segment is relatively low because of farming support systems and a readily available high-demand market. 

The sector generates hundreds of millions in exports through the global demand for crocodile skins.

Other uses and income-generating avenues from this farming venture include …

Standard Bank and UN Women have come together to equip African women in agriculture with skills and resources to grow their businesses for long term success.

In October last year, the two organisations partnered to empower more than 50,000 women in South Africa, Uganda, Malawi and Nigeria through modern and environmental friendly farming technologies that increase incomes and productivity.

Local farmer organisations and cooperatives, women farmers and authorities are now able to address structural inequalities in rural economies in Africa, beginning with difficulties that women face in securing tenure for quality farmland through the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) collaboration.

Funding worth $3 million has been provided by Standard Bank as well as ongoing support through financial literacy and other programmes.

“The CSA project supports Standard Bank’s drive to create a gender-equal Africa and aligns with our purpose of driving the continent’s growth. We believe it will meaningfully contribute to the …