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In February 2020, just weeks after Kenya and the US had commenced talks to set up a trade deal, another announcement was being made. The US Department of Agriculture announced that Kenya will start receiving wheat from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State after the states addressed plant health concerns.

The announcement ensured that a trade barrier that existed prohibiting US wheat exports was lifted. It allowed US wheat growers in the Pacific Northwest access to Kenya’s wheat market for the first time in over a decade after the US-Kenya Trade and Investment Working Group adopted a phytosanitary protocol.

Kenya’s domestic wheat production only meets around 10 percent of its annual demand. According to KNBS, Kenyans consume an estimated one million tonnes of wheat annually hence the country faces a deficit of more than 750,000 tonnes.

The country sources much of its wheat import volume from nearby suppliers—Tanzania, South Africa, Russia, …

A man is dying of thirst yet he is surrounded by fresh water. That is the irony of the African farmer. The African farmer is surrounded by fertile land and two rainfall seasons yet he is poor and has very little yield.

By all accounts Africa should be feeding the world. Most of the continent is miles and miles of fertile land. Since most of Africa is on the equator or just a few degrees above, it experiences tropical weather that is characterized by two high rainfall peaks.

So why does Africa not produce enough food to feed itself and the rest of the world? Simple, Africa’s productivity is in the hands of the smallholder farmer. The smallholder farmer is a poor peasant who uses rudimentary tools to farm.

Faced with the adverse effects of climate change, the farmer no longer has predictable rain seasons. Instead, as is characteristic of …

The economic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed the region’s growth projection to 1.2 per cent for 2020.…

Agribusinesses in the EAC member states are expected to benefit from greater business opportunities in both the East African and European markets.…

The EU presents a huge opportunity for the EAC region SMEs making it a great platform for those in the sector to market their products in Europe.…

Kenya long-term development blueprint, Vision 2030, seeks to transform Kenya into an industrializing, high middle-income country…

It is with no doubt that Tanzanians remember the period when the country rose from a state-controlled economy attached to socialist objectives; then came efforts to broadcast Tanzania to the world, heralding a liberalized economy and pursuing market-oriented reforms. It is significantly crucial to say Tanzania remembers this vital stride, made possible by its late third President Benjamin William Mkapa, who passed away on July 23 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 

Mkapa was Tanzania’s most distinguished political figure whose tenure as president began from 1995 to 2005.  He assumed many international and regional roles, as a diplomatic figure, peace negotiator and a chair to different bodies such as Southern African Development Community (SADC), and founder of a trust in his name. 

As Tanzania mourns his passing and also celebrates his utmost service to the most vital office in government, it is of paramount importance to exercise remembrance of his …

It has never occurred in Africa for people to remain indoors, work from home and limit human interactions as much as possible to curb the spread of disease.  

Nearly 42 nations enacted partial or full lockdowns to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), hence—this ushered rolling drums for other aspects of life to take form, particularly digitization of life. 

Africa, a continent of more than 1.3 billion people, experienced the horror of the virus as massive volumes of trade and goods ceased to interact within the economy pool, forcing some communities to adopt other means of life, including being well versed with virtual meetings, online shopping, online learning and online working. 

As Rwandan President Paul Kagame says, “…the pandemic is a test for us. The way we address it shows our level of preparedness against anything that attempts to disrupt our lives and …

Africa, the continent of more than 1.3 billion people has experienced its share of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which shaved off crucial portions of the continent’s economy (tourism, trade and travel) leading to funding holes, debt burden and propelling unemployment and inequalities.  

There are several projections laid out benching on Africa’s economic trend. According to UN estimates, African countries have so far lost an estimated US$29 billion due to the pandemic.  

Meanwhile the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) pinned its forecast noting the virus will shave 1.4 per cent off Africa’s $2.1 trillion GDP, hurting the continent’s business landscape. 

Despite the pandemic eviscerating this year’s plans of enhancing tourism and travel horizons for East Africa’s hotbed Tanzania and Kenya, the African Development Bank (AfDB) finds the region undeterred in the face of the pandemic , as it becomes …

It is legal to say the world as we know it has been kidnapped by the novel coronavirus, which has left thousands dead and millions who have contracted it. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) confessed that “the economic crisis unleashed by the outbreak of COVID-19 is hurting economies, regardless of income level”. 

According to its latest numbers, UNIDO indicated that both lower and upper–middle-income countries have been significantly impacted by COVID-19, with an average loss in industrial production across countries, standing at 18 per cent (high-income), 24 per cent (upper middle-income) and 22 per cent (lower middle-income). 

The pandemic has hurt a lot of economies but more importantly has taken a toll in some developing countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania who rely on travel and tourism dealing a huge slap on foreign receipts.  

The World Bank …