Browsing: Zelenskyy

Despite poor irrigation systems, extreme weather conditions and soil quality becoming the case for wheat importation instead of farming it, countries such as Tanzania and Kenya are amping up their farming systems.

Tanzania’s irrigation area has risen to more than 727,000 hectares from around 625,000 in 2021. The nation has built silos in Burundi, Kenya and Congo, easing up supply and trade of crops across the regions.  Kenya, East Africa’s leading economy and among Africa’s top four in fintech is leveraging modern financial technology to enhance commercial agriculture practices.

Utiliser application is a challenge, and the nation is striving to assist farmers in adapting to new tech by offering subsidies to ensure productivity is restored, while Uganda is striving to level up the playing field for farmers to access and adopt low-cost irrigation and climate-smart agriculture systems. On the same note, it also intensifies the functions of the entire agriculture value chain by empowering small and medium agri-businesses with capital.

Though not an overnight project, Africa can realise the sustainable and relevant adoption of low-cost irrigation and climate-smart agriculture systems, which will arguably transform food production systems and farmers’ economies.

The food security situation is critical and demands international attention–which is lagging. According to Africa News, at least 400,000 tonnes of wheat won’t be sent to Sudan by the USA as promised in 2022.

The devastating impacts of civil conflicts, insecurity, drought have crippled Sudan’s food systems. The latter is responsible for displacing at least 1.9 million people across Sudan (UN).

The recent situation report by Reliefweb on Sudan food security reinforces the current trend of concern.

According to the report, displacement scenarios observed due to political instability affect agricultural operations significantly impacts cereal and non-cereal food prices.

As a gigantic energy superpower, Russia’s foreign direct investment (FDI) accounts for less than 1 per cent of Africa’s total FDI.

However, African Business argued that, with Russia being a small trading partner to Africa compared to the United States and China, the impact on trade would be marginal—yet few Africa developing economies such as Uganda will be more exposed.

Further, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data show that Russia accounts for 2 to 3 per cent of Africa’s trade with the world—most of it is exports.

“Russia also accounts for 2 per cent of the world’s exports to Africa, and only 0.5 per cent imports from the continent” African Business.

More than 677,000 have fled Ukraine to Poland, Romania and other countries African students in Ukraine are facing racial discrimination…