Sub-Sahara Farmers Journal

01/11/2024

AU-IBAR and ILRI Launch Initiative to Transform Feed Inventories for Climate-Resilient Livestock in Africa

The African Union’s InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have launched an initiative to standardize methods for conducting feed and fodder inventories and establishing National Feed Balances. Accurate feed inventories are crucial for building a resilient livestock sector, helping nations pinpoint investment opportunities and tackle climate-related challenges more effectively.

https://subsaharafarming.com/au-ibar-and-ilri-launch-initiative-to-transform-feed-inventories-for-climate-resilient-livestock-in-africa/

AU-IBAR, ILRI Launch Initiative to Revolutionize Feed Inventories for Climate-Resilient Livestock in Africa

25/10/2024

AGRA Introduces VALUE4HER Initiative in Ethiopia to Empower Women in Agriculture

AGRA has launched the VALUE4HER initiative in Ethiopia, marking a significant step towards supporting women in agriculture. This program aims to address challenges faced by Ethiopian women farmers, such as limited resources, policy gaps, and difficulties accessing credit, ultimately promoting equitable growth.

https://subsaharafarming.com/agra-introduces-value4her-initiative-in-ethiopia-to-empower-women-in-agriculture/

AGRA has launched the VALUE4HER initiative in Ethiopia, marking a significant step towards supporting women in agriculture. This program aims to address challenges faced by Ethiopian women farmers, such as limited resources, policy gaps, and difficulties accessing credit, ultimately promoting equita...

18/10/2024

17 AGRICULTURAL PRINCIPLES YOU SHOULD KNOW

1. Avoid focusing solely on peak seasons; they come with their own set of challenges. Be a strategist, not a risk-taker.

2. Select at least two primary crops and develop a crop rotation strategy. Switching crops won’t instantly increase profits.

3. Organize your farm to ensure crops are at different growth stages for a continuous harvest.

4. No crop is inherently more profitable; success lies in understanding each crop’s pros and cons.

5. Farm size doesn’t guarantee success. Efficiency and management are key.

6. Create a consistent spraying and fertilization schedule, and adhere to it.

7. Be cautious with advice from agro-veterinarians and sales agents. Some prioritize sales over sound agronomic practices.

8. Aim to lower your farming costs without sacrificing product quality.

9. Don’t hold onto perishable produce—sell it at market rates to avoid losses.

10. Avoid planting new seeds on a large scale without testing first, unless you’ve seen proven results elsewhere.

11. Be hands-on during critical stages of farming—don’t leave the success of your venture solely in the hands of workers.

12. Avoid hiring close family members to manage your farm; this often leads to disappointment.

13. If your neighbors are growing crops, consider planting the same ones to align with local conditions

14. Always maintain a detailed farm management plan.

15. Traditional seed varieties and older chemical methods can be reliable and often outperform newer options.

16. Genuine passion for agriculture is essential for long-term success.

17. Don’t rely solely on chemical fertilizers. Combine them with organic options to preserve the health of your soil, which is a living system.

18/10/2024

Rwanda seeks to enhance cassava, maize, and potato production by introducing genetically engineered, disease-resistant, and climate-tolerant varieties

Rwanda is aiming to boost the production of cassava, maize, and potatoes by introducing genetically engineered varieties that are resistant to diseases, pests, and drought. This initiative follows the launch of the country’s Agricultural Biotechnology Programme, led by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) in collaboration with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), a non-profit organization focused on ensuring food security and poverty reduction across Africa.

https://subsaharafarming.com/rwanda-seeks-to-enhance-cassava-maize-and-potato-production-by-introducing-genetically-engineered-disease-resistant-and-climate-tolerant-varieties/

Rwanda is aiming to boost the production of cassava, maize, and potatoes by introducing genetically engineered varieties that are resistant to diseases, pests, and drought.

17/10/2024

Ghana purchases its first drought insurance policy from ARC

The Government of Ghana has made a groundbreaking move by purchasing its first-ever sovereign drought insurance policy, aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and the agricultural sector from the impacts of drought. This policy, issued by the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Ltd., was made possible through a coordinated effort by the Global Shield Secretariat, with financing of US$1 million from KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Global Shield Solutions Platform (GSSP). This initiative reflects Ghana’s commitment to building resilience against climate-related risks, particularly in agriculture.

https://subsaharafarming.com/ghana-purchases-its-first-drought-insurance-policy-from-arc/

The Government of Ghana has made a groundbreaking move by purchasing its first-ever sovereign drought insurance policy, aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and the agricultural sector from the impacts of drought.

09/10/2024

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group along with the Government of Ethiopia has entered into partnership with Netherlands, fertiliser company OCP-Africa, and the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) to launch a US$94mn project to boost Climate Resilient Wheat Value Chain Development (CREW) in Ethiopia

The financing will support 500,000 smallholder farmer households in the Ethiopian states of Afar, Amhara, Oromia, and Somali, to increase wheat productivity from three to four tonnes per hectare, generating an additional 1.62 million tonnes of wheat. The project will also support expansion of irrigation into the lowlands of Afar and Somali regions.
https://subsaharafarming.com/transforming-ethiopia-into-a-self-sufficient-wheat-producer-and-exporter/

09/10/2024

AgCare Technologies has launched an innovative online marketplace for agricultural inputs, supported by the Afex Group, which aims to transform how farmers procure essential supplies. This platform is especially timely as farmers encounter numerous challenges, including supply chain disruptions and fluctuating market prices. Designed with a user-friendly interface, the marketplace offers a wide range of products, including seeds, fertilizers, pest control solutions, and farm equipment, enabling farmers to easily navigate through various categories, compare prices, and make informed purchasing decisions.
https://subsaharafarming.com/afex-backed-agcare-technologies-launches-online-marketplace-for-agricultural-inputs/

09/10/2024

Austrian agricultural machinery manufacturer Pöttinger’s revolutionary mowing technology, CROSS FLOW is now available for the NOVACAT V 9200

This mower combination, NOVACAT V 9200 CF features impressively low weight and a low power requirement. Feedback from the field was the basis for this development, following demand for a cost-effective and straightforward system for merging swaths. CROSS FLOW works without a conditioner and is characterised by its low weight compared to conventional swath merging systems. This technology ensures optimum conservation of the forage and soil, as well as the running costs, thanks to the fuel savings.
https://subsaharafarming.com/pottingers-cross-flow-now-available-for-novcat-v-9200/

09/10/2024

Leading innovator in health, nutrition, and beauty, DSM-Firmenich has entered into partnership with leader in feed and pet food production solutions, BESTMIX Software to measure and manage the environmental footprint of animal feed

Bringing together BESTMIX Software‘s feed formulation with SustellTM full life cycle assessment (LCA) platform, the partnership allows customers to generate and share their feed footprints easily. This solution enables feed producers to report the environmental impact of their feed, leveraging existing data in their trusted BESTMIX software suite.
https://subsaharafarming.com/dsm-firmenich-partners-with-bestmix-software-to-drive-sustainability-in-food-value-chain/

09/10/2024

New Holland recently announced its multi-phase partnership with leading autonomous technology company, Bluewhite to enable the collaboration on distribution, manufacturing and integration of Bluewhite’s autonomous solutions for New Holland tractors, thus enabling them to operate fully autonomously in orchards and vineyards among other specialty crop operations
https://subsaharafarming.com/collaboration-to-enable-autonomous-operation-of-new-holland-tractors/

09/10/2024

Acadian Plan Health through its multi-year California almond water study, today, released expanded results demonstrating how biostimulant technologies can help growers reduce water use while maintaining yield

As chronic water shortages loom over the world, water reduction programmes are working to lower the local almond industry’s water use by 20% from 2020-2025. Starting in 2026, California is looking to significantly reduce its water use, thus making biostimulant technologies all the more relevant for almond growers.
https://subsaharafarming.com/bringing-down-water-use-while-maintaining-yield/

09/10/2024

With the aim of bolstering environmental sustainability and resilience across Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has secured more than US$18mn in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for two major projects

The first project, ‘Strengthening Zambezi River Basin Management towards Climate Resilience and Ecosystem Health,’ which has been allocated US$10.57mn aims to improve the collaborative management of water, energy, food, and environmental resources within the Zambezi River Basin, which spans eight southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
https://subsaharafarming.com/afdb-secures-million-dollar-funds-for-zambezi-basin-and-e-waste-projects/

09/10/2024

CNH recently announced its partnership with Oxfam to support two social projects in Tunisia and South Africa

The two projects namely, the Sumud Project and the Social Factory Initiative are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 8, 10 and 12. While the former project is focused on micro, small and medium sized farms in Tunisia, the latter is dedicated to creating a new model for plastic recycling and social inclusion in South Africa.
https://subsaharafarming.com/collaboration-boosts-training-and-development-in-local-communities/

09/10/2024

The Fresh Fruit Company of New Zealand (Freshco) recently implemented the new LUCAi upgrade package on its TOMRA Spectrim grading platform and found it to be a game-changer

This upgrade package for Spectrim includes Deep Learning models, pre-trained by vast datasets captured from TOMRA machines across the world and precisely labelled by TOMRA’s data science team.
https://subsaharafarming.com/tomra-lucai-transforming-freshcos-apple-grading-process-2/

09/10/2024

Equipped with Harvest Command combine automation, the Axial-Flow 260 series automatically optimises settings to boost throughput and grain quality. Operators can also get easy access to real-time machine metrics, field performance and grain quality through high-resolution Pro 1200 Dual Displays.
https://subsaharafarming.com/case-ih-unveils-new-axial-flow-260-series-combine/

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/magazine

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/human-urine-could-be-an-effective-and-less-polluting-crop-fertiliser/

French researchers think they may have found a unique natural alternative to chemical fertilisers. T

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/zimbabwe-nestle-in-initiatives-to-boost-milk-output/

Food and drink processor, Nestlé Zimbabwe's dairy farmer initiatives across the country will help bo

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/the-agi-emea-silos-and-accessories/

Exceeding their customer’s expectations is a foundational, companywide priority at AGI. This is exem

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/poultry-farmers-task-govt-to-prioritize-agric-sector/

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, has urged the three tiers of governme

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/jersey-cows-to-help-people-in-zambia-after-rwanda-success/

Jersey cows will be introduced to Zambia as part of a move to increase herds in the African continen

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/john-deere-unveils-its-powerful-purpose-built-768l-ii-bogie-skidder/

John Deere expands its skidder lineup with the new 768L–II Bogie Skidder, a purpose–built machine de

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/wfp-to-provide-animal-feeds-to-isiolo-herders/

World Food Program (WFP) is set to donate 3,500 bags of 50kg animal feeds to herders in Isiolo Count

26/05/2022

https://subsaharafarming.com/tanzania-lets-focus-on-irrigation-farming-mps/

MEMBERS of Parliament have hailed President Samia Suluhu Hassan for raising the budget of the Minist

09/10/2020

https://subsaharafarming.com/2020/09/10/kenya-horticulture-sector-gets-sh1-5bn-boost-to-ensure-quality-produce/