Ugandan fruit farmer Eric Kaduru, whose company KadAfrica encourages and supports young people in taking up fruit farming, has won the 2015 Yara Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to African agriculture. “Africa needs to do more to foster entrepreneurial agriculture and the interests of women and youth in agriculture,” said …
As genomic sequencing has decreased in price, the amount of data available to researchers has grown exponentially. More and more scientists are turning to computational tools to help organize and analyze the genetic data, which could someday be key to feeding a growing world.Read …
A photoessay documenting the Pache Pache Seed Growers Association in Zambia, who grow improved seed with the support of Afriseeds – a seed company initially funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The association grows a number of bean varieties, cowpeas, soya, groundnuts and maize and …
According to a new report, fertile farmlands are rapidly declining in Ghana due to pressure from population growth and urbanisation, threatening rural livelihoods and food security. The study calls for land audits to ascertain appropriate land use and urges the development of high-yielding crops for smallholders. Photo: Francisco Anzola, used …
A report produced by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and presented last week at the African Green Revolution Forum in Zambia called for modernising land-tenure systems, access to finance, and the image of farming as an industry in order to encourage Africa’s young people to enter …
How do plants deal with flood and drought? They cope by triggering different strategies. Water deficit and water excess are major factors affecting plants yield worldwide. To cope with such factors, plants trigger physiological and biochemical changes allowing them to survive for a limited period of time. See …
Delegates from 29 East and South African cotton growing countries participate in a week long study tour to Bt cotton fields in India from September 27 to October 2, 2015. The “Seeing is believing” study tour is being conducted by the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), New Delhi, in …
The International Rice Research Institute announced that the 3,000 Rice Genomes Project (3K RGP) has successfully sequenced 3,024 rice varieties from 89 countries. This big data is a massive source of information for understanding the natural genetic variation in rice and for discovery of novel genes linked to economically …
Agricultural experts in Nigeria have identified farming as a major source of boosting the country’s economy and saving it from the overdependence on petroleum and petroleum products. Scientists have pointed out that the application of Agricultural biotechnology or Genetical Modification (GM) into Nigeria’s farming system will not only boost …
The agriculture sector, while being crippled by poor output brought about by the use of low quality inputs, farmers would rather still stick to traditional seeds than attempt laboratory improved varieties. See …
Sign up for our Week in Review
Get news alerts from our RSS Feed
Follow us on Twitter