Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana said genetically modified farming techniques are being developed by his department and should be adopted by the industry. “We are working with the department of technology in finding new methods by which we can improve new cultivars, the new seeds that are 20 percent resistant to …
The Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, has called on Southern African countries to tap into the youth population in the region to address food insecurity and end unemployment. Addressing policymakers and youths in the region at a conference organised by Centre for …
The Zambian government has called on African countries to adopt climate resilient agricultural policies if the continent is to adapt to the effects of climate change. While acknowledging the adverse effects of extreme climate on agricultural production on the African continent, Minister of Agriculture and Livestocks Permanent Secretary David Shamulenge …
B4FA Fellow Lominda Afedraru reports: it is important to plant different tree species in crop lands because they contribute to higher productivity of crops and animals as well as the soil. Trees from legume families fix nitrogen, which is useful for crops. Trees also provide fuel wood for cooking and …
The World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have all declared that there’s no good evidence GMOs are unsafe. Hundreds of studies back up that conclusion. But many of us don’t trust these assurances. We’re drawn …
B4FA Fellow, Michael Ssali reports: A study, The Cost of Hunger in Africa, which was conducted in 2013 by the government, with support from African Union, revealed that Uganda loses Shs1.8tn ($899m) annually—or 5.6 per cent of GDP—due to the effects of malnutrition. Illnesses related to malnutrition cost the country …
Air pollutants harm vegetation and crops. In Asia it is estimated that around 10% of the food crop is destroyed by pollutants. For Africa we’ve got no good idea. First because we don’t have the same controlled field experiments on Africa’s staple crops such as cassava or millet as we …
Farmers planting rice, potatoes, wheat, beans and maize can almost double their produce with the use of micronutrient fertilisers and lime, a new study indicates. This is according to a study conducted in 2014 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) in partnership with International Fertiliser Development Centre …
“When small holder farmers form cooperatives, NARO can support them with technical skills to enable them establish community seed banks. When this is done we shall solve the problem of counterfeit seeds on the market and poor market distribution. Farmers have been alleging that they are being supplied with fake …
A newly discovered gene could increase rice production by up to a third, according to a study by Chinese scientists, potentially offering a new weapon in the fight against global hunger. By modifying the plant’s BG1 gene, the researchers said they were able to create one of the largest rice …
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