Talk to Kemi (TtK) : Corporate Farmers Reality TV Show

Talk to Kemi (TtK) : Corporate Farmers Reality TV Show: The Corporate Farmers International Limited (CFIL), in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), is ...

Agriculture minister allocates millions to dud farm

On Monday, DA MP Nqaba Bhanga said a resolution had been taken by the committee to shut down the farm three years ago. “The committee unanimously agreed that the farm should fold because it was a waste of taxpayers’ money. A report on that decision was sent to and adopted by Parliament,” said the former committee member and erstwhile Cope MP.

He added: “That farm is still sitting there doing nothing. That farm will never work. It will never succeed.”

When The Star dialled the phone number listed under the farm in the Yellow Pages, the operator said the number did not exist.
Zokwana’s spokeswoman Bomikazi Molapo said the farm contributed toward the food security programme and that the R5.935m it had received from the minister was for its “normal operating costs, as the entity is still under operation”.

“There are employees working there currently as well as animals that need to be taken care of. It will continue with its functions under the department,” Molapo said.
She added that the R788.1m administration budget “incorporates all support functions of the department”. These included the corporate services, and monitoring and evaluation branches

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/eastern-cape/agriculture-minister-allocates-millions-to-dud-farm-2014476

Agriculture Ministry Installs Automated Weather Stations

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda says the Ministry has installed several Automated Weather Stations (AWS), in major crop producing areas.
These, he said, are of critical importance in mainstreaming a new climate services component to support the building of the agricultural sector’s reliance to climate change.

“Climate-smart agriculture is critical to increasing productivity, incomes, enhancing reliance of livelihoods and ecosystems, and reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere,” he said.

The Minister delivered the key note address at the Jamaica Agricultural Society’s (JAS) Second National Agricultural, Food Security and Economic Summit, held on April 21, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, Downtown, Kingston. His speech was read by Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Dermon Spence.
In addition, Mr. Samuda noted that the AWS systems allows for detailed analysis of climatic and weather related trends, and the planning of strategic interventions.
He pointed out also that the instruments provide reliable and timely data to farmers, to aid in decision making on crop planting, fertilization, irrigation, pest management intervention and spraying, as well as harvesting.

Meanwhile, Mr. Samuda said the transformation of the agriculture sector, is a “matter of urgency, for (the) sustainable increase (of) productivity and incomes.”
Through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), and other agencies, the Ministry has been utilizing demonstration plots to illustrate best practices in aspects of climate smart land husbandry.
So far, farmers have received support with the establishment of onion plots, sweet potato plots, and other crops.

The Food Summit had in attendance several leaders from the Jamaican Diaspora, academia, and farmers.

Africa: Agribusiness Academy to Promote Farmers' Entrepreneurial Linkages

By Theogene Nsengimana

Members of agribusiness are set to see the sector improve through direct linkages between farmers, entrepreneurs, information and market linkage across the continent.

This is an initiative of the Africa Agribusiness Academy (AAA), a Pan-African business platform for small and medium-sized agri-food enterprises.

Speaking at a roundtable meeting in Kigali, yesterday, Abraham Huijsman, the chairperson of AAA, said they are currently active in six countries across the continent where they are engaging more than one million farmers, creating direct links between farmers and entrepreneurs in terms of getting the produce from farms to processing or input supply in terms of seeds.

"We're here to discuss how to improve the viability of AAA and promote a win-win situation between farmers and entrepreneurs and how they can benefit each other," he said.

Member companies of AAA share and pool knowledge and experiences, collaborate and form partnerships, support one another and provide inspiration and guidance for current and up-and-coming agribusinesses, inside and outside of the network.

Tony Nsanganira, the state minister for agriculture, said the move will help more farmers to embrace business-oriented agriculture, which he said can lift more farmers to better living conditions.

"It is a good initiative that will supplement our existing programmes aimed to promote professional and business oriented agriculture. It will help farmers to understand that agriculture sector can lift them to a better life once practiced with a business spirit as we know that our national economy depends much on this sector," he said.

Founded in 2010, AAA is currently active in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Each country has a national chapter that coordinates its activities, with regional business clubs stimulating tight cooperation between members from the same area while sector-specific and thematic collaboration is achieved through the communities of practice, with members benefiting from exposure to transnational experiences and knowledge.

Jean Claude Ruzibiza, the chairperson of AAA Rwanda Chapter, said the platform helps both farmers and entrepreneurs to easily access the market and expand businesses to other member countries.

"Information sharing and market linkage will help us boost our businesses. For instance, you can be in need of the market for your produce in Rwanda and share information through website or our WhatsApp group with members in other countries about the quality of your produce and the price, then they link you with buyers in their countries, or if you want to buy produce from their countries, they can share information with you and then you send money to them as they help to buy, pack and send the products to you," Ruzibiza explained

credit: http://allafrica.com/stories/201604260058.html

Africa To Fight Climate Change, Invest in Agriculture

Press release

New York — Rural poor and smallholder farmers among hardest hit - FAO Deputy Director-General at signing of Paris Agreement

In addition to reducing poverty and hunger, agriculture can play a crucial role in making the response to climate change responsible and more effective Maria-Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General for Natural Resources said today.

Agriculture can help reduce the impact of climate change; thus fostering resilience among communities, she said during a High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the UN Headquarters. Semedo was in New York to attend the signing ceremony of the Paris Climate Change Agreement as well as other high level events.

Some 175 countries today signed the historic accord -- agreed last December in the French capital -- at a ceremony at UN headquarters hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Agreement recognizes "the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems to the impacts of climate change".

It also highlights the need to "increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience (...) in a manner that does not threaten food production."

Impact on agriculture

Agriculture is one of the main sectors of the economy that is severely affected by climate change. The recent El Niño phenomenon is a testimony to that, Semedo noted.

The support for the agreement comes at a time when some 60 million people around the world are being affected by the El Niño climate event.

It is important to note that the rural poor and small holder farmers are severely affected by climate change threats, Semedo stressed.

Role of farmers

During speaking engagements at various high level events, the FAO Deputy-Director General reiterated the crucial role of family farmers in poverty and hunger eradication.

Poverty and hunger have similar causes and are often bound together - and must therefore be tackled together.

"Support to end extreme poverty, hunger and all other forms of malnutrition by 2030 - the key of SDGs 1 and 2. Nearly 80 percent of the extreme poor and hungry people live in rural areas, so let's empower rural actors, small holders, rural women, youth, and indigenous peoples in our collective action," said Semedo.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201604261005.html