Liberia’s cocoa sector is conflicted; the local exporters are unhappy. New policies being introduced by government is not going down well with them. They are dismayed by plans to monopolize the sector –especially, turning it over to a Lebanese-owned firm. The cocoa sector, according to reports, has over 30,000 smallholder cocoa farmers and if monopolized, it will destroy the investments made in the sector over the last decade by smallholders, cooperatives, the Government of Liberia and the international donor communities.
Ellah Lakes Plc, a fishing company in Nigeria, has acquired full has acquired 100 percent equity stake in Telluria Limited, one of the leading oil Palm and cassava producers in the country, at an undisclosed amount.
However, as a consideration for the acquisition of the entire stake of Telluria Limited by Ellah Lakes, the company has listed 1.88 billion ordinary shares at the Nigerian Stock Exchange of 50 Kobo each issued to the shareholders of Telluria Limited.
According to Ebrahim Hezarjaribi, the executive of the Cotton Project at the Ministry of Agriculture, Iran’s annual cotton production will reach 386,000 tons by 2025, making the country self-sufficient in using the material in the textile industry. Last Iranian year (ended March 20), the country’ self-sustainment coefficient stood at about 45%, he said, adding that figure in envisaged to reach 58% this year.
Canadian-listed Halo Labs has agreed to buy Lesotho-based medicinal cannabis producer Bophelo Bioscience & Wellness for about $18.4m (R262m) as it looks to expand into global markets. “The transaction is expected to strengthen the company’s position in Lesotho, a country quickly becoming the continent’s export gateway to the global cannabis market,” said Halo, a cannabis company listed on Toronto’s NEO Exchange.
OCP Africa, a subsidiary of OCP Group-a leading global producer of phosphate and its derivatives, with almost 100 years of experience, has re-launched its ‘Agribooster Offer’ aimed at contributing to boost the food production in the country and to empower smallholder farmers. The ‘Agribooster Offer’ is an innovative farmer-centered market development model that brings together different stakeholders of the agriculture value chain to provide the best conditions allowing farmers to increase their yield, incomes and livelihood.
Stakeholders at the Agricultural training for Banking Professionals of Finance Service Providers have pledged their support to the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) for improved production of rice. The stakeholders include representatives of some banks such as Unity Bank, Union Bank, Sterling Bank, Heritage Bank, Jaiz Bank, on Thursday assured CARI of their “total support’’ in terms of finance for rice farmers and rice processors in the country.
Mastercard has announced the signing of two public-private partnerships that will extend the reach of the Mastercard Farmers Network (MFN) to millions of smallholder farmers in Africa. Under this partnership, key partners, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), are providing support to further roll out the MFN platform across Uganda making transacting much safer and simpler for many more stakeholders in the agricultural value chain – the farmer, the buyer and the agent.
The UAE has outlined its ambition to become a world-leader in the sustainable food production sphere of aquaculture with the signing of a Memorandum of Intent, MoI, between the Minister of State for Food Security, Mariam Almheiri, and James Cook University, JCU, Australia.
A Ministry statement said that the agreement, signed yesterday, relates to the Marine Innovation Park, MIP, at the Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre in Abu Dhabi and aims to harness JCU’s knowledge and experience in biotechnology, e-technology and aquaculture - the farming of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants under controlled conditions and with minimal resources.
Digitisation could change the game for agriculture in Africa. That’s a key message in a report recently released by an international institution that enhances smallholder farming in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) focuses on poverty reduction through modernizing smallholder farming by fostering innovation and knowledge sharing. Digitisation refers to everything from delivering farming advice via text messaging to interactive voice response. It also includes smart phone applications that link farmers to multimedia advisory content, farm inputs, and buyers.
The Agriculture Ministry along with United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Egypt announced on Wednesday a joint project to develop a digital agricultural guiding model as part of the National framework program that was signed between FAO and the Egyptian government from 2018-2020. During the opening event of workshops organized to launch the project, agriculture representatives explained that digital technology aids in overcoming the dangers of starvation and to achieve food security.
INFOMINEO RESOURCES
A highlight of some of our resources to expand your knowledge on Africa and the Middle East.
As a continent rich with natural resources, Africa has a long and complex history with the cultivation and exploitation of cash-crops as a source of income. Many African countries rely heavily on cash-crops to boost their exports and generate foreign currency. It is estimated that cash-crops constitute over 50% of Africa’s total agricultural exports.
Land reforms have been a thorny issue in Africa since the independence periods. Many countries, including South Africa and Nigeria, are still trying to navigate the complex matter of land rights, land reorganization, and the proper way to distribute agricultural land based on historic and socio-economic considerations.
INFOMINEO
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