read all interesting agriculture stories on zimbabwe news spiked. Newsdzezimbabwe agriculture is updated every day and is very reliable.
In Kansas, more than 2,000 cattle died in a record heat wave. In Tunisia, fires razed fields of grain to the ground. In southern China, historic flooding damaged almost 100,000 hectares of crops. In northern Italy, a farm lobby warned that drought could claim half the region’s agricultural output. That was just June. The global food supply is taking a hit from…
By Elvis Dumba Chinhoyi – Mashonaland West Agriculture Society will celebrate its 75th agriculture exhibition this year under the theme “Fostering a self-sufficient future, retaining a heritage”. The show runs on 3-6 August 2022 with exhibition stand uptake currently standing at over 60% according to Mashonaland West Show Society Manager Brian Vengai. He said the…
By Charles Dhewa When you want to understand African food systems, visit African mass food markets in big cities. This is where most food commodities are mobilized from diverse parts of each country. While every community may have its own local market, commodities in that market are not as diverse as those found in mass…
‘Global syndemics’ are pandemics that intersect with climate change, undernutrition, and obesity—posing a grave threat to human and planetary health. The global community could today be sitting amidst a syndemic. With the world’s population expected to reach 9.1 billion by 2050, the demand for food would exponentially grow, increasing the requirement for land for agricultural…
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is promoting the adoption of smart agriculture in Ethiopia in a bid to address the complexities involved in agricultural processes using technology in pursuit of attaining food security as espoused in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Speaking to Spiked Online Media on the sidelines of…
Own Correspondent Journalist Byron Adonis Mutingwende, the Publisher and Editor of Spiked Online Media has joined the communication unit of the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global (GCSAYN). In an announcement today, Mr. Ntiokam Divine, the Founder and Managing Director of Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global (GCSAYN) said Mr. Mutingwende’s appointment is crucial…
Dr. Richard Munang (Climate change and development expert) My Origins I am a proud native of Kom, specifically from a small village called Jinkfuin in the North-Western part of Cameroon. And I have never stopped marvelling at how unique and rich the culture and value system of kom and the entire Cameroon is. The…
By Lovemore Chazingwa Kadoma Agricultural Show Society has dangled another set of contradictions, this time on the dates for this year’s imminent annual agricultural show. A poster circulated by ousted secretary Talent Garikai on Tuesday indicated that this year’s annual show will be staged from August 11-13. Contacted for clarity, Garikai replied with a copy…
Leveraging technological innovations with a focus on digitalization is essential for attaining increased effectiveness, efficiency, and competitive implementation of National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) in pursuit of the delivery of the Malabo Declaration on Africa Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation. This came to the fore during a panel discussion on the last day of a…
As stakeholders trudge towards the next phase post the Malabo Declaration on Africa Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation, the participation of vulnerable groups like women and youth is critical in the attainment of food security. Speaking on the need for strategies to increase food security and nutrition and reduce poverty and the commitment to agricultural…
Human capital development plays a key role in the implementation of the National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) as espoused in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in pursuit of achieving the delivery of the Malabo Declaration on Africa Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation. This emerged today during a panel discussion at the high-level NAIPS…
Dr. Richard Munang Whenever I think of food security in Africa, one insightful proverb comes to mind – “there is honey but no bees”. This self-explanatory proverb implies that the solutions to achieving Africa’s food security are like unprotected honey. They are accessible and not exotic. But just as we know, “he who doesn’t find his way back…
During a high-level policy dialogue that kicked off in Dakar, Senegal, yesterday on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) food system review, stakeholders gave an overview of the status of the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and lessons drawn from the programme in the last 15 years. In a breakaway session that focused on…
Despite a plethora of challenges affecting food and nutrition security in Africa, the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and Regional Agriculture Investment Plans (RAIPs) are instrumental in driving the agriculture transformation processes and building resilient food systems on the continent. In her welcome remarks delivered virtually at the high-level meeting of the National Agricultural Investment…
The Government of Japan has made an additional contribution of US$500.000.00 to the World Food Programme (WFP) to help alleviate food insecurity in Zimbabwe. The contribution is especially timely, given that many in the country will struggle to feed themselves at the peak of the lean season because of successive drought and chronic economic challenges,…
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Union Commission Department of Agriculture, Rural Economy and Blue Economy (AUC-DARBE) in association with Akademiya2063 will be holding a high-level stakeholder consultative meeting in Dakar, Senegal, from 26 to 28 July 2022 to review the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme’s National Agricultural Investment Plans (CAADP/NAIP) success…
By Baboloki Semele Botswana’s vice president Slumber Tsogwane commended the ‘successful’ relationship between African agriculture and the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) for continuing to bear fruits – and hopefully rice! Speaking at an event marking the rice harvesting ceremony, held at the university’s Sebele Farms where the project is being carried…
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) Board of Directors approved a loan of USD 271 million to finance Egypt’s Food Security and Economic Resilience Support Program to support efforts to mitigate the impact of the global shocks on the domestic economy from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and to preserve resilience. The program includes two major components: Support…
Rashpinder Singh, 36, is a farmer who owns 17 acres (almost seven hectares) of land in the state of Punjab. He took up the profession of his forefathers after completing his MTech degree. “I feel connected with the land. Farming is a part of my identity, since this is what I have been surrounded with…
By Charles Dhewa Developing countries are still struggling to domesticate western financial systems so that they suit local contexts. The fact that most financial institutions in Africa have Western roots has resulted in Western founders of the financial system continuing to influence the extent to which financial systems can be domesticated. For instance, although commercial…
By Lloyd Rabaya The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has so far expropriated above 300 metric tonnes (MT) of grain from farmers who were intending to side-market their grain. This came out on Tuesday when Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa was addressing the post-cabinet briefing. In her address, Mutsvangwa urged farmers to…
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has embarked on aggressive customer engagement programmes countrywide. The objective is to engage, update and conduct awareness programmes to address pertinent issues affecting stakeholders, especially in rural areas. On Saturday, ZETDC was at Gokwe Centre and the Commercial Director Engineer Ralph Katsande spoke to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting…
By Charles Dhewa Besides consuming a lot of money and other resources, many water bodies like dams are under-utilized across Africa. Several dams that were built to support food production have ended up being used for recreational purposes and touristic ventures which do not benefit the majority. Before building a dam, it is critical for…
Fellows from six African countries this week joined colleagues at Leeds to strengthen networks and build research and leadership skills, helping to bring sustainable change in African food systems. The Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa) works with early-career researchers in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The aim is to build…
By Charles Dhewa A major lesson for African leaders from the Russia-Ukraine conflict is that they should accelerate the development of food systems that have no direct link with foreign currency. African agriculture has remained thinly defined for decades as shown by how agricultural policies focus on less than five percent of African food systems…
For many years, large-scale and small-scale farmers in the traditional food basket have been planting every season without paying attention to soil health. Over the years, this has resulted in dwindling productivity at the farm level as they grappled with the worst effects of climate change coupled with the high cost of farm inputs. Kenya’s…
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) yesterday announced that it is providing technical advisory support to a new World Bank investment project in Ethiopia. The project valued at $600 million aims to increase the resilience of Ethiopia’s food systems and its preparedness for food insecurity. As a result of climate change, smallholder farmers in…
Tweaking a pair of genes in rice could significantly improve the crop’s heat stress tolerance and increase yield under higher temperatures, according to a new study by Chinese scientists. The discovery could help secure food supply, with crops vulnerable to rising temperatures and extreme weather events under climate change, the researchers said, in a paper published on…
By Marlvin Ngiza Youths have been challenged to engage in safe and lawful informal means of earning a living and grab any chance available to them as a way of countering unemployment in the midst of the obtaining economic crisis. This was said by one of the youths, Garikai Muteiwa who has recently successfully set…
By Muchaneta Chimuka More than 1 500 women from Gatsi Village, Seke, and Edernsburg in Manyame District in Mashonaland East Province are now earning a living through the vegetable gardening projects that have been necessitated by the Survivors in Action Grassroots Women Network (SAAGWN) which has enabled them to fight gender based violence through the…
Pitch competition awards cash prizes to youth technology innovators in Africa’s agriculture and food sectors African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), Heifer International, and Generation Africa today announced the launch of Pitch AgriHack 2022, marking the second year the organizations have come together to provide cash grants that accelerate entrepreneurial growth and job creation in Africa’s…
By Charles Dhewa What differentiates African food markets from the rest is that they do not just sell commodities but educate consumers. Where the majority of workers in formal markets like supermarkets focus only on selling commodities, traders in African food markets are always ready to educate consumers on different ways of preparing food. Farmers…
By Clayton Masekesa MARANGE – From a distance, the atmosphere paints a hazy picture as hot thick air pervades the dry open land that has no life, it is a sad scenario that signifies rigorous drought. After living on one of the world’s richest diamond fields, villagers in Marange have been subjected to excessive hunger…
Inputs designed to increase crop production, yields, and quality are not immune to volatility and high prices, the two common threads linking all 21 sessions comprising Sosland Publishing Co.’s 45th annual Purchasing Seminar in early June. For the first time, a breakout session at the seminar was devoted specifically to fertilizers with an outlook that…
The Ministery of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development yesterday launched the Presidential Rural Development Programme in pursuit of accelerating the attainment of Vision 2030. In his keynote address, during the launch in Mashonaland West Province, Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development said the programme was the…
By Marlvin Ngiza The construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Matebeleland Province is progressing well with the project registering 66,2% of completion. The project will facilitate the development of the Gwayi-Shangani Irrigation Scheme, Hydro-Power Generation, and clean water supply for the city of Bulawayo and all schools along the pipeline. Speaking at a post-cabinet media…
By Charles Dhewa Unfair trading practices have continued to characterize African agriculture and food systems for decades. Determining and setting prices for agricultural commodities remains a big challenge in most African countries including local markets where the majority of farmers, traders, and consumers depend for their food and income. There have not been convincing answers…
By Charles Dhewa When there is nothing new to train farmers, the onus is on agricultural extension services departments to re-imagine how else they can remain relevant. This is what is happening in many African countries where farmers have either been over-trained or have mastered enough skills on how to seek knowledge from markets and…
By Marlvin Ngiza Learning institutions have been commended for their positive contribution towards preserving the environment. This comes after learners at Mukodza Secondary School in Buhera recently conducted a gulley reclamation exercise. Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesperson Amkela Sidanke thanked authorities and learners at Mukodza school and all other institutions who have been participating in…
By Marlvin Ngiza The cabinet has ratified the Disaster and Risk Management Bill as a way of ensuring preparedness and swift response to the increase of disasters in the country. The Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Bill will promote the involvement of all citizens in disaster-prone communities in managing the increasing multiplicity and severity…
By Marlvin Ngiza Retailers have concurred with the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) suggestions of dealing with instability in the local retail environment through strengthening local raw materials supply chains. Recently, Zimbabwe Farmers Union Secretary-General, Mr.Paul Zakariya told this publication that local farmers should be capacitated in order for them to produce enough for the country….
By Baboloki Semele This year’s Bonn Annual UN Climate Change Conference kicked off yesterday, It is designed to lay the groundwork for success at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Governments are meeting for the first time since the conclusion of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow last November, at which the operational details…
To ensure agriculture sector viability, the government is taking corrective measures to address some bottlenecks that could impinge on the development of the sector, Dr. Jenfan Miuswere, the Acting Chairperson of the Cabinet Briefings has said. In the 15th Post Cabinet Press Briefing today, Dr Muswere said Cabinet received an update on the 2022/23 Cereal…
By Elvis Dumba Banket – The partnership between Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and Tobacco Research Board which has spanned three decades is positively impacting the success of rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners into society. Prisoners are benefitting from a tobacco husbandry one-year training course where they will get the free life skills that…
By Wellington Zimbowa Famously renowned as the mineral hub of Zimbabwe, Shurugwi ‘s landscape and picturesque surroundings can be a sore sight due to environmental degradation owing to rife mineral activities which in some cases go unchecked. But it is in this southern part of Zimbabwe, Midlands province where Honde Valley prodigy Mrs. Rujeko Emily…
