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A study released Feb. 14 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that ethanol is likely a bigger contributor to global warming than gasoline, Reuters reported. The study contradicts previous findings by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) showing that ethanol and other biofuels are green. “Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel,” said…
Emerging in the last 120 years, science-based plant breeding begins by creating novel diversity from which useful new varieties can be identified or formed. The most common approach is making targeted crosses between parents with complementary, desirable traits. This is followed by selection among the resulting plants to obtain improved types that combine desired traits…
By Charles Dhewa As farmers continue to plunder their soils, water, and other natural resources in order to send their children to school, academic degrees are not being translated into tangible skills that can make a difference to the lives of farmers and ordinary people across Africa. As if that is not enough, university graduates…
By Calvin Manika A Zimbabwean international organisation, Africa Grain and Seed (AGS) with investments in food security worldwide is seeking to grow the Zimbabwean economy by bringing agricultural investors into the country. Working through collaborations and international partnerships can turn around the economy of Zimbabwe. This was said by the President and Founder of Africa…
Dr. John Basera, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has won the 2021 President’s Award for Performance Excellence in the Permanent Secretaries category. In an unprecedented feat, the Agriculture Sector grew by over 36% from USD5.8bn in 2020 to over USD8bn in the 2021 financial year, a…
In a Monetary Policy Statement issued by government on Monday, the tourism industry is among sectors identified to retain their foreign currency earnings to allow for recapitalisation. Export Retention for Tourism and Hospitality Industry “In order to respond to the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the tourism sector, which was hard-hit by the pandemic not…
Due to severe drought, Turkey’s 2021-22 wheat production is down 2 million tonnes, to 16.25 million tonnes, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Looking ahead to next year, rainfall levels from October to December were better compared to the same period a year ago. However,…
The Tanganda Tea Company Limited, a part of Chipinge’s history, continues to show how it has managed to not only last so long but grow to be Zimbabwe’s largest producer, packer, and distributor of Tea. As a people-centred business, Tanganda has been actively improving the lives of its employees and the community of Chipinge….
By Charles Dhewa When the free inputs queue gets longer every year, it is a sign that farmers are not earning enough to be able to buy their own inputs. These are some of the challenges of depending too much on imported inputs and external knowledge. Is it not ironic that as more attention and…
By Sowell Chikwari Civil society organisations have raised concerns over the decimation of wetlands in urban peripheries owing to housing construction and agricultural activities as it negatively impacts the environmental ecosystem. The City of Harare is among the most affected cities in terms of the depletion of wetlands, a situation that has grossly affected the…
Tanganda, one of Zimbabwe’s oldest companies, is set to list on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) in the next few days. The company, the largest producer, packer, and distributor of tea in the country has a history of success and forward-looking leadership. Tanganda has transformed itself over the years from a tea business to a…
Nestlé (www.Nestle.com) announced a new plan to tackle child labor risks in cocoa production. At the center is an innovative income accelerator program, which aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farming families, while also advancing regenerative agriculture practices and gender equality. A cash incentive will be paid directly to cocoa-farming households for certain activities…
By Charles Dhewa Contrary to the formal definition of a market as a meeting place for buyers and sellers, an African market is more than a physical meeting place for farmers and traders. Some of its most important roles include food distribution, supporting rural development, and ensuring nutrition get to low-income populations who would otherwise…
By Desire Tshuma Pakistani investors have shown interest in the agriculture and mining sectors in Zimbabwe and have already been working in partnership with local companies in the country. The Pakistan investors are specializing in supplying and repairing agriculture and mining machinery. The machinery includes gold milling machinery, cranes, blasting equipment, and tractors for agricultural…
Developing agriculture remains Zimbabwe’s most direct route to reducing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition given that 67% of the population resides in rural areas and relies on smallholder farming as a source of livelihood. The transformation of agriculture entails developing a robust sector that has mainstreamed mechanisms of reducing the vulnerability of and maintaining and increasing…
Working with European farmers Farmers, who are the stewards of the land, must be an integral part of the solutions for the European food systems of the future. They possess intimate knowledge of the land from years of experience and cross-generational information and are well-positioned to disseminate this knowledge. For this and many other reasons,…
By Tendai Guvamombe Communities in Goromonzi South have embraced rabbit farming with a view of addressing poverty. This follows the launch of the initiative by James Samhembere, the ZANU PF Secretary for Indigenous and Economic Empowerment in the area. Goromonzi South is located in the periphery of the capital city Harare and is under the…
By Charles Dhewa African agricultural policymakers have for decades preferred basing their decisions on prices of inputs like fertilizer, fuel, and seed as well as processed food products like bread, sugar, cooking oil, margarine, and others that are considered part of a family’s food basket. This tendency has ignored prices of fresh commodities like leafy…
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) comes as a farming model for a sustainable agricultural production system aimed at food security even during climatic calamities in eight countries, including Bangladesh. Officials said the D-8 grouping adopted a proposal on the introduction of the CSA model in the developing eight economies. Bangladesh had proposed the system in the D-8…
By Joyce Mukucha The United Nations (UN)’s benchmark food and commodity prices index rose sharply on average through 2021, compared with the previous year, the new data by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has revealed last week. The FAO’s Food Price Index(FFPI) which tracks monthly changes in international prices averaged 125.7 points – a 28.1…
Staff Reporter The City of Harare has noted with great concern that a number of people are cultivating maize on wetlands in different parts of the city. Against this background, the Harare City Council has warned that among other punitive measures, Harare-based residents who temper with wetlands are required to pay a fine of 25…
By Joyce Mukucha Zimbabwean fish farmers have been encouraged to work hard and yield positive results in terms of productivity and at the same time ensure that mistakes that happened in 2021 in the aquaculture sector are not repeated. In his New Year message, the Zimbabwe Productive Farmers Association (ZPFA) Chairperson of Development and Outreach…
By Calvin Manika Timothy Ncube, 18, sits under a baobab tree at their homestead in Lukosi village, Hwange. Despite being a rainy season, they have not received enough rains to commence farming in earnest. Timothy thinks that seasons have changed and the climate is no longer favourable to them to rely on subsistence farming for…
Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development commissioned the Chivi Water Supply Rehabilitation Works as part of efforts by the Second Republic to accelerate rural development for the attainment of Vision 2030. The rehabilitation of Chivi Water Supply is part of a wider programme to help ease water challenges…
By Charles Dhewa It is taking too long for African governments to realize that allowing communities to take food and nutrition security matters into their own hands cultivates better self-reliance and sustainable development. Many rural African communities are tired of being treated like children who have no influence on what they eat and when they…
As the country continues to experience drought and failed harvests since 2000 due to climate change and the impact of COVID-19, the Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association (ZPHCA) is building the resilience of grassroots women to withstand shocks brought about by these challenges. “The country has been experiencing drought and failed harvest since…
In the wake of COP26, which featured a strong call for increased finance to help the world’s poorest countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, Denmark, on 10 December 2021 announced a contribution of DKK 190 million (about US$29 million) to the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to assist small-scale farmers to…
By Charles Dhewa While malnutrition is expected to be less in areas that have favourable climates for producing diverse food, undernutrition remains a key characteristic of high production zones across Africa. It is rare for a single area or community to produce an entire balanced food basket throughout the year. The seasonal nature of rainfed…
By Joyce Mukucha Developing a robust industrial and commercial sector is vital for import substitution and crucial following Zimbabwe’s ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) in 2019, a government official has said. Officially opening the Buy Zimbabwe-Buy Local Summit in Harare yesterday, Vice President who is also the Minister of Health and…
By Joyce Mukucha A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has revealed that plastic pollution is posing an even greater threat to food security, people’s health, and the environment. The report was presented this Tuesday at a virtual event in conjunction with World Soil Day. FAO’s Assessment of…
By Marlvin Ngiza Learners at Mukodza Secondary School are set to benefit from the recently launched beekeeping project at the institution. Andrew Nhigo, the custodian of the project, hinted that the initiative will go a long way in equipping learners with skills as entailed by the new curriculum. Nhigo added that they expect to use…
Transform agricultural food systems to make them more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for better production, nutrition, environment, and life for all, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) said in The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2021 report. Measures to contain the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 disrupted global and national supply chains…
By Marlvin Ngiza People with disabilities (PWDs) have been challenged to be resolute in claiming socio-economic participation in various spheres of life and move away from a culture of relying on handouts and the benevolence of able-bodied individuals. Moses Marufu, a farmer with walking challenges has called upon other people with disabilities to rise and…
By Joyce Mukucha Farmers have so far delivered more than one million metric tonnes of grains to the Grain Marketing Board(GMB), a phenomenal increase from last cropping season comparative deliveries. In her post Cabinet briefing yesterday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said Cumulatively, 227 000 metric tonnes of wheat have…
The government is working on mainstreaming information communication technologies (ICTs) into agriculture and to achieve this, it has developed the Zimbabwe Agri-Tech Strategy to leverage innovations to improve efficiency, increase effectiveness, reduce costs and enhance the competitiveness of the sector. In his remarks delivered on behalf of the minister, Hon Vangelis Haritatos, the Deputy Minister…
By Joyce Mukucha Worldwide, the impacts of climate change are becoming more and more devastating causing food insecurity, health challenges, heat waves, fires and disasters such as floods which as a result cause displacement and women are hardest hit. Climate change marginalizes and increases vulnerabilities for women and girls because already, they are disproportionately affected…
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes : There is need for proper understanding, or rather political and economic orientation of what exactly is on the ground. The budget must be defined in simpler terms, and refined for ordinary people to understand, exactly what is going on the ground. Literally, the focus is more improving the economy,…
Dr. Richard Munang Africa already needs a minimum of $2.5trillion to implement its climate action commitments. Even as COP26 in Glasgow agreed to double the $100 billion pledge to developing countries, this means that even if the pledges were honoured in full, the gap would still be gapping for Africa. If we were to go with just…
By Dr. Mathew M. Abang Bananas represent one of the most consumed and traded fruits globally. In Southern Africa, bananas serve both as a staple food and important cash crop. To date, Tanzania is the largest producer of bananas in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)….
By Joyce Mukucha Aiming to boost Zimbabwe’s agricultural production as well as improving the resilience of farmers by providing imperative information through internet connectivity, Cabinet has adopted smart agriculture programme. Cabinet also adopted smart health programme which is aimed at avoiding hindrances when it comes to provision of much needed services in the sector. The…
By Elvis Dumba ZVIMBA- The dairy industry which has been fatigued by a myriad of challenges forcing the country to import dairy products is slowly showing signs of recovery. The country’s national dairy requirements stand at 120 million litres which is above the current national production of 79.9 million litres according to the Zimbabwe Dairy…
Food shortages, the disappearance of medicinal plants and essences, and changes in lifestyle are the consequences of deforestation on the indigenous peoples of Central Africa. Nearly 60 km from Douala in Cameroon, in the Littoral region, on a normal road that runs along a track that is engulfed in the forest, and out of nowhere,…
By Elvis Dumba MUTORASHANGA- Farmers in the beef and dairy industry have been urged to adopt environment friendly practices in their activities to combat environment damaging effects such as land degradation which result from overgrazing. A Mutorashanga farmer has took it upon himself in training small scale dairy and beef farmers around the area in…
By Elvis Dumba Banket- Most of sports and country clubs which were used by former white commercial farmers are in a deplorable state across the country. Government has partnered various institutions in rehabilitating these premises which saw Banket Sports Club being renovated by fertilizer manufacturing company FSG Superfert. FSG Logistics Manager Ngoni Kandeya said his…
By Elvis Dumba BANKET- Those involved in the distribution of the Presidential Agriculture Inputs have been warned against the abuse of the system as the full wrath of the law will take its course. The sentiments were made by Mashonaland West Province Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa-Chikoka during a Pfumvudza/Intwasa…
