Writes Violet Mashonga In the heart of Mhondoro Mubaira, Ward 5, the Chomudondo family has been making waves with their innovative farming and poultry projects. This elderly couple has defied conventional expectations, showcasing that age is no barrier to achieving success. Their determination and hard work have not only improved their own lives but also…
Writes Violet Mashonga Gandiwa Village in Mhondoro Mubaira recently hosted a successful field day at the Mandizvidza homestead, attracting numerous organizations and companies. The event, held in Ward 5 of Chief Rwizi’s area, showcased the growing interest in the farming industry. Guest of honor, Mrs. Ndoro, the Provincial Deputy Director of Agritex, expressed her…
The Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (The Mechanism) is making significant strides toward closing Africa’s agricultural productivity gap. At its 14th Governing Council meeting, held on 20 March 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, the Mechanism reported that its initiatives had facilitated access to 18,448 tons of fertilizer for 115,535 smallholder farmers across Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe during 2024. …
If you look around a Senegalese village, you will see the connection. Farmers under a mango tree drinking the afternoon pot of attaya (tea). A cluster of children from all corners of the community magnetically gathered around a soccer ball like Mecca and the idea that they could be the next Sadio Mané. Or a…
To boost the immunity of HIV-positive people, wild or Indigenous plants are sources of key nutrients and useful to ensure healthy living, Dr. Batsirai Chipurura from the Department of Nutrition Dietetics and Food Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe has said. He was addressing participants attending a workshop organised by the National AIDS Council…
Writes Violet Mashonga The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Dr Amxious Masuka, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to food security, emphasizing that the Ffumvudza program introduced by President Emerson Mnangagwa plays a crucial role in enhancing agricultural productivity. Addressing farmers and stakeholders during a field day at Headman Peter…
The End School-Age Hunger Fund (ESAH) was approved on 20 March to bolster school meal programmes in targeted African countries The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) approved the establishment of a fund to help put an end to hunger and malnutrition among school-age children in Africa. The End School-Age…
To ensure that modern technologies are developed and used in an ethical, safe, and equitable manner, the National Biotechnology Authority (NBA) is leading in the development of a regulatory framework for genome editing in Zimbabwe. The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Prof. Fanuel Tagwira…
Water and sanitation play an important role in the pursuit of Africa’s development aspirations given their direct bearing on all basic social and economic indicators, Hon Vangelis Haritatos, the Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has said. He made the remarks during the official opening of the Southern Africa Sub-regional…
In the drought-prone district of Mwenezi, Zimbabwe, farmers battle unpredictable rainfall and dwindling agricultural yields. Climate change has made traditional farming methods unreliable, forcing smallholder farmers to seek new solutions. For Chizivano Shava, a lead farmer in the Climate Resilient Livelihoods (CRL) project, innovation is not just an option, it’s a necessity. Supported by…
The Entrepreneurs Network Association of Zimbabwe (ENAZ) is set to host a groundbreaking symposium on April 11, 2025, in Harare, bringing together key stakeholders in agriculture, finance, and policy to drive Zimbabwe’s economic resurgence. This high-level event will underscore the agricultural sector’s indispensable role in steering Zimbabwe toward its Vision 2030 goals, focusing on food…
At the recently concluded Africa Business Forum (ABF) 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, IITA–CGIAR Director of Private Sector Partnerships, Dr Debo Akande, led an IITA delegation at the high-profile event hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Centered around the theme, “From Potential to Prosperity: Activating Africa’s Regional Value Chains,” the forum brought together key stakeholders to drive…
In pursuit of enhancing resilience in a multi-shock environment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Resident Coordinator’s Office of Zimbabwe, today, officially launched Phase 2 of the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF), together with its donors, the European Union and the Government of Ireland. ZRBF is a…
The African Union has taken a historic step towards enhancing food safety across the continent with the adoption of the statute for the establishment of the Africa Food Safety Agency during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 16 February 2025. This landmark decision marks…
A workshop by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) regional office for Africa (RAF) that took place in Harare from 17 to 28 February 2025 enhanced participants’ skills and knowledge in the quest for establishing resilient agri-food systems on the continent. Below, Spiked Online Media shares participants’ perspectives about the…
A local agricultural organisation, Mash Goats, hosted a day-long goat farming training session aimed at empowering communities with agricultural entrepreneurial skills. Speaking to journalists at the training session in Harare, the initiative’s founder, Tatenda Mashozhera, stated that equipping people with knowledge of goat farming is crucial for bridging the unemployment gap. “Empowering communities with agricultural…
NAIROBI, KENYA – A continental training of trainer’s seminar for agriculture development programme experts is taking place in Nairobi to prepare experts from regional economic communities to support the biennial review mechanism in data collection, to ensure that data continues to be of high quality. This event centred on efforts to critically analyse the…
Addis Ababa – The outgoing African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Correia Sacko, was honoured in Nairobi by the Inter-African Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) for her work on the continent. The farewell event, organised by the specialised technical office, came at a time when the Angolan…
By Sibiri Sylvain Herve Ouedraogo, Programme Officer, FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF) The Regional Capacity development workshop in Zimbabwe Agriculture is at the heart of Africa’s economy, providing livelihoods for nearly 60% of the population. However, inefficiencies in agrifood systems—ranging from poor infrastructure to climate vulnerability and weak market access—have limited the…
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the African Union (FAO), has pledged to continue to work with the African Union in promoting food and nutrition security on the African continent. Speaking to Spiked Online Media on the sidelines of the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF) Capacity Development Workshop running in Harare, Zimbabwe from 17…
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – At least 15 billion dollars a year up to 2030 is the amount the continent needs to increase its capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change, outgoing African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said. The Ambassador, who made a name for herself during two terms in the Department of…
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Africa (RAF) is holding a two-week long training workshop on administrative, finance, and operational matters in Harare. Speaking to Spiked Online Media ahead of the meeting today, Dr. Patrice Talla, the FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, said the training was…
Addis Ababa – 16 February 2025 – Angolan Josefa Correia Sacko, outgoing African Union Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, was honoured in Addis Ababa, with a medal of honour of merit, by the President of the Republic, Mohamed Oud Ghazouani. Th honour came on the sidelines…
Addis Ababa 14 February 2025 – Women are the backbone of Africa’s agri-food systems, contributing immensely to production, processing, distribution, and family livelihoods, outgoing African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Josefa Correia Sacko said in Addis Ababa. The Angolan diplomat at the end of her mandate at the…
A ‘very rich’ legacy built up during the last eight years at the head of the continental body’s Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) portfolio is her gift to the new African Union Commissioner, the outgoing Commissioner of the African Union, Josefa Correia Sacko has said. The diplomat said this during…
The Government of Eswatini has hailed the election of former Cabinet Minister, Mr. Moses Vilakati, as the Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) in the African Union Commission. This achievement follows a highly competitive election held at the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where…
Commissioner of the African Union’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Correia Sacko said in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) that although agriculture is an important sector, most farmers on the continent practice rainfed agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to climate change. The Diplomat, who made these remarks at the International…
Over the past 30 years, extreme events such as wildfires, droughts, floods, and heat waves have multiplied due to the warming climate. According to climate models and research conducted by the IPCC, NASA, and other scientific institutions, their frequency, intensity, and duration are expected to grow in the future. Apart from the dramatic toll…
Writes Dr Tapiwa Mashakada The land reform program which started in 2000, sought to address historical injustices and imbalances in land ownership and distribution patterns. Before 2000, fertile agricultural land was owned by only 4500 white farmers while the black African majority were confined to tribal trust lands where the land was rocky,…
Dr. John Basera, a leading candidate for the position of Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment of the African Union Commission (AUC) has highlighted his vision, experience, and plans to strengthen agricultural development and the blue economy across Africa. Speaking to Spiked Online Media, Dr Basera demonstrated that he is a…
The continent is still not exploiting the full potential of its animal resources, largely because it is failing to fully utilise the opportunities available and address key challenges such as animal feed and health, African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said in Addis Ababa. The diplomat, who was speaking at the launch of the…
About 67.4 million people in the Horn of Africa are food insecure, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, said in a joint report. This is a rise from 64.8 million at the end of November 2024, the institutions said,…
The African Union Commissioner recognised in Addis Ababa that the efforts that have been made in food security, sustainable environmental practices, rural development, and the blue economy have had a tangible impact on the entire continent. Josefa Sacko, who was speaking at a meeting with members of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue…
Rwanda is set to launch a major irrigation development project in Gisagara District following the signing of a concessional financing agreement with China on Wednesday, January 22. The initiative, dubbed the Giseke Dam and Irrigation Project, is expected to benefit over 915 households by providing irrigation infrastructure to support crop cultivation. Gisagara District, known…
A new era in livestock marketing has dawned through the African Pastoral Markets Development Platform (APMD), which represents a groundbreaking initiative hosted by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). Speaking during the APMD launch, Mohamed Omar, a renowned pastoralist leader, said the platform implementation will reflect the shared commitment to the transformations…
Berlin, Germany – The continent needs to address the structural challenges that are impeding economic transformation in Africa, which are deeply intertwined with food systems, African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko reiterated in Berlin. The Diplomat, who was speaking at the Eleventh German-Africa Conference that takes place from 17-21 of this month, assured that…
Writes Charles Dhewa Decades after independence from colonial masters, most African countries continue to perpetuate colonial urban planning approaches that were designed to exclude and marginalize the majority of poor Africans and their markets from urban areas. For instance, why should it be acceptable for urban dwellers to keep cats, dogs, and horses but…
Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has said the Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government on the Post Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda in Kampala, Uganda signifies a commitment to transforming the African agricultural sector. In a statement read on his behalf by Dr. Anxious Masuka,…
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) said despite some progress in addressing food insecurity, Africa still faces several challenges and obstacles to the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) including climate change and inadequate funding of the agricultural sector. This came to the fore during an interactive…
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Stakeholders have been urged to embrace policy and institutional support measures to ensure the successful implementation of the post-Malabo agenda for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system. These were the sentiments of Dr. Tshilidzi Madzivhandila, the Chief Executive Officer of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) …
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Dr. Bright Rwamirama, Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has underscored the importance of animal protein in food and nutrition security. He was speaking during a Livestock Side event at the Margins of the African Union Heads of States Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development…
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is proud to announce the appointment of Alice Ruhweza as its next President, effective March 1st, 2025. This appointment follows a thorough and comprehensive selection process in partnership with Spencer Stuart. The incoming president, Alice Ruhweza will succeed Dr. Agnes Kalibata, who has successfully led AGRA…
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Group of Non-State Actors has shared a common position on food systems with members of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee of Rural Agriculture, Water, and Environment as well as the Heads of State and Government of the African Union during the ongoing African Union Extraordinary Summit in…
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Evidence-based policies and strategies are essential to drive sustainable food systems transformation, without which stakeholders would not be able to successfully implement the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and deliver the African transformation, HE Jakaya Kikwete, the former President of Tanzania has said. He made the remarks in his keynote…
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Zimbabwe’s Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Hon. Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka has said multi-stakeholder collaboration is the best way of developing Africa’s agricultural advancement. He was speaking during a side event of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Programme ((CAADP) in Kampala, Uganda…
