Africa

A new solar-powered irrigation kit, developed by US company SunCulture, is helping small-scale farmers in Kenya achieve better yields.

A software engineer from Nigeria has won an international award for his cloud-based application that automatically notifies food retailers of food products approaching the end of their shelf-life. This allows the retailers  to offer discounts to charities.

Ghana’s rice industry has called on the private sector to invest more in domestic rice production in the form of machinery and logistics to complement government’s efforts to develop the country’s rice value chain, according to GhanaWeb.

Annually, Africa spends about R3 billion ($40 billion) on importing processed foods. This was according to Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who recently addressed delegates at the Emoyeni Estates in Johannesburg for the 20th anniversary celebration of the South African National Editors’ Forum.

According to Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture, the country will maintain its existing ban on maize exports until the next season’s harvest to safeguard national food security.

llovo Sugar supports the prime minister of Tanzania in his efforts to increase its annual sugar production, to eliminate the need for imports

Chicken meat prices are being kept high in Botswana because of the government's tight trade restrictions on foreign producers.

The Bakhresa Group plans to expand fruit processing facilities to improve the agriculture sector in Tanzania.

A wildlife rabies vaccine is being currently developed in Namibia to deal with the kudu rabies epidemic that began in 2001.

Botswana dairy farmers are hoping government will introduce a milk import tax to protect local producers.

Annelie Coleman recently visited Namibia and compiled a photo collage to illustrate the impact of the drought on the country.

Zambia's biggest integrated food companies, Zambeef, is taking back its hold on the poultry business shares from RCL Foods.