Sharp increase in area planted to crops in Zimbabwe
In a positive development for that country, farmers in Zimbabwe have reported that they have planted double the number of hectares to maize to date in 2022, compared with the same time the previous year.
US$98 million initiative to restore rangelands in Botswana
United States (US) Conservation International, United Nations (UN) Green Climate Fund and Botswana’s Ministry of Agriculture recently launched a new initiative intended to restore communal rangelands and improve the grazing on farmland in Botswana.
Plans for more Nile tilapia farming in Zimbabwe
A strategy that will see a nearly threefold increase in farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Zimbabwe has been announced by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Zimbabwe wheat crop volumes hit record
Wheat producers in Zimbabwe had delivered a record volume of wheat of almost 327 000t to that country’s Grain Marketing Board by 25 November.
Nambian agri union committed to uplifting farmworkers
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) is committed to maintaining the human dignity of farmworkers and to ensure that they could enjoy a dignified retirement.
New initiative to increase milk production in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean government has announced a strategic initiative to help fill the gap between milk supply and demand in that country.
100 000ha already destroyed in wildfire underway in Namibia
Nearly 100 000ha of grazing have already been destroyed in a wildfire that has been raging in the Great Karas Mountains in southern Namibia for the past four days.
Serious concern about the future of Namibia’s meat export entity
The latest financial woes of the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) have raised concerns about the financial future of this state-owned entity. This was according Thinus Pretorius, chairperson of Namibia’s Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO).
Record wheat harvest expected for Zimbabwe this season
The wheat harvesting season is getting underway in Zimbabwe and indications are that a total harvest of 380 000t will be realised this year.
US bans poultry products from Botswana
The US has announced a ban on poultry imports from Botswana after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was reported on some poultry farms in that country.
Saving wildlife, livelihoods amid climate challenges in Kenya
When the land surrounding Olchoro Oirowua village in western Kenya became badly degraded due to overgrazing, extensive deforestation and never-ending cycles of drought, more than 30 Maasai livestock-herding families leased some of their land to a large-scale farmer.
Farmers and government clash over stray livestock
Livestock farmers in Botswana are at odds with that country’s government with regard to regulations that allow the government to repossess stray livestock and sell them at public auctions.
Namibia’s record white maize harvest could rein in imports
A record white maize harvest is expected for Namibian farmers in the 2021/22 production season.
Grave concern as lung sickness spreads among cattle in Namibia
Namibia’s Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO) has reacted with great concern to reports of 40 deaths among cattle, and clinical illness in a further 100 cattle, following an outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
Promising prospects for citrus exports from Zimbabwe
The outlook for citrus exports from Zimbabwe is very favourable, especially in light of the considerable increase in that country’s export volumes to the EU.
Plans afoot to return Angola coffee production to former glory
Angola had set its sights on the global coffee market, and two companies have so far invested in the expansion of coffee production in the historical coffee-producing areas of that country.
Postharvest food losses posed a serious threat to food security
The post-harvest loss (PHL) of food was a serious cause for concern worldwide, particularly in Africa. Globally, approximately 1,3 billion tons of food produced for human consumption were lost every year after harvesting.
Armed conflict and Cyclone Gombe erode food security in Mozambique
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently announced its intention to provide vegetable seed to 23 000 families displaced by the armed conflict in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.
Climate-smart agriculture benefits Zambian farmers
Some 5 000 farmers in Mufumbwe District in Zambia’s North-Western Province have profited from climate-smart agriculture as part of a project by the Save Environment and People Agency (SEPA) project, since its inception in 2004.
Bright future for citrus farming in Botswana
The Botswanan government is optimistic that citrus volumes from local farms will rise significantly by 2024, due to the continued growth in the number of farmers starting citrus production in that country since 2020.
