East Africa

World leaders call for innovative private sector partnerships to finance Africa’s agri

In a special session Monday at the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2023, Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, offered a grim assessment of the current situation of agriculture on the continent: Agricultural production in Africa is currently the lowest in the world, with severe implications on nutrition and food security. As of the …

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Kenya farmers grow yields and income with conservation agriculture

Smallholder farmers in Kenya are increasing maize yields and have reduced production risk by 30 per cent thanks to a conservation agriculture project. Declining soil fertility in recent years, increasing soil erosion and droughts due to climate change, have dipped farmers’ yields which has contributed to a rise in poverty and hunger. Maize is a …

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Training farmers as extension workers boosts farm yields 200%

Through the pioneering use of professionally trained farmers known as Village Based Advisors (VBAs), Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS) Ltd, a Kenyan nonprofit founded in 2003, is disseminating critical agricultural information that is increasing farmer yields by 30 to 200 per cent depending on the crop, farming system, and context. This is securing the food …

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Transforming East African Farming with Climate-Smart Villages

Innovative Approach Boosting Resilience in East African Agriculture A remarkable model is empowering a particular community to collectively adapt to changing weather patterns through alternative farming practices. This initiative has successfully spared millions of farmers across East Africa from drought, revitalizing barren farms and mitigating the impact of climate change. Revolutionizing Agriculture: The Climate-Smart Villages …

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Group alternative farming models help farmers weather climate change

A new model that assists members of a particular community to collectively adapt to changing weather patterns through alternative farming practices has been credited with having spared millions of farmers across East Africa from drought at a time when yields have dropped and farms have become barren. The initiative dubbed climate smart villages and pioneered …

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Farmers advised to grow drought-resistant crops as weatherman warns of failed short rains

By George Munene The Kenya Meteorological Department has advised farmers to plant early maturing and drought-resistant varieties of crops, fodder, and pasture as it warns of a fifth consecutive unsuccessful rainy season over the October-November-December (OND) 2022 short rains season. According to its just-released report ‘The Climate Outlook for the October-November-December (OND) 2022 “Short Rains” …

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Growing insect protein demand by feed makers provides ready market for farmers

“According to our research, 75 per cent of East Africa’s millers are willing to fortify their feed with insects to reduce their costs while up to 95 per cent of fish and pig farmers are actively looking to bring down their production costs by incorporating insects into animal diets, said Dr. Tanga Chrysantus, Head of …

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KALRO establishes facility to control rust disease causing 80% losses

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) in Njoro has established a diagnostics hub that enables local researchers to identify yellow rust strains– diseases that reduce grain yields by 30 – 80 per cent– within two days of collecting samples. This process previously took three to 12 months and was reliant on sending samples …

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Kenya secures Sh7.5B loan for subsidised fertilizer & seeds ahead of short rains

By George Munene The African Development Bank Group has approved a Sh7.5 billion loan to Kenya to enable the government to provide affordable fertilizer and seeds to farmers ahead of the October-December 2022 short rains and into the 2022/2023 long rains crop production season. This will boost cereals and oil seeds production by over 1.5 …

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