insert_link Business / Economics 11 July 2024 Morning Biz News: Namibia’s Green Scheme Spurs Maize Production Surge Amid Global Economic Trends Namibia's Green Scheme Boosts Maize Production Amidst Food Security Concerns Namibia's agricultural sector is poised for a significant boost in maize production this season, thanks to the country's Green Scheme projects. Recent reports from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification by the Food and Agricultural Organisation indicate that maize production is set to increase by 24% to 13,100 metric tonnes, up from 10,600MT in the previous season. This rise underscores […] todayJuly 11, 2024 14
insert_link Africa Kenyan farmers turn to WhatsApp & AI tools to combat crop diseases Farmers in Kenya and other countries are using online chat groups and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help combat crop losses due to pests and diseases. New research shows chat groups modeled on those used in human health care can offer benefits to farmers and enhance their communication with plant doctors. Organizations such as PlantVillage and CABI are using such digital tools and chat groups to expand their […] todayJune 27, 2024 35
insert_link Africa Malawi farming experiment shows how simple changes can boost maize yields and improve soil By Alan Dixon, University of Worcester Malawi’s increasingly unpredictable rainfall and higher than usual temperatures are causing problems for smallholder farmers. Soil erosion has increased, causing soil fertility and water availability to decline. Crops often fail. Farmers are already struggling financially. Many farm only one crop: maize. They can’t easily afford chemical fertilisers that would boost the soil’s fertility and sustain yields. Agriculture accounts for just […] todayJune 13, 2024 16
insert_link Environment El Niño disasters: governments know what’s coming, but are unprepared – what must change By Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Drought disasters in southern Africa are mainly attributed to a lack of preparedness, inadequate response and mitigation and poor risk reduction measures. With little to no preparation for drought disasters, such as the failure of the staple maize crop, the only option after the disaster hits is delayed relief action. Because of climate change, the El Niño-induced impacts […] todayApril 2, 2024 18
insert_link Uncategorized Malawi and maize: prices have spiked on the back of bad weather and trade bans By Simon Roberts, University of Johannesburg and Namhla Landani, University of Johannesburg Maize is the leading staple food in Malawi and crucial for food security. Typically, local production from smallholder farmers meets and exceeds annual requirements of around 3 million metric tonnes. The country, however, is currently facing a crisis with 4.4 million Malawians (22% of the population) being food insecure. This is due firstly to a […] todayMarch 19, 2024 5
insert_link Africa Africa’s horticultural exports surge on By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency An upsurge in demand for horticultural products across global markets, particularly in Europe, spurred a significant increase in agricultural export revenues for several African countries last year. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), reported via his blog that South Africa's agricultural exports surged to a record US$13.2 billion in 2023, a 3% increase from […] todayMarch 12, 2024 15
insert_link Business / Economics Agri-focus – 13 February 2024 Technical advisor at Agribank Namibia, Hank Saisai, provides an update on the state of the agriculture sector in the country. https://iono.fm/e/1405951 todayFebruary 14, 2024 27
