Seed producers advised to form cooperatives to ensure remunerative prices

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

GERMAN: Project Leader of Indo-German Cooperation on Seed Development Ekkehard Schroder has advised the farmers producing seed in India to form into small cooperative groups for getting remunerative prices as farmers in Germany are benefiting with similar practice.

In a meeting on the Indo-German seed project held here on Monday with the officials of Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority, TS Seed Development Corporation, Prof. Jayashankar TS Agricultural University, representatives of seed companies and farmers (seed producers) he reviewed the progress of the project.

Farmers from Warangal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Mahabubnagar districts attended. When the German officials enquired with the farmers as to what they would require to benefit further, several farmers said they need training on best practices in seed production, although they were being provided information in the form of brochures as part of the project.

Director of TSSOCA K. Keshavulu requested higher cooperation from Germany in seed production since Telangana was the seed bowl of India producing about 70% of paddy seed and 30% of cotton seed required for the country. Indo-German project coordinator S. Saumya also spoke.

SOURCE: THE HINDU

The post Seed producers advised to form cooperatives to ensure remunerative prices appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Cooperatives in Tanzania insist on coffee auction to stop smuggling

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

Coffee farmers and co-operatives in Tanzania will, starting this month, sell their produce only through the annual coffee auctions to benefit from the growing global coffee market and to stop the rampant coffee smuggling to neighbouring countries by individual growers.

The annual auction is scheduled to take place in Moshi this month under the supervision of the Tanzania Coffee Board, the official auctioneer and growers are required to sell their produce only through farmers co-operatives. The selling of coffee directly from farms has been banned.

The announcement was made by the Agriculture Minister Charles Tizeba when he met Uganda’s Minister of State for Co-operative Unions Frederick Ngobi Gume this week in Kagera. They resolved to monitor cross-border trade and smash the coffee smuggling rings.

Mr Tizeba said that the annual coffee auctions are properly planned to ensure that farmers are paid at market price for their crop.

Middlemen in Tanzania have been blamed for the low prices and late payments, forcing farmers to seek alternative markets. Apart from Uganda, farmers in the Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions are said to smuggle their coffee to Kenya.

Tanzania is the fourth coffee-producing country in Africa — after Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire and Uganda — with an annual crop ranging from 46,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes.

The Kagera Region alone produces about 12,131 tonnes of coffee annually, a third of which is reported to be illegally sold in Uganda due to unpredictable prices in Tanzania.

On average, Tanzanian coffee fetches Ush2,000 ($0.5) per kilo, against Tsh1,460 ($0.6) on the local market.

However, production has dropped in the past 10 years and Mr Tizeba said that the government has plans to to revive the sector by encouraging use of inputs, introduction of pests and disease resistant varieties and setting up small and medium-scale processing plants — and better marketing.

Coffee was once once a leading foreign currency earner for Tanzania, and currently accounts for about five per cent of total exports by value, generating $100 million (Tsh220 billion) annually.

SOURCE: THE EAST AFRICAN

The post Cooperatives in Tanzania insist on coffee auction to stop smuggling appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Uganda moves to scale up commercial cooperation with Ghana

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

KAMPALA– Uganda’s new envoy to the Republic of Ghana, Amb. Nelson Ocheger has called for the scaling up of commercial cooperation between the two countries so as to spur investment in agriculture and animal husbandry, mining, fishing and infrastructural development.

Amb.Ocheger stated this while meeting the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo shortly after presenting to the latter, the letters of credence accrediting him as Uganda’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Ghana, with residence in Abuja, Nigeria. The ceremony took place on July 17th, 2018 in Accra.

He said that the March 2018 signing, by both countries, of the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), provides both countries with opportunity to improve trade relations and challenged all the signatories to the said Agreement to commence discussions on the creation of the continental customs union.

Amb. Ocheger added that the launching of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), by the African Union, is another milestone that Uganda and Ghana can leverage to promote trade relations as well as increase technical cooperation in education, security and exploration and exploitation of oil and gas.

The launching of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), by the African Union, is another milestone that Uganda and Ghana can leverage to promote trade relations

He emphasized that commercial and technical cooperation between the two countries will not only benefit their peoples but should ultimately key into infrastructural, economic and political integration of Africa-an ideal that both President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda and Nana Akufo-Addo, do cherish.

In his response, President Nana Akufo-Addo welcomed Amb. Ocheger to Ghana and assured him of his Government’s commitment to accord him all the necessary support required to facilitate the consolidation cordial bilateral relations between the two countries.

He underscored the importance of strong ties between Ghana and Uganda and called on the public and private stakeholders to take advantage of the good relations for the mutual benefit of both countries in particular and Africa generally.

President Nana Akufo-Addo pointed out that the infrastructural deficit experienced in the two countries; and indeed the African continent has militated against intra Africa trade. To this end, he challenged African countries to invest more in road, rail and air transport in order to facilitate economic cooperation between and amongst African countries and sub regions.

The meeting was attended by officials from the government of Ghana and Uganda High Commission in Abuja

The post Uganda moves to scale up commercial cooperation with Ghana appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Rwanda agriculture sector to receive multimillion dollar cash injections

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

By Jean de la Croix Tabaro

The Kigali Special Economic Zone and the agriculture sector are to receive new multimillion dollar cash injections – courtesy of agreements signed Monday evening in Kigali.

The new financing is part of eight cooperation agreements sealed between President Paul Kagame and his latest guest Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agreements were signed by ministers on both sides – just less than three hours after Modi landed in Kigali.

The economic zone will get $100m and the other portion will go to expanding the country’s food production. Both are lines of credit.

Six other agreements were also signed between both countries.

They include; cooperation in defense, trade cooperation framework, cultural exchange program, amendment of MoU on cooperation on agriculture and animal resources and a MoU on leather products development. The two sides also penned agreement on agriculture development and education.

After witnessing the signing with his guest, President Kagame said that Rwanda and India have a special bond.

“On the global stage, Rwanda and India share a commitment to peace and security as major troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions,” Kagame said.

“We are pleased that an Indian business delegation has accompanied the Prime Minister. Our respective private sectors will discuss the prospects for collaboration between Rwanda and India at tomorrow’s business summit.”

Kagame thanked Modi for a gift of 200 cattle that will be delivered to Rweru village in Bugesera district this Tuesday. Kagame confirmed that he will accompany the Indian PM to Rweru.

For his part, Modi thanked President Kagame for taking Rwanda from the abyss following the the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi that left more than a million dead. He said Kagame’s “able leadership” is what enabled Rwanda to make it.

Modi said; “It is a matter of pride that India has been an economic partner of Rwanda.”

He added; “We shall continue to contribute to economic development for Rwanda; in financial management, rural development, ICT and agriculture to mention but a few.”

PM Modi promised that his country will increase capacity building support for Rwanda – citing the development of an online syllabus for hundreds of students who have had to travel thousands of kilometers to India for further studies.

On trade cooperation, Modi said a scheduled forum with the business community tomorrow Tuesday, “will help to further trade relations between both countries.”

Indian PM also announced his country will soon open a high commission in Rwanda. The embassy in Uganda also covers Rwanda.

Rwanda has had a high commission in New Delhi for many years, currently manned by Ernest Rwamucyo as envoy.

SOURCE: KT PRESS

The post Rwanda agriculture sector to receive multimillion dollar cash injections appeared first on The Cooperator News.

I have never told you to plant maize –President Museveni

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

By BARBRA NALWEYISO

Mityana- President Museveni has advised farmers to grow high value crops that are marketable locally and can penetrate international markets.

He was speaking at a thanksgiving and launch of a Sacco, Kisoboka Foundation, aimed at empowering the people of Mityana North to improve livelihoods.

The President, who was named patron of the group, observed that farmers in Mityana went against his advice of planting profitable and marketable crops when they planted food crops such as maize that can only bring in high returns if grown on big chunks of land.

“I have never told you to plant maize, cotton, tobacco and to rear local breeds. I advised you to plant crops which are marketable like coffee and fruits which are on high demand world-wide,” Mr Museveni said.

He added that other countries stopped importing Ugandan maize because of its poor quality.

Volatile market

The maize market has been volatile with a kilogramme costing as low as Shs300 in some parts of the country compared to last year’s Shs2,000.

In Teso Sub-region, low farm gate prices have left farmers in pain since they are selling eight kilogrammes of maize for a bar of soap.

“You reap what you sow,” said the President.

The Sacco was initiated by the Tourism minister, Mr Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, who is also the area MP.

Mr Museveni said in the 1980s, the government set up a Price Stabilisation Fund to regulate fluctuating prices where it intervened to set a minimum price through which a given crop could be sold.

The Mityana Municipality mayor, Mr Easter Ndyanabo, inquired about when the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) would complete the construction of the Mityana Station Road that stretches from Buswabulongo Village to Kigogwa and the Kampala –Mityana Road via Kiyinda Mityana.

He appealed to the President to prevail over UNRA to speed up the construction and add more three kilometres to the stretch to save residents from dust.

The President replied: “Pigs don’t need tarmac roads.” He explained further that pigs can still be transported to the market even without tarmacked roads.

The president asked the people of Mityana to seek God first, freedom and wealth.

SOURCE: DAILY MONITOR

The post I have never told you to plant maize –President Museveni appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Low maize prices worry MPs, government tasked to prevail over falling prices

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Members of Parliament are worried about the low maize prices in the country and have tasked government to explain the reasons behind the price stagnation.

Hon Pentagon Kamusiime (NRM, Butemba County) told Parliament that his constituents are concerned of the impending poverty because of the sustained poor prices of maize.

“I come from an agricultural area where we largely depend on crops and animals but now a kilogram of maize goes for shs200; the people I represent are being pushed into poverty,” said Kamusiime.

Kamusiime explained that markets that used to consume maize from his constituency such as Tanzania, Congo, South Sudan and Rwanda were closed, adding that the available markets in Kenya and Somalia cannot consume much of their produce.

He wondered why government through NAADS gives out seeds to farmers but cannot protect farmers from price fluctuations.

Hon Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (NRM, Kasambya County) decried the situation in Mubende district saying “currently in Mubende, one has to sell 50kg of maize to buy one kilogram of meat”. He asked government to come up with a price stabilization fund as it used to be done in the past.

Hon Wamanga Wamai (FDC, Mbale Munic.) urged government to re-introduce silos and regional stores where produce is stored until prices are stable.

“It is prudent that we think about silos and regional stores so that at such a time, government could buy maize from farmers at good prices, store them and later distribute them in times of need,” said Wamanga warning that whereas maize is currently in excess supply, hunger would soon be unavoidable.

The Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa, told Parliament that the President had been briefed about the poor maize prices and asked the House to allow Cabinet discuss the matter before government can make a statement to Parliament on Tuesday.

SOURCE: PARLIAMENT

The post Low maize prices worry MPs, government tasked to prevail over falling prices appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Uganda to open EA’s largest organic fertilizer in Tororo

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Sitting on a 600-acre piece of land, the Guangzhou Dongsong Energy Group-owned industrial complex in Tororo District, will produce about 300,000 tonnes of organic fertilisers annually, making it the biggest organic fertiliser plant in East Africa. Ms Jane Guo, the group chief executive officer, said the fertiliser production section will be launched on October 9 with the firm expected to roll out full production in June next year.

“We are on course. Different sections have been given to different contractors and so far the progress is good. ,” she said during a press briefing.

The fertilisers, she said, are designed specifically for Ugandan soils to boost agriculture in the country.

Chemical fertilisers

Uganda imports approximately 100,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers annually, which Ms Guo says, is dangerous to the soils. Apart from the fertilisers, the factory will also manufacture construction materials such as steel, glass and unbaked bricks.

The fertiliser factory, when completed, will mark years of controversy, corruption and bribery allegations that dogged the process of awarding the company mining rights.

Inspector-General of Government Justice Irene Mulyagonja had previously investigated the company over allegations of fraud, bribery and outright corruption.

However, the IGG later dropped the investigations paving way for the construction of the $650 million investment. Construction work is already going on at the industrial park, with the first batch of equipment expected in the country for installation late this month.

According to Ms Guo, work should have been completed by March. However, there have been delays due to rigorous testing procedures of new technology and failure to secure financing in time.

Source: The EastAfrican

The post Uganda to open EA’s largest organic fertilizer in Tororo appeared first on The Cooperator News.

REPORT: Tanzania losing out on intra-Africa trade

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Intra-African trade is estimated to have amounted to $371 billion last year, but Tanzania was not among the major beneficiaries, a new report suggests.

According to the Africa Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank) report, Tanzania is among five countries that registered steep declines in their trading with the rest of the continent last year. Others are Mali, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Gambia and Libya, which collectively account for around 11 per cent of total intra-African trade.

The Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2018: Boosting Intra-African Trade – Implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) says these economies registered steep declines in trading with their peers, which averaged over 20 per cent.

“The champions of intra-African trade remained largely the same in 2017 as in 2016, with South Africa, Namibia and Nigeria contributing over 35 per cent of intra-African trade. This compares with ten other countries – Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, DRC, Mozambique and Kenya, Morocco and Ghana – which also account for 35 per cent of intra-African trade,” reads the report.

Source: IPP Media

The post REPORT: Tanzania losing out on intra-Africa trade appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Mechanization of African agriculture can drive rural employment and stem migration –Report

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

A new report showcasing evidence to guide African governments in successfully mechanizing Africa’s agribusiness value chains was launched today by the Malabo Montpellier Panel, a group of 17 African and international experts.The African food and beverage market is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. Thanks to advances in renewable energy and digital technology, Africa could leapfrog the stages of technological development other regions have had to undertake, making its mechanization process both swift and extremely lucrative, according to the report.

The report addresses concerns that the mechanization of African agriculture could diminish employment opportunities. Currently, urban labour markets are breaking under the pressures of young people migrating from rural areas into cities. By 2030, it is projected that the number of youth in Africa will have increased by 42 percent. An estimated 30 million young people will join the employment market every year.

“Our report busts the myth that mechanization of African agriculture will be labour replacing. When done right, it can be employment enhancing,” commented Ousmane Badiane, co-chair of the Malabo Montpellier Panel. “Rural employment is critical for reducing poverty, migration and political instability, making mechanization a smart investment for peace and security goals as well.”

The launch of the report, entitled “Mechanized – Transforming Africa’s Agriculture Value Chains”, took place at the Malabo Montpellier Forum in Lilongwe, which gathered African ministers and other high level officials to reflect on its findings.

“African policymakers are eager to deliver on mechanization suitable for their farming communities,” commented the Right Honourable Saulos Klaus Chilima, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, co-chair of the Malabo Montpellier Forum. “This report provides us with the evidence we need to shape the strategies that will make Africa a place where agribusiness, and those who invest in it can thrive.”

“Mechanization is more than tractors,” commented Joachim von Braun, co-chair of the Malabo Montpellier Panel. “This report emphasizes investment opportunities along the entire agricultural value chain – from small farm production, to processing, to transport and storage.”

“This will reduce the tremendous food losses and counter the raising African food imports. Rural youth demand mechanization to reduce the burden of manual work. If they do not get these opportunities they will continue to walk away,” he added.

Analysis of the policies and investments made by seven African countries determined to be at the forefront of mechanization are a key feature of the report. Ethiopia, Morocco, Mali, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia have all shown strong growth in both mechanization and agricultural output. Their experience shows that African countries can start to close the large gaps between themselves and other developing regions. Successful mechanization will be key to tackling major challenges on the continent, from spiraling food import costs to rampant rural unemployment.

The seven recommendations set out by the report are:

  1. Develop national agricultural mechanization investment plans that form part of countries’ National Agriculture Investment Plans
  2. Focus on mechanization pathways and strategies that generate new employment opportunities
  3. Prioritize mechanization along the entire food value chain, not just at production level
  4. Invest in supporting infrastructure, such as irrigation systems and electricity grids
  5. Incentivize the private sector to invest in mechanization through tax waivers and smart subsidies
  6. Use public-private partnerships to develop local machinery industries to ensure the technology is affordable and appropriate
  7. Provide localized services that match farmer demand with appropriate technologies

Download the full report

Source: Farmers Review Africa

The post Mechanization of African agriculture can drive rural employment and stem migration –Report appeared first on The Cooperator News.

FROM THE FIELD: Weather Reports Come to Aid of Uganda’s Farmers

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Farmers in Uganda are facing increasingly erratic climatic conditions which are impacting on agricultural production.

Farmers in Uganda are keeping their crop yields high, thanks to improved weather data supplied by the UN Development Programme (UNDP)-backed push to modernize climate monitoring systems.

The majority of farmers in the East African country rely on rain to grow crops, but as that rainfall becomes less reliable and drought conditions increase, agricultural production has suffered.

These changing weather patterns across the region are testing age-old farming practices, and making it harder for some growers to make a living and feed their families.

The Government of Uganda has responded by embarking on an ambitious plan to revolutionize its weather, water, and climate monitoring systems in order to provide farmers with better information about growing conditions.

It’s hoped the initiative will help build resilience when rainfall fails to arrive.

Click here to see exactly how the climate information is helping Ugandan farmers.

Source: UN News

Source: UN Africa Renewal

The post FROM THE FIELD: Weather Reports Come to Aid of Uganda’s Farmers appeared first on The Cooperator News.