RUSSIA – Russia is adamant about not stretching the Black Sea Grains Deal further and is willing to send free grain to African countries if those conditions remain unmet, said President Vladimir Putin. Russia has been insistent about not renewing its support for the black sea deal if blockages on its agricultural exports persist. According to Russian authorities, while Western…
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Africa ventures deeper into Europe in search of wheat as supplies from Russia, Ukraine dry up
AFRICA – The impact of the Russo-Ukrainian war has forced many millers from the Eastern and Southern parts of Africa to venture deeper into Europe in search of a stable supply of wheat. This was revealed by Marvin Jaeger, AIT Regional Manager Africa, and the Middle East while presenting the 2023 wheat update to attendees at the just concluded Milling…
Read MoreRenewing Black Sea grain deal critical for Africa, WFP boss says
GLOBAL – The World Food Programme (WFP) boss David Beasley has warned that failure to renew the black sea initiative would be catastrophic to millions in Africa who are on the cusp of famine. Brokered in July 2022, the deal allows exports from Ukraine of grain, other foodstuffs, and fertilizer to resume through a safe maritime humanitarian corridor from three…
Read MoreEU funds CIRAWA project aimed at building resilient food supply chains in West Africa
WEST AFRICA – The European Union is funding a project by CIRAWA that is aimed at developing new agroecological-based practices that will make food supply chains in West Africa more resilient to climate shocks. The project will specifically focus on building existing local and scientific knowledge to create more resilient food supply chains emphasizing food security and putting people in…
Read MoreMaize production in sub-Saharan Africa to decline by about 40 percent by 2050: World Bank report
SUB-SAHARA AFRICA – The World Bank forecasts maize production in sub-Saharan Africa to decline by about 40 percent by 2050 unless mechanization is fast-tracked, Star News Kenya has reported. Maize is one of the staple foods in the continent, and a negative impact on its production poses further strain to the food system, putting pressure on already hit households and…
Read MoreMaize consumption in sub-Saharan Africa to reach historic highs amid declining supply, USDA forecasts
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA – Maize consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to reach a new historic high of 84.8 million tons in the 2022/23 market year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, the USDA estimates a 4% decline in production of the crop year-on-year to 83.7 million tonnes due to low production, which it attributes to the…
Read MoreAfDB, Canada launch fund to support Africa’s small and medium-sized agribusiness enterprises
AFRICA-The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Canadian government have announced a special fund to support Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector during the Dakar 2 African Food Summit. According to a statement from AfDB, Canada is contributing CAD 100 million (US$73.5M) to the fund known as “The Agri-food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism” which will…
Read MoreAlmost all of Africa’s maize crop is at risk from devastating fall armyworm pest, study reveals
AFRICA-Fall army warms (Spodoptera frugiperda) continue to endanger the majority of Africa’s maize crops according to new research published in Frontiers in Insect Science journal. This study was conducted by scientists from the University of Minnesota’s GEMS Informatics Center, and CABI’s Dr. Roger Day, Global Advisor, Plant Health. Outbreaks of fall armyworms in Africa were first observed in southwest Nigerian…
Read MoreFeed production in Africa drops by 3.86% in 2022 due to depressed output in Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria: 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook
AFRICA – Africa experienced a decrease of 3.86% in feed tonnage (-1.718 MMT), mainly because of reductions reported in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Nigeria, the 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook has revealed. South Africa, on the other hand, saw an increase of more than 2%, and Namibia also reported higher feed tonnage in 2022, indicating the report which is now in…
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