Almost three years after the ban on export of Nigerian dried beans to European Union (EU), the United Nations industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) would next month commence a pilot export of Nigerian dried beans to EU. If successful, UNIDO will officially write to EU to inform it of the improved quality of dried Nigerian beans and that it is safe for consumption.
Kenyan and Germany researchers working under the Horticultural Innovation and Learning for Improved Nutrition and Livelihood in East Africa (HORTINLEA) project have made significant achievements in generating knowledge on African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs). This knowledge covers genetic diversity and seed systems, plant nutrition and fertilizer management, water management and irrigation, pest and disease management, harvesting and postharvest handling, value addition as well as health benefits of AIVs.
A handbook for 300 leader sugarcane farmers designed to improve production and increase collaboration was launched in Nadi yesterday. The handbook, titled Establishing a Farmer Field School: A Handbook for Fiji's Sugar Industry, was launched as part of the EU funded Fairtrade Associations Capacity Building and Farm Advisory Services Support Project, which is being implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC). EU program manager Alejandro Matos Lopez said Farmer Field Schools established under the project had brought positive results to the Fijian sugar industry.
The European Union (EU) has released 30 per cent of €1.4 million to support Tanzania's efforts to achieve regional industrial competitiveness. The aims are to increase value addition and upgrade the sunflower value chain programme as tariffs and non-tariff barriers have been biting. "We operate in a difficult condition," Tanzania Sunflower Process Association chairman Ringo Iringo laments. He urged the government to intervene to have quality sunflowers.
A new expert group is to be created by the European Commission to provide expertise, advice and possible recommendations on enhancing the role of the EU agri-food and agro-industrial sector in the sustainable economic development of Africa. The first step in the creation of the Task Force Rural Africa (TFRA) is the call for applications for the selection of members, which will run until 23 March 2018. The group will consist of 11 members, all of whom should be experts with high level expertise and experience in agriculture, agri-business or agroindustry, trade, development policy or migration-related issues and with first-hand knowledge of the agri-food sector in Africa.
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and six Southern African countries has been a boost for the Western Cape, with strong gains for the wine and fishing industries since it came into effect in October 2016. The EPA between the EU and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member countries – South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland – plus Mozambique, allows increased market access for exports. More than half of South Africa’s fish exports are destined for the EU, with a growth rate of more than 50% since 2013, said the SADC-EU EPA Outreach Initiative.
Ghana's large food import bill presently amounts to two million dollars a year, a development which will affect the country's economy without a quick change in policy. The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Ron striker who said this in Accra, yesterday, observed that Ghana, mainly imports products like rice, sugar, frozen chicken and oil which could be easily produced in the country. Mr. Striker who was speaking at the launch of the first Value Added Agriculture Expo in West Africa, slated for August 2 to 4 in Ghana, said boosting agriculture was essential to attaining the president's vision of 'Ghana beyond Aid'.
The secondary effect of the common agricultural policy (CAP) on African agriculture is a source of concern for MEPs. In recent years exports of powdered milk have soared, threatening the African dairy sector. If Europeans farmers profit from the policy set up by the EU, the collateral damages in developing countries can sometimes be quite significant.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has urged exporters of agricultural produce to comply with all regulations and support the Ministry to meet its target of creating jobs through food production. The Ministry would continue to work with the European Union Vegetable Taskforce to help coordinate affairs of compliance and meeting EU phytosanitary regulations. Some of the measures include establishing the Green Label Certification system to add value to Ghanaian produce for export, and tightening inspection of horticulture produce submitted for exports at various ports
European sugar is turning up in odd places. Production from the region’s beet farms is drawing buyers as far away as Haiti, once a major grower of cane in the Caribbean, and Sierra Leone in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s even shown up on the Pacific island of Pitcairn, one of the remotest abodes on Earth. Any demand is good news for producers such as Suedzucker AG, the world’s biggest, and main European rival Nordzucker AG as a supply glut has pushed white-sugar prices down 27 percent this year in London. That followed a European Union decision to end quotas on output and exports.