The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA) has launched a new project in Kinshasa to explore cassava’s economic potential in agricultural value chains in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Cameroon The project was launched in association with the Regional Platform for Central African Producers Organisations (PROPAC) and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Digital innovations and the opportunities they offer to women in agriculture have the ability to transform every link in the agriculture value chain. However, despite the advancements in technology and digitalisation, the gender gaps continue to widen. Women are 14% less likely than men to own a mobile phone and 25 % fewer women and girls use the internet. This means female farmers, particularly in rural areas, often experience difficulties accessing relevant information, financial products and services and markets.

Youth associations, public and private organizations announced back in March their support of a roadmap to empower youth in The Gambia. The Youth and Trade Roadmap, which has been developed as part of the International Trade Centre’s Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) with the support of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, places skills development and entrepreneurship at the heart of a new effort to create jobs and opportunities in the West African country. Around 100 representatives from more than 40 organizations gathered in the Gambian capital, Banjul, for a workshop to assess and validate the Youth and Trade Roadmap.

The European Union confirmed its support towards strengthening and realisation of devolution in Kenya through the signing of a 1 million-Euro (Ksh 120,000,000 million) grant towards the Mango and fruit processing plant for Makueni County, the first county to benefit from an investment grant under the Instrument for Devolution Advice and Support (IDEAS) program. “The signature of the grant agreement with Makueni County marks an important milestone under the IDEAS programme, the European Union's flagship programme to support devolution in Kenya.

A major study by the Africa Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) has highlighted how transforming agriculture can become a stimulus for economic development across the continent. The report, the second of its kind from the centre, was launched at a high-level event on 13 May during the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA) annual Conference of Ministers in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Key findings were shared by the report’s authors with government officials, policy makers, analysts and business representatives.

Solidaridad West Africa and the European Union have launched the Liberia Cocoa Sector Improvement Programme (LICSIP) on the campus of Cuttington University in Suakoko, Bong County. The event on 4 May 2018 brought together over 400 smallholder cocoa farmers who are currently participating in the programme, as well as other stakeholders of the cocoa sector.

The African Development Bank has signed two grant agreements to finance agri-business development projects through the Agriculture Fast Track Fund. Funded by the United States, Denmark, and Sweden, the Agriculture Fast Track Fund supports Africa-based agri-business SMEs by financing the development costs of agriculture infrastructure projects that span the value chain from rural feeder roads to agro-processing and marketing facilities, to out-grower schemes.

Agritech company Farmcrowdy enables British Nigerians to invest in chicken, maize and cassava farms, from more than 3,000 miles away, via their mobile phones . Farmcrowdy hopes to have 50,000 farmers by 2020. UK-based Nigerians are investing in Nigeria’s booming agricultural sector from the comfort of their homes thanks to agritech platform, Farmcrowdy. The company, launched in Nigeria in 2016, currently boasts of 10,000 acres and 7,000 signed up farmers across nine states, in Africa’s most populous country.

The 18-month project will increase the competitiveness of agriculture value chains through effective public-private-producers partnerships and policy support to federal and regional Ministries of Agriculture, responsible for creating an enabling economic environment. Creating better policies and a stronger market The project titled "Technical Assistance for Institutional Capacity Building on Agriculture Value Chain and Public-Private Partnership Development" was launched in Mogadishu today and is a joint initiative by the European Union, the Ministries of Agriculture of the Federal Government of Somalia and all Federal Member States, the Federal Ministry of Planning.

CORRECTION

The article ''Fruit & vegetables from Cameroon suspended on EU market'' in Newsletter 565, (publication date: 07/05/2018) was incorrectly titled.

CTA Brussels was notified that no decision has been made about banning fruit and vegetables from Cameroon on the European market. Consequently, the original headline was corrected as follows ''Fruit & vegetables from Cameroon could face suspension on EU market'' to underline the hypothetical outcome of the situation.

We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.

CTA Brussels Office

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Fruit & vegetables from Cameroon could face suspension on EU market

If nothing changes, fruit and vegetables from Cameroon could soon be banned from the European market, because of their questionable quality and in particular due to shortcomings in the national sanitary and phytosanitary monitoring systems. “Many elements required to meet international and European Union standards are currently missing from this system. There are significant weaknesses in its organisation and implementation, undermining its overall efficiency.