Unilever Ghana is teaming up with the Ministry for Food and Agriculture to commence activities in agro-processing. Products such as shea nuts, cashew and oil palm are among crops that would be considered in this initiative. Activities will span from the Northern part of Ghana to the forest areas and the southern savannah areas. Speaking at a roundtable meeting between officials of the consumer giant and the minister for food and agriculture, the Global CEO of Unilever, Paul Polman said the collaboration would go a long way to contribute to economic growth.

Foreign technology companies at the ongoing 4th international trade exhibition in Lagos have expressed high confidence in the viability of the Nigerian packaging industry, with most of them positive that transfer of improved technology, knowledge and skills could help achieve the country’s long desired efficiency in its agricultural value chain. About 140 international market leaders including 10 national participants with latest technologies from Austria, China, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa raised hopes for the packaging industry.

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu was on Saturday joined by Italian Ambassador to Kenya - Amb. Mauro Massoni at the official launch of ‘Reducing the Adverse Drivers of Migration Through Local Value Chain Development in Kiambu. Also present at the launch were Dr. Gabriel Rugalema-Food and Agriculture Organisation (F.A.O) Representative in Kenya, Agriculture C.E.C- Mary Kamau, and Education, Youth & Sports CEC- Dr. Joseph Ng’ang’a, Fomer Kiambu MP Anna Nyokabi and County Chief of Staff Gibson Mburu. According to Waiititu, Italy will offer assistance to the Government of Kenya in the development of agriculture value chains in Kiambu County.

Ghana’s frozen chicken imports jumped from 13,000 metric tons in 2000 to over 155,000 metric tons in 2011 costing $169 million, Mr Ron Strikker, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, said on Wednesday. Figures showed that in 2017, a total of over 135,000Mt (about 112 million birds) of frozen chicken was imported from European Union (EU), which is 76 per cent increase over the 2016 EU import. The Netherlands Ambassador however, predicted a potential growth of the country’s local poultry industry in the next few years, due to an increase of six per cent consumption of chicken per year.

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the European Union (EU), the Banana Growers’ Association (BGA) and the University of Belize (UB) launched a new project that will promote and foster social and economic development in the banana belt area of Belize, leading to the reduction of poverty by focussing on workers, their families and communities. The Banana Belt, which generates a significant number of jobs in the region, comprises 10 growers and 23 farms of relatively large holdings of plantation farms that are located in the southern Stann Creek and northern Toledo Districts. The BGA is the statutory body representing these growers.