Agric & Biotech

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Oyo State, has reiterated its commitment to conducting researches that will nourish African agriculture. The Director-General of IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, gave the assurance at the 21st Annual Symposium of IITA and International Association of Research Scholars and Fellows (IARSAF) on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 in Ibadan. News Agency of Nigeria ...

Some 40 countries of the Asia-Pacific region have called for increased action in the area of agriculture to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus tackling the effects of climate change. A Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Nadi, Fiji brought together governments, technical officials, and industry ...

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has called on state governments to remove all barriers preventing the River Basins from having rights to land ownership. The Director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, Mr John Ochigbo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that doing this would promote the realisation of the food security target of the country through ...

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has approved solar powered irrigation system as new way to develop agriculture. The organisation made the disclosure in its news report made available on Sunday, April 15, 2018 in Abuja. It stated that the system was affordable and climate-friendly for both small-scale and large-scale farmers in developing countries. FAO, however, warned on how to ...

A don, Dr Luqman AbdurRaheem, has said that the creation of artificial streams can help address the perennial clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country. AbdurRaheem, an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, ...

Research scientists, government and non-governmental organisations’ representatives, entrepreneurs and pastoralists from Kenya, Senegal and Burkina Faso met recently to share knowledge and experiences so as to strengthen the resilience of livestock systems in the future. “The livestock sector in Africa, especially the extensive livestock, has for a long time been mystified on its contribution to crucial sectors such as the ...

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed a $200 million Soft Commodity Finance Facility agreement with the Export Trading Group. According to a statement from the bank on Thursday, April 12, 2018, the facility, which will benefit 17 African countries, comes as part of its strong commitment to promote agriculture in Africa. The AfDB said the facility was structured to ...

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has called on the private sector to invest in activities of the river basins to enable the country meet its food security target. The Director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, Mr John Ochigbo, made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, April 12, 2018. He ...

The newly-elected President of Sierra Leone, Mr Julius Bio, on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 issued a directive ordering the suspension of timber export. According to the presidential directive issued by State House, the suspension is part of the government’s strategy to fight deforestation in the country. Former President Ernest Koroma suspended the export of timber in 2013, but lifted it ...

The UN specialised agency on combating hunger on Monday, April 9, 2018 urged African states to embrace traditional crops in order to combat climate change. Wilson Ronno, Crops Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Kenya, said this when FAO officials made a courtesy call to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation offices in Nairobi. Ronno said studies ...