Agric & Biotech

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 urged African countries to promote use of organic fertiliser in order to enhance healthy soil. Abdelkader Bensada Programme Manager of Ecosystems Unit at UNEP, Mr Abdelkader Bensada, made the call at the ongoing 4th Session of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. Bensada said that use of chemical-based ...

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has developed a revolutionary rapid multiplication technology to tackle cassava problems in Nigeria under its Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS). BASICS Project Director, Dr Hemant Nitturkar The BASICS Project Director, Dr Hemant Nitturkar, said this at the 2019 annual planning review meeting of BASICS at the IITA, Ibadan, Oyo ...

The Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB) has said that, contrary to a recent publication claiming otherwise, the country’s no-GMO position has not changed and that no legislative changes have taken place. Critics fear genetically modified foods can cause environmental harm and damage human health. Photo credit: dailymail.co.uk According to the organisation, genetic modification of living organisms and the ...

The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has said that it will object plans to commercially release three genetically-modified (GM) maize seed varieties in South Africa. The ACB is resisting the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) maize seed varieties American agricultural chemicals firm, Dow AgroSciences, has lodged applications for commercial release of three GM maize seed varieties genetically engineered to withstand ...

African governments should adopt robust measures to eradicate fall armyworm that is ravaging key staples like maize and threatening food security in the continent, experts said on Tuesday, March5, 2019. Armyworm invasion Monica Kansiime, Agricultural Economist at Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), said this at a workshop in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa. Kansiime said the voracious ...

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has advised farmers to ignore the current early rainfall across the country and not start early planting. Women in engaged in dry season rice farming through irrigation Mr Zakariyau Abdulrasheed, General Manager, NiMet’s Network Services, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, February 28, 2019 in Abuja. ...

The Lusaka-based Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB) is worried about some aspects of genetically-modified organism (GMO) governance in the country, particularly those relating to importation of processed GMO food products on one hand and, on the other, the ongoing policy amendments to change the country position on production of live GMO crops. ZAAB lists inherent grey areas and ...

The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has denied claim by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) that methyl bromide for crop pest control has been phased out. Methyl Bromide Dr Vincent Isegbe, Director-General of NAQS, in a statement on Tuesday, February 27, 2019 in Abuja said that the use of the agro-chemical, methyl bromide, was ...

A lecturer in the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Michael Uguru, has warned farmers in Nsukka and its environs not to begin cultivation with the early rains in the year. Farming Uguru, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, said that it ...

The North East Commodity Association (NECAS) has flagged off the NECAS/CBN/BOA, Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) dry season rice farming, targeting 55,000 farmers across the six states. Youths involved in farming. Photo credit: smeonline.biz Alhaji Sadiq Deware, the National President, NECAS, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 that the association had also opened ...