Chinese hybrid rice helps Africa enhance food security

Beijing, China | Xinhua | In June, a bowl of hybrid rice from Africa appeared as a special offering at the tomb of Yuan Longping, China’s “father of hybrid rice.” The gift was brought in person by Rakotoson Philibert, former Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture of Madagascar. Recalling that moment, Philibert said in a …

G-25 Africa Summit: An opportunity to market Uganda’s coffee

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Second G-25 Africa Coffee Summit is set to take place in Uganda with the aim of addressing challenges faced by African coffee-producing countries and promoting value addition, as well as domestic consumption of coffee. Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, emphasized the importance of …

Agriculture and food: Africa's economic engine

Agriculture is a sector that employs 290 million Africans and will be worth a trillion US dollars by 2030. And it is growing faster in Africa than on any other continent. SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | Africa is leveraging its huge small-scale farming community to grow its agrifood sector and provide additional jobs for a …

Fish farming under threat in Luwero over high costs of feeds

Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers in Luwero district have decried the high costs of feeding fish. According to the Luwero district fisheries office, the district boasts of 20 tonnes of fish produced annually from 350 farmers spread in the sub-counties of Nyimbwa, Katikamu, Zirobwe, Luwero and Butuntumula sub-county among others. However, fish farmers say …

Bugisu: Coffee farmers counting losses due to destructive dieback disease

Sironko, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Coffee farmers in Sironko, Bulambuli and Bududa district are counting losses due to the suspected outbreak of the dieback disease. James Gudoyi, a coffee farmer from Bumasabo sub-county in Bulambuli district says the disease makes the coffee plant to shade off all the berries and leaves before drying up. He …

Africa strives to tackle food security challenges brought by COVID-19 pandemic, locust invasion

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | As African countries continue to battle the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic, they are making gains on the frontline against massive swarms of the desert locusts that have been threatening the region’s food security. Experts in different countries attribute the gains against the voracious migratory pests to combined country, regional and international …