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Commodity exchange considers trading cocoa.

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As part of the medium-term plan for the trade of commodities in Ghana, the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) is considering listing on its trading floor the light cocoa bean, which is mostly consumed by domestic processors.

Currently, the exchange does not trade cash crop contracts but plans to introduce a number of them in the coming years.

“In the medium-term period, we’re looking at bringing commodities such as the cash crops onto the trading floor of the exchange. We’re looking at also the possibility of trading the domestic cocoa here in Ghana—that is, the cocoa traded and used by processors here in Ghana,” Robert Dowuona Owoo, Chief Operating Officer of the GCX, said in an interview with Business24.

He noted that the plan is currently at the discussion stage, which will involve all stakeholders, such as the cocoa marketing company, in deciding the standards and protocols to be adopted for the trading of the commodity.

According to Cocobod, the industry regulator, about a third of Ghana’s annual cocoa beans output is processed domestically, with a target to boost this share to 50 percent.

Domestic processors will be able to buy their beans from the exchange when the crop is listed, said Mr. Owoo.

“The good thing is that it’s going to help determine the price on the international market,” he added.

Industry watchers say the introduction of cocoa would be a boost to the fast-expanding exchange, given the huge impact of cocoa on the Ghanaian economy.

“Listing of cocoa will expand the market volume of the exchange,” said vice president of the Ghana Commodity Brokers Association, Jeffery Ntorinkansah.

He added that the introduction of cocoa and other cash crops will attract investment to the GCX, especially as the government—which is presently the sole shareholder—intends to divest its interest in the exchange.

“When cocoa is listed, the international interested parties will see a premium in investing. Fortunately, the government’s willingness to offload its shares in the exchange will make it even more attractive for international investors,” the commodity expert said.

Mr. Owoo, of the GCX, said the exchange is also in the preparation and approval process to allow trading of cashew contracts.

Source: Business 24

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LIFESTYLE: Consume raw garlic with warm water every morning for these health benefits.

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Consuming raw garlic and water every morning on an empty stomach is very beneficial for your overall health.

Minuscule changes in your daily morning routine can have many advantages and have a positive effect on your health. You all know the benefits of drinking water in the morning. But do you know having warm water with the right ingredient, first thing in the morning can have some amazing health benefits? Eating raw garlic with a glass of water every day in the morning can be really beneficial for your overall well being.

Do you know garlic has some amazing health benefits too? The combination of garlic and water is great for your overall health. Read on to know why you should have garlic with a glass of water every morning.

Better Digestion.
Having garlic in the morning helps you have better digestion. Better digestion will keep all the digestive disorders at bay. It is further very helpful in making you lose weight.

Detoxifies Body.
This combination of having raw garlic and water helps you detoxify your body. Garlic is a great alternative to detoxify your body. It clears your body of all the harmful toxins and prevents diseases like diabetes, depression, and different types of cancers too.

Prevents Diabetes.
Consuming raw garlic helps you reduce the blood glucose levels of the body. It keeps a check on your sugar levels and prevents the risk of diabetes.

Helpful In TB.
Garlic is also believed to be really helpful in tuberculosis. If you have been diagnosed with TB then you should consume garlic every day.

Treats Cold, Cough.
Garlic has been a common remedy for treating problems like cold, cough, and asthma. Having garlic with water every day helps you prevent the risk of such common problems.

Prevents Heart Diseases.
By lowering the bad cholesterol in the body, garlic protects your heart by preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Improves Eye Health.
Because of its anti-microbial properties, garlic works great for your eyes. Consuming garlic regularly helps you improve your eye health. Don’t Miss Improve Your Eyesight Naturally With These 6 Magic Foods

Prevents UTI and Kidney Infections.
UTI and kidney infections are a common problem among women these days. One of the best remedies to treat them is having garlic. Garlic prevents UTI and kidney infections.

Increases Longevity.
Garlic helps in improving the functioning of your important body organs and this further increases your longevity.

Instead Of Tossing Garlic Skin Away Use It in the Following Ways.
Make sure that the garlic you consume every morning is fresh. Don’t eat too much of it as it can be negative for your body. People who are allergic to garlic should never eat it eat raw. If eating raw garlic leads to headaches or fever then please stop consuming it right away. Pregnant women and people suffering from stomach ulcers should avoid consuming raw garlic every day.

Source: HerZindagi.com

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Potato farmers urged to use coolers to cut post-harvest losses.

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Irish potato farmers in Meru should utilise a 250- tonne cold storage facility whose construction is set for completion in March.

The facility being built at a cost of Sh100 million at Ngusishi in Buuri West is meant to help farmers cut on post-harvest losses as well as earn better prices for their produce.

Irish potato farmers in Meru should utilise a 250- tonne cold storage facility whose construction is set for completion in March.

The facility being built at a cost of Sh100 million at Ngusishi in Buuri West is meant to help farmers cut on post-harvest losses as well as earn better prices for their produce.

Mr. Mwenda Rithaa, the CEO of Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) said the facility will help farmers to ward off middlemen who have over the years taken advantage of the highly perishable produce to deny them favourable prices.

He said the cooling facility would hold produce for up to eight months until farmers obtained favourable prices.

“This is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big four agenda on food security. Once a farmer brings their produce to the cold store, they will be given a voucher upon which they can access loans. Currently, farmers lose more than 30 percent of their potatoes after harvest,” Mr. Rithaa said.

He said farmers would utilise the facility through cooperatives which can also attract other partners to provide inputs, financial well as extension services.

Mr. Rithaa said MSEA intends to facilitate value addition targeting various agricultural produce across the country.

“We also intend to support dairy, poultry, cereals, and horticultural farmers to earn more money from their ventures,” he said.

MSEA Board chairman Charles Waithaka said phase two of the programme will bring in investors who can venture into potato value addition and certified seed multiplication.

“The area around the cold store will be opened up as an industrial zone for various products. This will translate to more money to the farmer and boost food security and economy of the region,” Mr. Waithaka said.

According to the Meru County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018-2022, the county produced 196,434 tonnes of potatoes valued at more than Sh5 billion.

As a result, Meru farmers lose more than Sh1.8 billion every year due to a lack of cold storage facilities.

Source: businessdailyafrica.com

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LIFESTYLE: Incredible benefits of carrots to the body.

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photo credit: healthy-skin.me

The carrot (Daucus carota) is a nutrient-dense root rich in antioxidants, fiber, beta carotene, and other vitamins and minerals. Research suggests that carrots may improve vision, promote skin health, and reduce the risk of some forms of cancer.

May Promote Eye Health.
Vitamin A, in recommended quantities, is essential for good vision, and carrots offer the nutrient in abundance. If a person is deprived of vitamin A for too long, the outer segments of the eyes’ photoreceptors begin to deteriorate. This leads to night blindness.

Insufficient vitamin A can disrupt the normal chemical processes involved in vision. Restoring adequate vitamin A intake can facilitate vision health.

May Reduce Risk of Cancer.
Carrots contain numerous phytochemicals that are well-studied for their anticancer properties. A few of these compounds include beta-carotene and other carotenoids. These compounds promote immunity and activate certain proteins that inhibit cancer cells. Studies show that the juice from carrots can combat leukemia as well.

The carotenoids present in carrots may reduce the risk of stomach, colon, prostate, lung, and breast cancers in women.

Some believe carrots may also reduce oral cancer risk. However, more research is warranted in this regard.

May Promote Skin Health.
Carrots are rich in carotenoids. Research suggests that fruits and vegetables rich in these compounds can improve skin appearance and also help people look relatively younger.

However, overconsuming carrots (or other foods high in carotenoids) can result in a condition called carotenemia, wherein your skin appears yellow or orange.

May Enhance Hair Growth.
Carrots are powerhouses of vitamins A and C, carotenoids, potassium, and other antioxidants. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the veggies may contribute to hair health. However, more research is needed in this regard.

May Aid Weight Loss.
Raw, fresh carrots are about 88% water. A medium carrot has only about 25 calories. Hence, including carrots in your diet is a smart way of filling yourself up without piling on calories.

Carrots also contain fiber. In a study, meals containing whole and blended carrots resulted in higher satiety levels in the test subjects.

May Regulate Blood Pressure.
One study claimed that carrot juice contributed to a 5% reduction in systolic blood pressure. The nutrients present in carrot juice, including fiber, potassium, nitrates, and vitamin C, were found to aid this effect.

May Aid Diabetes Treatment.
Following a healthy, balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. In studies, low blood levels of vitamin A were found in individuals with diabetes. The abnormalities in glucose metabolism would need an increased need to fight oxidative stress, and this is where the antioxidant vitamin A may help.

Carrots are high in fiber. Studies show that increased fiber intake can improve glucose metabolism in individuals with diabetes. The veggies can be added to a diabetes meal.

May Boost Immunity.
Vitamin A regulates the functioning of your system and prevents infections. It achieves this by boosting your body’s immunity. Get this immune-boosting vitamin from carrots. Carrots also contain vitamin C that contributes to the production of collagen, which is essential for wound healing. This nutrient further contributes to a strong immune system.

May Strengthen Bones.
Vitamin A influences bone cell metabolism. Carotenoids are associated with improved bone health. Though there is no direct research stating that carrots can help improve bone health, their vitamin A content may help. More studies are needed to further understand this mechanism.

May Lower Cholesterol Levels.
As per rat studies, carrot consumption can reduce cholesterol absorption and increase the antioxidant status of your body. These effects can also promote cardiovascular health. Raw carrots are also rich in a fiber called pectin that may help lower cholesterol.

Are Good for the Teeth and Gums.
Chewing of carrots may promote oral cleanliness. Some believe carrots may also freshen breath, though there is no research to substantiate the statement. Anecdotal evidence suggests that carrots may neutralize the citric and malic acids usually left behind in your mouth, promoting oral health.

May Promote Liver Health and Eliminate Toxins.
Carrots contain glutathione. The antioxidant was found to have the potential to treat liver damage caused by oxidative stress. The veggies are also high in plant flavonoids and beta-carotene, both of which stimulate and support your overall liver function. The beta-carotene in carrots may also combat liver diseases.

May Help Treat PCOS.
Carrots are non-starchy veggies with a low glycemic index. These properties may make them a good treatment for PCOS. However, there is no direct research that states that carrots can help in PCOS treatment.

Source: stylecraze.com

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Forget Brexit, the most important trade deal in 2021 is in Africa.

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While the UK splinters away from the European Union, Africa is uniting under a landmark free trade agreement, making it one of the largest since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO), writes Debisi Araba.

Debisi Araba is a member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel and managing director of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)

By creating a shared market between 54 countries, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will change the face of African trade and has the potential to accelerate the economic development of the continent – here’s how.

Firstly, the free trade area can expedite intra-Africa trade by building on the progress made by eight existing regional economic communities (RECs), such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

These RECs have successfully implemented frameworks to improve trade between neighbouring countries, the bulk of which is agri-food produce and have been instrumental in preventing disruption to the food supply during the pandemic.

For example, two RECs have discussed opening all land borders and port services to allow for the free movement of products needed by farmers to maintain and protect their harvests, such as fertilizers and pesticides.

Lessons from RECs can support the broader adoption of the AfCFTA, as highlighted in a new report. For example, intraregional trade is highest within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has actively aligned national and regional priorities to optimise trade, particularly within agriculture.

Under the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP), for example, measures promoting greater agricultural trade include the development of national and regional commodity exchanges, the optimisation of intercountry transport corridors for agriculture, and mutual recognition of member states’ safety inspection certificates.

By strengthening continental trade along similar lines, the AfCFTA has the opportunity not only to foster economic growth of more than 50 percent but also to strengthen African food security at a crucial moment of post-pandemic recovery.

Secondly, boosting intra-Africa trade will both inspire and require more investment into transport, and other supportive infrastructure such as energy, water and telecommunications to allow Africa to reap greater economic benefits within the continent.

For example, almost half the total value of African agricultural exports lies in a single crop, cocoa, which is mostly shipped out of the continent without being processed. A 2020 study found that trading manufactured products, including processed agricultural products, increased economic growth while the trade of primary products slowed growth, making it crucial that Africa develops a competitive processing sector.

A key opportunity to meet the African Union’s goals on trade and bolster processing capacities lies in investments that increase the productivity and quality of high-value foods, which also contribute to better nutrition.

By fostering greater levels of continental trade and investing the returns in improved infrastructure, such as processing and storage facilities, African economies can add value to commodities like cocoa on the continent to fetch a premium, while also creating new job opportunities.

The African Development Bank is among those to recognise this opportunity, investing billions into creating Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), including $500 million for Nigeria alone to support greater integration of production and processing.

Finally, by reinforcing continental trade and capacity, the AfCFTA can also help unlock greater international opportunities.

Investments in infrastructure and the creation of more supportive business environments will spur entrepreneurs to increase productivity, and step up trade within Africa, and around the world.

The US initiative, Prosper Africa, for example, was launched in 2018 and has already created a one-stop-shop that led to 270 US-Africa deals worth more than $22 billion. Africa’s free trade area could generate similar benefits at a continental scale.

When Africa trades with itself and with other regions, it exchanges more than goods and services; it also exchanges ideas and know-how, thereby accelerating the diffusion of innovation, which in turn improves productivity.

An African free trade area offers enormous promise, not just for a continent with untapped potential, but for the rest of the global economy as well.

Source: eurativ.com

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AfDB President Adesina named champion of Africa’s Great Green Wall climate-adaptation initiative.

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African Development Bank President Akinwumi A. Adesina has been announced as a champion of Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative.

The appointment was made at a forum held in the margins of the One Planet Summit 2021 to mobilise support for the ambitious project to plant an 8,000 km swathe of trees and other vegetation across the Sahara and Sahel regions of Africa. The green wall will act as a barrier against desertification and aims to create over 10 million green jobs in the region.

“I would also like to welcome the commitment of Dr. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who has agreed to take on the role of resource mobilization champion and help raise, by 2030, all the necessary funds for the realization of the Great Green Wall,” French President Emmanuel Macron told participants.

In the role of champion, Adesina will lead the mobilisation of political and economic support for the initiative.

“The Great Green Wall Initiative is the first step on the way to nature-based solutions as well as solutions based on the vitality of African eco-solutions,” said Macron. “France is very committed to this region from the standpoint of security and sustainability. We need to beef up the initiative for all the 11 countries.”

During the forum, Adesina announced that the Bank would mobilize up to $6.5 billion over the next 5 years for the Great Green Wall Initiative, joining multilateral development institutions, governments, and development partners that have pledged over $14 billion. The World Bank, for instance, pledged over $5 billion in funding to advance the land restoration and degradation issues and to address challenges around Lake Chad.

Adesina praised the initiative. “The Great Green Wall is part of Africa’s environmental defense system — a shield against the onslaughts of desertification and degradation,” he said. “The future of the Sahel region of Africa depends on the Great Green Wall. Without the Great Green Wall, in the face of climate change and desertification, the Sahel may disappear.”

The Bank will extend resources through a range of mechanisms, partnerships, and operations, and draw on internal and external sources of funding, including the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), among others.

Adesina noted that ongoing Bank initiatives such as Desert to Power, a programme to build the largest solar zone in the world in the Sahel, will enhance and complement the Great Green Wall. “This will provide electricity for 250 million people and help to protect the Great Green Wall. If there is no access to energy, the Great Green Wall will be no more than trees waiting to be turned into charcoal.” The Bank has committed to mobilize $25 billion for climate finance by 2025.

The One Planet Summit 2021 is hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The Summit, held annually, brings together political leaders, private sector decision-makers, foundations, NGOs, and citizens to identify and accelerate funding for climate, biodiversity, and ocean solutions and mobilize all stakeholders in public life and the economic world in collaborative efforts.

Other Great Green Wall Champions include musicians Baaba Maal and Ricky Kej and environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim.

Source: 3news.com

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LIFESTYLE: The reasons for consuming cucumber each day.

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photo credit: clinks care farm

You would like to be healthier by adding more vegetables to your meals? Then cucumbers are a great choice. Cucumbers are widely used in traditional diets as well as spas across the world for a reason: They are good for your health.

Cucumbers are potential antidiabetic, antioxidant activity, cleansing action of toxins and waste, soothing effect against skin irritation, and prevention of constipation. And here are 10 health benefits of cucumbers in more detail

Help you stay hydrated.
Cucumbers are 95.2 percent water, which means that a 5-ounce serving contains 4.8 ounces or 150 ml water. That’s already about 26 percent of your daily water intake through food.

Support heart health.
Cucumbers contain potassium (152mg per cup), which can help lower blood pressure. A review of the best studies conducted on potassium intake showed that a higher intake is associated with lower rates of stroke and might also reduce the risk of total cardiovascular disease.

Protect your brain from neurological diseases.
An anti-inflammatory substance called fisetin is present in cucumbers, as well as strawberries and grapes.

It has recently been suggested that fisetin plays an important role in brain health: It would have “the ability to reduce the impact of age-related neurological diseases on brain function,” and it would also help maintain cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Protect your skin against the effects of aging.
There is a reason why cucumbers are used in skin care: They have been shown to be effective as a potential anti-wrinkle agent in cosmetic products, protecting our skin from the effects of aging.

Fight inflammation in the body and reduce the risk of cancer.
Cucumbers can help lower the inflammatory response in the body. They contain polyphenols called lignans, which can potentially reduce the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

They also contain plant nutrients called cucurbitacins, which have anti-cancer properties: “Scientists have already determined that several different signaling pathways required for cancer cell development and survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins.”

Relieve pain.
Flavonoids, which are anti-inflammatory substances, and tannins in cucumbers have both been shown to limit the release of free radicals in the body and to reduce pain.

As explained in the Journal of Young Pharmacists, “traditionally, this plant is used for headaches; the seeds are cooling and diuretic, the fruit juice is used as a nutritive and as a demulcent in anti-acne lotions.”

Reduce bad breath.
Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria in the mouth. Fiber and water-rich vegetables like cucumbers can boost your mouth’s saliva production, which in turn helps wash away the bacteria that cause the odor in the mouth.

Protect your bones.
Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin K: One cup contains 22 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. This vitamin is essential for bone health, as low vitamin K intakes have been associated with a higher risk for bone fracture. Vitamin K is also important for improving calcium absorption in the bones.

Prevent constipation.
Cucumbers are rich in water, and their skin contains insoluble fiber. Both water and fiber help food to move through the digestive tract quicker and more easily, helping prevent constipation.

Maintain a healthy weight.
Cucumbers are very low in calories (16 calories per cup) and they also contain fiber in the skin. And foods that contain fiber can help maintain a healthy weight.

There are many ways you can enjoy cucumbers: raw in salads as a side with your meals, fermented as a pickle, or in vegetable juices. Choose organic over conventionally grown cucumbers, as cucumbers were ranked the 9th most contaminated food by the Environmental Working Group.

Source: huff post.com

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Humanitarian crisis looms in Southern Madagascar as drought and pandemic double number of hungry people.

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Photo: WFP/Tsiory Andriantsoarana.

ANTANANARIVO – Three consecutive years of drought coupled with a sharp recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic will leave a third of the population in Southern Madagascar struggling to put food on the table. With severe malnutrition rates continuing to spiral and many children forced to beg in order to help their families eat, urgent action is required to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

With drought conditions persisting into 2021 and a poor last harvest, weary communities have few resources to fall back on and many have had to leave their homes in search of food and work. Some 1.35 million people are projected to be food insecure – 35% of the region’s population. The figure is nearly double what it was in the same period last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the hardship, causing seasonal employment to dry up. Many families relied on this income to get through the lean season, which peaks between January and April.

“To survive, families are eating tamarind fruit mixed with clay,” says Moumini Ouedraogo, WFP’s Representative in Madagascar. “We can’t face another year like this. With no rain and a poor harvest, people will face starvation. No one should have to live like this.”

Children are worst affected by the food crisis and most of them have dropped out of schools to beg for food in the streets. A WFP assessment in Amboasary in October 2020 found that three out of four children are absent from school – mostly to help their parents forage for food.

The prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in children under 5 in the three most affected regions (Androy, Anôsy, and Atsimo Andrefana) stands at 10.7%. This is the second-highest rate in the East and Southern Africa region. The most recent projections put the number of children likely to suffer from acute malnutrition at more than 135,000, with more than 27,000 of these being classified as severe.

WFP currently provides food assistance for almost 500,000 severely food-insecure people in the nine hardest-hit districts in the South. Given the rapidly deteriorating situation, by June 2021, WFP intends to scale up its assistance to reach almost 900,000 of those most vulnerable. However, support will be needed for struggling families well beyond the current lean season.

WFP urgently needs US$35 million to fund lifesaving food and cash distributions and malnutrition treatment programmes. This also includes emergency school feeding for 150,000 children to ensure they can stay in school and build a more secure future.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

Source: wfp.org

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Agriterra engages stakeholders on the Agricultural Cooperative landscape study.

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Agriterra has engaged stakeholders on Agricultural Cooperative Landscape Study to validate a data collection tool to map out all agricultural cooperatives in Ghana in order to constitute a digitalized database system for the Ghana Agricultural cooperative landscape.

The programme with the theme: Stakeholder Dialogue in preparation for the Ghana Agricultural Cooperation Landscape Study, converged stakeholders from academia, financial institutions, government ministries, and agencies, farmers’ base organizations, etc. were to share ideas, and make inputs on a scoping tool for data collection proposed by Agriterra Ghana and to set KPIs on how to categorize the mapped cooperatives and farmer organizations.

The Country Representative for Agriterra Ghana, Madam Habiba Nyarko Agyemang said, the dialogue was to get inputs from the major stakeholders in the Ghanaian cooperative sector for a landscape study and to share ideas on acceptable criteria for categorization of the identified segments existing among farmer cooperatives in Ghana in order to generate a Professional Digitalized DataBase.

According to the Country Rep, the scattered information on farmer groups in Ghana hinder Farmer Base Organizations and farmer cooperatives from getting the right development and business opportunities. “It is very difficult to get complete and consolidated information on cooperatives in Ghana. The existing farmer groups are not digitalized and information is scattered. Therefore, it becomes difficult to develop the right support structures for developing investable professional agricultural cooperatives.” she said.

“Having a professional digitalized database for Farmer Cooperatives in the agricultural sector will help link cooperatives to finance, inputs and markets based on detailed overviews of cooperatives and portfolios of the cooperatives”, she added. She acknowledged the stakeholders for their time and for their great inputs which made the dialogue successful.

Speaking to the stakeholders, Professor Irene Susana Egyir of the University of Ghana said she is delighted to be part of the programme to see the cooperatives working again in the near future.

“I am very happy to be part of this programme and this is what we promote, cooperatives as a business and always making sure its yields its results by venturing into out-growers schemes, farmer contracts, and the likes”, Prof said.

She thanked Agriterra for such a wonderful initiative to assist the farmers to have professionalized digital data-based cooperatives and the opportunity help to revamp the Department of Cooperatives, Ghana.

Mr. William Dale, the Deputy registrar of Cooperatives at the Department of Cooperative said as a regulatory body responsible for regulating the cooperatives, the department would support Agriterra with every piece of information needed to make its work successfully.

“We would help Agriterra and support them with the information that we have because our mandate is to assist the individual members of this society to better their livelihoods, therefore, anything that would promote this course as Agriterra is here to do we would give our maximum support”, he mentioned.

He underscored the need to see the agriculture cooperatives not to produce and sell but to add value to their produces as the cocoa industry emanated doing. To him, it would give a comparative advantage to the farmers as Nigeria and other West African Countries are doing.

A representative from Cocoa Cooperative Union described the dialogue as a very significant programme. He said the programme pointed out loopholes in the cooperative system which need to be tackled in order to build vibrant cooperatives to boost the agriculture sector in Ghana.

He opined that the roadmap is a shared responsibility between and among the government, stakeholders, and the farmers. As a farmer, he urged all the farmers to contribute their quota to make Agriterra’s effort successful.

“As farmers, we are supposed to make massive contributions in order to actualize this intervention. We are supposed to offer economic contributions like availing all information for registration, share capital, and pay our dues to receive good service and our needs been addressed in return”, he underlined.

He urged Agriterra and Stakeholders to educate the farmers by giving them prior notice before registration. According to him, that would inform the farmers’ decision to actively partake in the exercise.

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Tanzania: Major inputs stimulus to boost small scale farmers.

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photo Credit: Fred Muzaale/Daily Monitor

AS the country ushers into New Year 2021 more than 100,600 smallholder farmers in the country will be receiving grain and vegetable seeds’ grants worth US$ 493,500 to assist them in sustainable food production.

Through its new “Better Farms, Better Lives” initiative, Bayer, a life-science oriented multinational company will run the programme for the next 12 months, starting this month and it will cover 25 districts in Mainland Tanzania.

Bayer will complement its current commitment to supporting smallholder farmers in Africa, by providing them with free hybrid corn and vegetable seeds.

The boost, according to Bayer Tanzania Manager Frank Wenga, is meant to assist them to combat the effects of the global Covid- 19 pandemic, which caused series of global food shortage crisis in the previous year.

“Smallholder farmers are essential in providing food security to billions of people, but the on-going Covid-19 pandemic is placing extra challenges on their ability to produce food for their communities and beyond,” said Liam Condon, President of Bayer’s Crop Science Division.

Also targeting to assist more than 700,000 small scale farmers across the African continent, Bayer’s ‘Better Farms, Better Lives,’ programme also aims at providing assistance with market access to the growers in line with Bayer’s overall aspiration in building a world, where there is ‘Health for All, Hunger for None’.

This special food security programme was launched at Bayer Life Science Tanzania offices in Njiro, Arusha by the Executive Director of the Tanzania Seed Trade Association Bob Shuma.

The programme, though flagged off in Arusha, will be implemented in eight countries across the continent, including, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The initiative focuses on providing smallholder farmers with the assistance needed to address the additional challenges they may be facing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

To ensure maximum impact, Bayer will work and expand its partnerships with governments, recognized NGOs, and local organizations; to provide accelerated access to agronomy services and knowledge; scale up existing and new value chain partnerships and further expand value chain partnerships across Africa.

“In line with our vision ‘Health for All, Hunger for None’, Bayer is focusing on providing smallholder farmers with the help they need to address immediate challenges, while building resilience for the future, and working to ensure the Covid-19 pandemic does not turn from a health crisis to a hunger crisis,” noted Klaus Eckstein, Head of Africa, Crop Science Division.

In Tanzania, Bayer will collaborate with Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and with the Agriculture Council of Tanzania (ACT) to distribute 200 metric tonnes of Bayer’s Dekalb corn and 100 gram of Seminis vegetable seeds brand all valued at the US $493,500 to 25 districts among them Meru, Songea, Iringa and Kondoa.

“Together with partners, we aim to multiply the social and economic impacts of smallholder farmers in tackling poverty and hunger, improving health and livelihoods and, ultimately, spurring economic development for their families, communities, and nations,” added Bayer East Africa Limited Managing Director, Laurent Perrier.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition.

Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population.

At the same time, the group aims at increasing its earning power and creating value through innovation and growth.

Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability, and quality throughout the world.

In the fiscal year 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, research, and development expenses to 5.3 billion euros.

Source: allfrica.com

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