top ad
Home Blog Page 156

Angola is working to diversify and boost its economy with active investments in artisanal fishing

0

At the recent opening of a workshop on Participatory Management of Community Cover and Integration, Victória de Barros, Angola’s Minister of Fisheries and the Sea, said that the Executive is committed to giving greater quality of life to Angolan communities dependent on fishing by investing in infrastructure and training to support the sector on good practices and sanitary conditions for the handling of fish.

According to her, the artisanal fishing subsector continues to be the driving force behind the economic and social progress of communities in Angola.
As with most oil-dependent countries in Africa, the collapse in the price of crude oil in 2014 placed immense strain on Angola’s economy, forcing it to consider the option of diversification. With a 1,600km Atlantic coastline, fish is a readily available resource in the South African country.

The domestic fishing sector has always had a strong potential for employment and income generation, but it has struggled for years due to a lack of attention and investment from the government.

When President João Lourenço assumed office a year ago, he promised to upturn Angola’s waning economy declaring that his administration will relaunch the sectors of aquaculture and agriculture as a way to grow its economy. So far, President Lourenço seems to be making good on that promise with investments being made in the acquisition of a Fishery Research Vessel, cold equipment, the establishment of new artisanal fishing centers and the renovation of old centres – all part of the Artisanal Fisheries Support Project in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The support project for small-scale fishing is being developed in seven coastal provinces of the country to support fishing in communities where their livelihood is mainly fishing. Valued at $38 million, with the AfDB financing 80 percent of the cost and Angola, 20 percent, the project aims to increase the incomes of artisanal fishers and traders, especially women, by improving the quantity and quality of fish landed and traded through marked improvements in fish landing and handling facilities.
It also aims to combat poverty and hunger by building fishing infrastructures, training and sustainable environmental management.

Currently, four centres are being built in Benguela (Egypt Beach), Cuanza Sul (in the salt flats), Bengo, and in Zaire (Nzeto), all equipped with cold equipment, solar and public energy to support artisanal fishing (CAPAS). In addition to the eight centres previously built, the new centres will bring all artisanal fishing centres in Angola to 12.

Earlier in the year, de Barros announced plans for the establishment of a new port with refrigerated storage in Tombwa, Namibe at a cost of $23.5m.

The Angolan government is looking to increase the annual fish catch by 16 percent over the next four years to 614,000 tonnes and also aiming for a 50 percent increase in fishmeal production to 30,000 tonnes over the same period.

Ad article

Major Agriculture Companies Partner to Use Blockchain in Grain Trading

0

The world’s four largest agriculture companies, commonly known as ABCD, have partnered to digitize international grain trading by using blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

ABCD, composed of Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bunge Ltd., Cargill Inc., and Louis Dreyfus Co., states that blockchain implementation could make trading more efficient and transparent, as well as reduce costs. The conglomerate aims to digitize the system that has previously relied on paper contracts, invoices, and manual payments.

According to grain industry news outlet World-Grain.com, blockchain and AI will be initially used to automate grain and oilseed post-trade execution processes, which are a highly manual and costly part of the supply chain.

In the long run, ABCD plans to integrate blockchain technology on different levels of the supply chain, including shipping, storage, and customer experience.
As cited by World-Grain.com, CEO of Louis Dreyfus Co. Ian McIntosh explained how blockchain could help develop the agriculture industry, noting the technology’s “capacity to generate efficiencies and reduce the time usually spent on manual document and data processing.”

Major food giants across the world have been testing blockchain to improve the efficiency of the supply chain. Louis Dreyfus Co., along with four other parties, conducted its first blockchain-based shipment back in January 2018, sending soybeans from America to China using the Easy Trading Connect (ETC) blockchain platform.

U.S. national milk marketing cooperative Dairy Farmers of America also piloted decentralized solutions among its farmer-members in 48 states, while major Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn used blockchain to track orange juice production.

As per a recent study by Reportlinker, blockchain use in agriculture and food supply chains market will be worth over $400 million in the next five years

Ad article

WiDS INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT TAKE OFF.

0

The past few weeks have been nothing but great and memorable experiences for the women who have dared to break the jinx in an area entirely dominated by men.

Continue
Ad article

HORTIFRESH TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTOR

0

The past few years has seen a dramatic increase in vegetable and fruit consumption in Ghana. Even though this development has provoked a lot of investment in the sector, fruit and vegetable production in the country is yet to meet the consumption demands of the growing population.

Continue
Ad article

DEPLORABLE ROADS LEAD TO MASSIVE POST HARVEST LOSSES IN TOWKROM

0

Post-harvest losses have been a regular feature in Ghana’s agricultural sector. Every year, millions of agricultural produce while away due, largely, to inaccessible roads. This situation is no different to farmers at Towkrom in the Eastern Region. These farmers have to grapple with the perennial ordeal of seeing their farm produce go bad as a result bad road network.

Continue
Ad article

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN TRACTOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE AMONG WOMEN IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

0

The first ever women training programme on tractor operation is ongoing at Adidome Farm Institute in the Volta Region. The programme was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and it was implemented by New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) through its Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and funded by the German Cooperation (GIZ).

Continue
Ad article

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PRESIDENT ADESINA CALLS FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO FARMERS.

0

Africa should be the breadbasket of the world, has no reason spending US$ 35 billion a year importing food, Adesina tells Agriculture conference in U.S.

Continue
Ad article

PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS YIELDS 707,150 METRIC TONS OF CEREALS AND LEGUMES –DR GYIELE NURAH

0

Ghana’s cereals and legumes production have increased by 707,150 metric tons following the introduction of the government’s flagship “Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ)” programme. Dr Gyiele Nurah, Minister of State at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), said this at the two-day national policy summit held in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.

Continue
Ad article

COME TO OUR AID! AMEZDOFE FARMERS PLEAD TO GOVERNMENT.

0

The farmers of Amezdofe have called on the government through the ministry of Agriculture for help but to no avail. Amezdofe is a popular farming community in the Ho West district at the Volta Region. The land is very fertile and supports the cultivation of many crops including rice, tea, grapes. However, the story of this community is one of rejection and lack of support from the government. This was revealed by the community folks when a team of Agric today reporters visited the area.

Continue
Ad article

FOOD AND FARMING SECTOR MAKES POST-BREXIT DEMANDS

0

The food and farming industry wants assurances from the government that it will still be able to recruit enough staff from the EU after Brexit.
The demand came as part of a manifesto drawn up by more than 100 organisations across the industry and sent to the PM.

It urges the government to publish a white paper setting out its immigration plans “as a matter of priority”.

A government spokesperson said those in the sector would be able to recruit EU citizens until December 2020.

Those in the farming industry have previously raised concerns about the impact of leaving the European Union on agricultural labour, which is often short-term, flexible and seasonal.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said earlier this year that the case for a seasonal agricultural workers scheme after the UK leaves the EU in 2019 was “compelling.”
The Food Supply Chain manifesto was sent to Prime Minister Theresa May by the National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters.

It said the “significant number” of EU nationals the sector employed meant it was vital the government “ensures a continuing, adequate supply of permanent and seasonal labour” before and after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019.

The document said that recruitment difficulties from within the UK meant the government needed to guarantee that “in the short- to medium-term, the industry has access to the overseas labour market to help meet its recruitment needs”.

The other main issues raised in the manifesto, drawn up by organisations representing farmers and their suppliers as well as manufacturers and retailers, were:
• Maintaining “frictionless” trade with the EU
• Developing an agriculture policy which promotes food production while maintaining existing high standards
 Ensuring an “efficient and proportionate” regulatory system
NFU president Ms Batters said a Brexit that failed to champion UK food producers “will be bad for the country’s landscape, the economy and, critically, our society”.
She added: “The signatories to this manifesto will be looking to government to ensure its objectives are aligned with ours, to ensure British food production – something of which every person in this country enjoys the benefits – gets the best possible deal post-Brexit.”
In response to the manifesto, a government spokesperson said: “We have been clear that up until December 2020, employers in the agricultural and food processing sectors will be free to recruit EU citizens to fill vacancies and those arriving to work will be able to stay in the UK afterwards.

“We are determined to get the best deal for the UK in our EU negotiations, not least for our world-leading food and farming industry which is a key part of our economic success.”

Source: BBC

Ad article
1...155156157...161Page 156 of 161
agrictoday.com
Agric Today is a news agency that publishes on Agric and provides vivid update of news and analysis on topical issues of national and international importance in Agriculture. The agency also analyses sectoral issues involving news on Agri business, Crops, Animals etc
Facebook Instagram Twitter

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© 2023 Agrictoday.com.gh