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Can improved access to fertilisers help boost Africa’s agricultural productivity?

Yields in Africa’s smallholder-based farming system have remained stubbornly below the global average for years. The continent is not producing enough of its own food and spends almost $50bn annually importing food, a figure which is predicted to double by 2030 if productivity gains cannot be achieved.

Food price hikes due to spiralling fertiliser and energy prices accompanying the Russia-Ukraine crisis have put this issue centre stage in the past year. A key part of the puzzle is smallholders’ relatively low use of quality seed and fertiliser.

The average consumption of inorganic fertilisers in Africa stands at around 16kg per hectare of nutrients. This compares starkly with an average of 10 times that in South Asia (160 kg per hectare) and over 20 times that in East Asia and the Pacific (331kg per hectare).

Seed and fertiliser subsidies

Subsidy regimes that aim to get cheaper seeds and fertiliser to the smallholder farming base have been a popular policy tool on the continent over recent years.

After falling out of favour in the 1970s and 1980s due to their perceived high-cost, at least eight sub-Saharan countries (Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Ghana) have reintroduced seed and fertiliser subsidy schemes over the last two decades.

Yet, the impact of seed and fertiliser subsidy models remains contentious, with marked disagreement among agricultural experts and economists around the success of fertiliser and seed subsidies in driving agricultural productivity growth. We need to broaden focus, complementing existing policies with additional measures that can achieve the agricultural yield growth that Africa urgently needs.

Alternative solutions

We need to put in place policies that:

Invest meaningfully in building smallholders’ knowledge base. This means reversing under-investment in agricultural research and building capacity to train farmers in order to get research into use, as Asia-Pacific has done.

Research and training will need to ensure seed and fertilisers are appropriate for the local agronomic zone, crop and soil system, are climate-smart (drought and pest-resilient) and are applied in optimum quantities.

Focus on increasing market links for smallholder farmers to demonstrate to farmers that the demand is there, and that cash rewards accompany an increased use of seed and fertiliser when yields are increased and quality standards for commercial markets met.

Alternatives to seed and fertiliser subsidies

Leverage private sector actors who can ensure seed and fertiliser sales are accompanied by other critical services, such as machine-leasing, aggregation and storage.

Explore government administration of tech systems to improve seed and fertiliser traceability. The extent of counterfeit seed on sale in some African countries makes a farmer’s decision to use their own seed produced in the previous season a rational choice. We know that 30% of the seed on the Ugandan market is identified as counterfeit. Blockchain and smart contracts offer excellent solutions here and are currently being trailed in Rwanda to demonstrate traceability in tantalum supply chains.

Explore seed and fertiliser loan models, such as those in use by the One Acre Fund in Kenya. For an advance of 10% of the value of the seed and fertiliser, farmers sign up for pre-financing of quality seed and fertiliser, coaching in good agricultural practices, and post-harvest advice.

Increase direct sales and tackle the ‘last mile’ problem: The private sector is often best positioned to build a sustainable network that can reach the most remote and underserved areas.

If we saw just a 20% yield increase in the four primary staple crops in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this would mean an increase of over 670,000mt of food produced on the continent, which would significantly improve food security.

The opportunities are enormous. With high food price inflation triggering a crisis of affordability on the continent, we need to broaden our toolbox of responses to sustainably deliver the yield improvements that are so critical for the continent, and which will only become more so.

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Government to support the soybean industry with US$108m.

Government will invest an estimated US$108million to improve soybean production/best practices, as well as developing the grain’s value chain to curb post-harvest losses over the next five years.

The investment is in line with key resolutions of the recently held Dakar II Summit in Senegal, and is expected to expand certified seed production to 17,500 metric tonnes yearly – and also develop 50,000 hectares of new land for soybean production.

It is anticipated that soybean cultivation will increase from the current 218,000 tonnes per year to 400,000 metric tonnes annually, and contribute to a yield upsurge of 40 percent after the investment.

Chief Director at Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Robert Ankobia – who revealed this to the B&FT, said the move is to achieve self-sufficiency in soybean production for the domestic market by expanding cultivation and increasing competitiveness in the value chain.

MoFA says US$21million of the amount will be expended on research and development programmes to develop early-maturing, high-yielding soybean varieties; high pod clearance varieties for mechanisation; and maintenance-breeding of existing varieties.

US$63million will go into land development programmes for soybean production, with a special focus on new land for rain-fed soybean market-oriented production.

The remaining US$24million will augment investment in harvest and post-harvest programmes to increase soybean quality, increase processing and reduce physical losses. This will be a key part of government’s Agriculture Mechanisation Service Centres’ (AMSEC) strategy.

“The above plan to invest in the local soybean value chain is part of pathways and one of the country’s key compacts during the Dakar II Summit to attain self-sufficiency and agrifood transformation over the next five years,” Mr. Ankobia said.

Important features of the compact include prioritisation of key sub-sectors with the highest impact on food security, with key consideration for other commodities such as rice and poultry.

Overall, the compact focuses on production-expansion and loss-reduction in the country’s food value chain.

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AfCFTA to tackle food waste, improve agricultural trade.

There appears to be an end in sight for the perennial problem of food wastage and its impact on food security, as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) secretariat ramps up efforts to improve the storage and export of agricultural commodities across the continent.

AfCFTA’s Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, said the move has assumed greater importance following excessive shocks the continent experienced following the emergence of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He stated that the secretariat has begun engagements with Zimbabwe, where more than US$200million worth of grain is lost annually due to lack of storage and processing options.

“We are working with the government of Zimbabwe and we have set a target… Zimbabwe must be a net exporter of grains by processing the excess capacity that already exists,” Mr. Mene said at the first-ever Africa Sustainable Supply Chain Summit held in Accra,“We have an interest in this as the secretariat, since we want to see more trade in agricultural produce across the African continent,” he added, hinting that nations such as Ghana are in line for similar engagements.

It is estimated that approximately one-third of the food produced worldwide is wasted, leading to economic losses of around US$1trillion annually. In sub-Saharan Africa, the estimated rate is marginally higher at approximately 37 percent.

One study published by the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) and the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) in 2022 suggests that, in Ghana, as much as 3.2 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain – resulting in a loss of roughly GH¢762.32billion.

Another estimate posits that annually two-thirds of fruit and vegetables, 40 percent of root crops, and 21 percent of grains are lost in the country. Meanwhile, half of the population experiences moderate to severe food insecurity.

The Secretary-General is optimistic that the emergence of a legal framework for trade on the continent, AfCFTA, and some of its principal pillars – the protocol on the transit of goods; harmonisation of Customs procedures; as well as the policy on trade facilitation – will give impetus to the efforts.

“Without these, the ability to establish supply chain networks on the continent that are sustainable will be limited,” he added.

Also, at the event themed ‘Sustainable supply chain for economic growth in Africa’, the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce, John W.H. Denton, expressed his belief that the secretariat’s initiative, along with others, will enhance supply chain processes among members and expedite achievement of the AfCFTA’s forecasted US$450billion annual contribution to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product by 2035.

“Over time, this will integrate Africa more into global value chains; not only for primary commodities but also for manufactured goods and services that will help keep value in Africa. We will receive innovative skills that are available to the rest of the world and provide the continent with a more robust system, which will enable it to better deal with shocks to supply chains,” he explained.

The Minister responsible for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond – who was represented by his Deputy, Michael Okyere Baafi, as well as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident representative in Ghana, Angela Lusigi, both pledged their support for strengthening sustainable supply chains.

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ECG disconnects fish farm of 2020 National best Aquaculture winner over GH¢180, 000 debt

The national revenue mobilization taskforce of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) travelled about 100km to disconnect the fish farm of Ghana’s 2020 National best Aquaculture farmer, Flosell farms, in the Ada district over GH₵180,000 debt.

The fish farm is located about 150 meters from the bank of the Volta Lake near Vume in the Volta region, which has over 40 ponds for rearing fingerlings. It also has a huge dugout pond used to stock fish. The farmer is mainly into tilapia production.

The farm relies on electricity-powered water pump machines connected to the lake to pump fresh water into the ponds.

The two ECG accounts are owed about GH₵180,000. The owner of the farm persistently called the taskforce to arrive at a resolution on the debt, but the taskforce was adamant and only insisted on collecting over 50% of the debt.

The two accounts were disconnected from the source pole. The ECG is not relenting to retrieve about GH₵5.7 billion debt target by April 20.

The power distributor is on a mission to recover monies owed by customers in order to redeem its indebtedness to independent power producers.

The exchange fluctuations have contributed hugely to debts as well as system losses. The Managing Director of the ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, has noted in an earlier interview with Citi News that any customer who fails to pay their debt will be disconnected.

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The maiden ‘Cassava Week launched.

The Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has launched the maiden edition of the Cassava Week Celebration.

This is to promote the value of cassava cultivation and utilisation in Ghana.

The week celebration, which is on the theme: “Cassava – Ghana’s Golden Root for Economic Transformation’’ is aimed at raising awareness amongst Ghanaians regarding the rich diversity and benefits of the cassava crop.

It is scheduled to take place from June 13 to 16, 2023 at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Accra and the Innovation Village Foundation at Anormawobi in the Central Region.

In a speech read by the Director of the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute, Prof. Shiloh Osae, on behalf of the Director General of GAEC, Prof. Samuel Dampare, he emphasised that this programme was part of GAEC’s efforts to support government for the utilisation of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to improve cassava varieties for national development.

“Whiles research works are endless, the rate of adoption and utilization of the technologies developed needs to be improved in Ghana”, he added.

In his keynote address, the Managing Director of Ayensu Starch Company Limited, Evans Kwame Ayim, noted that more than 70% of farmers in Ghana are involved in the production of cassava, making it a significant root crop in the country’s agricultural system.

He stated that cassava is a major source of carbohydrates for most people in Ghana, as well as a regular source of income for most rural dwellers.

According to Mr Ayim, although cassava is mostly thought of as a food crop, encouraging local processing and consumption of cassava-based products will generate income for households and create jobs for the Ghanaian economy.

“The potential of cassava as an industrial crop cannot be overemphasized. Ghana’s economy stands to benefit greatly if steps are taken to industrialize cassava. Cassava can be processed into starch, ethanol, high maltose syrup, etc”, he revealed.

He also added that Globally the starch industry is worth over $97 billion which the country can take advantage of.

Mr Ayim expressed appreciation for BNARI’s research initiatives which have yielded significant results in the development of high-yielding cassava varieties for farmers.

“BNARI in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast has released to farmers, five high-yielding cassava varieties namely ‘Nyonku agbeli’, ‘Kponu agbeli’, ‘Fufuhene bankye’, ‘Ampesihema bankye’ and ‘Tetteh bankye’.

“However, these varieties have not been adopted widely by farmers due to inadequate publicity and unavailability of planting materials. Hence, the expected socioeconomic impact on farmers has not been realised” he said.

He urged BNARI to form partnerships with industry players that will make their cassava varieties available and accessible to farmers, allowing them to produce enough raw materials for Ghana’s few cassava processing factories as well as the local market.

On his part, the Director of BNARI, Dr Michael Osae stated that Cassava has the potential to transform Ghana’s economy because it can be used in sectors like the pharmaceutical, beverage, and textile industries.

He stated that the Institute chose to emphasize cassava in honour of its 30th anniversary to highlight BNARI technologies and innovations in the cassava value chain.

“BNARI has developed technologies such as Mutation Breeding for breeding new varieties of cassava and other crops, soil moisture and nutrient management, crop and pest disease management which are technologies that can be applied to improve cassava production.

“We have also worked on fortifying gari with micronutrients and soybeans to develop a soybean-gari blend known as “proGari,” he added.

The Keynote speaker later launched the Cassava Week Celebration followed by an exhibition event to showcase the various BNARI products and technologies.

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Seedling providers for Green Ghana demand GH₵2.3bn unpaid debt

The Ashanti Region Seedling Contractors Association has called on the government to as a matter of urgency pay the over GH¢2.3 billion it owes its members for the supply of seedlings for the tree planting exercise during the Green Ghana Day celebrations for 2021 and 2022.

According to the association, several engagements with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission for the government to pay them have been unsuccessful despite the many assurances.

The members of the Association say they are currently frustrated as they are constantly being harassed by banks they secured loans from to procure the seedlings.

Speaking to Citi News, the Secretary of the Ashanti Region Seedlings Contractors Association, Gloria Amponsah called on President Akufo-Addo to intervene in ensuring that they are paid to lessen their burden.

“The situation is really hurting us. A lot of people are in trouble and the law courts are attacking them. We have gone to the Forestry Commission several times to no avail, sometimes we even sleep there but all the promises have not come true.

“When we go there, they treat us like we are not humans, they don’t feel for us, As I stand here I have five children, I went in for a loan but when we go there they treat us like we are not part of Ghana. And so we call on Akufo-Addo, please come to our aid.”

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AFCFTA is the New Dawn for agribusiness across the African Continent – Dode Seidu to stakeholders.

AfCFTA, the world’s largest free trade area creating a single continental market with a combined GDP of approximately US$ 3.4 trillion is the new dawn for Agribusiness across Africa offering job opportunities and Food security, a consultant for GIZ, Dode Seidu stated.

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Budget allocation for the agric sector is insufficient: MoFA calls for more donor support.

A Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo has indicated that budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector is insufficient considering the workload of the Ministry.

According to him, there is so much to do to achieve the targets in the agriculture sector.

Speaking at a learning event organised to share insights from the implementation of the USAID-AGRA PIATA programme, Mr. Addo called for more donor funding to help the ministry execute its objectives.

“There’s so much to do at the ministry that the budgetary allocations alone cannot let us achieve whatever objectives we set. That is why we continually rely on donor partners such as USAID and AGRA that have consistently funded policy initiatives in Ghana’s agriculture. Agriculture starts from policy formulation and seed production. The private sector which includes donor partners plays a critical role at the core of agriculture hence, my call for more support,” he said.

Over the last 5 years, AGRA with funding from USAID has increased its efforts towards contributing to an inclusive agriculture transformation in Ghana under the Partnership for Inclusive Agriculture Transformation in Africa (PIATA).

Country Manager for AGRA in Ghana, Juliette Lampoh highlighted some recommendations needed to improve the agriculture sector.

“In spite of the successes we have achieved, we have noticed that there are yield gaps. We might have increased yields but we still have most crops doing less than 60% of achievable yields. So, our recommendations include working harder, ensuring that farmers have access to improved quality seeds of diversified varieties, ensuring farmers use the right soil fertility management technologies and ensuring that the private sector is actively participating. Also, we’re working with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to include the private sector in policy formulation so that the farmer, ultimately, will produce more and profitably,” she emphasised.

The USAID-AGRA PIATA programme focused on Increasing farmers’ access to quality seeds and fertiliser; improving the enabling environment for private sector participation in the input system; and strengthening smallholder farmer resilience

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COCOBOD called on security agencies to help fight galamsey to avert EU ban on Ghana’s cocoa.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has indicated that it will need the support of security services to halt the devastating effect of illegal mining, also known as galamsey on the cultivation of the crop.

The European Union (EU) has already warned that it may be forced to boycott the purchase of Ghana’s cocoa if deforestation and illegal mining of cocoa farms are not stopped.

Speaking to Joy Business, Head of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo said the fight requires the full support from state agencies and the security forces.

He stated for example that, the operations of illegal miners take diverse forms that can only be stopped by security agencies trained to combat such crimes.

“The illegal miners are still in the business. Unfortunately, and it’s affecting us, it is affecting production, it’s affecting farm lands and it’s affecting lands that are linked to these cocoa farms,” he said.

Mr. Boafo also lamented that the situation has been compounded by fact that some cocoa farmers have been deceived to sell their farms to illegal miners who promise instant rewards.He pointed out that such illegal miners must be arrested for destroying farms and forest reserves.

According to him, COCOBOD has intensified education to farmers not to release their farmlands for illegal mining works since it is against the law.

“That is also another major challenge that COCOBOD is fighting to resolve. We have engaged farms of farmers that have been converted to illegal mine sites. It has not solve the problem. We are still exploring other means of addressing the issue but it remains the major challenges to us and then we need everyone’s support and assistance and collaboration to get things done, “he said.

Mr. Boafo stressed that there must a collaborated effort to protect cocoa farms since it is a major source of foreign earnings for Ghana for decades.

“The security agencies must come in, the media, we expect to continue the course to ensure we stop this illegal acts because of its effects on our country so yes the collaboration is expected,” he appealed.

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Ghana Meteorology Agency warns farmers.

As Northern part of the country starts witnessing some rainfall, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has warned farmers in the area not to start farming now because of climate change.

Northern part of the country has only one major rainfall for farmers which normally begins around May and June every year unlike the southern sector with minor and major rainfall.

However, the Northern region and some parts of other regions in the North have been experiencing series of rainfall in the month of March this year due to climatic change which is likely to motivate some farmers to start farming.

But, GMet has educated that the rains will be accompanied by heavy winds, and after that period, it is likely dry season will take over which will make cultivation fruitless.

The acting Director-General of GMet, Eric Asuman, admonished farmers to wait for their seasonal rainfall to cultivate and harvest.

Mr Asuman assured the farmers of constant communication to alert them when the cultivation time is due.

Due to the climate changes, he advised farmers to be wary of bush burning, which is the major cause of fire disasters.

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