Maximizing the potentials of Urban Farming in Nigeria and Reducing Farmers/herdsmen clashes through HYDROPONICS

Plants grow through a process called photosynthesis, in which they use sunlight and a chemical inside their leaves called chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. There's no mention of soil anywhere and that means plants can grow without it. Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. 

A couple of years back, botanists discovered that Soil works as a reservoir for things like nutrient material and also as a medium by which the plant may strengthen itself, so, when the water supplied to plants already has the needed organic material, and plants are secured or even suspended by other method, then soil becomes unnecessary.

Dairy Farming in Saudi Arabia: How Nigeria can attain Self-Sufficiency in Milk Production by Kehinde S.Jimoh

Dairy farming is a class of agriculture that is concerned with the production of milk and milk products from dairy animals. Although any large ruminant animal can produce milk, commercial milk are typically from high producing dairy cattle breeds like Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss, Dairy Shorthorn, American Milking Devon, Ayrshire cattle etc, these dairy cattle are found in temperate regions where they are best able to express their genetic potential to produce milk.

Other conditions necessary for good milk production include availability of high quality pastures and portable water. Top milk producing countries include United States of America, India, China, Russia, Brazil, Germany, France, New Zealand, United Kingdom, etc and this is largely due to a cool climatic environment that supports dairy farming.

Saudi Arabia is a very arid country with an average high temperature of about 45°C and low annual rainfall. Only about 2 percent of the country’s enormous land mass is suitable for agriculture making it difficult to get land for growing crops and pasture. There is no permanent freshwater sources such as rivers or lakes and so the major source of water in this country is through sea water desalination. These combination of factors make Saudi Arabia an unsuitable country for commercial agriculture but interesting this country has a developed world-class dairy industry.

Wakati One…World’s Low Cost Food Preservation Technology

Fruits and vegetables growing on the field are constantly exposed to high temperatures. When fruits and vegetables are cut off from the plant, they start to dehydrate, the internal cell structure starts to decay and the cells, containing acids and enzymes, spill their contents, digesting the crops inside out and causing them to rot.

According to the United Nations, 45% of fruits and vegetables is spoiled before it reaches the market. This means that almost half of the labour and investments are wasted as well! In other words, it is impossible to be productive without a decent storage to protect the crops.

Biogas Milk Chiller Solution by Simgas

The Problem

In most developing and newly industrialised countries, raw milk is not cooled at farm level. As a result, quality of (evening) milk is lost because it doesn’t survive the heat overnight. And low quality (evening) milk is rejected by collection centres.

AGRA INNOVATE West Africa....Agricultural Trade Event to attend!

AGRA INNOVATE West Africa, is an agricultural trade event that started in 2014 showcasing the latest innovation and opportunities for agriculture in West Africa and also bringing and connecting international agricultural technology providers to policy makers, agribusiness leaders and agri-preneurs.

To meet the demand for food by the region’s growing population, AGRA Innovate believes food production, processing and manufacturing require new technology and hence the need to attract huge investment to the sector's enormous potential through networking and collaboration.

Hello Tractor…Innovative low cost Smart Tractor.

Small-holder farmers in Nigeria rely on manual labour for their farming activities and this labour which is usually in short supply often leads to under-cultivation, poor harvests and low income. Also the low level of tractor hiring services in Nigeria limits their ability to expand cultivated areas, perform timely farm operations and achieve economy of scale in increasing food production.

SunCulture….transforming agriculture through the power of the sun.

SunCulture is an organization based in Kenya that developed the solar-powered drip irrigation for smallholders to address challenges of unreliable rainfall, high energy prices, and low crop yields.

Kenya has 5.4 million hectares of arable land, but only 17% of this land is suitable for rain-fed agriculture; leaving the remainder in need of irrigation and pumping technology. Relying on the rain, however, limits farmers to only harvesting twice per year but irrigation unlocks the rest of the calendar, giving farmers control over market timing. Petrol, electric, and manual treadle pumps for irrigation are presently available in the Kenyan market, but the effectiveness of these technologies is constrained by high input costs and labor inefficiencies. 

Thought For Food (TFF) Global Challenge 2016/2017

The Thought For Food (TFF) Challenge is dedicated to tackling the global challenge of feeding people through bold, breakthrough solutions and is calling on the world’s best and brightest university students to form teams and develop breakthrough solutions that address this global challenge of feeding 9+ billion people by the year 2050.

TFF challenge aims to catalyze university students from all fields of study to learn more about the complex challenges surrounding food security, and inspire them to channel their passions and creativity towards developing new ideas that make a difference. By participating in the TFF Challenge, you enter into a world in which you can shine. 

You will work with world-class mentors to help turn your idea into a reality. You will have the chance to receive up to $15,000 cash in seed-funding to launch your project, and you may be selected to participate in the TFF Bootcamp, an intense, 10 week startup training which culminates at the TFF Global Summit. You will also join a growing global movement, comprised of friends and supporters who share your passion to make the world a better place.

2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  

President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, which began in 2014, will bring up to 1000 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2017 for academic coursework and leadership training and will create unique opportunities in Africa for fellows to put practical new skills to use in leading their organizations, communities, and countries. The Mandela Washington Fellowship includes:

African Economic Conference 2016: “Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth”

Jointly organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Economic Conference (AEC) 2016 will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from December 5 to 7, 2016 

The theme for the 2016 African Economic Conference (AEC) is "Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth". This theme is timely and in line with the current African and international development agenda. Ending poverty and overcoming hunger and food insecurity permanently come first and second, respectively, in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed in September 2015 by UN member States. This commitment is also stressed by the African Union Agenda 2063 that recognizes the right of all Africans to be well-nourished and lead healthy and productive lives

Policies on food processing necessary to strengthen Africa’s agriculture

The African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina, has addressed the challenge of post-harvest losses in Africa, while outlining the importance of policy regulations to end the losses in a continent that spends US $35 billion on food imports each year. 

“Massive quantities of food crops, fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products go to waste in rural areas, while Africa depends on food imports,” President Adesina said Thursday in his keynote address at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Nairobi.

Pitch AgriHack 2016 for young e-agriculture Start-ups.

Pitch AgriHack! is a new component of the AgriHack Talent program of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA). This first edition (pilot) is implemented in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the support of partners such as CABI DevLab, mLab East Africa, etc. This program aims to accelerate e-agriculture entrepreneurship in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific.

It involves:

• a training session (bootcamp) that will strengthen capacity of the young entrepreneurs
• a pitching competition for participating start-ups and entrepreneurs
• opportunities to consolidate, pilot or upscale their platforms and services through grants or additional incubation or acceleration

UNIDO’s 50th Anniversary Global Start-up Business Plan Competition

Target Group: potential and existing entrepreneur(s), aged between 18-35, with a new business idea or startup in an early stage.

Deadline for submission: 23 September 2016, by 00:00 CET (GMT+1)

The Global Start-up Business Plan Competition (GSBPC) aims to stimulate and unleash the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with ideas that contribute to their personal economic benefit and towards developing their communities.

Help FAO to support access to decent work for rural youth aged 15 to 17

FAO is organizing an expert meeting on 'Youth feeding the future - Addressing the challenges faced by rural youth aged 15 to 17 in preparing for and accessing decent work’, that will take place in Rome/Italy from October 25-28, 2016.

The organizers are looking for rural youth aged 15-17, or older but committed to support this specific age group 15-17: young people, but still under-age.

They are looking for youth having concrete experiences and insights to share on how to engage youth 15-17 to be the drivers of positive agricultural and rural transformations, benefitting also vulnerable people, respecting human dignity and environment.

Australia Awards Africa for Masters and Short Courses 2017

Australia Awards, a cornerstone of the Australian Government’s development assistance program for Africa, provide access to postgraduate education, training and professional development opportunities for suitably qualified Africans from eligible countries. On their return to the workplace, Australia Awards Alumni are expected to contribute actively to development in their home countries.

 Award types include:

• Australian Awards Scholarships, to undertake higher degree studies in Australia at Masters level.
• Australia Awards Short Courses, to undertake short-term, targeted professional training courses, in Australia and/or in Africa, in a range of development-focused sectors.

How to end herdsmen, farmers clashes, By Malcolm Fabiyi & Adeleke Otunuga

Summary

• Nigeria has 22 million cows that consume about 1 billion gallons of water per day and 500 million kilograms of grass and forage crops. The stock value of Nigeria’s cattle population is about N3.4 trillion or $16.2 billion at N150, 000 per head.
• The intensification of the Boko Haram crisis in the last five years has caused nomadic Fulani herdsmen to abandon their foraging grounds in the North East
• Climate change has caused desertification in the far north, and has led to extended drought and an estimated 20% drop in crop yields across the rest of Nigeria.

AfDB and Japan Announce US$3 Billion Private Sector Development Initiative to Boost Growth and Reduce Poverty in Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Japan have set a joint target to provide US$ 3 billion for private sector development in Africa during the next three years, substantially increasing the resources devoted to boosting economic growth and fighting poverty in the region. The resources will be provided under the third phase of the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa (EPSA) initiative. 

Japan will target to provide US$ 1.5 billion over 3 years through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The AfDB expects to finance at least an equal amount. On top of this, Japan is ready to provide an additional special allocation of US$ 300 million for co-financing with the AfDB to help African countries access the best low emitting clean coal technologies available. 

FG launches New Agricultural Policy, ‘The Green Alternative’.

In actualisation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision to diversify the Nigerian economy away from oil, the Federal government today launched a new agricultural policy, ‘The Green Alternative’ a roadmap towards diversifying Nigeria’s economy. The event which had in attendance Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Members of the National Assembly, Ministers of Water Resources, Labour, Environment, Women Affairs, Science and Technology, Defence and Solid Minerals was chaired by the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Federal Ministry of Agric Launches Smart Phone App for Flood Prediction

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a smart phone application – “Wetin App” for flood forecasting especially along the Niger and Benue rivers. 

The application, which will be available on Google App Store is a collaborative project of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Agric Minister Reads Riot Act to Fertiliser Plants on Sharp Practices

The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development – Chief Audu Ogbeh has threatened to shut down any fertiliser plant that denies local farmers access, while exporting the same commodities. The minister made this known following allegations that one of the two big urea plants in Nigeria is producing for export while selling to Nigerian farmers at skyrocketed prices, making affordability and accessibility difficult.

“Two urea plants are big enough to run the Nigerian demands. We know their capacities. But where there are allegations that some people are exporting instead of putting in the Nigerian market, and prices shot to N10,000 per bag of urea, we became extremely angry with them. Thank God now, many of them have started producing and putting into the market. The price is already dropping,” Chief Ogbeh observed.

Global Research Competition on Aid Effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Health and Agricultural Sector

Are you researcher from an Africa-based institution with a proposal on aid effectiveness in sub-Saharan Africa and a focus on health or agriculture? Read on, an amazing opportunity awaits.

GDN is launching a Global Research Competition (GRC) on the theme of aid effectiveness in sub-Saharan Africa in the health and agriculture sectors. Supported by USAID and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the competition offers teams of early-career researchers from research institutions, networks or consortia based in Africa the chance to win USD$24,000 to conduct a 12-month research project on aid effectiveness in one of the two selected sectors, in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.

Expressions of Interest are now being accepted, with the last date for submission on the 11^th of September, 2016, midnight Nairobi time (GMT+3).