Nairobi — A pilot project that uses mobile phones to alert farmers in remote regions to where they can buy drought-tolerant beans has been launched in Kenya – just one of a set of pilot projects using mobile and geospatial technologies to improve communication of important information to farmers across Africa.

In the first step of the system researchers confirm where dealers are stocking drought-tolerant beans, mapping their locations. Scientists then use mobile phone services to send the information to government extension workers who have second-generation mobile phones, common in Africa. They can then relay the information to farmers in person or via their phones.

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This year’s stone fruit season will be late but normal and the crop estimate is 12.484 million equivalent cartons – which is 1% lower than last season. The damage caused by the adverse weather conditions (hail, wind and frost) early in the Western Cape season impacted primarily on the Alpine nectarine and Pioneer plum harvest, says Sarel van Wyk of the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB).

The supermarkets have changed their packing requirements at a very late stage due to the recession.

This means that producers are sitting with stock which they have purchased earlier in the season and which they cannot utilize. (e.g. smaller pre-packs at cheaper prices).

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he project is expected to process 20 percent of the total production by 2012.

Government is to acquire a fruit juice ‘concentrate’ plant in a bid to see the country’s horticulture products compete with others on the international markets.

Local horticulture products have been limited on international market because of their unprocessed nature. The project is expected to process 20 percent of the total production by 2012.

Production of passion fruits and pineapples is estimated at 31.329 metric tonnes and 25.492 respectively

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Horticultural exports declined by 83 percent between 1999 and 2008 with receipts falling to US$24 million last year from US$142 million in 1999.

ZimTrade chief executive, Mr Herbert Chakanyuka said remedial measures were being sought to arrest this trend.

To this end the major point of entry for Zimtrade has been to fill the knowledge gap left by the old farmers.

“A transfer of export skills and knowledge of markets has been a priority in our intervention strategy. “New horticulture farmers need to be equipped with the knowledge in addition to Government input support,” he said.

The ushering in of the new Government and the concomitant launch of the Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme had renewed hopes for the revival of the Zimbabwean economy.

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The government of Rwanda has taken direct action to see the country’s horticulture products compete with others on the international markets by acquiring a Fruit Juice ‘Concentrate’ Plant. The project is expected to process 20 percent of the total production by 2012.

The project is designed to produce a fruit juice ‘concentrate’ in a bid to increase the amount of local horticultural products available on the international market, as previously their unprocessed nature had limited export potential. Rwanda currently produces an estimated 31.329 metric tonnes of passion fruits and 25.492 metric tonnes of pineapples. According to a survey done by the Rwanda Horticulture Development Authority (RHDA), less that than 10 percent of horticulture products from Rwanda are processed.

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