The proposed first and second phases of the Zambezi Integrated Agro-Commercial Development Project (ZIACDP) is estimated to cost about $780 million (P5.4 billion) in setting up the water infrastructure alone.

The ZIACDP is a three-pronged project whose first primary objective includes extracting water from the Zambezi into a 20,000 hectares greenfield farming area about 50, 000 kilometres from Kazungula. The second phase includes taking the water to the Pandamatenga area to irrigate the current farms or the new farming area that will be created.

In an interview with Mmegi, Agriculture Hub coordinator Neil Fitt, says that the project, which is not financed by the national budget or NDP10 due to its magnitude, is expected to be the flagship of Botswana’s quest to attain food security.

“I would estimate the project to cost about $780 million in just setting the water infrastructure alone which will enable us to extract water from Chobe/Zambezi and pump it to the new farming area as well as to Pandamatenga.

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Government says it has dropped plans to partner with private investors in the establishment of the $700,000 (Rwf399.9 million) concentrate plant that will help Rwanda’s horticulture products to compete on the international market.

The move to have the concentrate plant came after it was established that Rwanda’s horticulture products have been limited on the international market because of their unprocessed nature.

Agnes Kalibata, the Agriculture Minister said government decided to quit the partnership in a move geared towards market liberalisation.

“We realised it is better for these local industries to take up the project because they have the capacity. It is government’s wish to liberalise the market,” Kalibata said.

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Soil fertility experts from Africa will meet in Nairobi this month to find ways of using organic fertilisers to help farmers increase food production.

The Biological Nitrogen Fixation Project conference will be held on January 20 to find ways of helping farmers improve soil fertility without necessarily incurring costs of buying chemical fertilizers as is the case today.

The high cost of fertilizer has meant poor yields for small-scale farmers who do not use them. The result is less food, a situation that puts pressure on Africa’s predominantly poor population. Successive studies have found that farm yields in Africa are one-quarter the global average.

Fertilisers in Africa have been found to be more expensive than the global average, and rarely available to farmers in remote areas. “As a result, African farmers use only a tenth as much fertilizer as the global average,” said the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which is running a soil fertility improvement project in Kenya.

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Kampala — KITGUM district agricultural department has embarked on promoting the growing of a variety of cassava called MH 97/2961, saying it has several advantages over others.

District agriculture officer, Peter Abal said the improved cassava variety does not only have high yield but also matures early and is tolerant to diseases.

He added that the crop could serve well as food security and eradicate poverty by bringing instant income.

“We have been promoting this cassava for the last two years and farmers have embraced it. This variety could serve well as a food security crop since it matures early and the yield is very good,” he said.

The crop, when planted on one acre of land with about 4,000 stands, could fetch the farmer about sh4m in an open market, said one farmer.

Abal said the planting of cassava should be promoted on a large scale to help fight rampant food shortages.

“Cassava is good because it can be used in many ways. You can turn in into flour and eat is as bread or eat it fresh. It can also be used for brewing local drinks,” Abal said.

He said the cassava cuttings are available on the market.

From: New Vision Website – Uganda

The Executive Director of the National Women Formers Association (NAWFA), Mr. Njag B. Jawo has stated that sesame production has made a tremendous progress in the market. He made this revelation at a press briefing held in their head office at Kairaba Avenue on Tuesday 12th January.

He noted that over the years sesame producers faced certain challenges that hindered their work but added that all these challenges have now tackle. He revealed that the challenges include lack of reliable market and low price paid for the crop. He further revealed that now they have got progress on reliable market and also the price of sesame is D18.00 to D20.00 per kilo which he said is very good for producers. He boasted that NAWFA has done all its efforts to eradicate all the challenges facing sesame production by working hand in hand with partners and buyers of sesame.

He outlined the importance of sesame, noting that sesame is a highly valuable crop that is medicinal and can also go a long way in achieving good health for humans. “It has been recognised that it is very high nutritional crop for animal hygiene,” he said.

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