Category “General”

Kenya: Frost Could Push Tea Prices Up, Says Official

Tea farmers are set to benefit from improved prices, due to a shortage occasioned by the frost situation in many parts of the country.

Kenya Tea Development Authority Zone IV manager Chege Karuba said many parts of the country had been hit by the phenomenon and would experience low produce.

Read the full article HERE

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Ghana: Calls for new irrigation system to meet export demand

Growers in Ghana have appealed to the authorities to provide them with new irrigation facilities. A statement issued by the Eastern Gomoa Export Vegetable Farmers Association said that with the new facilities growers would be able to provide year round produce.

The statement pointed out that demand for exports was currently greater than the ability to produce due to water restrictions. The increased availability of produce for export was likely to have positive implications for the wider economy the statement pointed out.

Source: www.ghanabusinessnews.com

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Safmarine launches Android e-Shipping Application

The release of a new Safmarine shipping application for all mobile devices using the Android operating system will allow Safmarine customers to access and download essential shipping information from these devices, anywhere and at any time of day. The launch of this new application follows the release, in April 2011, of a similar e-Business application for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.

According to BenoĆ®t Lebrun, Safmarine’s Global e-Business Manager, “This new application once again demonstrates Safmarine’s leadership in providing innovative business solutions to the shipping industry.

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Tanzania: SAGCOT Lures Private Firms, Farmers

THE Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) has invited private companies and farmers’ groups to join its centre to access financing, technological skills and experience of its members.

SAGCOT Chief Executive Officer Dustan Mrutu said in Dar es Salaam during an Agriculture Council of Tanzania stakeholders’ workshop last weekend that the centre established last year, brings together the government, private sector, farmers’ associations, development partners and nongovernmental organizations.

Read the full article HERE

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Uganda: EU Proposes Creation of Equity Fund to Grow Agribusiness

The European Union has proposed the creation of an equity fund, that will support the development of small and entrepreneurs engaged in agribusiness.

The fund as proposed shall be tasked with the provision of access to long term financing and business services. It will also increase the capacities of Small and Medium Enterprises engaged in agribusiness and very importantly increase the value addition of agriculture goods.

Dr Roberto Ridolfi, the head of the European Union delegation to Uganda, said: “The equity fund is, we believe, the main course of action that will bring investments, not only in form of money but also market exposures and penetration of SMEs to European markets.”

Dr Ridolfi made the remarks during the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Workshop in Kampala that seeks to help upcoming entrepreneurs to pursue their business dreams beyond boarders. “The road to becoming a middle income country is certainly neither smooth nor straight,” thus there is need to kick-start small business so as to grow their strength,” Ridolf said.

The monitor (Uganda)

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