Agriculture takes the biggest chunk of money disbursed to beneficiaries under the Women Enterprise Fund programme.

A report by the Gender Ministry on the fund has revealed that women commit 80 per cent of the money advanced to them to livestock keeping, farming and bee keeping, among others.

By December 31, 2011, Sh343.6 million had been disbursed with financial intermediaries loaning out 202.2 million and another Sh141.4 million distributed through the constituency women enterprise scheme to “women groups or chamas.”

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ZAMBIA Sugar Plc last year paid out K210 billion to small-scale outgrowers in Mazabuka District who account for almost 40 per cent of the raw materials the company uses to produce the commodity.

Company managing director John Moult said the K210 billion was in addition to the various forms of direct and indirect taxes the company paid to Government as well as the money it paid to local contractors from the Mazabuka District Business Association.

He said the money the company paid out to farmers was an indication of a 56 per cent turnover from the previous season in terms of supplied cane.

He said the outgrowers were playing a key role in record production and profits for the Illovo Group owned Sugar firm which would keep on promoting their activities.

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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.

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Kagera — KAGERA Regional Commissioner, Fabian Massawe, has urged residents in the region to grow fast maturing crops including maize and millet, to avert food shortages.

He has also advised residents in Chato District and other areas expected to have bumper harvest, to avoid selling all the food to middlemen. Mr Massawe made the appeal while opening a Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) meeting held in Bukoba Municipality on Thursday.

He said the Tanzania Meteorological department had forecast that long rains would start in March, this year and would probably rain above normal standards.

He said there was a possibility that the rains would stimulate floods, urging the leaders to sensitize people living in flood prone areas to vacate them before disaster hits them. He also urged residents in the region to participate fully in environmental conservation and control tree felling and bush fires.

Source:Tanzania Daily News

Funds worth $2 million, in the shape of two $1 million grants, have been provided by the US Agency for International Development to the Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Programme. The funds are intended to provide support for small farm operators in Africa and parts of Asia.

The first grant is anticipated to aid seed related research of indigenous African vegetables. Amongst the goals of the project is the improvement of seed quality for farmers with limited resources with the development of affordable preservation methods for seeds in the face of high temperature and humidity, such as the use of desiccant drying beads.

The second grant was awarded to a team of researchers led by Stephen Weller of Purdue University. That project is focused on improving African indigenous vegetable systems in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. The plan is to improve the health and wealth of smallholder farmers by improving production, marketing, supply and customer demand of produce.

Source: www.news.ucdavis.edu