Tag: Cassava

Premier Plantations in Nigeria ventures into the lucrative agriculture sector of Ekiti State

Editor

NIGERIA – Premier Plantations Limited, a subsidiary of Nosak Group, a Nigerian industrial conglomerate is seeking to invest in the country’s new investment hub, Ekiti State. With the recent clamour and drive to make agriculture the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, Premier Plantations majoring on the cultivation of cassava and other feedstocks, is planning to establish a 6,000ha cassava plantation at the Southwest region of Nigeria. The crust of the plantation is the cultivation of cassava, and the conversion of the same into ethanol. The denatured ethanol derived is expected…

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EU injects US$5.9m in Kenya’s cassava value chain, launches US$1.1m agribusiness challenge in Zambia

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KENYA – The European Union (EU) through Self Help Africa, an International NGO implementing rural development, sustainable food and livelihoods security is planning to undertake a Ksh. 650 million (US$5.9m) cassava value chain project in Kenya. The programme to be undertaken in a period of 3 years will be rolled out in Busia County and later to be extended to reach other 4,000 small scale farmers in Kisumu, Homabay Migori, Kilifi, and Siaya. The investment is aimed to improve the competitiveness of cassava production in the country, targeting farm mechanization…

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Bill & Melinda Gates foundation funds International Institute of Tropical Agriculture US$14.3m for cassava project

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AFRICA – The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and its partners working towards building a sustainable cassava seed system in Africa, have received US$14.3 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to kick-start the second phase of Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS-II) in both Nigeria and Tanzania. The 5-year project will be led by IITA, working in partnership with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), IITA GoSeed, Umudike Seed, Sahel…

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Central Bank of Nigeria funds production of nine agricultural commodities with US$1.1bn

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NIGERIA – The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has targeted to fund the value chains of nine agricultural commodities in the 2020 wet planting season to the tune of N432bn (US$1.1bn) to prevent the country from sliding into a recession, as is currently being experienced in some major economies of the world. The commodities to be funded include rice, cotton, oil palm, tomato, cassava, poultry, fish, maize, cocoa and livestock/diary. The funding would be sent through designated participating banks, targeting over 1.1 million farmers, cultivating over one million hectares of…

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Kenya set to have a new genetically modified cassava variety subject to safety review

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KENYA – The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), has applied to the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) for environmental release (open field cultivation) and placing on the market of genetically modified (GM) cassava said to be resistant to cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). KARLO is the state corporate body that establishes suitable legal and institutional framework for coordination of agricultural research in Kenya. NBA, the state corporation that exercises general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), together with relevant regulatory agencies…

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Musika patners with Kemiko to boost Zambia’s cassava processing sector

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ZAMBIA – Musika, a non-profit company with focus on stimulating private investment in the Zambian agricultural sector has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kemiko ltd, a SME that operates a starch and cassava flour processing plant. The aim of the MoU is to boost Kemiko’s processing capacity and provide a secure and ready market to about 1,000 smallholder cassava growers in Northern and Luapula province. Kemiko has anticipated to buy over 360 tonnes of cassava from the farmers with buying exercise scheduled to commence by end of May 2020.…

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African Development Bank lends Congo US$80.75m to set up agricultural value chains

Clement M.

CONGO – The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank have approved a loan of US$80.75 million for the Republic of Congo to set up agricultural value chains for the benefit of more than 350,000 people. The Integrated Agricultural Value Chain Development Project in Congo (PROVIDAC), which will be implemented for six years, must cover the corridors of the major marketing centers of Brazzaville and Pointe Noire as well as the production basins in the Plateaux departments; Pool, Bouenza, Cuvette and Niari. Ali Eyeghe, head of the Agriculture, Human…

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Zambian Breweries’ cassava project goes to the root of economic diversification

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ZAMBIA – Zambian Breweries Plc, a subsidiary of AB InBev is championing commercialization of cassava through its flagship cassava project. Through the project the brewer is adding value for small-scale farmers, ensuring economic diversification, job creation and setting new grounds for agriculture sustainability for the nation. According the company’s press-release, the brewer’s parent company AB InBev has setup measures to help farmers improve their yields and keep track of payments. Through the Cheembe / BanQu automated payment system, farmers are being financially empowered by assuring them of financial inclusion, identification,…

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CBN restricts sale of forex for importation of Cassava and its derivatives

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NIGERIA – CBN adds cassava and its derivatives (starch, ethanol and others) to forex restriction list to boost production, of which importation gulps US$600 million annually. The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele noted that Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava tubers with 53 million mt per annum. However, the yield per hectare averaging 20 tonnes/ha is very low compared to other jurisdictions. The cassava initiative of the CBN is to improve cassava productivity, stabilize prices and encourage local processing to generate employment, among other collaborations with states. “We…

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Premiercon Ltd backs consumption of non-maize starchy foods in diversification strategy

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ZAMBIA – The Chief Executive Officer of Premiercon Starch Company Limited, Lubasi Yuyi has welcomed the move to promote consumption of non-maize starchy foods which are climate change resilient such as cassava, yams and sweet potatoes among others. This is in response to Vice president Inonge Wina’s call for diversification of agricultural products to grow draught resistant crops basket and double their production level saying they have potential to greatly contribute to the growth of the industry. According to Zambian Business Times report, Yuyi called on the government to expedite…

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