Tag: Cereals & Grains

Rwanda attains self-sufficiency in production of maize, wheat, soybean seeds cutting off imports

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RWANDA – Rwanda’s investment in boosting local production of seeds has begun to pay of as the government has indicated it will not import seeds of maize, wheat and soya, in the coming agricultural season. This, according to Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Gerardine Mukeshimana, follows attainment of seed production sufficiency of 100 percent in the current season. “That is why in the instructions we gave to the farmers we have shown specific prices for these seeds and we will no longer help the farmers import them, whoever wants…

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Nigerian commodity trader AFEX partners with SWAgCo, Ogun State to promote production of staple crops

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NIGERIA – Nigeria’s leading commodity player, AFEX, has partnered with agricultural investment company, South-West Agriculture Company (SWAgCo), and the Ogun State Government for the development of five thousand hectares (5000 ha.) for the production of multi-crops in the South-West region of Nigeria. The partnership was announced at an MoU signing ceremony at the deal room of the Feed Nigeria Summit 2021 with the focus crops for the partnership to include cassava, rice and maize. According to the Commissioner of Agriculture for Ogun State, Dr. Adeola Odedina, the parties aim to…

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GAIL subsidiary of FMN Group boosts development of maize, soybean value chain in Nigeria

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NIGERIA – Golden Agri Inputs Limited (GAIL), part of the agro-allied division of Flour Mills of Nigeria Group (FMN), has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kaduna State government to accelerate development of maize and soybean value chain in the region. The initiative, which is based on a well-defined Backward Integration Strategy, will be undertaken through the YALWA programme. According to FMN, the project will be carried out through strategic partnerships, with renowned hybrid seed companies like Corteva Agriscience and Golden Penny Fertilizer Company. About 25,000 farmers are…

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Zambia sources for alternative corn markets following bumper harvest registered in the country, neighbouring nations

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ZAMBIA – Zambia’s production of its single most important crop, corn, is set to reach an all-time high record in the Marketing Year (MY) 2021/22 reaching 3.6 million tons. The bumper harvest follows its production of 3.4 million tons in 2020/21 and 2 million tons in 2019/20. The steady rise in production is attributed to increase area put under production and productivity courtesy of availability and adoption of improved production technologies like higher-potential hybrid seeds and fertilizer. However, the cultivation of genetically engineered corn is still prohibited in the country.…

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Researches call for reintroduction of millet as staple to minimize risk of developing diabetes, management of condition

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AFRICA – Grains such as millets were consumed as staple cereals in many parts of the world until half a century ago. The norm shifted following investments in a few crops such as rice, wheat and maize, which edged the nutritious and climate-smart crops like millets out of the plate. However, the narrative is about to change following a study undertaken under the Smart Food initiative led by ICRISAT, revealing that eating millets can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and help manage blood glucose levels in people…

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Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation launches research on Teff crop to boost productivity

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KENYA – The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), has introduced Teff crop on its research list. Among the varieties under research work include Marsabit 1, Marsabit 2, KisTeff 1, Aila Red, KIM-1, Lusike white, KIM-2, KisTeff 2, KIB -26 & KIB -27. Teff is a dual-purpose crop used as human food and livestock feed and is commonly used to prepare fermented flatbread famously known as Injera. It is considered a super food because of its high nutritive values in aspects of iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. According to…

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Algeria rejects French, Canadian wheat cargo deemed unfit for consumption

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ALGERIA – Algeria was recently met with a shocking surprise after two dead animals were found in two separate batches of wheat cargo. The incident forced the government of rejected the shipment of 27,000 tonnes of French milling wheat, indicating it was unfit for consumption. According to the reports by Reuters, Algerian authorities are seeking compensation for the shipment, which was be sent back to France. The North African country has also rejected a cargo of 33,000 tonnes of Canadian durum wheat for not meeting specifications, local media outlet Ennahar…

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South Africa’s dry bean production expected to decline by 13% prompting rise in imports, reduction in exports

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SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s production and imports of dry beans have been declining over the past decade in correlation with a decrease in consumption. According to a recent report by USDA, South Africa’s dry bean production is relatively small, and averaged around 65,000 tons over the past five years, representing less than one percent of the country’s total summer field crop production. In the 2021 marketing year (MY), South Africa planted 47,390 hectares of dry beans, down six percent from the previous season. The Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) estimates…

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Malawi signs pact with India to export 50,000 Mt of pigeon peas annually

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MALAWI – Malawi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India to export 50, 000 metric tonnes of the crop to the Asian market annually, for the next five years. The deal was inked by the Indian High Commissioner to Malawi, Mr. S. Gopalakrishnan, and Malawi’s Minister of Trade, Sosten Gwengwe. In his remarks, Gopalakrishnan said the major objective of the agreement is to foster trade between the two countries. “The trade of pigeon peas through this MoU will not only meet the domestic requirement of India, but also…

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Burkina Faso approves commercial use of first pear millet hybrid

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BURKINA FASO – The National Seed Committee of Burkina Faso, has announced the registration of the country’s first pearl millet hybrid in the National Seed Catalog. Commonly known as Nafagnon, the grain is the first single-cross hybrid to be approved in West and Central Africa, and was developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a not-for-profit international agricultural research organization in Niger. Also identified as, ICRISAT Millet Hybrid (ICMH) 147007, the millet variety was evaluated in Burkina Faso by the Institut de l’Environnement et de…

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