AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Preference for corn by Chinese farmers to result in depressed production of Sorghum and Barley

Jul 5, 2021Jul 5, 2021 Editor

CHINA – A mix of high prices and government policies encouraging or mandating the planting of additional corn acreage has influenced Chinese farmers into planting more maize at the expense of Sorghum and Barley. Area planted to corn in Heilongjiang, one of China’s most important corn producing provinces, increased by 1.1 million hectares this year, or by 27 percent year-over-year, according to the Heilongjiang Agricultural Bureau. Nationwide, area planted to corn is expected to increase by 2.1 million hectares this year, or by 6.2 percent year-over-year. Due to the increased acreage Chinese corn, production for MY2021/22…

Syngenta spearheads agricultural productivity in Nigeria with launch of service hubs

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021 Editor

NIGERIA – The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) has launched 13 Farmers’ Hubs to offer support service to 13,000 sorghum and cowpea farmers in Kano and Jigawa States, Nigeria. The hubs are an integral component of the operational strategy of SFSA in Nigeria to boost crop productivity while facilitating linkages with different markets. Further to that, it is part of the implementation of the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) Project in Nigeria. According to reports by Africa Business Communities, the initiative…

Zimbabwe’s Delta Corporation invests US$1.1m in sorghum production to meet rising beer demand

Apr 10, 2021Apr 10, 2021 Editor

ZIMBABWE – Delta Corporation Limited, leading manufacturer and marketer of both international and locally produced beverages has invested US$1.1 million into sorghum planting under a strategy to secure inputs for its massive operation. The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed blue-chip, has recently been making fresh forays into domestic and foreign markets, unlocking opportunities for growth and higher demand for beer. The US$1.1 million injection, according to Zimbabwe Independent, will be channelled production of 13, 425 tonnes of sorghum to quench up the thirst of beer lovers as demand rises. “We have…

Tanzanian alcohol makers turn to local sources of raw materials to boost industry

Jan 25, 2021Jan 25, 2021 Editor

TANZANIA – Leading breweries in Tanzania i.e., Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) and Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) to prioritize sourcing their wheat locally, following an agreement with the government. According to reports by Daily News, the state has reached a consensus with the brewers to purchase the raw material at a minimum price of Tsh 800 per kilogramme of wheat. This follows the country importing 800,000 and 1 million tons of wheat annually amid availability of arable land and conducive climate to facilitate mass production of the cash crop. “TBL and…

China tops with 8.733 million metric tons in grain purchase as marketing year officially starts

Sep 11, 2020Sep 11, 2020 Editor

CHINA – China becomes the largest buyer of corn and sorghum from USA after it had purchased 8.733 million metric tons of U.S. corn and 1.365 million tons of U.S. sorghum for the 2020/2021 marketing year, as of Aug. 27, 2020. September 1 marked the start of a new crop marketing year and China is already on the books as the largest buyer trend that could continue through the 2020/2021 marketing year based on supply and demand factors. These sales add to 2.312 million tons of U.S. corn and 3.932…

Kenyan sorghum farmers set to bag more earning in a new EABL trade deal

Jul 20, 2020Jul 21, 2020 Editor

KENYA – The East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has entered into a trade deal with Sorghum farmers of Tharaka-Nithi county in Kenya that will see the farmers sell their produce directly to the brewer, eliminating middlemen who offer poor prices. The sorghum farmers, according to reports by Business Daily, will be required to deliver their produce to the nearest county cereal stores where EABL aggregators will be buying from. In addition, the partnership will see farmers benefit from extension services such as offering of seeds that will improve quantity and…

SNV implements US$2.1m project targeting East Africa’s agribusiness companies

May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 Editor

EAST AFRICA – SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, a non-profit international development organisation is implementing a five year Climate Resilient Agribusiness for Tomorrow (Craft) project in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda worth 2 million Euros (US$2.1m). The project funded by Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs is undertaken in partnership with Wageningen University and Research (WUR), CGIAR’s Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Agriterra, and Rabo Partnerships. It is specifically targeting Agribusiness companies and farmers working in the sunflower, soybean, sesame, common beans, potato and sorghum value chains in…

Tongaat Hulett increases hectares to be put under winter maize project to 2,000ha

Apr 30, 2020Apr 30, 2020 Editor

ZIMBABWE – Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe (THZ) has availed 2 000 hectares for this year’s food initiative that will for the first time also cover traditional grains. This comes as the provincial leadership of Lowveld, south-eastern Zimbabwe has appealed to sugar cane farmers with fallow irrigable land to commit at least one hectare towards the winter maize project and get inputs support from Government under the Command Agriculture initiative, reports the Herald. The response from Lowveld cane farmers willing to contribute in reviving the country’s food security by also growing maize has been…

Tanzania Breweries launches partnership to support sorghum farmers

Apr 23, 2020Apr 23, 2020 Editor

TANZANIA – Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), a subsidiary of AB InBev has partnered with the Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to support smallholder sorghum farming in Tanzania. The collaboration kicked off with a pilot project where TBL Plc has agreed to purchase the sorghum produced by approximately 1,400 smallholder sorghum farmers in Dodoma and Manyara. TBL Plc, FtMA and WFP will support the farmers with access to sorghum seed; crop insurance; sorghum crop management protocols; agricultural extension services; and improved aggregation and market access…

Delta injects $11m into sorghum contract farming to boost production

Jan 30, 2020Jan 30, 2020 Editor

ZIMBABWE – Delta Corporation, Zimbabwe’s largest beverage manufacturer, has injected more than $11 million into its Beverages Sorghum Contract Farming Scheme (BSCFS) during the 2019/2020 farming season, as it moves to support local farmers. Delta requires about 11, 400 tonnes of red sorghum and 2 400 tonnes of white sorghum annually but requirements vary every season, depending on projected domestic beer consumption levels, reports News Day. Delta corporate affairs executive Patricia Murambinda said that 6 949 farmers across the country had been contracted to produce sorghum this season. “Our current…