Zambia has for the first time commenced the export of lemon fruits to east African countries today.
This follows the granting of market access through the Kenyan Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and the subsequent issuance of phytosanitary requirements for citrus fruits from Zambia to Kenya.
Sunsweet Produce Limited of Mkushi District in Central province shipped 25 metric tonnes of lemon fruits to Kenya as the first export to that country.
Director in the Department of Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS) in the Ministry of Agriculture Kenneth Msiska said a pre-export inspection and issuance of a Phytosanitary certificate was conducted by his department to ensure compliance to the Kenyan regulations.
Dr. Msiska said more citrus fruits are expected to be exported to Kenya and other East African countries as the harvest season progresses.
He said smallholder citrus producers who are particularly growing Valencia, Naval oranges, Eureka and Lisbon lemon varieties will have an opportunity to access the export markets through Sunsweet’s aggregation and processing arrangements in Mkushi.
Dr Msiska has also advised fruit producers in the country to work closely with the Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS) in the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure they meet the export requirements.
And Sunsweet Produce Limited Chief Executive Officer Chris Morris said good agricultural policies that government has put in place, are creating an enabling environment for Zambian farmers to grow for export markets.
He said exporting citrus fruits to other countries is the best route to take, if the agriculture sector in Zambia is to attract foreign exchange and create employment for the locals.
Morris has urged small citrus producers in the country to work hand in hand with his company to ensure that the supply of citrus fruits is sustainably export to the market.
Last year, Zambia exported citrus fruits especially oranges to Rwanda, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates for the first time in the country’s history.
The Author is a Producer at the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS)
Ministry of Agriculture in Chisamba district in Central province says extension service workers in the district are prepared to play their role as change agents to help farmers transition to modern methods of agriculture that will enable them to handle the challenges of climate change.
Chisamba District Agricultural Coordinator Belvin Muntanga observed that some small scale farmers were still using outdated methods of farming even in the face of changing weather patterns brought on by climate change hence the need for immediate change.
Mr. Muntanga made this observation at a field day organised by Cortiva Agriscience in Nalufwi Camp of Chisamba District recently.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture extension service workers in the district were well positioned as change agents to assist farmers transition from outdated methods of farming to modern technologies in order to increase crop yields.
“We also want to appreciate the work of the private sector for the role you are playing in increasing knowledge among our small scale farmers here in Chisamba and for always developing seed varieties suited to the changing climate. We value your work as cooperating partners to ensure our farmers can cope with climate change,” Mr Muntanga said.
He further urged farmers to seek professional advice from extension officers in the ministry if they were to increase productivity per hectare on their farms.
And Chisamba District Extension Methodologist Lena Mukokili told farmers at the same event to improve management of their crop in order to get higher yields per hectare.
She said it was more desirable to reduce the size of planted hectarage for better management than to plant bigger fields which were poorly managed due to their size.
“If a small field is what you can manage very well then plant a small field. What is the point of cultivating a big field which you can’t manage well only because you want your neighbor to see that you a big farmer? So plant a field you can manage very well. It is better to have a small field that gives 10 tonnes per hectare than a big field which gives you two tonnes per hectare,” Ms Mukokili said.
Cortiva Agriscience’s Wilbroad Moonga speaks to farmers during the recent field day he inNalufwi Camp
Meanwhile, Corteva Agriscience Field Officer Wilbroad Moonga urged farmers, during the demonstration, to stay abreast of latest scientific advancements that were capable of increasing their yields.
He said the type of farming methods small scale farmers were using made a difference between a good yield or a bad one hence the need to adopt better farming practices to increase productivity on their farms.
“For good yields it also depends on the type farming you are using. Some are still using conventional farming as opposed to conservation farming,” he said.
A small scale farmers Cornwell Hachipola appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture to continue building capacity among the farmers.
Mr. Hachipola said farmers in his area were willing to embrace new technologies of farming but that there was need for capacity building.
“We don’t know a lot about record keeping on our farms. Most farmers are moving to vegetable production under irrigation but they need a lot of help from the ministry,” he said.
The field day was only the first to be held in Chisamba District due to the widespread none performance of crops in the 2023/2024 farming season.
Authored by the Agricultural Information Officer for the National Agricultural Information Services
Two continental higher education and research institutions, working to promote agricultural development and education in Africa, have launched a research project that will receive an injection of millions of euros to support Regional Centres of Excellence, or RCoEs, in green transition across the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), alongside partners, have launched the Regional Multi-actor Research Network (RMRN). Its overall aim is to increase the science, technology and innovation capacities of the regional centres in the field of agro-ecology.
Other partners include the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA).
Three broad objectives
It will have three main broad objectives, including strengthening scientific and technological capacities of the Regional Centres of Excellence, to produce, collect, access, process, share data and carry out research activities using a “gender-sensitive approach”.
In addition, it hopes to increase the network’s contribution in agro-ecology through “transformative quality research and scientific knowledge-generation”, and dissemination.
This is besides enhanced gender-sensitive support to agro-ecology practitioners, scientists and policymakers, said the coordinator, Dr Kwaku Antwi, during its launch on 19 March.
Dr. Kwaku Antwi, RMRN Project Coordinator, FARA, at the RMRN project launch meetings, March 2024, Kampala
It will also lead to the establishment of a platform for knowledge exchange and information-sharing, he noted.
Practice-based programme
The European Union funded the 36-month project, which will also see an RMRN formed that includes universities, and will engage in capacity-building through the short-term training of staff, MSc and PhD students, besides student exchange and internships.
However, the universities have not yet been identified as they will be selected through a competitive process, with those successful becoming part of the consortium and host the Centres of Excellence, said Dr Florence Nakayiwa, the deputy executive secretary of RUFORUM.
Dr Florence Nakayiwa, Deputy Executive Secretary, RUFORUM, at the RMRN project launch meetings, March 2024, Kampala
“This is a practice-based programme that is aimed at building capacity through short-term training for staff and students, including PhDs and masters. It will involve student exchanges and internships. It accommodates both African and European institutions with specific support from the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission,” she told University World News.
Strengthening consortia
The initiative will also attract funding from the European Union. It is a two-track funding system. On the first track, the participating organisations (CORAF, ASSARECA and CCARDESA) that will host the RMRN, will each receive €4.75 million (US$5.14 million). Then, on the second track, both FARA and RUFORUM will each access a total of €2 million.
While some centres will be hosted by the universities, others will be hosted by research institutions after the selection process, she added.
“The number of universities to be picked to participate in the project cannot be stated at this moment because it is a competitive process. Neither can we tell now how many universities will be part of the Centres of Excellence which will bring together different partners,” she explained.
At the end of the project, the technical capacities and skill of researchers and scientists involved would have been built, enabling them to carry out scientific studies in agro-ecology. Participating institutions would also have had their science infrastructure enhanced.
Overall, this initiative will help strengthen existing collaborations and synergies among the African agricultural research, education and innovations institutions.
The EU is funding the initiative as part of its Regional Multi-Annual Indicative Programme for Africa, whose aim is to support strengthening consortia of Africa-based institutions to lead interventions on the continent.
While it has many interpretations, agro-ecology basically implies the study of the relation of agricultural crops and environment for sustainable farming that works with nature.
The Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development Challenge 2024 #KM4AgD24, officially kicked off on Friday 5th April 2024 via a zoom webinar hosted by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa and facilitated Knowledge Management and Communication Cluster leader Mr. Benjamin Abugri and Executive Director for the Knowledge for Development Partnership, Prof Andreas Brandner.
The Challenge’s objective is to improve the capture and dissemination of Knowledge materials, and to strengthen collaboration and alliances of African agricultural knowledge to support achievement of CAADP commitments and SDG targets. Seeking to bolster KM capacity building and generate content in response to the questions for the 2024 Challenge.
Prof. Andreas Brandner (K4DP) and Dr. Sarah Cummings (WUR) delivered opening statements to launch the Kickoff meeting and Challenge. A few past KM4AgD Candidates who are now KM4AgD Fellows also delivered introductory statements and bid this year’s candidates “all the best” during the challenge.
In attendance via zoom were the #KM4AgD24 candidates, their mentors, organizing institutions, stakeholders, collaborating partners including individuals across the global Knowledge Management community/network.
17 candidates in total were selected to take part in the 2024 Challenge, mentored by 21 Mentors/Facilitators. 5 candidates from INTERFACES and CORAF respectively, 4 candidates from CCARDESA, and one candidate each from AFAAS, CGIAR and WFP.
The KM4AgD24 challenge comprises of a certification course that will run from 8th April till 8th May 2024, 3 peer-learning sessions in May/June 2024 for KM Strategies and KM4D Award nominations, 4 sessions on the KM4AgD sector challenges knowledge brief development in May/June 2024 and will climax in Kigali, Rwanda for the 4th KM4AgD Conference 2024 and the KM4D Award Ceremony 29-31 July 2024, as part of the Science and Partnerships for Agriculture Conference 2024 #SPAC2024.
The Knowledge Management for Development Award programme is an initiative of the Knowledge for Development Partnership, established to encourage, guide and recognize organizations and companies to apply an integrated and systematic approach to knowledge management to better achieve the targets of the organization and to contribute to the sustainable development of citizens and societies.
To become a “Certified Knowledge Manager”, the selected candidates will demonstrate their ability to apply the lessons from the Certification course in their specific contexts, ie: developing a KM Strategy/Concept for their respective organisations, guided by their Mentors or facilitators in this process with procedures, templates and individual feedback and support. Other assignments can be agreed on, as per decisions taken in the course of the Challenge.
To be awarded “Certified Knowledge Manager for Sustainable Development”, candidates will need to apply the knowledge society learnings from the certification course in the context of agricultural development. Teams will be formed to identify KM challenges in the Agricultural sector and to co-create solutions. In previous KM4AgD Challenges, knowledge policy briefs were developed, but also other knowledge products can be created which advance knowledge in the African agricultural sector.
For more information and updates on progress throughout the #KM4AgD24 Challenge, kindly visit km4agd.faraafrica.org
The commitments of the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agriculture Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods will expire in 2025, which is next year. The Malabo Commitments, as they are usually referred to, were the product of a 2014 African Union Heads of State meeting in which member states committed to fostering agriculture-led development to reduce poverty and end hunger in Africa by 2025.
This targeted approach saw various African countries also commit to allocating 10% of their public expenditures to financing agriculture, boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services, and ensuring a biennial review process to track and monitor the progress being made.
While a significant number of signatories to the Commitments are not on track to achieve some of the set targets, they have made significant progress in the right direction.
During a recently held training workshop on Knowledge Management and Monitoring /Reporting of Malabo Commitments in Chisamba, Zambia, brief analyses of Biennial Review Reports (BRRs) from various countries indicated that the political will to transform the agriculture sector remained aggressive, as evidenced by the existence of working policies and strategies designed to promote agriculture-led development.
The training workshop that the Centre facilitated for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and the E.U.-funded CAADP-XP4 brought together consultants, knowledge management experts, the media, the youth, and some government officials from Zambia’s ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock to analyse the status of the Malabo Commitments in the SADC Region.
Issues surrounding harnessing data and information and connecting the information with people who need it were of particular importance.
Presentations from the event based on some countries’ BRRs indicated that most countries had established appropriate policies and strategies aimed at reducing poverty and ending hunger, which was indicative of progress in the desired direction. However, some concerns were raised about the accuracy of the data used to measure this progress.
There was an assertion that a significant amount of progress being under-reported was brought to fora as the consensus recognized the unavailability of data and/or inaccessibility to data during the compilation of the BRRs.
Dr. Martin Muchero – an international consultant with expertise in rural development and agriculture – was one of the participants at the training workshop that was held and agreed with this assertion to a valid extent.
He highlighted the need to network and share information through consistent reporting, a characteristic evident in countries like Rwanda and Egypt that were reportedly on track to meet the Malabo Commitments.
“Other countries that have done well are those countries that have put together good, sound agriculture information management systems,” Dr Muchero said
He added that reporting on investment in agriculture, for instance, needed to be broader than simply reporting on increases in farm production.
“Even constructing a road in the rural area that facilitates the farmer’s access to the market is an investment in agriculture…So let’s not think about the 10% investment [commitment to agriculture financing] as just what goes into the Ministry of Agriculture; let’s think about the small contributions that are being made at the local community level. That all counts, too,” Dr Muchero said.
Mr. Benjamin Abugri – the Knowledge Management and Outreach Officer for the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa(FARA), echoed the need for key stakeholders to network in reporting their countries’ progress towards the Malabo Commitments.
“Knowledge management is not only about collecting and sharing information but also about connecting people to the information,” Mr. Abugri highlighted.
As the adage goes, if it’s not written down, then it didn’t happen.
The author is a National Agriculture Information Services (NAIS) Principal Agricultural Information Officer.
It is now street knowledge that the availability of technology is not the central bane to improvement of Africa agriculture and management of the prime production asset, our soil. While technologies is modestly available, bringing the technologies from pilots to scale is still a key problem to overcome.
Notable experts in the theory and practice of scaling across Africa gathered in a workshop between 9th -11th of April 2024 at the Ibis Hotel in Nairobi. The workshop, scaling the pillar of the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) framework and the Africa fertilizer and Soil health Action Plan to write the scaling chapter of the companion document to the SIA. The companion document will aid the domestication of the framework and the development of the right action at the country and sub regional levels.
The central question is; What exactly should we bring to scale to ensure an effective management of the Africa soil? What easily comes to mind is to scale “technologies” and or Innovation. This is done using the processes of scaling out, possibly with all kinds of extension models and provision of enabling factors that pull the use of technologies. Even at this, the acceptance of technologies by the users takes time, sometimes five to ten years before the skepticism and phobia of the technology users is overcome. Apparently, the scaling up notion and its associated policy and institutional change will help to move things forward.
As it relates to the ensuring the management of Africa soil; critical analysis of project experience in the last decade showed that most Soil health interventions are not scalable because they are context specific. As such, efforts should not solely concentrate on specific technologies, rather on farmers learning, know-how and the capacity to innovate. The notion of “Capacity to Innovate” suggests the inculcation of the knowledge package and experiences that will foster a mind-set change for the farmers to continually improving their capabilities and resources to address challenges from a position of knowledge.
Most soil management interventions especially those that target soil health and organic matter increase does give immediate returns to investment, rather it yield after some years of continuous investment and the continuous benefits also needs to be managed carefully. Thus, the scaling model is scaling deep and the item to scale is farmers appreciation of the nature of the soil and pathway to benefit. Indeed the “Capacity to Innovate” is the right target of our scaling intervention.
