Africa Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Manitoba Co-operator

Editorial: Captive grain, and captive farmers?

COFCO likley to create waves for the future of grain pricing

By John Morriss May 25, 2015

Those who follow livestock markets will know the term “captive cattle” — feedlot cattle owned by the large packers, and which they can use to maintain supply and/or take the pressure off rising open-market prices. In the past that’s led to some U.S. government intervention, such as mandatory reporting of purchases and prices. Recent developments

Crops, Opinion

Editorial: They brought in plows?

By Laura Rance-Unger April 6, 2015

When a consortium of Canadian non-government organizations funded by the Canadian government arrived in the Benishangul-Gumuz state in Western Ethiopia five years ago, their primary goal was to help smallholder farmers boost productivity and food security. They came in with “modern” farming methods. In this context, that meant oxen and plows, showing farmers how to

A woman sells chat in the village market in Bila.

Crops

The gift of water 28 years later

Bila farmers are producing wealth thanks to small-scale irrigation, but who is reaping the rewards?

By Laura Rance-Unger March 27, 2015

The old man’s eyes grew teary when he was asked to remember what it was like before the water came. “There was a drought,” Ahmed Sahle Ahmed said through an interpreter as he sat on a floor mat in the family’s home. “We were having problems, we had no food.” That was in the early

Zambian farmer Wilfred Hamakumba and his wife Irene, have embraced herbicides as part of their conservation agriculture management. Over the past several years, the farm’s yields have more than doubled, their crops are more diversified and their farm has expanded in size. Irene is particularly pleased with their spraying program, saying it takes a lot less labour than weeding.

Crops, International news

Can conservation agriculture save Africa’s soils?

Adoption rates are  slow, but it may be the continent’s best —  and last — hope

By Laura Rance-Unger March 13, 2015

It was the end of a very long day. We had travelled to remote areas on bad roads, walked barefoot across a flooding creek and hiked nearly an hour both ways to reach one of the three farmers we were scheduled to visit. We were on the trail of conservation agriculture (CA) success stories, and

Opinion

Editorial: Taking the bus — Malawi style

By Laura Rance-Unger March 9, 2015

I’ve done a lot of things with chicken in my life, mostly related to eating. But sharing a bus with one was a first. When taking the bus in rural Malawi there’s no telling who you might be travelling with. In a country where few can afford a car and one of the few luxuries

Thomas Nkhunda, 37, has been using conservation agriculture on his plots for eight years.

Cereals, Crops, News

Dropping the hoe and doubling the yield

Minimum tillage  makes for dramatic improvements for this family in Malawi

By Laura Rance-Unger February 26, 2015

It’s raining, but that doesn’t stop Thomas Nkhunda from leading a group of visitors into his fields where he describes how he manages plots demonstrating the benefits of conservation agriculture. Rain isn’t unusual at this time of year. After all, it’s the rainy season in Malawi. What’s unusual is the fact that the rains they

Opinion

Editorial: Spreading peace and prosperity

By John Morriss December 22, 2014

Selecting the “Our history” selection featured on this page each issue involves a visit to the library of old issues bound into volumes by crop year — August 1 to July 31. No matter the year, each issue is a reminder of two things — how much things have changed, and how much they have

Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive officer of Dangote Group

Crops, International news

Africa’s richest man targets Nigeria’s rice deficit

Aliko Dangote plans to produce a million tonnes of rice in four years

By Tim Cocks November 19, 2014

Nigeria enjoys a perfect rice-growing climate over a vast area yet it is the world’s second-biggest importer of the staple, often from countries in its warm, wet tropical latitude like top exporter Thailand. It’s one of those baffling Nigerian paradoxes, like the fact that it is Africa’s top oil producer yet suffers frequent fuel shortages;

man holding crank-powered radio in Africa

Crops, Local news

Radio programs help improve crops in Africa

Farm Radio International broadcasts information relevant to farmers throughout Africa

By Meghan Mast November 19, 2014

Japhet Emmanuel was 10 years old when his father introduced him to radio. This was the best way to learn English, assured his father. So every evening the young Tanzanian man would sit next to the small black radio listening to the one English program. “BBC World Service,” he deepened his voice to sound like

Local news, Opinion

Youth engaged in world food security issues

A Manitoba high school student outlines what he learned from attending the recent World Food Prize Global Youth Institute Conference in Des Moines

By Carson Rodgers November 19, 2014

Attending the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, October 15-18, 2014 was an amazing opportunity. Through loads of very informative and thought-provoking information, the intense three days were an eye-opener to me about the world food production situation. This was the first time Canadian youth had participated in the event.

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: CME cattle tick lower in thin pre-holiday trade

U.S. grains: Wheat extends gains on short covering, war risk

Prairie forecast: Plenty more chances for snow over Holidays

Tag Archives Africa