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<p>Africa&#8217;s economy is largely dependent on nature with agriculture the backbone of 70 per cent of 1.5 billion citizens’ income stream. For more, CNBC Africa&#8217;s Steven Muvunyi caught up with, Regional Director of IUCN, Luther B Anukur in Kigali.</p>


Understanding Africa’s position on the climate change debate

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<p>Earlier this week, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda shared that Rwanda’s economic growth grew by 12.2 per cent from April to June this year, compared to 6.7 per cent in the same period last year. Also the Ministry of Trade and Industry shared the government’s plans to upgrade and construct new strategic petroleum reserves in a bid to improve the country’s fuel security. Joining us to digest this and more, Collins Mwai, Journalist of The New Times Rwanda joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How Rwanda’s growth is driven by industry, service and agriculture


<p>LILONGWE (Reuters) &#8211; Malawi’s economy is likely to expand by 4.5% this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said late on Tuesday, boosted by improved agricultural production and the rebuilding of infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Idai.</p>



<p>The growth projection is down slightly from the fund’s March forecast of a 5% expansion to gross domestic product. Earlier in September the finance ministry said growth would advance 5%, up from 4% growth in 2018.</p>



<p>The small southern African nation’s economy is largely reliant on sales of tobacco, tea and sugarcane, with growth having slowed in recent years because of an El Nino-induced drought, electricity shortages and political uncertainty.</p>



<p>Cyclone Idai, the worst cyclone in Africa for decades, lashed Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in March, killing thousands and wrecking infrastructure.</p>



<p>“Over the medium term, growth could rise further to 6-7%, backed by greater access to finance, crop diversification, an improved business climate and more resilient infrastructure, including improved electricity generation,” the IMF said in a statement.</p>



<p>In April last year the IMF granted Malawi a $112 million credit facility to help the country to stabilise debt and fight poverty.</p>



<p>Writing by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by David Goodman</p>


IMF sees Malawi’s economy expanding by 4.5% in 2019

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<p>On the sidelines of First Bank of Nigeria’s 2019 Agric Expo, for his thoughts on the expo, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono joins CNBC Africa’s Christy Cole for more.</p>


“Domesticate as opposed to import”: Sabo Nanono on how to attract investors in agric sector

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First Bank showcases opportunities in Nigeria’s agric value chain

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<p>Dr. Charles Bucagu, Deputy Director General of Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) discusses mechanisms to make the agriculture sector attractive for investment amid financial constraints, weather and more. He joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Attracting investment in Rwanda’s agricultural sector


<p>LUSAKA (Reuters) &#8211; Zambia has introduced a cap on the price of maize to keep the staple food affordable, sparking protest from commercial farmers who accused the government of bringing back price controls.</p>



<p>Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said on Sunday that millers, stockfeed manufacturers, chain stores and grain traders agreed in a meeting with the government to peg the price of maize at a maximum of 2,600 kwacha ($198.93) per tonne.</p>



<p>The price of maize meal, Zambia’s staple food, has in some cases doubled to 150 kwacha per 25 kg bag from 75 kwacha early this year.</p>



<p>Zambia’s 2019 maize production is expected to fall 16% to about 2 million tonnes from 2.39 million tonnes last year largely due to prolonged dry weather, Katambo said in May.</p>



<p>Katambo said on Sunday that the private sector panicked and rushed into the market thinking that there was not enough maize and this pushed up prices.</p>



<p>“Maize prices were rising every week because of this panic and the implication was that the mealie meal price was getting higher,” Katambo said, referring to maize meal.</p>



<p>Katambo said Zambia still had sufficient maize stocks and indications were that less than 1 million tonnes of maize had been bought from the 2 million tonnes the country produced.</p>



<p>“This price is not coming from the government but the private sector players who attended the meeting,” Katambo said.</p>



<p>In a statement on Sunday, the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU), which represents commercial farmers condemned the cap, saying prices should be left to market forces.</p>



<p>ZNFU said its members were not invited to the gathering where the price was agreed and had called for an urgent meeting this week to discuss the decision.</p>



<p>($1 = 13.0700 Zambian kwachas)</p>



<p>Reporting by Chris Mfula; editing by Jason Neely</p>


Here’s why Zambia has introduced a cap on the price of maize

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<p>Agriculture in Africa is largely dependent on weather conditions and diseases which greatly affect productivity. While research is critical to addressing this, it’s not done effectively due to various reasons – Dr. Kirimi Sindi, Agricultural Economist and the country Manager at International Potato Center in Rwanda joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


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<p>CEO Vista Group, Simon Tiemtore, says Africa must strategically move from agriculture as a means of livelihood, to agriculture as a business. In an interview with CNBC Africa&#8217;s Christy Cole, Simon also talked Africa&#8217;s trade negotiations and leverage.</p>


Vista Group CEO: Why Africans should start looking at agriculture as a business

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Nigeria’s cane sugar production projected to drop

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<p>The government of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Belgium through the Belgian Embassy in Rwanda signed a new Belgo-Rwandan cooperation agreement that will focus on health, agriculture and sustainable urbanization. CNBC Africa was on ground for a comment.</p>


New 5 year Belgo-Rwandan deal signed

<figure>
    <img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269588/original/file-20190416-147499-q95twj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip" alt="File 20190416 147499 q95twj.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1" />
      <figcaption>
        Young people view agriculture more positively than often assumed.
        <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
      </figcaption>
  </figure>

<span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-daum-413470">Thomas Daum</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hohenheim-2767">University of Hohenheim</a></em></span>

<p>Africa has the youngest population of any continent – <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2019/01/18/charts-of-the-week-africas-changing-demographics/">60% are under age 25</a>. While this has evoked both hope and fear, it is clear that jobs are needed for the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-agriculture-tech/africa-bets-on-technology-to-lure-youth-to-farming-idUSKCN1MD1Y6">12 million people</a> entering the workforce every year. </p>

<p>Agriculture is <a href="http://blogs.worldbank.org/jobs/energy/africa-more-not-fewer-people-will-work-agriculture">best suited to provide a great many jobs</a> as it can <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/as290e/as290e.pdf">absorb</a> much labour, and because prospering farms trigger employment opportunities in the rest of the economy. But agriculture is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X14001727">often unattractive for the youth</a>.  </p>

<p>To lure young people into farming, policymakers and development actors emphasise the need for modern technology, including <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-agriculture-tech/africa-bets-on-technology-to-lure-youth-to-farming-idUSKCN1MD1Y6">agricultural mechanisation</a>. But surprisingly little is known about the opinion of young people in rural areas. Few have asked them what farming and rural areas need to look like to be more attractive.</p>

<p>I conducted a <a href="https://research4agrinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ZEF_WP_171.pdf">study in Zambia</a> and asked people in rural areas aged between 12 and 20 what would make farming attractive for them. I used two research methods to explore their aspirations and perceptions: interviews as well as drawing exercises.</p>

<p>The results show that young people find more positive aspects in agriculture than often assumed and that the attractiveness of farming doesn’t only hinge on modern technologies. While some technologies are needed, having diverse and sustainable farms, a healthy environment and an attractive rural life is equally important. </p>

<figure class="align-center ">
            <img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=417&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=417&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=417&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=523&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=523&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269616/original/file-20190416-147518-1x9t9kh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=523&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
            <figcaption>
              <span class="caption">The ideal farm.</span>
              <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Provided by author</span></span>
            </figcaption>
          </figure>

<h2>The findings</h2>

<p>Most of the people interviewed for the study were proud of the fact that they came from farming families that owned land and worked close to the nature. Ruth (15) expanded on this and said: </p>

<blockquote>
<p>We do not pay for maize, land, water and fruits such as mangoes. We have nutritious food. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>The respondents also commented on the attractiveness of the rural space. Asked where they want to live in the future, rural or urban, 53% preferred rural areas, because of their freedom and social networks. </p>

<p>In contrast, urban life was often perceived as bad, characterised by road accidents, pollution, Satanism, thieves and drunkards. According to Talunsa (15) people are “poisoned by alcohol and fight”. </p>

<p>Many also found farming unattractive, citing drudgery and weather dependence as reasons. They said they would rather aim for jobs with a regular salary such as teachers. Lozi (16) said: </p>

<blockquote>
<p>I want to work with the government. Then I’ll get paid monthly. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Around half of the respondents preferred a future in urban areas rather than in rural areas. These respondents were “pulled” away from rural areas because they were attracted by the perceived positive sides of urban areas. But they were also “pushed” away from rural areas which they associate with a lot of challenges. These included the high labour burden and risks associated with farming. This is what some of the respondents said about these “push” factors:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In the village, we always eat the same, beans and nshima, and we need to work hard.“ (Elina, 16)</p>

<p>In the village, you can be bewitched over small disputes and the fields are very small. I prefer to live in town.” (Jakob, 15).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It’s important to note that the decision to reside either in a rural or urban area was rarely perceived as a lifetime decision. Respondents highlighted that one could work in town after harvest or for some years after school to save some money before returning to the village. </p>

<blockquote>
<p>Some of my friends want to go to town but others want to stay. Of the ones who went, many came back after some years. (Alik, 14)</p>

<p>I want to raise some money in town but then I want to move back to my village. I will bring a tractor with me and cultivate a lot of land. (Raimond, 17)</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Making farming attractive</h2>

<p>So what does farming need to look like to be attractive? </p>

<p>The young people provided some direction on what they thought would make rural spaces more attractive. </p>

<p>The most important factors were:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Modern technologies such as tractors and digital tools. But these shouldn’t be over emphasised. Low-tech solutions shouldn’t be neglected.</p></li>
<li><p>Non-material factors. Making agriculture attractive requires de-risking agriculture and promoting sustainable and diverse farms. These were clearly depicted in the drawings I’d asked the respondents to sketch of their ideal farm. The drawings typically showed highly diverse farms with trees, vegetables, fruits and animals. </p></li>
<li><p>Ensure healthy landscapes. Having a sustainable, pollution free environment was commonly mentioned as a key advantage of rural over urban life.</p></li>
<li><p>Rural areas must be <a href="http://gfpr.ifpri.info/?fbclid=IwAR3ZsgTg96WShUjLDf5mrTeP6F42-CTlDQdnQMSfaGoaeDLyYpTIIOL90QA">developed</a> in ways that go beyond just infrastructure. Social life and networks, which are still an asset in villages compared to cities, were also cited as important. This included networks of neighbours, relatives and friend and the communal celebration of traditions. </p></li>
</ul>

<h2>What next</h2>

<p>Policymakers often highlight the need for modern technologies – including information, communication and technology – when discussing rural development. </p>

<p>But the young respondents I spoke to emphasised more low-tech solutions such as increasing farm diversity, having water wells and using draught animals, which is already an advantage over manual labour.</p>

<p>This suggests that policymakers and development practitioners need to pay more attention to the actual aspirations of young people in rural areas to avoid well-intended but misguided policies. In addition, the findings suggest that there is a need for several policies to reflect several types of young people in rural areas.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115395/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-daum-413470">Thomas Daum</a>, Agricultural Economist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hohenheim-2767">University of Hohenheim</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-young-zambians-have-to-say-about-making-farming-more-attractive-115395">original article</a>.</p>

Young Zambians are looking for ways to make farming more attractive, what you need to know

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<p>Conversations around, energy, agriculture, and human settlement will take centre stage at this year’s African Climate week which kicks off today in Accra, Ghana. Yusuf Suleiman, CEO of Blue Camel Energy joins CNBC Africa to discuss how Africa can take advantage of its renewable energy potentials.</p>


How Africa can take advantage of its renewable energy potential

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<p>Nigerian scientists have approved the country&#8217;s first genetically modified food crop. The pest-resistant cowpea got approval after nearly a decade of research. Lois Sankey, Head; Agricfinance, Emerging Business at Diamond Bank joins CNBC Africa to assess Nigeria’s Agriculture Promotion Policy which seeks to significantly improve foreign exchange earnings from agriculture and more.</p>


Nigeria approves its first genetically modified food crop

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<p>Agriculture contributed 25.5 per cent to Nigeria&#8217;s nominal GDP in the third quarter of 2018. Lois Sankey, Head of Agrifinance Emerging businesses at Diamond Bank joins CNBC Africa to discuss the outlook for the sector this year</p>


Nigeria agricultural outlook for 2019

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-elizabeth-gannon-601360">By Kate Elizabeth Gannon</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/london-school-of-economics-and-political-science-1219">London School of Economics and Political Science</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/declan-conway-434384">Declan Conway</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/london-school-of-economics-and-political-science-1219">London School of Economics and Political Science</a></em></p>
<p>Climate change is going to have huge consequences all over the world, <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/">especially in Africa</a>. Harvests will be affected, threatening agricultural outputs. This could hurt farmers and lead to greater food insecurity.</p>
<p>But there hasn’t been much discussion about what effects climate change will have in other areas – like in the continent’s small and medium business sector. This is a worrying oversight.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-sustainability/article/business-experience-of-floods-and-droughtrelated-water-and-electricity-supply-disruption-in-three-cities-in-subsaharan-africa-during-the-20152016-el-nino/4E87FAB6F1703FB2558CB2D0EE9845E2">research</a>, conducted in Zambia and Botswana, revealed that businesses activities faced major disruptions during the 2015/2016 El Niño event. This was a result of drought-related water supply disruption in Botswana’s capital Gaborone, and disruption to hydroelectricity supplies in Zambia’s capital Lusaka.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.livescience.com/3650-el-nino.html">El Niño</a> is one of the key drivers of variations in global climate conditions between different years. It recurs every two to seven years and it’s typically associated with reduced rainfall and drought conditions in southern Africa.</p>
<p>Reflecting this trend, the 2015/2016 El Niño was one of the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0009.1">strongest on record</a>. It brought widespread drought conditions and heat waves to the region.</p>
<p>By impacting urban water and hydroelectricity supplies, this had major consequences for business activities in Gaborone and Lusaka, as our research shows. These cities’ experiences should serve as a warning for others across the continent, and systems should be put in place to protect particularly small businesses from the worst realities of a changing climate.</p>
<h2>Under pressure</h2>
<p>In Botswana, as lake levels in the Gaborone Dam dropped to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017EF000680/full#">historical lows</a>, businesses in Gaborone experienced decreased water pressure. In some cases businesses were completely cut off from piped water supply.</p>
<p>Lack of water for food preparation, butchery, irrigation, laundry, cleaning and sanitation had dire consequences for businesses such as hotels and guesthouses, restaurants, food businesses and other service industries. Hairdressers and car washing enterprises, for instance, came to a standstill as they struggled to provide services to customers or to maintain hygiene standards.</p>
<p>In Zambia’s capital Lusaka, where hydropower accounts for <a href="https://www.hydropower.org/country-profiles/zambia">94%</a> of the country’s electricity generation capacity, low lake levels in Lake Kariba contributed to unprecedented electricity blackouts, often lasting for eight hours at a time.</p>
<p>In Lusaka, activities reliant on electricity such as manufacturing, processing and communications were interrupted as equipment was immobilised. Assets were lost because they couldn’t be reliably heated or refrigerated. In both cities, supply chains were disrupted.</p>
<figure><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nu5pjijFFa4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">A video explaining the authors’ findings.</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2>Infrastructure issues</h2>
<p>Towards the end of 2016, as El Niño drew to a close, more than half of the 135 micro, small and medium enterprises we surveyed in Gaborone and Lusaka told us their profits would be lower than previous years. Almost a third believed that their business was at risk of closing down. Business owners said disruptions to water supply and power outages, in Gaborone and Lusaka respectively, were the greatest obstacles to them doing business.</p>
<p>The two cities’ experiences, alongside the widely reported “<a href="https://www.fin24.com/Economy/will-day-zero-loom-again-for-cape-town-20181005">Day Zero</a>” water situation in Cape Town, South Africa, should sound a warning for businesses elsewhere on the continent. Water shortages in Cape Town began during the El Niño, but extended into 2018 as drought conditions persisted.</p>
<hr />
<p><em><br />
<strong><br />
Read more:<br />
<a href="http://theconversation.com/day-zero-is-meant-to-cut-cape-towns-water-use-what-is-it-and-is-it-working-92055">Day Zero is meant to cut Cape Town&#8217;s water use: what is it, and is it working?</a><br />
</strong><br />
</em></p>
<hr />
<p>Climate change events like droughts are only going to get worse – and urban centres where many small, medium and micro enterprises thrive will be in the eye of the storm. The 2015/2016 El Niño highlighted that even fairly moderate changes in rainfall can have major consequences for businesses in African cities.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/urbanization-sub-saharan-africa">More people are moving to cities</a>, setting up businesses and connecting, often for the first time, to water and electricity grids. This increases demand and places pressure on existing water and energy infrastructure.</p>
<p>At the same time, a complex set of factors has limited the development of new infrastructure and the effective management of existing resources. This means cities are struggling to keep up with the increased demand.</p>
<p>These factors, which include under-investment in infrastructure, policy uncertainty, governance challenges and poor municipal service provision, exacerbated the effect of drought in Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.</p>
<h2>Preparing for a new reality</h2>
<p>So what can be done to address these realities?</p>
<p>First, action is needed across sub-Saharan Africa to increase understanding of the vulnerabilities in existing water, energy and urban infrastructure – alongside the effects of increasing urbanisation and a changing climate.</p>
<p>And, second, small and medium sized businesses, which are <a href="https://www.norfund.no/getfile.php/133983-1484571386/Bilder/Publications/SME%20and%20growth%20MENON%20.pdf">key drivers of economic growth across sub-Saharan Africa</a> and provide many people with a livelihood, need more support from governments and policy makers to help them cope with disruption.</p>
<p>This should include better access to information about the timing and severity of anticipated disruption to water and electricity supplies, as well as support to invest in coping strategies such as alternative sources of energy.</p>
<p><em>Patrick Curran, a policy analyst at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, also contributed to this article.</em><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107373/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-elizabeth-gannon-601360">Kate Elizabeth Gannon</a>, Postdoctoral researcher, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/london-school-of-economics-and-political-science-1219">London School of Economics and Political Science</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/declan-conway-434384">Declan Conway</a>, Professorial Research Fellow, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/london-school-of-economics-and-political-science-1219">London School of Economics and Political Science</a></em></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/small-businesses-in-africa-will-be-on-the-frontline-of-climate-change-107373">original article</a>.</p>

What are the consequences climate change will have on small businesses in Africa?

<p><em>By </em><em>Oluyede Ajayi, Senior Programme Coordinator at the ACP-EU Technical Center for Agriculture (CTA) based in the Netherlands</em></p>
<p>Walmart. Amazon. Tesla. Many of the world’s biggest businesses started small &#8211; and would not be where they are today without the help of start-up loans.</p>
<p>But in sub-Saharan Africa, the small businesses providing on average <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/what-is-africas-agriculture-potential/">24 per cent of GDP</a> across the continent are receiving a meagre one percent of bank lending.</p>
<p>These are Africa’s smallholder farmers, who constitute over half the continent’s population, and are tasked with feeding an ever-expanding and increasingly hungry population.</p>
<p>One reason funds are so hard to come by, is the inherent risk involved in farming that is so subject to erratic weather.</p>
<p>Sufficient investment will never be unlocked while farmers’ future profits remain so uncertain. Yet the African food and beverage market is projected to be worth $1 <a href="http://www.farmingfirst.org/africanag">trillion dollars</a> by 2030, if the right investments are made. We need to find ways to open up African agriculture to this investment, even in the face of a changing climate.</p>
<p><strong>READ:</strong> <a href="http://cnbc.africa/news/technology/2018/11/16/autonomous-farming-has-arrived-what-africans-should-know/">Autonomous farming has arrived, what Africans should know</a></p>
<p>Over 4,000 farmers in Uganda’s mountainous south-western region of Butare are one step closer to achieving this. They have set up <a href="https://www.cta.int/en/article/all-eyes-on-the-sky-sid0b22d7569-15c0-4a7f-b07b-638524d829c1">digital profiles</a>, which map the location, size and productivity and their farms.  Unmanned aerial vehicles have been surveying the skies to collect complementary information. When combined, this data is able to act as collateral for these farmers to receive fertilizer and credit to grow their business. The data gives a credible forecast of what farmers need, and whether they will be able to repay loans.</p>
<p>This approach of digitally profiling farmers is among our best bets to strengthen their operations, and unlock financing.</p>
<p>Centralizing data on farmers’ needs makes it easier to deliver bespoke advice, and services like weather forecasting to help improve resilience to weather shocks. In southern Africa, 74,000 farmers have been digitally profiled in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi to this end.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cta.int/en/blog/article/climate-change-in-southern-africa-information-is-power-sid0a9c9e9aa-dc94-4172-9078-9cc0044b2fa6">Phineas Muyabi</a> is living proof that this works. When he retired from the Zambian army in 2001, he invested his lump sum payment in seeds and other agricultural inputs. But drought destroyed his crops and over the next few years his family had to rely on food aid.</p>
<p>Now, he receives weather alerts and farming tips via SMS, as part of a regional project to improve the resilience of cereal and livestock farmers in Southern Africa, led by CTA. A digital platform hosted by the Zambia Open University collates data collected by the Zambia National Agricultural Information Service.</p>
<p>In neighbouring Zimbabwe, this alert system is offered together with a weather insurance product, known as the <a href="https://www.ecofarmer.co.zw/subscription-services/zfu-ecofarmer-combo">EcoFarmer</a> “combo”, which allows farmers to insure their crops against the risk of excessive rainfall and excessive dry days for as little as $1 per month.</p>
<p>These digital innovations will be the key to unlocking the investment that African agriculture needs to reach its potential. What will be the key to ensuring their uptake?</p>
<p>Some technology roll-out programmes rely on the appeal of their products alone. For cash-poor, risk-averse farmers, this is rarely enough to entice them on board. This is why the EcoFarmer <em>combo</em> is a “bundled” solution. It provides access to agronomic advice, seeds, and weather insurance (a relatively new concept for farmers) as well as funeral insurance (a product that is well known to farmers). This offers farmers multiple layers of protection, and creates an entry point for new technological approaches to take hold.</p>
<p>Funding to improve telecommunications infrastructure is also going to be extremely important. Between 1998 and 2008, total private sector investment in telecoms in sub-Saharan Africa reached <a href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/AFRICAEXT/Resources/258643-1271798012256/ICT-19.pdf">$49 billion</a>, mainly in the mobile market. To ensure this type of investment can continue, African governments need to pave the way for telecoms markets to thrive, by providing the necessary investment-friendly policies, and well-functioning regulatory institutional frameworks to ensure this type of private sector investment can continue into the future.</p>
<p>Encouraging countries with similar climatic conditions to come together and pool resources, will also reduce the risk involved in setting up systems for something as complex and technical as weather-based insurance. The seeds have already been sown for this type of collaboration in southern Africa and will allow significantly more farmers to benefit from the technology.</p>
<p>The United Nations climate change conference in Poland is an important moment to make this case. While actors <a href="https://ccafs.cgiar.org/agriculture-advantage-20-event-series-cop24">debate how to transform our food system</a> under a changing climate, boosting investment in the region that is home to six of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change must be a priority.</p>
<p>Back in Uganda, a newly trained 25-year-old air-to-ground surveillance expert summed up the potential digital innovations present for African farming as he flew a drone over the Igara tea factory plantation. “With this technology,” he said, “the sky is the limit.”</p>


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Attracting investment in Rwanda’s agricultural sector

Here’s why Zambia has introduced a cap on the price of maize

Agricultural Economist, Dr. Kirimi Sindi laments shortage of researchers in improvement of Agriculture in SSA

Vista Group CEO: Why Africans should start looking at agriculture as a business

Nigeria’s cane sugar production projected to drop

New 5 year Belgo-Rwandan deal signed

Young Zambians are looking for ways to make farming more attractive, what you need to know

How Africa can take advantage of its renewable energy potential

Nigeria approves its first genetically modified food crop

Nigeria agricultural outlook for 2019

What are the consequences climate change will have on small businesses in Africa?

Op:Ed: These digital innovations will be the key to unlocking the investment that African agriculture needs…

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agriculture

Understanding Africa’s position on the climate change debate

How Rwanda’s growth is driven by industry, service and agriculture

IMF sees Malawi’s economy expanding by 4.5% in 2019

“Domesticate as opposed to import”: Sabo Nanono on how to attract investors in agric sector

First Bank showcases opportunities in Nigeria’s agric value chain

Attracting investment in Rwanda’s agricultural sector

Here’s why Zambia has introduced a cap on the price of maize

Agricultural Economist, Dr. Kirimi Sindi laments shortage of researchers in improvement of Agriculture in SSA

Vista Group CEO: Why Africans should start looking at agriculture as a business

Nigeria’s cane sugar production projected to drop

New 5 year Belgo-Rwandan deal signed

Young Zambians are looking for ways to make farming more attractive, what you need to know

How Africa can take advantage of its renewable energy potential

Nigeria approves its first genetically modified food crop

Nigeria agricultural outlook for 2019

What are the consequences climate change will have on small businesses in Africa?

Op:Ed: These digital innovations will be the key to unlocking the investment that African agriculture needs…

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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