Friday, November 22African Digital Business Magazine

Tag: agriculture

African News, Senegal News

IBM Helps Senegalese City of Thies Plan for Economic Growth

THIES, Senegal, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of experts from IBM (NYSE: IBM) presented recommendations to the City of Thies to grow the economic sector through measures to bolster entrepreneurialism, agricultural exports, and education. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO ) The 14-member IBM team of experts, with members hailing from ten countries, are completing a month-long engagement as part of IBM's pro bono Corporate Service Corps program, which provides problem-solving assistance to educational institutions, small businesses, non governmental organizations (NGOs), and governmental agencies in emerging markets.  Since the launch of the Corporate Service Corps in 2008, over 2,000 IBM employees based in 50 countries have been dispatched on mor...
African News, Senegal News

Africare to outline essential role of civil society, small-scale farming and best practices at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum

Agri2012 - AfriCare (Microsoft Word) Leading American NGO spotlights small-scale farming for a result-driven future for Africa’s Agri-Food sector. “Across Africa it is the small entrepreneurs and businesses that drive community livelihoods and national economic development. Yet without adequate financing or access to buyers, producers associations are not able to sell their products to increase their incomes and bolster their livelihoods. Furthermore without knowledge of the markets, they are unable to secure the inputs and technology needed to increase production,” explains Gwen Young Senegal Country Director for Africare who will be presenting Africare’s vision at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum taking place in Dakar, Senegal from 25-28 November 2012.   Focused on establishing s...
African News

AUC and CTA sign MoU to strengthen agricultural policies in Africa

by Wallace Mawire The African Union Commission (AUC) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen agricultural policies in Africa, according to a spokesperson.   The MoU was signed by the AUC’s Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) Commissioner, Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, on behalf of the AUC and Dr. Michael Hailu, CTA Director. The partnership with CTA was welcomed as a timely move; as global attention was now focused on Africa’s resolve to shoulder its responsibilities of eradicating hunger and poverty.     CTA’s role involves championing the causes of agricultural development, food and nutrition security and environmental sustainability in Africa.   DREA and CTA h...
African News

Former President of the African Development Bank Babacar Ndiaye to lead Investment Day at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum.

African expert calls on everyone involved in agriculture to step up to the fore for the sake of the entire continent’s development and in the fight against poverty. 12th November 2012, Brussels, Belgium With the AgriBusiness Forum 2012 just around the corner, Babacar Ndiaye, former President of the African Development Bank and founder of the African Business Roundtable (ABR), outlines his demands towards the African and international community to act and establish basic and fundamental financial policies to create real change, after years of debates and establishing potential visions and objectives. “Africa’s agricultural potential cannot induce people into a self-righteous optimism, but should instead incite a responsible and pro-active approach from the sector’s various players because ...
African News, Morocco News

IBM Develops Plan to Help Moroccan Farmers Boost Skills, Production

RABAT, Morocco, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) experts participating in the company's pro bono Corporate Service Corps program have recommended a strategy to lift the productivity of Moroccan farmers. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO) The plan focuses on improving coordination between the country's Ministry of Agriculture and the farming community, as well as improve internal coordination within the ministry.  Closer ties with farmers will enable the ministry to provide more timely advisories, training, and research results -- enabling farmers to modernize work techniques and improve their production quality and quantity. The nine-member IBM team, comprising members who hail from five countries, presented recommendations on a varie...
African News, South Africa News

Coface projections on SA, Africa and the global economy will have to be tested

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa Africa is best positioned to provide a thriving business environment, a leading International credit insurer attests. Coface has projected that by 2016, South African exports into Africa will increase significantly but will be offset by an equivalent drop in trade with Europe. The group also says that the will also be an increase in trade with Asia but trade with the US will remain at the current levels. And Garth de Klerk, CEO of Coface South Africa, says: "China will play an important role in SA’s economic future. Currently, 13% of total SA’s exports are to China. They consume 65% of all primary aluminum produced in SA and 70% of all iron ore mined in SA. Notably, China’s biggest export markets in 2011 was the EU at $356-billion followed by the US at...
African News, Ethiopia News

The 5th African Private Sector Forum gets underway under the theme “The Role of Private Sector in Promoting Investment and Agro-Industry in Africa”

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 6, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ – The 3 day 5th African Private Sector Forum was launched today in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with strategic aims to promote investment and trade through partnerships and joint ventures between the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Member States, the Middle East and the world at large in key sectors such as infrastructure development, transportation, telecommunication amongst others. Held under the theme “The Role of Private Sector in Promoting Investment and Agro-Industry in Africa”, the annual Forum will bring the African and Arab business communities on one platform to explore business opportunities, focusing primarily on how the private sector actors from both regions can forge sustainable partnerships with a v...
African News, Senegal News

The Government of Senegal to officially host this year’s AgriBusiness Forum

  The Government of Senegal and EMRC International partner to spotlight Africa’s agricultural and Agri-Food sector potential. Organised under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Senegal and the Prime Minister and hosted by Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, this year’s AgriBusiness Forum will highlight the importance of Africa’s agricultural potential under the theme “Boosting African Agriculture through Partnership, Investment and Technology,” bringing together over 400 people from across the world linked to the global Agri-Food industry.   The Forum will take place from 25-28 November 2012 in Dakar, Senegal announced the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment and Idit Miller, EMRC International Vice President, at a joint press confer...
African News, Malawi News, Zambia News

Zambia’s Agriculture Deputy Minister to Officially Open Regional Food Security Meeting

  The Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Zambia, Nicholas Banda will officially open a regional food security policy dialogue taking place in Lusaka, Zambia on the 18th of October 2012. The dialogue, hosted by the Southern Africa Trust is in partnership with the Institute for Democracy (IDASA), an African democracy institute and the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU), will discuss ways to support small-holder farmers in southern Africa so they can increase food production at household level. Dr Chungu Mwila, the Chief Executive Officer of ACTESA-COMESA and Martin Muchero from SADC-FANR Directorate are expected to be part of the discourse together with government officials from SADC countries, farmer associations, members of COMESA and the SADC secretariat. Overcoming food insecurit...
African News, Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea Gives US$30 Million To FAO For Food Aid In Africa

  Equatorial Guinea Gives US$30 Million To FAO For Food Aid In Africa Equatorial Guinea joins the fight to end hunger in Africa MALABO, Equatorial Guinea , Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Equatorial Guinea has offered US$30 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to assist African countries with food shortages and improve food security across the continent. The donation comes after a meeting between the President of Equatorial Guineaand Jose Graziano Da Silva , Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization at the 67th United Nations General Assembly in September. "We believe that with this contribution, the FAO will advance plans to end hunger in Africa ," said President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The remarks wer...