Pan African Agriculture

23/12/2025

17/12/2025

Youth-led network of mobile technicians drives farm mechanisation adoption among Rwandan farmers

Youth and smallholder farmer cooperatives are transforming agriculture from subsistence into a more professional, resilient, and opportunity-driven sector through skills development, savings schemes, and improved extension services.

According to a recent report by Cordaid, an internationally operating value-based emergency relief and development organisation, this lack of reliable technical support has been a persistent barrier to productivity and farm modernisation.

12/12/2025

08/12/2025

Local concentrate feeds and feedlotting slash methane emissions, boost beef yields in Tanzania — new study

According to the authors, improved feeding systems are not just about increasing weight gain — they are “powerful levers for both productivity and climate goals."

https://panagrimedia.com/local-concentrate-feeds-and-feedlotting-slash-methane-emissions-boost-beef-yields-in-tanzania-new-study/
ILRI

The research — involving the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Sokoine University of Agriculture, and Aarhus University — offers a promising roadmap for climate-smart livestock production.

08/12/2025

New potato breeds to rescue staple crop from devastating pest
The varieties are a product of advanced conventional breeding techniques that successfully combined the most desired traits of local Kenyan growers with a natural resistance to PCN.
https://panagrimedia.com/new-potato-breeds-to-rescue-staple-crop-from-devastating-pest/
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Two new potato varieties, which are resistant to potato cyst nematode (PCN), have been introduced to Kenya where tubers are a staple crop. The new varieties, Malaika and Glen, were developed by scientists at The James Hutton Institute. Malaika is named after the daughter of a farmer who was integral...

04/12/2025

Researchers push for regiontailored vaccines to tackle African Swine Fever
https://panagrimedia.com/researchers-push-for-regiontailored-vaccines-to-tackle-african-swine-fever/
ILRI

An international team of scientists has found that a promising African swine fever (ASF) vaccine can protect pigs against some strains of the virus but offers little or no protection against others. The findings point to the need for regionspecific vaccines to tackle one of the world’s most devast...

02/12/2025

No smartphone, no problem for African farmers

Naledi Magowe’s father doesn’t own a smartphone—but that has not stopped him from receiving information on crop prices and weather updates or calling the herdsboy at his distant cattle post to confirm the herd is safe and accounted for. Like millions of smallholder farmers across Africa, Ms Ma...

01/12/2025

Kenya’s Komboka rice becomes first variety to be traded across Eastern and Southern Africa

This removes a major barrier to cross-border seed flow and fast-tracks availability of improved rice varieties to farmers across the region.

The listing — completed in September 2025 — means that Komboka can now be marketed and traded across Eastern and Southern Africa without the need for each country to conduct its own variety testing.

28/11/2025

𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔–𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟎 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭
https://panagrimedia.com/icipe-unveils-vision-and-strategy-2026-2030-to-harness-insect-science-for-global-impact/ ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology

Building on decades of pioneering achievements, the strategy positions insect-based innovations as a cornerstone for advancing food and nutrition security, global health, environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.

28/11/2025

𝐏𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚, 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬

Bringing together representatives from SADC Member States, commercial poultry operators, grain and feed processors, financiers, researchers, and agri-preneurs, the forum aims to accelerate collaboration to address structural challenges that continue to constrain the sector’s growth.

27/11/2025

𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢-𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬

The African Development Bank’s Special AgroIndustrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Nigeria stand out as one of the most transformative agri-business initiatives ever designed for Africa.

The African Development Bank’s Special AgroIndustrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Nigeria stand out as one of the most transformative agri-business initiatives ever designed for Africa. Here’s why they are poised to reinvigorate the sector and potentially generate Africa’s next wave of million-...

25/11/2025

𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬

Two Ugandan scientists are changing the narrative about cold chain rooms in the country, extending the technology to vegetable preservation.

Cold chain rooms are crucial for preserving agricultural produce by maintaining optimal temperature and humidity, which significantly extends shelf life and reduces waste. They help slow down bacterial growth, prevent spoilage and preserve nutritional value, ensuring that perishable items such as fr...