Author: Akpan Akata

A South African banana tissue culture facility, Du Roi Laboratory, has been granted the exclusive commercialisation rights of Formosana, a variety with moderate resistance to Fusarium Oxysporum Cubense Tropical Race 4 (FOC TR4) Panama disease. The agreement with the Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI) enables Du Roi to exclusively supply Formosana plants into Africa, the Middle East, Caribbean Islands, French West Indies and South and Central America. Panama disease is currently a major concern to the global banana industry, severely impacting banana growers’ profitability and the success of the banana industry on a worldwide scale. The much-feared FOC TR4 is…

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Globally, domestic workers are still fighting for recognition as workers and essential service providers. This is even 10 years after the adoption of a historic International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention that confirmed their labour rights, A new ILO report says for many domestic workers, their working conditions have not improved in a decade and have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the crisis, job losses among domestic workers ranged from 5-20 per cent in most European countries, as well as Canada and South Africa. In the Americas, the situation was worse, with losses amounting to…

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There is presently a surge in the number of people around the world teetering on the brink of famine. A new report by the World Food Programme (WFP) indicates that the number has risen from 34 million projected at the beginning of the year to 41 million projected as of June. It Is therefore, vital that the world steps forward to support the most vulnerable to avoid the situation degenerating to something worse. At the moment, millions of refugees are looking to a future of uncertainty and hunger as the effects of the pandemic on aid budgets play out in…

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In Côte d’Ivoire, several attacks along the border with Burkina Faso have heightened fears of violent extremism spreading in the country. The attacks claimed the lives of six Ivorian soldiers in the past three months. Five others were injured. Ivorian authorities attribute the assaults to a group linked to Katiba Macina, affiliated with the Jamâ’ah Nusrah al-Islâm wal-Muslimîn (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims). On the night of June 7, armed fighters attacked the town of Tougbo (see map). A month earlier, Bolé was stormed, with attackers accusing residents of being informants for the Ivorian security forces. In March, armed…

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Leaders of G7 have reaffirmed their commitment to provide $7 billion in vital humanitarian assistance and take diplomatic action to promote humanitarian access. This is coming as they acknowledged the unprecedented humanitarian crisis the world is facing as more than 34 million people are teetering on the edge of famine. The G7 leaders have also endorsed a Famine Prevention Compact to urgently address the problem. For the World Food Programme (WFP), this is a welcome move. WFP, an agency of the United Nations is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  It is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, saving lives in emergencies and…

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Bee-friendly plants are currently in high demand in Germany. Market watchers say in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, insect-friendly plants have become more popular than ever. Key Account Manager at Landgard Fachhandel GmbH, Stefan Runke, says “In particular, the demand for indigenous perennials, ideally suited as pastures for bees and insects, is increasing massively. “In the first quarter of 2021 alone, our sales of bee-friendly flowers and plants under the ‘Maja Biene®’ license increased by more than 150 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. ”Depending on the customer, the order volume for bee-friendly perennials has…

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Motorists and pedestrians in Kenya will be enjoying driving and trekking this coming December as the Kenol-Marua dual carriageway project is set to be partially opened. Transport Cabinet Secretary, James Macharia, has assured that the highway will be opened in December to give reprieve to motorists and pedestrians. The $273.3 million project is the country’s second most expensive road after Thika superhighway that cost $418 million. It is set to connect the Northern Corridor from Nairobi to the Lapsset Corridor in Isiolo. It is African Development Bank (AfDB) financed project that is expected to link Kenya to Ethiopia. The the…

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The 2019 trade deal between Kenya and China is opening up the Asian market for fruits from Kenya. As a result, many farmers shifted to avocado farming. CEO of Avocado Society of Kenya, Ernest Muthomi, says they have registered thousands of members across the country. ”China’s move spurred an avocado boom in many parts of Kenya. We have witnessed many farmers abandon traditional cash crops (such as tea, sugar, and coffee) to start avocado farming. ”In the first quarter of 2021, we exported more than 26,000 tonnes of the fruit to Europe, Middle East, and China”, he said. Interestingly, Samson…

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Since its outbreak early last year, the global market for imported fruit has suffered the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Extended customs clearance procedures are equally slowing down the processing speed in ports, and the progression of the pandemic can lead to sudden changes in trade policy and other unforeseen control measures. These unpredictable factors greatly increase trade risks and add to the cost price of operations. At the same time, all of these developments cause great uncertainty in the future of international fruit trade. A growing number of fruit varieties from various countries has received permission for export…

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Contractors constructing the 225Kv Yaoundé-Abong-Mbang electricity transmission line in Cameroon, are battling to meet the December 2021 target. The project which begun in November 2019, is currently at almost 70% complete. It was scheduled for completion in December this year. This is on the basis of documents provided by Kalpa-Taru Power Transmission Ltd (KPTL) and the observation made in the field by the central African country’s Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, during his recent visit to the projects site. KPTL, one of the largest players firmly entrenched in the global power transmission and infrastructure EPC space, is the…

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An Israeli-based agricultural investment conglomerate, Managro, is reportedly planning to buy 3,700 hectares (9,140) acres of land in Colombia for Hass avocado production. The company’s Executive Director, Chagai Stern, says the objective is to guarantee year-round production with a high-quality avocado. “This means that when one region stops harvesting, another will supply it,” he was quoted as saying by local newspaper Portafolio. The investment is set to be around $60 million, which Stern explained is much larger than the typical $20 million typically allocated in other agro-industrial developments. He added that the company’s goal is to ensure to its local…

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Lime quotations are now around €2.00 per kilo. However, this is coming after a protracted period of low prices. Currently, the main countries of origin are Brazil and Mexico. The crop is said to be of good quality, although there is scarcity. What worries importers is the very high cost of shipping. ”We’ve gone from having below-cost prices to very high quotations. The approximately 2.00 euros/kg represents an excellent price. ”The ideal price of purchase should range between €1.50 and €1.80 per kilo. It’s clear that Brazilian limes cost a little less than Mexican ones, which are on a constant…

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Construction of the world’s first floating fire station Fire Station 35, has been completed on Pier 22.5 in San Francisco, USA. The facility was put into place in response to San Francisco’s need for updated marine and fire safety on the Bay and was hence built on a float. To avoid disruption and public impact along the busy Embarcadero area, the float and other marine components were delivered to nearby, and less-occupied, Treasure Island. Building construction of the 14,900-square-foot structure took place there, and when construction was completed, it was pushed across the Bay to the Pier…

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The Lagos-Ibadan railway line is a part of the 1,343 kilometers Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway that is expected to connect Nigeria’s two largest cities. They are the Atlantic Ocean port of Lagos in Western Nigeria, and Kano, near the border with Niger, in Northern Nigeria on completion. The railway line is however, being built in segments with the first segment, between Abuja and Kaduna, already complete and operational since July 2016. The second segment between Lagos and Ibadan was completed last year and it began limited passenger operations in December, the same year, prior to the official start of commercial operation this June. Other segments include the…

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A large delegation of stakeholders in the agriculture sector of Morocco will be in Israel to cement agri cooperation. This is happening just a few months after Morocco signed the Abraham Accords, establishing full diplomatic ties with Israel. The delegation will also participate in the Agromashov 2021 agricultural exhibition’ in Jerusalem, next week. The delegation from Morocco will promote cooperation and integrated entrepreneurship with local farmers. ”Three months ago we established an association to promote relations and activities between Morocco and Israel with about 100 people from the industry, culture and agriculture sectors combined with the Association for the Advancement…

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Across South Africa, Project Orange 2021 is battling to deliver vital Vitamin C to at-risk women and children. This is largely due to the generosity of Citrus Producers in the Olifants River Valley. On June 7 at Namakwaland Sitrus, Twee Riviere farm in Clanwilliam, Project Orange 2021 was officially launched. ”My hope is that our collective collaboration will highlight the importance of nutrition for children in South Africa”, Bryan Habana, says. ”It is so important that we give women and children in marginalised communities access to vital Vitamin C. Through this project we can do that.” – Zahra Manji -…

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Schlumberger New Energy and Panasonic Energy of North America, a division of Panasonic Corporation, say they have entered into a collaboration agreement. The deal is for the validation and optimisation of the innovative and sustainable lithium extraction and production process to be used by Schlumberger New Energy at its NeoLith Energy pilot plant in Nevada. This collaboration paves the way for improved lithium production solutions that will help meet the expected surge in demand for lithium as the electric vehicle (EV) market takes off worldwide. NeoLith Energy’s sustainable approach uses a differentiated direct lithium extraction (DLE) process to produce high-purity,…

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Kenya’s mango exports to the Middle East are facing hefty competition from Egyptian growers. The obstacle, according to market watchers, is because of the low cost of shipping from Cairo to Dubai and Qatar. These are quite advantageous when compared with high cost that Kenyan exporters have to incur. Egypt also is closer to Middle-Eastern countries, where Kenya is at the moment exporting the bulk of its mangoes, enjoys low cost of exporting the commodity. Egypt has the advantage of the sea, which makes the cost cheaper, when compared with Kenya which has to export by air for the fruits…

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As international food commodity prices are still very eager to remain high amid supply and demand uncertainties, global food trade is poised for a resilient year ahead. A new report by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) clearly indicates that. The report notes that trade flows continued to reach new highs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the report says. In fact, on a global level, trade in agricultural products – particularly less-perishable foods – performed more robustly than the broader merchandise sectors. That has contributed to drive FAO’s provisional forecast for the world food import bill in 2021 to $1.72 trillion,…

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Citrus Growers’ Association of South Africa (CGA) says it will be working with government to open and expand access in other key markets including China, US, India, Japan, Vietnam and the European Union. That way, the Association wants to be playing its part in contributing towards job creation and inclusive growth in South Africa. This is coming after a CGA delegation visited the Durban Port on Tuesday to see off the first South African shipment of citrus to the Philippines. This historic occasion follows 12 years of negotiations between the two countries with a landmark work plan finally being signed between…

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For its admirers, it is unlike any other iMac from Apple. The 24-inch iMac! It focuses on slim design and processing power. While the funky colours it comes in and the M1 processor ups your productivity – it still has a big disadvantage. The home and family PC is not upgradable as far as hardware is concerned. For professionals who have to edit 4K or 8K videos, the machine is not upgradable once you buy even the highest configuration model – the 16GB RAM/2TB storage one. Simply put, the iMac has no scope for internal expansion and you have to…

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Red Sea Farms, a Saudi Arabian AgTech business has received a $10 million venture capital investment from a group of leading Saudi and UAE investors. It is for growing hydroponically using primarily salt water offers mayor opportunities for the greenhouse industry. Red Sea Farms’ technology however enables it to do so.  The investment is based at King Abdullah University for Science & Technology (KAUST) 60 miles north of Jeddah. It is one of the region’s largest AgTech investments to date. The consortium reflects growing investor interest in the Gulf in sustainable farming solutions that can combat pandemics and global supply…

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After Spain, South Africa is the world’s second largest exporter of citrus fruit. A small percentage of total production and only premium fruit is shipped to the United States from the Western Cape and Northern Cape regions. “Shipments to the US started slowly this season, but have now picked up,” says Suhanra Conradie, CEO of Summer Citrus from South Africa. “Fruit will arrive in small volumes from early June onwards,” she added. After starting the season with smaller shipments, Cold Stream – the first vessel with conventional fruit – and MSC Jeanne (containers) will arrive into Philadelphia around the third week…

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientist, Yoel Fink, has succeeded in weaving a smart fabric with electrical signal to monitor health and store digital memory. The scientist has been working on developing smart fabrics for longer than a decade. In 2010, Fink and some of his colleagues produced fibers that could detect audio. A first for smart fabric developments, the fiber could be woven into a fabric, which transformed it into a needle-thin, working microphone. Today, the team of scientists continues work on spinning fibers into the smart fabric but moves past analog capabilities towards a digital future, weaving fibers that carry…

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Johannes Rieder, a designer with a pinch of engineering says it was his childhood dream to be an astronaut. But, he wears glasses and that was enough to disqualify me so he instead started to read, write, listen, watch everything space as an attempt to fill the vacuum of a crushed dream -yes, like the vacuum in space. He does what he wills with that fun fact about him. As a kid with a vivid imagination who was obsessed with space travel, the first thing that always came to mind was “how will I call my friends and family back home?”…

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Board Chairman of Ornamental Plants and Products Exporters Association, Ismail Yilmaz, says the sector has worked very hard to make the best out of the coronavirus outbreak. Turkey has advantages such as favourable climatic and geographical conditions in the cultivation of ornamental plants and cut flowers and proximity to market countries. According to Yilmaz, exporters in Turkey reached more markets due to the declining production in the main flower production countries during the epidemic process and due to the difficulties these countries have experienced in transportation. Turkish growers made a good start to the year with the effect of special…

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Spain and Italy are particularly hard-hit as frosty conditions in orchards in many countries this 2021 have led to a slower start to many stone fruit productions across the world. This situation has, however, benefited sellers in import markets such as the Netherlands, as well as those unaffected by these weather conditions like Turkey and South Africa. China is facing a particularly difficult season, as increases in production lead to lower prices, and in Australia, production is hampered not by weather, but by a lack of labour due to COVID-19. The Netherlands The Spanish stone fruit season is starting to…

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COVID-19 infection is posing a serious threat to Africa as vaccine shipment to the continent has almost stop.  As a result, critical health facilities across the continent are at risk of being overwhelmed by surging COVID-19 infections. World Health Organisation (WHO) is appealing to the continent’s authorities to boost lifesaving facilities, warning that vaccine shipments were at “a near halt”. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso  Moeti, says ”the threat of a third wave in Africa is real and rising. “Our priority is clear – it’s crucial that we swiftly get vaccines into the arms of Africans at high…

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The fight against the scourge of corruption is no longer enjoying global political commitment.  This is even with factors contributing to transnational corruption becoming increasingly complex. United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is currently stressing the need to reinvigorate political commitment to fight the scourge, strengthen international cooperation to recover stolen assets. The UN top official is also pushing for prevention of criminals finding safe havens overseas for themselves and their funds. He is therefore, calling for the creation of Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities , or Globe Network, ”a step in the right direction”. Interestingly, the UN…

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The wider smartphones get, the riskier it becomes to take photos with one hand. If taking landscape photos from outside a window with one hand twenty-one flights above the ground floor below isn’t enough for your heart to sink to your feet, take the photo on a windy day and see how you feel. In collaboration with TORRAS, design studio inDare created a non-slip smartphone case that uses an ergonomic structure to ensure the smartphone is secure in your clutch. The clever anatomy of smartphones primarily caters to their software, while the sleek build of most smartphones can easily slip from…

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