Agriculture is the backbone of Rwanda’s economy, accounting for 80% of the country’s earnings and 39% of gross domestic product – as well as providing 90% of the country’s food needs (World Bank, 2013). A major threat to farmers’ crops – and both the agricultural economy and nutritional safety of the nation – are aflatoxins- […]
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TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ IMPROVATE s Israel-Africa International Agri-Tech Conference focused on the challenges faced by African nations in developing their agricultural sectors, and the solutions Israeli technology and innovation companies have to offer.
IMPROVATE Israel Africa international Agri Tech Conference - Full Event
Ministers, diplomats and senior business representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Gabon and Kenya met with leading Israeli agri-tech companies at the conference held in Tel Aviv and online. Participants discussed the enormous potential of agriculture in Africa and how Israeli companies can help Africa improve yields and efficiency.
The year 2020 brought enormous challenges affecting societies, economies, and people everywhere. For HarvestPlus, the top priority amid COVID-19 disruptions was to consistently innovate in order to minimize risks to food supply chains and to protect access to nutritious crops.
HarvestPlus and partners adopted new practices to ensure that smallholder farming families can still access and plant biofortified seed, receive training and technical support, and stay connected to crop markets. We focused on to making sure that vulnerable rural communities continue to receive health, immunity, and livelihood benefits from nutrient-rich crops.
An effective response to COVID-19 across continents
In Nigeria, HarvestPlus negotiated a 10 percent price discount with seed companies for Vitamin A maize seed and 20 percent discount for Vitamin A cassava stems. By linking agro-dealers in Niger, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Enugu, and Imo States to seed companies that were offering the discount, farme