Developments
Giving credit where credit is due
To access better markets for their maize, Zambia's farmers need access to credit and good storage. Over the last three seasons a pilot crop warehouse scheme has been attempting to offer them both...
A 'LUCID' argument for maintaining soil fertility
The landscape of East Africa is changing. Farmers need land but as farming expands to more marginal areas, natural resources are being rapidly depleted and wildlife populations affected. In some areas, however, researchers are discovering that farmers are investing in their land to improve soil fertility...
On the bright side of yam production
More than 95 per cent of the world's yams are grown in sub-Saharan Africa, and Nigeria is the leading producer. But many yam farmers face problems with declining productivity; planting material is scarce and prone to disease...
With global warming likely to accelerate a trend towards drier rice lands, among other effects, a proposed consortium aims to study the consequences and how best to cope...
Women's business: water-harvesting in Kenya
As Kenya faces one of its worst droughts since independence, there is an increased outcry for a lasting solution to the recurrent problem. However, Maasai women are leading the way in providing a solution and helping to change the community way of life from pastoralist to settled farmers...
1st May 2006
