Agribusiness Archives - Page 5 of 21

Aflasafe KE01: Biocontrol measure for Aflatoxin

Aflatoxins are a family of secondary toxins produced by certain fungi found on a wide range of commodities, including maize and groundnut. The primary fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus found in warm and humid regions of the world. Aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate crops in the field during harvest and storage,…

Young Africa Works-IITA commences multilocation training for 40,000 youth

The Young Africa Works-IITA project commenced the first cohort of its training program in Lagos, Kaduna, and Kano states in Nigeria. This capacity–building activity began on 1 February and focuses on training 40,000 young Nigerian women and men between 18 and 35 years to become self-employed or gain employment in agri-food systems. The training is running concurrently in the three states for six weeks and participants will gain practical…

ENABLE-TAAT backed startups flourish in Kaoma

On a recent tour of startup activities by ENABLE-TAAT trained youth in Kaoma District, Zambia, IITA Southern Africa Research and Administrative Hub (SARAH) Director, David Chikoye, commended youth agripreneurs for their flourishing enterprises. Chikoye visited the startups to monitor their work and progress. The 2-day visit allowed for in-depth interaction between the Director and the…

Maiden Naija Farmer Reality TV show on a learning visit to IITA Abuja

The Co-coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chigbo Okoli, and fifteen Farm Mates of the maiden edition of the Naija Farmer Reality TV Show visited the IITA Abuja Station on a field tour. The essence of the visit was to see, in practice, some aspects of agriculture taught in the Farm House. It was also…

Access to infrastructure can increase youth engagement in agriculture

Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the youth unemployment rate is among the world’s highest. While graduate unemployment is a major concern for the Republic of Benin’s government, a study carried out under the IITA–CARE project—sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) across 10 African countries—explored factors that can influence the country’s youth to venture into agribusiness. Despite the opportunities for self-employment…

Food security and economic benefits of newly released cassava varieties

At the end of 2020, IITA’s cassava breeders collaborated with their research partners and released five new varieties. Their names, indicating their attributes to farmers, processors, and consumers, are Game-Changer, Hope, Obasanjo-2, Baba-70, and Poundable. In January 2021, scientists and breeders from IITA, Next Generation Cassava (NextGen), and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike,…

Researchers reveal factors responsible for Tilapia consumption preferences of low-income consumers in Egypt

Egypt is among the top aquaculture producers globally, and tilapia alone accounts for 47.7% of the country’s per capita fish supply, 55.1% of fish production, and 68.6% of total aquaculture production. The growth of tilapia production increased rapidly in the last four years, following the release of the genetically improved Nile tilapia strain to Egyptian…

FMARD – Nigeria: IITA holds critical position in Nigeria’s agricultural sector

Mr Richard-Mark Mbaram, the Technical Adviser on Knowledge Management and Communication to Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Honorable Mohammed Sabo Nanono, has highlighted IITA’s role in the nation’s agricultural sector. He spoke on this during a visit to the Institute on 18 December 2020. According to Mbaram, the visit aimed to explore opportunities…

IITA focuses on integrated digital tools for accelerating agricultural transformation in sub-Saharan Africa

IITA has been at the forefront of using information and communication technologies (ICTs) for research management and knowledge sharing, including extension, scaling out, e-learning, collaboration, and agricultural services enhancement. Recently, ICTs have fast emerged as frontline tools for transforming agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments, developmental organizations, and the donor community are increasingly depending on ICTs…

Scaling up innovations: IITA’s commitment to African agricultural transformation

In 2017, IITA celebrated 50 years of service to Africa and its smallholder farmers in particular. Since then, the Institute has advanced even further in its mission to transform African agriculture through collaboration with farmers and farming communities, youth and women in agribusiness, and other partner-stakeholders. IITA’s 2019 Annual Report detailed this work and highlighted the delivery of…