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EVENTS
Farming Calendar 2020
IFAD invests US$9mn to help rural SMEs in developing nations
MAY 26-28
Commodity Trading Week Online www.commoditytradingweekonline.com
ONLINE EVENT
AUGUST 11-14
NAMPO Harvest Day www.grainsa.co.za
31 Aug- VIV MEA 2 Sep www.vivmea.nl
Nampo Park, South Africa
ABU DHABI
THE INTERNATIONAL FUND for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced an investment of US$9mn into the Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund to help small-scale farmers and micro- small and medium size rural enterprises in developing countries. This was made possible due to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s contribution. “The private sector’s involvement in the eradication of hunger and poverty was crucial before the COVID-19 crisis. Now it has become even more important as we work to reduce some of the immediate impacts of the crisis and plan for a longer-term recovery when it is over,” said Gilbert F Houngbo, president of IFAD.
SEPTEMBER 15-17
HortiFlor 2020 www.hppexhibitions.com/hfz
18-19
Horti Fair 2020 www.naivashahortifair.com
HARARE
NAIVASHA
OCTOBER 1-3
agrofood & plastprintpack Ethiopia agrofood-ethiopia.com
ADDIS ABABA
4-7
iran agrofood www.iran-agrofood.com/
TEHRAN
28-30
Agritec Africa www.agritecafrica.com
NAIROBI
Readers should verify dates and location with sponsoring organisations, as this information is sometimes subject to change.
Alwan Ali Hassan is acting managing director at Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture ALWAN ALI HASSAN, a banker and businessman, has been appointed as the acting managing director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), the Nigerian government-owned bank that provides credit to large and small-scale farmers in the country. Formed in 2000, BOA is Nigeria’s apex agricultural and rural development finance institution, saddled with the responsibility of providing agricultural credit facilities in support of agricultural value chain activities. An outcome of a restructuring of government sponsored microcredit institutions, the bank was formed in 2000. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development hailed Ali Hassan’s appointment as most apt. According to the Ministry, the appointment is set to expectedly turn the fortunes of the bank, considering his decades of experience in the banking sector.
THE FOOD AND Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the African Union (AU) and their partners have agreed to support the food and agriculture system to operate during periods of lockdown, emergency, curfew and other containment measures. The document was adopted at a virtual gathering held in April, with 55 AU member states and 45 ministers in attendance. Josefa Sacko, commissioner of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AU, moderated the event. The pledge includes regular supply of food to the weaker sections of society, no disruptions in the movement and transport of eminent people and skeleton staff of organisation and the easy transport and marketing of goods and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state borders will remain open. “We need strategic action to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security in Africa. Closing down of borders restricts the trade and limits the availability of food in many countries, particularly those who depend on food imports,” said director-general Qu Dongyu. He seemed welcoming about
4 African Farming - May/June 2020
African regional entities and UN agency plan ahead to beat the adverse effects of COVID-19 lockdown
measures which did not cause any disruption in food supply chains. Angela Thoko Didiza, minister for agriculture, land reform and rural development, South Africa, joined Qu in opening the discussion and offered a word of caution against the impact of lockdowns on informal markets and international trade.
While FAO's chief economist Maximo Torero pointed to the growing evidence of strain on the food supply, Qu offered an alternative which would “shorten the chain,” by producing food items locally. Many of the ministers outlined the challenges posed by the pandemic, especially where onefifth of the population is undernourished.
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Image Credit: dennisvdwater/Adobe Stock
FAO and AU join hands to ensure proper food supply during COVID-19
