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January 29, 2008; The Standard (Nairobi)
By Benson Kathuri; excerpt
'AGRA’s Soil Health Programme will breathe new life into soils where rapid nutrient loss is sapping the ability of farmlands to sustain crops,' said Dr Namanga Ngongi, president of AGRA. 'This will improve the sustainability of small-scale farms, raise the yield and income of poor farmers, most of who are women, and help protect the natural resource base of soil and water.'
The Soil Health Programme -- which aims to work with 4.1 million farmers and regenerate 6.3 million hectares of farmland -- is one part of a comprehensive approach that addresses issues from seeds and water to markets, agricultural education, and policy.
"Currently, farm yield in Africa is one-quarter the global average, and one-third of Africans face chronic hunger. We know that the use of high quality seeds, combined with the rejuvenation of African soils, can begin to turn around this dismal situation," said Ngongi.
© 2007 Standard Group
AGRA Sets Aside Sh12bn to Improve Crop Yields
January 28, 2008; All Africa
By Steve Mbogo; excerpt
The Kofi Annan-led Green Revolution in Africa has launched an initiative to revive the fertility of soils on the continent...AGRA hopes that it will improve the sustainability of small-scale farms, raise yields and income of small farmers, and help protect the natural resource base such as soil and water.
...ancient [African] soils have been weathered for millennia. In recent decades, continuous cultivation of land without replacement of the soil nutrients has left most farms barren or with only limited productivity...Loss of fertility and the resulting low agricultural productivity has been identified as a major cause of poverty and hunger in the continent. Food and Agriculture Organisation says farm yields in Africa stands at one-quarter the global average, and that one-third of Africans face chronic hunger.
Research indicates that loss of organic matter in most farms has prompted farmers to clear forests and the savannah leading to further destruction of the environment...Joe Devries, the programme director at AGRA, said a team of experts had been sent to a number of African countries to assess the opportunities for soil improvement. AGRA experts will work with resident research bodies to implement the programme...The system involves assessing local soil and water resources and considering how organic matter, fertilisers, cropping systems, and local knowledge can be used to create productive and environmentally sustainable soil use.
Methods will vary according to the nutritional needs of crops and deficiencies in the soil. 'In some cases, soil health is best improved through increased use of organic matter from crop residues, manure, or crop rotation with legumes that increase the concentration of nitrogen in the soil,' Dr Devries said.
'In cases where soil nutrients have been severely depleted farmers will have to apply carefully formulated fertilizers, often in combination with organic matter.'
The initiative has a component of helping farmers access subsidized fertilizers because in Africa, it costs more than the global average. In Kenya, fertilizer cost went up by Sh2,900 per tonne last year because of an increase in global oil prices and freight charges. Because of this high cost, Kenyan farmers use only a tenth as much fertilizer as the global average.
'AGRA's goal of enabling small-scale farmers to produce more on less land will have multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits. It can reduce the pressure to clear new land for agriculture, which in turn can assist in countering deforestation and conserving biodiversity,' said Dr Devries.
(c) 2008 AllAfrica, All Rights Reserved
Kenya to be given soil fertility grant
January 28, 2008; The Nation (Nairobi)
By MIKE MWANIKI; excerpt
Kenya is among several African countries which will benefit from a multi-million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundationshilling aimed at restoring soil fertility. The five-year programme will involve working with 4.1 million farmers to re-generate 6.3 million hectares of farmland through a balanced approach to improved soil management.
Assessing resources
The soil fertility strategy involves assessing local soil and water resources and considering how organic matter, fertilisers, farmer cropping systems, and farmer knowledge can work in concert to create highly productive and environmentally sustainable approaches to soil revitalization.
'Africa’s agro-ecologies are diverse and farmers’ practices differ widely across regions. No one size can fit all. We will work with farmers and researchers to develop locally-adaptable soil fertility interventions,' AGRA vice-president (policy and partnerships) Dr Akin Adesina said.
(c) Nation Media Group all rights reserved 2007
Gates Foundation Commits $306m to African Agricultural Development
January 25, 2008; Press release
The goal is to boost yields of millions of small farmers in Africa and other parts of the developing world so they can lift themselves and their families out of hunger and poverty. The largest grant in the package --with support from the Rockefeller Foundation--is to AGRA to establish a Soil Health Program that will complement its existing Seeds Program. more
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