This Week, on African Farms

Cocoa prices went down this week because people expect a lot of cocoa to be harvested in West Africa. Farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have reported healthy crop conditions, with some reports noting pod counts 7% above the five-year average. However, weak global demand is weighing on prices, and analysts now expect a global cocoa surplus for 2024/25 after years of deficits.

Côte d’Ivoire has recorded the biggest improvement in Africa’s investment attractiveness ranking for 2025, climbing eight places to the eighth position. The success is attributed directly to reforms in the agriculture sector, particularly for cocoa and cashew. The country currently provides over 30% of the global raw cashew trade and has increased climate-smart cocoa production by 30%.

Thousands of farmers in Northern Ghana are facing devastation again following the Bagre Dam spillage from Burkina Faso. This has become an annual occurrence for farming communities in this region, despite repeated warnings. In the past years, close to 50 people have died and over 200,000 hectares of farmland wiped out. 

An expert has criticized the South African government for underfunding the agriculture sector. According to him, South Africa allocates only 0.29% of its 2025/2026 national budget to agriculture, arguing that this amount starves smallholder farmers of the credit, training, and infrastructure they need to transform the sector.

South Africa’s macadamia industry faces rising pressure as China, once its largest importer, ramps up domestic production and cracking capacity. Industry leaders warned that this shift could lower prices and increase competition in the global market. Processors are being advised to invest in more local cracking capacity and build stronger grower-processor partnerships in order to sustain profitability.

Guinea has signed a new partnership with the FAO, outlining priority areas for technical, financial, and institutional projects over the next five years. The agreement, valued at $34.7 million, aims to strengthen an agriculture sector that contributes about 29% of the country's GDP and employs nearly 58% of its workforce.

Across South Africa’s rural regions, women farmworkers are leading a movement through agroecology, challenging traditional export-driven agriculture and reclaiming control over their land. These women are creating community food gardens that provide empowerment and nourishment, using traditional knowledge to build resilience against climate change and exploitative labor.

Togo has quietly made history after inventor Sam Kodo built Africa’s first agricultural robot in Lomé. The device, largely constructed from recycled parts, uses artificial intelligence to help farmers monitor crops, collect data, and apply pesticides with minimal human effort. The goal is to increase productivity and reduce the amount of manual labor needed on the field.

Nigeria has secured a $500 million loan from the World Bank for its agricultural value chains. This loan is expected to go directly to farmers and small agribusinesses nationwide. According to the government’s spokesperson, the main goal is to increase productivity and opportunities for all players in the sector.

Senegal has received $316.2 million for its Food Sovereignty Support Project (PASS). The initiative, backed by IFAD, the OPEC Fund, and the Italian Climate Fund, will cover 10 regions and benefit an estimated 220,000 farming households.

The Green Climate Fund approved a $200 million investment in Egypt’s Novastar Ventures, with $50 million specifically dedicated to back climate-tech startups in Egypt’s agriculture sector. This funding will support Egyptian companies improve climate resilience and create better management solutions for natural resources.

Mali’s National Bank for Agricultural Development (BNDA) has received a $40 million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to increase financing for small and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture. The funding will nearly double BNDA's lending portfolio, with 25% dedicated to women-led businesses and 10% to climate-smart projects.

Namibia’s young blueberry industry is gaining fresh momentum after Invest International approved a $16.2 million loan to Namibia Berries. The funding will help the company expand its blueberry farm along the Kavango River, supporting the growth of its exports.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has received $14 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). This initial funding is the first step in unlocking over $200 million in commercial lending for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses across five countries: Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.

Kenya’s agritech startup Farm to Feed has closed a $1.5 million seed funding round to scale its operations and expand into new markets. The company will use the funds to strengthen its technology platform to cut food waste and improve farmer earnings.

Another Kenyan agri-tech startup, Synnefa secured a $300,000 grant to boost farmer productivity. The funding will be used to deploy IoT-enabled solar dryers across Kenya, with the goal of reducing post-harvest losses by 45% and speed up drying times for crops.

Nigeria and South Africa are set to host the G20 Africa Outreach Meeting on Industrialisation and Agriculture in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja,  on the 3rd of November, 2025. The event will ensure both countries align the G20's global agenda with Africa’s core economic priorities.

The Global Agriculture Investment Summit will be held from November 23–25, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The summit focuses on revolutionizing investment strategies for farmers, small businesses, and women-led ventures across the agri, energy, and telecom sectors.

The first Africa Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM) will hold from November 25–28, 2025, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The conference aims to drive regional collaboration and accelerate the adoption of sustainable mechanization practices across the continent.