This Week, on African Farms

Rwanda has introduced a policy change that ends the era of government-set prices for farm produce. This now lets farmers and buyers negotiate prices directly based on market demand. The Ministry of Trade and Industry noted that the decision is easing tensions that often caused low sales.

Ghana's President, John Mahama, is launching a School Farm Initiative. This will target 1,000 schools with the goal of transforming them into agric production centres. The programme will also train 20,000 young people in modern animal production. According to the president, he wants to provide structural market access for young graduates.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has presented a $2.1 billion investment plan with the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) to modernize agriculture across member states. The funds will be distributed across key areas: $800 million for trade facilitation, $600 million for irrigation, $400 million for agro-processing, and $300 million for mechanization. The plan wants to build stronger, climate-resilient food systems in the region.

Nigeria has launched a $3 million project for the full organic sesame value chain in the North-Central. The project hopes to generate $7 million in annual revenue and create 2,500 jobs. This is from a partnership between the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority and Amisec Industrial Company that’s focused on developing sesame into a high-value export crop.

Nestlé Nigeria is supporting 25,000 smallholder farmers in sustainable soybean cultivation. This new project follows a successful pilot where the company spent ₦100 million ($71,000) on cover cropping.

The Moroccan date industry is raising alarms over a growing volume of Tunisian date imports, warning that the surge is harming local producers and reducing quality standards. Farmers and trade representatives have said that the high entry of foreign dates has upset the balance between local production and consumer demand, putting jobs and the local market at risk.

Kenya is looking to diversify its agricultural exports to China in a bid to narrow the widening trade gap between the two countries. The two countries have promised to close new agribusiness deals worth an estimated 15 million Yuan (about $2.1 million) at the upcoming Africa International Agricultural Expo 2025 in Nairobi.

AgroGreen is launching Nigeria's first "Climate-Smart Villages" network, a new program being unveiled at an agribusiness conference. The initiative aims to boost food security and restore bad soil by training farmers in regenerative, non-chemical farming methods. The project will begin with a pilot in 100 villages across 18 states, with a long-term vision to have one in every LGA. This new model aligns with the Nigerian government's national food security agenda and will help connect farmers to new markets.

Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire has set up a fund of 300 billion CFA francs (approximately €457 million) to finance the 2025-2026 coffee-cocoa campaign. This line of credit targets accredited exporters, processors, and cooperatives to ensure the smooth running of the campaign despite increased financial pressure from rising bean prices.

East Africa is set to improve its dairy sector with the launch of the $358 million DaIMA programme. The six-year initiative, led by IFAD and co-financed with $150 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), looks to create low-emission, climate-resilient dairy systems. The program will support millions of farmers facing mounting pressure from climate change.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) in Nigeria have signed an agreement to establish a $200 million Agriculture and Livelihood Support Fund. The fund aims to strengthen access to sustainable economic opportunities for migrants and displaced persons.

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) announced a $14 million allocation from its new financing initiative to the African Development Bank (AfDB). This initial investment is the beginning of a larger effort designed to unlock more than $200 million in private-sector financing for smallholder farmers across Africa.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a $2.25 million package for Sierra Leone to boost agricultural productivity. The funding is expected to mobilize around $9 million in private financing and enable the distribution of fertilizer to more than 126,000 farmers.

Ghana will host its largest National Farmers’ Day exhibition to date as part of the country’s 41st National Farmers’ Day Celebration, scheduled for December 1 to 5, 2025. The five-day event will bring together farmers, agribusinesses, and stakeholders to showcase Ghana’s agricultural innovations and investment opportunities.

Sterling Bank, Nigeria is set to gather over 30 countries for the 8th edition of the Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) 2025. The summit, themed 'Survival of the Greenest: Reclaiming Africa’s Food Destiny', is scheduled to be held November 6–7, 2025, in Abuja.

The Africa Food Show Morocco 2025 (AFS Morocco) will take place from November 19–21, 2025, in Casablanca. This event will bring together global food producers, buyers, innovators, and policymakers to discuss the future of the continent’s agri-food value chain.