This Week, on African Farms

Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary has warned that severe drought, erratic rainfall, and livestock diseases are heavily threatening national food security. In response, national authorities have vaccinated over 20 million animals and registered millions of farmers on digital platforms.

Premier Group has announced the closure of its Fruit Products Western Cape facility in Tulbagh, South Africa, due to high competition and shifting consumer demand. The company has pledged cash compensation for its growers.

Nigeria’s rangelands and grazing routes are facing worsening degradation, with over 23% of national land classified as degraded and more than half of grazing routes compromised.

Sugarcane farmers in Western Kenya welcomed the government's decision to stop issuing new sugar import licenses. The policy shift aims to curb cheap imports, stabilize payments to local growers, and support Kenya’s goal of becoming a net sugar exporter.

Eswatini’s National Agricultural Marketing Board will enforce a 24% levy on imported edible oils starting September 1, 2026, to address improper import codes and create a level playing field for domestic producers.

Namibian communal farmers are raising concerns over the agricultural minimum wage increase to $0.78 per hour, which is set to rise to $1 in 2027. Farmers cite low incomes, delayed livestock payments, and limited market access as primary hurdles to compliance.

The United States has launched an initiative under the Freedom 250 program to expand agricultural trade and investment with Nigeria, focusing on deploying US technology, expertise, and private partnerships into the domestic livestock sector.

South Africa’s 12.74% average electricity tariff increase is placing heavy financial pressure on electricity-intensive horticulture sectors. Industry representatives are calling for tariff reforms to protect the global competitiveness of key exports like oranges, grapes, and apples.

The National Sugar Development Council and China’s SINOMACH signed a $1 billion EPC-plus-finance agreement alongside a $6.2 million (N10 billion) Sugar Project Acceleration Fund with the Bank of Industry to boost domestic sugar production in Nigeria.

The World Bank Group approved $60 million in financing for the Republic of Congo to strengthen competitiveness, access to inputs, and climate-resilient infrastructure in the poultry and aquaculture value chains.

The African Development Bank Group and Italy's Cassa Depositi e Prestiti committed a combined $35.00 million ($15M from AfDB, $20M from CDP) in equity to the RMBV North Africa Fund III to support mid-market growth companies across North Africa.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Ghana launched the Ghana Agriculture Fund for Education and Transformation, targeting $9.00 million (100 million GHS) by 2028 to fund agricultural training, research, and equipment.

Our friends at Spindle are hosting a webinar on Rethinking Digital Advisory for Smallholder Farmers. If you're an agritech founder, MFI, NGO, or donor building digital advisory tools for farmers, you should check it out. It’s on September 3 at 4 PM EAT. Register here.

The World Bank GAFSP Grants has launched a new $163 million grant program to support climate-smart agriculture, food security, and smallholder innovation in vulnerable and low-income countries.

The 2026 ECOWAS Startup Awards are accepting applications from West African founders supporting digital transformation and value-chain development. The competition will award a total of $65,000 in cash prizes.

The Innovate Africa Challenge is open for applications from founders building AI-powered agricultural tools. The challenge offers a $50,000 grant for scalable solutions in crop forecasting, pest detection, water optimization, and climate resilience.

The Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF) is accepting funding applications from agribusinesses, cooperatives, and financial institutions.

Fidelity Bank Ghana GreenTech Innovation Challenge is open to idea-stage innovators developing sustainable solutions in climate-smart ag, precision ag, post-harvest management, and digital finance across Ghana.

Smart Africa and the FAO are offering a $50,000 grant for AI-powered solutions in crop forecasting, pest detection, water optimization, and climate resilience.