Journal Article

Success in fighting poverty in Africa will largely depend on the extent to which rural poverty is reduced as it is largely a rural phenomenon. By examining the rural development strategies of the East African Community, Economic Community of West African States and the Association of South East Asian Nations, the purpose of this study was to determine their relationship to rural poverty reduction. The Rural Development Strategy Soundness Model and Rural Web Model tools were used to examine the soundness and cohesiveness of implementation, respectively. The results showed that rural poverty declined where a rural development strategy had both been sound and cohesively implemented. We concluded that a positive correlation exists between a sound and cohesively implemented rural development strategy and rural poverty reduction. We deduced from this that the former is a missing link in Africa’s fight against rural poverty

Success in fighting poverty in Africa will largely depend on the extent to which rural poverty is reduced as it is largely a rural phenomenon. By examining the rural development strategies of the East African Community, Economic Community of West African States and the Association of South East Asian Nations, the purpose of this study was to determine their relationship to rural poverty reduction. The Rural Development Strategy Soundness Model and Rural Web Model tools were used to examine the soundness and cohesiveness of implementation, respectively. The results showed that rural poverty declined where a rural development strategy had both been sound and cohesively implemented. We concluded that a positive correlation exists between a sound and cohesively implemented rural development strategy and rural poverty reduction. We deduced from this that the former is a missing link in Africa’s fight against rural poverty

This article is about the worshop that was held for the diffent stakehoders in Lesotho to present the diagnostic report on the work done for the development of the National Agricultural Policy for Lesotho. 

Micronutrient deficiencies often occur as part of a cycle of malnutrition and may be coupled with protein energy malnutrition. One of the measure to fight malnutrition is through participatory dietary modification was used. Five recipes of banana-based porridges from two EAHB ‘nshakala’ and AAB ‘bira’ banana varieties and three maize-based porridges were formulated in combination with other ingredients. The contents of Iron and protein in separate ingredients and in modified recipes were analysed using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and Kjeldahl´s method, respectively, and bio-accessibility of iron was estimated using invitro simulating gastrointestinal digestion method. Beans were a good source of both iron and protein while groundnuts flour was a good source of protein. Contribution of iron and protein in recommended daily allowance (RDA) ranged from 75.3 to 458% and 106 to 146% in a portion of 500g respectively. Iron bioaccessibility in all recipes ranged from 7.4% to 31.1%. Iron in porridge recipes (6OFSP, 7B) was more bio-accessible. The developed and improved recipes showed great potential of contributing substantially to iron and protein needs of children 6-23 months. The importance of food diversification for intake of iron and protein is discussed.

A provisão de semente básica de boa qualidade e em quantidade que satisfaça a demanda dos diferentes clientes é um imperativo para garantia da segurança alimentar. Nos últimos dez anos o IIAM libertou várias variedades de arroz, nomeadamente: Simão, Tumbeta, Huwa, Nene, Limpopo, Macassane, Muyaki, V-Moz, Vassamate, e L38. Estas variedades são adaptadas às condições agroecológicas de Moçambique e demonstraram maior rendimento potencial, tolerância a pestes e doenças e são preferidas pelos produtores e consumidores. Apesar deste avanço, a cadeia de fornecimento da semente de arroz é dominada pelo sistema informal que prove cerca de 98 % da semente utilizada pelos produtores. O IIAM pretende aumentar o uso de semente melhorada pelos produtores através da produção e venda de semente básica de arroz a diferentes clientes (produtores de semente).
O estudo consistiu no levantamento de dados por meio diagnóstico rural rápido (Rapid Rural Appraisal) aos produtores de semente básica em de Matutuine, regadio de Chókwè e Limpopo e na EAC. 
A pesquisa compreendeu três etapas: a primeira consistiu da revisão de documentos relevantes para este exercício. A segunda etapa compreendeu a planificação e o desenvolvimento dos instrumentos de recolha de dados e informações e a terceira compreendeu a realização do trabalho de campo. Para o trabalho de campo, duas equipas deslocaram-se a Matutuine e Chókwè entre os dias 13 e 16 de Outubro e 25 e 31 de Outubro de 2010, respectivamente. No Chókwè, à equipa realizou duas secções de trabalho com os técnicos do IIAM do sector de arroz para análise situacional, e da estrutura de mercado, carta tecnológica e viabilidade económica preliminar do negócio. Na sequência, a equipa de pesquisa realizou entrevistas semiestruturadas a intervenientes-chave da cadeia de semente no Regadio do Chókwè (SDAE; Laboratório de Sementes, e os produtores). 
No Chókwè, de um total de 20 produtores de semente de arroz da lista fornecida pelo Laboratório de Sementes, 19 foram entrevistados para captar suas experiências e expectativas em relação a produção e negócio de semente de arroz. Para análise da viabilidade económica e financeira do projeto foram usados os seguintes critérios: Valor Atual Líquido (VAL), Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR) rácio Benefício Custo (B/C) e a Margem de contribuição (MC) .
Os resultados do estudo sugerem que o negócio de produção de semente básica de arroz representa uma oportunidade considerando que o arroz é bem conhecido e estabelecido na província de Gaza, e o arroz representa uma cultura de bandeira da região.
As análises foram feitas considerando dois contextos: (i) no caso em que não se consideram os custos de investimento e (ii) no caso em que se tem em conta os custos de investimento que têm a ver principalmente com os custos da reabilitação do regadio, efectuado em 2018 no âmbito do projecto APPSA. No caso em que não se consideram os custos de investimento os resultados sugerem em todos os cenários , a lucratividade positiva; O indicador margens das contribuições (MC) avaliadas por cenários, também teve resultados satisfatórios, mostrando-se estes suficientes para serem subtraídos e consecutivamente para o pagamento dos custos variáveis e custos fixos do negócio e ainda gerar lucros.
No cenário 1 o preço break-even point é 43 Meticais o quilo, sugerindo que o IIAM vendendo o quilo por 110Mt ultrapassou já o preço break-even point. Neste mesmo cenário o rendimento mínimo aceitável para a actividade ser rentável é de 1,551 quilos por hectar que igualmente o IIAM já ultrapassou porque actualmente o rendimento é 4,000 quilos por hectar.
Considerando os custos de investimento não é viável a produção de semente básica de arroz, o que pode estar relacionado ao baixo rendimento por hectar e perdas que se verificam na Estacão Agrária do Chókwè. A aquisição de auto-combinada demostrou ter a capacidade de melhorar a eficiência produtiva e como consequência dobrar as receitas líquidas. No entanto, a aquisição da auto-combinada não garantirá a obtenção do rendimento potencial das variedades; é preciso olhar pra outras questões técnicas, como o assoreamento das valas de drenagem, o controlo dos pássaros, de entre vários outros.
Com vista a aumentar a preposição de valor de mercado o estudo recomenda: (i) melhorarias nas infra-estruturas de armazenamento; (ii) aquisição de nova auto combinada; (iii) monitoria dos processos de produção/inspecção, e (iv) celebração de contractos antecipados de compra e venda com as empresas fomentadoras. O IIAM deve também explorar a oportunidade de expandir o negócio de semente básica para o Baixo Limpopo e Matutuine, onde existe um grande potencial.

Rainfall defines livelihood patterns among agrarian communities of the climate-change vulnerable semi-arid SubSaharan Africa. However, it remains inadequately studied, resulting in ineffective water management policies and weak agricultural growth in the region. Monthly rainfall data collected between 1987 and 2018 at four stations along a 1200 km climatic gradient in northern Namibia were analyzed for annual, seasonal, and monthly trends and variability. Descriptive measures and the Mann-Kendall test were used for rainfall characterization and trend detection, respectively. Results showed an annually increasing rainfall trend, but with a downward trend in the dry season decreasing by -0.14 mm year–1 and an upward trend in the rainy season increasing by 7.74 mm year–1 across the study area. The rainy-season mean monthly rainfall showed predominantly increasing trends, while the dry-season ones exhibited insignificant decreasing trends. The study detected a decreasing rainfall gradient from the northeast towards the northwest with a range of 156.8 mm and concomitant increasing spatial-temporal variability. The upward rainfall trend has implications for rainy season floods, whereas the downward trend suggests dry season drought intensification in the area. These results could be useful for rainwater management planning in the study area and other dryland regions.

This a short article on the mini exhibition that farmers under the Tale Agricultural Resource Centre did. The purpose was to show to other farmers the maize and bean varieties that were planted under the APPSA funded sub project, so that they can learn how they perform, where to get the seed and try them in this up coming summer cropping season. This is important because these varieties have been proven to withstand calamities of climate change. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Lesotho though the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) recieved funding to participate in the  Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA) for six years (2020-2025). The objective of APPSA is to increase the availability of improved agricultural technologies in participating countries in the SADC region.  One of the  components of APPSA talks about supporting technology dissemination activities (extension, strengthening of innovation systems), hence the DAR felt it imperative that the differnt stakeholders within the agricultural sector in Lesotho needed to be made aware of the existence and operations of APPSA in Lesotho. This article gives a summary of the sensitzation campaigns that were held in all ten districts of the country.  

This is a brief report on the survey that Lesotho through its Department of Agricultural Research did as one of its activities under APPSA Project. The same survey was undertaken in countries that first took part in the APPSA Project. The data is currently being processed and the results will be published for consumption of different audiences. 

ABSTRACT

Micronutrient deficiencies caused by lack of Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn) and Vitamin A in the human body have negative effect with regard to health issues worldwide. Imbalances of these nutrients in the human body create a significant risk of illness and mortality among children under five years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Some of the food crops that thought to reduce micronutrients include rice, sweet potato, dry bean, sorghum, corn, barley, and finger millet have been biofortified through ways of agronomic practices, conventional breeding, or modern biotechnology. Despite the fact that dry beans address Fe and Zn deficiencies based on recommended dietary allowances (RDA),  they often take a long time to cook. Many communities have limited cooking resources which make them rely on burning wood, charcoal or other biofuels that require more time and money. This study identified dry bean cultivars with enhanced Fe and Zn concentration levels and fast cooking time from 200 cultivars. Experiments were conducted under a complete randomized block design with two replications, 200 cultivars, and two different agro-ecologies. Iron and Zinc concentration levels were determined from the harvested seed grains of each bean cultivar using X-Ray Fluorescence while cooking time of similar cultivars were determined using the Mattson cooker. The variation of Fe and Zn concentration was significantly different at (p<0.001) among the treatments and environments. The range was between 46.76 mg/kg to 107.25 mg/kg for Fe and 21.70 mg/kg to 42.35 mg/kg for Zn concentration. From two testing sites, the concentration of Fe was higher at Lyamungo than SARI and Zn showed inversely proportional to these tested sites which means that the environment and soils were not homogenous in terms of soil health. The highest water uptake was 61.54% and the lowest was 3.70% and the higher the water uptake the lower the cooking time. Fast cooking time was ~15 min and the longest was ~76 min. Small seed-sized cultivars showed fast cooking time than large-seeded. These two traits in identified cultivars will enhance dry bean consumption, which will contribute to alleviating micronutrient deficiencies in this global growing population.

Key words: Micronutrient deficiencies, Biofortification, Cultivars, Cooking time, Vulnerable group, Variation