NEWS IN GHANA

one of the Agriprenuers grp. explaining the grps. activities on plantain multiplication to Dr. Nwanze during his visit to IITA The activities of young men and women in the Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) program under the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have made the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Dr Kanayo Nwanze proud; and rekindled the hope of a new generation of African agricultural entrepreneurs that will feed the continent, create wealth and employment. The IITA Youth Agripreneurs program was developed about 2 years ago after Dr Nwanze visited IITA in Ibadan, planted a tree to mark the rejuvenation of the institute, and in his speech called for investment in the youth. Inspired by Dr Nwanze’s speech the Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga took up the challenge to mobilize the youth, give them mentorship, teaching and training, thereby creating a passion in the youths to adopt agriculture as a business. In less than

Dr. Fen of IITA & Dennis Ochola of Biodiversity afflicted farm in Northern Mozambique An     African    consortium of international researchers and growers, backed by policymakers in regional blocs of   eastern and southern Africa has declared   “war” against   Fusarium oxysporum   f. sp.   cubense   tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), a highly pathogenic form of the banana Fusarium wilt, previously confined to Asia, but recently introduced to a farm in northern Mozambique. FoC TR4 (also known as Panama disease) is caused by a fungal strain that can survive for decades in the soil, and once introduced to a country has never been previously eradicated. Production of Cavendish types of banana which dominate export markets, and some other local forms of banana, has been devastated across Asia, no thanks to Foc TR4. Its introduction to Africa, probably by infected planting material by people, has already had a massive impact on the commercial plantation in Mozambique, and efforts a

About 20 African countries have thrown their weight behind the IITA Youth Agripreneur (IYA) initiative—a pilot scheme that is engaging youths in agriculture with clear signals of ending youth unemployment in the continent. The initiative has also been endorsed by the IITA Board of Trustees, according to Dr Namanga Ngongi, IITA Board member.    IYA changes the mindset of young people towards agriculture and equips them with various opportunities in the production and marketing of agricultural products, cutting across value chains such as cassava, banana/plantain, soybean, maize, vegetables, livestock, and fish production.    The countries supported the IYA initiative in a communiqué at the end of a conceptualization workshop on Engagement of Youth Entrepreneurship for Agricultural Transformation in Africa that was held at IITA in Ibadan, Nigeria, from 28 to 30 May 2014.    About 200 participants reviewed the current unemployment situation in the continent, and noted that youth une

Improved maize germplasm developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and disseminated across Africa is improving livelihoods, and the impact on the continent is greater than earlier imagined, according to the President of the International Corn Foundation, Dr Soon Kwon Kim.      In a seminar organized by IITA West Africa Hub today entitled: “Promotion of IITA maize streak resistant (SR) varieties and   Striga   tolerant or resistant (STR) varieties to ten African countries with Korean Government Support,” Dr Kim reviewed the contribution of maize streak resistant varieties and   Striga   tolerant or resistant varieties across the continent.      Probably the most devastating disease that attacks maize in Africa, maize streak virus (MSV), leads to stunting, and farmers may lose 100 percent of the crop.   Striga   (a parasitic weed), on the other hand, attacks cereals and legumes and losses are in the neighborhood of US$8bn, endangering the liveliho