Africa
CIMMYT’s work in Africa helps farmers access new maize and wheat systems-based technologies, information and markets, raising incomes and enhancing crop resilience to drought and climate change. CIMMYT sets priorities in consultation with ministries of agriculture, seed companies, farming communities and other stakeholders in the maize and wheat value chains. Our activities in Africa are wide ranging and include: breeding maize for drought tolerance and low-fertility soils, and for resistance to insect pests, foliar diseases and parasitic weeds; sustainably intensifying production in maize- and wheat-based systems; and investigating opportunities to reduce micronutrient and protein malnutrition among women and young children.
Study calls for better understanding of fertilizer prices faced by African smallholder farmers
Scientists use spatial price prediction models to estimate local prices that might be more relevant than the national average.
Making seed systems work for men and women
Seed systems play a major role in Africa’s agricultural transformation — but are they gender-friendly?
Breaking Ground: Mandeep Randhawa fights wheat diseases using genetic resistance tools
CIMMYT wheat scientist explores new sources of rust resistance to create new rust-resistant wheat varieties.
Malawi farmers nurture soil grow incomes with conservation agriculture
Source: IPP Media (14 Dec 2019)
CIMMYT introduced farmers Kassim Massi and Joyce Makawa to conservation agriculture.
Can African smallholders farm themselves out of poverty?
Source: Down to Earth (12 Dec 2019)
New study examines if agricultural intensification can take households across the poverty line.
Screening cycle for deadly MLN virus set to begin in Kenya in January 2020
Interested organizations are invited to send maize germplasm for screening.
Nurture soil as our food and climate insurance
Soil conservation means food security for farmers in Malawi.
Agricultural solutions to tackle humanity’s climate crisis
Science offers opportunity to curb greenhouse gas emissions related to agriculture and meet climate goals.
Scaling out climate-smart agriculture in southern Africa
A new series of infographics outlines the challenges that must be addressed in order to scale adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices in southern Africa.
Ethiopia, great mobilization against wheat rust
Source: Donne del Food (28 Nov 2019)
Rapid alert system has been developed to predict the spread of wheat rust.
New publications: Understanding changes in farming systems to propose adapted solutions
Researchers identify national policies, climate and soil fertility changes, population increase, and urban expansion as the major drivers of farming systems change in the Hawassa area of Ethiopia.
Do smallholders get the right seed and inputs from their agrodealer?
A new agrodealer survey explores smallholder’s access to improved maize seed and fertilizer in Tanzania and Uganda.
Preventing post-harvest losses key to food security
Source: Zambia Daily Mail (26 Nov 2019)
Poor post harvest management is one of the key constraints to improving food and nutritional security in Africa.
Zimbabwe: Farmer Combats ‘Hidden Hunger’. . . Grows Biofortified Crops
Source: All Africa (26 Nov 2019)
CIMMYT and Harvest Plus have been breeding biofortified crop varieties of vitamin A orange maize since 2015.