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Improved farm-to-market connectivity is expected to reduce transportation costs.

Event News

Liberia’s Ministry of Agriculture has officially launched a major farm-to-market road rehabilitation initiative in Bong County, marking a significant step towards strengthening agricultural value chains and improving rural livelihoods.

Implemented through the Tree Crops Extension Project Phase II (TCEP-II), the project will see the construction and rehabilitation of 59 kilometres of critical feeder roads designed to improve market access for farmers across the county.

The road works have been divided into seven lots covering key farming communities and some of Bong County’s most productive agricultural zones. Once completed, the improved road network will provide farmers with more reliable links to markets, processing centres, and storage facilities, helping to unlock the county’s full agricultural potential.

Improved farm-to-market connectivity is expected to reduce transportation costs, cut post-harvest losses, and boost incomes for farmers, traders, and agribusiness operators. The initiative also supports broader national goals around food security, rural development, and sustainable agricultural growth.

The project was officially launched by Agriculture Minister J. Alexander Nuetah, who described the road works as a direct investment in food production and community resilience. “We are fixing these roads because of agriculture. I therefore urge the people of Bong County to redouble their efforts in producing their own food so they can improve their livelihoods,” Nuetah said.

The Minister also issued a strong warning to contractors, stressing that all work must be delivered within the agreed timelines, with no extensions permitted. He further highlighted the importance of local job creation, urging contractors to prioritise employment opportunities for communities along the road corridors.

Beyond the 59 kilometres already launched, an additional 28 kilometres of farm-to-market roads in Bong County are currently under procurement, further expanding access for rural farming communities. Combined with ongoing works in Lofa County, the total length of feeder roads being rehabilitated under TCEP-II now stands at 340 kilometres.

Funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the road works are expected to be completed within ten months. Once finished, the upgraded infrastructure will provide all-weather access to farms, helping to transform Bong and Lofa counties into resilient agricultural production hubs and reinforcing Liberia’s long-term food systems.

, South Africa’s FMD outbreak underscores the urgent need for stronger government action, rapid vaccination, and strategic support for the agricultural sector to safeguard food security.

Livestock

Farmers across South Africa are warning that foot and mouth disease (FMD) is spiralling out of control, with the outbreak now affecting seven provinces and leaving the agricultural sector in crisis.

The disease has spread to KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo, and the Western Cape, causing severe disruptions to livestock farming, export markets, and food prices.

The outbreak, which began in early 2025 after infected cattle from KwaZulu-Natal were sold at auction, has forced the government into the spotlight. Farmers report that delays in response and vaccine shortages have allowed FMD to spread rapidly, while regulations prevent them from vaccinating their herds independently. Even when livestock show signs of illness or die, farmers must wait for official intervention.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen initially downplayed the scale of the crisis but later admitted the situation was serious, stating, “This is a battle we are not winning.” He has promised a national vaccination programme starting February 2026. However, experts and farmers say this initiative comes too late. So far, just over 931,000 cattle have been vaccinated, a fraction of the national herd, with estimated costs to vaccinate all cattle exceeding R5.4 billion.

Testing facilities are also under pressure, leading to long delays for lab results and enabling further spread of the disease. Freedom Front Plus MP Dr Wynand Boshoff criticised weak leadership, noting that “testing delays mean animals recover while others become infected.”

The Southern Africa Agri Initiative has called for the outbreak to be declared a national disaster. Chief executive Francois Rossouw highlighted that such a declaration would enable faster funding, more staff, stricter movement controls, and improved communication. “It would allow vaccines, roadblocks, disinfectants and lab support to be rolled out quickly,” he said, emphasising that family farmers are bearing the brunt of the crisis and are largely left to cope on their own.

With rising meat and dairy prices, export bans, and the livelihoods of countless farmers at risk, South Africa’s FMD outbreak underscores the urgent need for stronger government action, rapid vaccination, and strategic support for the agricultural sector to safeguard food security.

Several machinery segments recorded impressive gains.

Agriculture

The Italian agricultural machinery market is showing clear signs of recovery in 2025, driven by rising tractor registrations, renewed farmer confidence and strong public incentives supporting farm mechanisation and innovation.

After several years of contraction, the latest figures suggest the sector is regaining momentum.

Data compiled by FederUnacoma using Ministry of Transport statistics show that tractor registrations climbed to 17,573 units in 2025, marking a 13.7% increase compared with the previous year. This rebound follows a difficult 2024, when registrations fell to a historic low of 15,450 units after three consecutive years of decline.

According to the Federation of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, recent sales trends have been largely negative, with the notable exception of 2021, when post-pandemic recovery pushed registrations to a peak of 24,387 units. Forecasts for 2025 initially appeared uncertain, as the first half of the year lagged behind previous performance. However, demand strengthened significantly in the second half, particularly in the final quarter, allowing the market to close the year with positive growth.

Several machinery segments recorded impressive gains. Tractors with loading platforms, commonly known as transporters, posted the strongest performance, rising by 45.7% to 771 units. Telehandlers also saw robust growth, increasing by 18.2% to 1,216 units. Trailer registrations grew more modestly, up just over 4% to 7,812 units.

The only segment still under pressure was combine harvesters. Despite some recovery towards the end of the year, registrations fell by 12%, with just 234 units recorded, reflecting ongoing challenges in high-capital investment machinery.

“Our sector has been impacted in recent years by economic uncertainty, rising list prices caused by rising production costs, and the investment capacity of farms, which have long been experiencing declining profitability,” comments FederUnacoma President Mariateresa Maschio. “But significant support has come from government incentives, including the Innovation Fund entrusted to ISMEA, the ISI INAIL call for high-safety machinery, the 4.0 tax credit and the 5.0 incentives, as well as the PSR (Rural Development Plans), the rural development plans co-financed by the European Union and the Regions. These represent a multi-year instrument and therefore a constant reference in the process of farm innovation”.

Looking ahead, industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic. “The refinancing of incentives for 2026 announced by Minister Francesco Lollobrigida in mid-December,” added Simona Rapastella, Director General of FederUnacoma, “could be crucial to supporting the market's recovery. We will assess this throughout the year, not only with regard to registered vehicles but also to construction machinery, equipment, and components”.

“In November we will have the major EIMA International exhibition,” concludes Simona Rapastella, “which represents a formidable opportunity to monitor the market and understand the demand for new technologies”.

African Farming

Tractor of the Year awards ceremony at EIMA 2021

The 44th edition of EIMA International 2021 will host the Tractor of the Year awards ceremony, and feature a parade of the fourteen finalist models

The Bologna-based event focuses on new products and offers a wide-ranging showcase for Tractor of the Year, the competition promoted by Trattori magazine, that selects the best models among those produced during the year, and awards prizes to the winners from different categories.

During the exhibition, the awards ceremony will be held for four models - Tractor of the Year, Best Utility, Best of Specialised and Sustainable TOTY - that have been selected on the basis of votes cast by an international jury of 26 journalists from trade publications.

The Tractor of the Year event will be a major attraction throughout the five days of the event. It is expected to be one of the most interesting new features of this year's EIMA International.

The open-air arena within the exhibition complex, between halls 37 and 35, has been chosen to display the finalist tractors. The audience can expect to see the fourteen models that competed for the "Tractor of the Year" on display in the open-air arena, while a speaker will introduce the technical features of each of the models. 

TOTY is an important promotional and marketing platform for the manufacturers of the tractor sector, which is able to develop substantial technological innovations every year, improve vehicle performance, and capture new user segments.

Top Stories

Grid List

Event News

EIMA International promotes knowledge sharing and networking.(Image credit: eima.it)

Event News

EIMA International stands as the world’s premier International Exhibition of Agricultural and Gardening Machinery, a landmark biennial trade fair in Bologna, Italy, celebrated globally as the innovation factory for the agri-mechanical sector.

The 2026 edition is scheduled from 10–14 November and will take place across the sprawling Bologna Fairgrounds, covering a total area of 375,000 m, including 122,000 m of net exhibition space. Each edition draws approximately 1,750 exhibitors from over 50 countries, showcasing more than 60,000 models of agricultural, horticultural, and gardening machinery, creating an unparalleled global platform for business and innovation.

The exhibition is meticulously organised into fourteen merchandise sectors, encompassing everything from tractors, engines, and irrigation systems to harvesters, livestock equipment, soil preparation tools, and specialized machinery. This structure allows visitors from professional buyers to farm managers to efficiently navigate and explore the most relevant agri-tech innovations.

Adding depth to the main sectors, specialised thematic showcases highlight emerging trends and niche technologies: EIMA Components (parts and accessories), EIMA Green (garden machinery), EIMA Energy (renewable energy in agriculture), EIMA Idrotech (water management solutions), and EIMA Digital (precision agriculture and electronic systems). These zones provide a hub for collaboration, cross-sector insights, and technological discovery.

Beyond machinery displays, EIMA International promotes knowledge sharing and networking, attracting professionals during the first two days before opening to gardening enthusiasts and the public. Attendees enjoy press events, virtual tours, multimedia coverage, and the EIMA app for planning visits, accessing exhibitor data, and engaging with interactive content.

With its scale, innovation focus, and historical significance, EIMA International remains a must-attend global event, driving market trends, fostering industry connections, and showcasing sustainable solutions that shape the future of agriculture and gardening worldwide.

HortiFlora Expo also serves as a strategic showcase for sustainable agriculture, innovation and export competitiveness. (Image credit: HortiFlora)

Improved farm-to-market connectivity is expected to reduce transportation costs.

Livestock

Tanzania is enhancing Lake Victoria’s ecosystem. (Image credit: Presswire)

Aquaculture

Tanzania has taken decisive steps to limit industrial participation in fishing on Lake Victoria, signalling growing regional urgency over the sustainability of Africa’s largest freshwater lake and the millions of livelihoods tied to its survival.

The move reflects mounting concern that large-scale commercial operations are accelerating environmental degradation while marginalising small-scale fishing communities.

The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Bashiru Ally Kakurwa, announced that industries will no longer be permitted to engage directly in fishing activities on the lake. He warned that unchecked commercial practices are rapidly depleting fish stocks and threatening the long-term viability of artisanal fisheries.

Speaking during a working visit to the Kagera Region, where he inspected a Nile perch processing facility in Muleba District, Kakurwa emphasised the need for immediate and coordinated intervention to protect Lake Victoria’s fragile ecosystem.

“Encroachment on the 200-metre buffer zone by industries and farmers, together with the use of illegal fishing nets that capture juvenile fish, continues to degrade Lake Victoria’s resources,” he said.

Lake Victoria is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake and a cornerstone of East Africa’s blue economy. It supports the livelihoods of more than 47 million people across Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda, providing food security, employment, transport routes, water supply and energy. The lake also plays a critical role in climate regulation and biodiversity conservation across the region.

The fishery is among the most productive freshwater systems globally, generating more than 1.5 million tonnes of fish annually with an estimated market value of $1.1 billion, according to regional figures. Beyond fisheries, Lake Victoria supplies water for domestic use, irrigation and industrial production, making it central to economic growth in East Africa.

Yet environmental experts caution that the lake is under escalating pressure. Wetland loss, deforestation in the catchment area, pollution from untreated urban and industrial wastewater, agricultural runoff and overfishing have steadily weakened the lake’s ecological resilience. Rapid population growth, urban expansion and rising economic activity are further intensifying demand for water and fish resources.

Kakurwa said Tanzania would tighten enforcement of existing fisheries regulations, including safeguarding shoreline buffer zones and cracking down on destructive fishing gear. He added that collaboration with neighbouring countries would be strengthened to ensure the lake is managed as a shared regional asset.

In 2025, East African Community (EAC) member states reaffirmed their commitment to the Protocol for Sustainable Development, pledging stronger cooperation on climate action and increased investment in conservation efforts across the Lake Victoria basin.

Officials say enhanced regional coordination will be essential to balancing economic development with environmental protection, ensuring Lake Victoria remains productive and resilient for future generations.

Fishmeal plant strengthens west coast fisheries.

, South Africa’s FMD outbreak underscores the urgent need for stronger government action, rapid vaccination, and strategic support for the agricultural sector to safeguard food security.

Crops

Kenya’s floriculture industry remains a vital pillar of the national economy, generating more than KES 150 billion each year and supporting over 500,000 jobs across the value chain. (Image credit: Corteva Agriscience)

Horticulture

Corteva Agriscience Kenya has marked a significant breakthrough in crop protection with the launch of Verpixo 100 SC, an advanced fungicide powered by Adavelt technology.

Officially registered for use on roses, one of Kenya’s most valuable export crops, the product brings cutting-edge agricultural innovation directly to farmers, enabling them to protect yields, improve flower quality, and meet increasingly strict international market standards.

Kenya’s floriculture industry remains a vital pillar of the national economy, generating more than KES 150 billion each year and supporting over 500,000 jobs across the value chain. As global competition intensifies and buyers demand consistently high-quality produce, innovations such as Verpixo 100 SC are strengthening Kenya’s position as a regional leader in sustainable horticulture and reinforcing its reputation in premium export markets.

At the core of Verpixo 100 SC is Florylpicoxamid, a next-generation active ingredient classified under FRAC Group 21. Its unique mode of action offers reliable protection against two of the most destructive fungal diseases affecting roses: powdery mildew and botrytis. With no known cross-resistance to existing fungicide groups, this technology provides growers with a robust solution for long-term, sustainable disease management, reducing the risk of resistance development and safeguarding future productivity.

For rose farmers, the benefits are immediate and practical. By preventing crop losses caused by fungal infections, Verpixo 100 SC supports the production of high-quality, export-ready flowers that meet stringent global requirements. This not only improves farm profitability but also gives growers greater confidence to plan ahead, reinvest, and expand operations. The product’s sustainability focus further contributes to healthier growing environments and resilient farming systems.

Industry leaders have highlighted the broader significance of the launch. According to Charles Mutema, Business Lead at Corteva Agriscience, its introduction “represents more than a product introduction  it’s a testament to Corteva’s long-term investment in local innovation, farmer resilience, and the future of sustainable agriculture in Africa.”

Echoing this sentiment, Marketing Campaign Manager Innocent Oeri stated that “Verpixo 100 SC is more than a fungicide it’s a promise to Kenyan farmers that Corteva is committed to helping them compete globally,” combining advanced science with local expertise to consistently deliver world-class roses.

As climate change, disease pressure, and export challenges continue to shape the sector, innovations like Verpixo 100 SC are helping Kenyan farmers protect livelihoods, enhance global competitiveness, and cement the country’s status as a world-class floriculture powerhouse.

The initiative targets Ghana’s long-standing challenge of tomato scarcity and price volatility.

Several machinery segments recorded impressive gains.

Technology

Agri-IoT Leaf Temperature and Humidity Sensor into modern farming practices (Image credit: Agri-Tech)

Machinery & Equipment

Agri-IoT (Africa) has developed an innovative Leaf Temperature and Humidity Sensor designed to monitor plant health and stress.

This sensor is part of Agri-IoT’s growing suite of smart farming solutions, tailored specifically to support African farmers in optimising crop growth and sustainability.

Functionality:

The sensor accurately tracks leaf temperature and humidity, providing critical insights into plant health. By detecting water stress and offering early warnings for potential diseases or pest infestations, it empowers farmers to make informed decisions on irrigation, disease management, and crop protection. Such precise monitoring promotes sustainable agricultural practices and enhances farm productivity.

Design & Durability:

Engineered to mimic the surface of a real leaf, the sensor ensures accurate readings that reflect true plant physiology. Its robust and waterproof design, often IP67 rated, guarantees reliable performance even in harsh outdoor conditions, making it a durable solution for diverse African climates.

Data Access & Connectivity:

Collected data is transmitted to a cloud platform and is accessible through a user-friendly web-based dashboard, allowing farmers to monitor conditions remotely in real time. This IoT-enabled approach offers actionable insights, enabling proactive decision-making and improving crop yield and quality.

By integrating the Agri-IoT Leaf Temperature and Humidity Sensor into modern farming practices, African farmers gain a powerful tool for smarter, data-driven agriculture, supporting precision farming, crop sustainability, and resilient food production systems. 

GrainMate stands out as an affordable and user-friendly solution with a measurable impact on food systems.(Image credit: Sesi Technologies)

These wireless temperature and humidity sensors are ideal for a wide range of uses. (Image credit: MultiTech )

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