With growing economic pressures and food insecurity, stakeholders expressed optimism that AMFSI’s digital framework.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has thrown its support behind the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative (AMFSI), describing it as a transformative, technology-driven solution capable of addressing up to 90 per cent of the country’s food security challenges if implemented nationwide.

The endorsement was announced at the closing session of a three-day national forum organised by the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria. The event brought together lawmakers, policy experts and industry stakeholders to discuss practical and innovative responses to Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis, driven by rising food prices, insecurity and supply chain disruptions.

Speaking at the forum, Hon. Haruna Gowon, who represents the Bassa/Dekina Federal Constituency, stressed that food security must be treated as a national priority requiring deliberate legislative action. He noted that access to adequate food underpins public health, economic productivity, poverty reduction and social stability, while food scarcity fuels insecurity across the country.

“Food security is more vital than any other form of security. A hungry man is an angry man, and ensuring food availability will strengthen national security, stabilise the naira and reduce pressure on the foreign exchange market,” Gowon said.

He assured participants that the National Assembly would provide the necessary legislative backing and oversight to support the nationwide rollout of the AMFSI. According to him, ensuring food access is a shared national responsibility, with lawmakers committed to addressing the needs of their constituents at the grassroots.

Reinforcing this position, Mr. Chrisland Onyemechara, Senior Consultant to the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, said the AMFSI aligns with four key pillars of food security: environment, partnership, advocacy and innovation. He explained that well-coordinated, technology-based interventions supported by strong institutions could significantly improve food production and access.

“Strengthening systems from the grassroots, backed by good governance and proper coordination, will significantly improve productivity and access to food nationwide,” Onyemechara said.

Earlier, the National President of the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria, Ambassador Olakunle Johnson, described the AMFSI as a privately driven, digitally powered initiative designed to provide food access to more than 40 million Nigerians. He said the programme is built around a Virtual Digital Identity (VDI) platform that registers individuals digitally and connects them to local food banks and community kitchens, ensuring transparency and equity.

“This is not another political promise. It is a fully operational system built on digitalisation, community participation and nationwide collaboration,” Johnson said.

With growing economic pressures and food insecurity, stakeholders expressed optimism that AMFSI’s digital framework could mark a turning point in Nigeria’s journey towards sustainable food access, economic stability and community resilience.

The reforms aim to eliminate duplication, simplify compliance and improve efficiency and competitiveness across the agricultural value chain.

Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is poised for renewed growth following sweeping regulatory reforms that will see several statutory fees scrapped or significantly reduced from the coming year.

The government-led initiative is expected to ease the cost of doing business for farmers, boost productivity and strengthen the country’s food security and export potential.

The reform programme, coordinated by the Office of the President and Cabinet with support from the Treasury and technical assistance from the World Bank, targets more than 20 permits and levies across the livestock, dairy and stockfeed industries. Treasury officials confirmed that once the measures are gazetted, agriculture will be the first sector to benefit before similar reforms are extended to other areas of the economy.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Davis Marapira said the new adjustments would begin to take effect with the implementation of the national budget, typically in January.

“The fee adjustment policy takes effect when the budget is implemented, which is usually in January. The impact of that policy must be felt through lower prices for customers,” he said.

According to a Treasury press statement, Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector has long been burdened by excessive regulations, high compliance costs and overlapping institutional mandates. Dairy farmers, for instance, previously required up to 25 permits from 12 agencies, while feed manufacturers needed 23 permits from 10 departments. Beef cattle farmers faced 18 requirements, abattoirs 20, dairy processors 21 and feed processors 23.

The reforms aim to eliminate duplication, simplify compliance and improve efficiency and competitiveness across the agricultural value chain. Among the key changes is the removal of the Agricultural Marketing Authority livestock and cattle levy, the biosafety permit, as well as borehole water abstraction charges and user fees.

Additional reforms include the abolition of farm registration certificates for small and medium-scale farmers, a sharp reduction in dairy processor registration fees from an annual US$350 to a once-off US$50, and a cut in feed manufacturing registration fees to a flat US$20. Livestock movement clearance fees have been halved, while import permits for livestock genetics such as heifers and bulls have dropped from US$100 to US$20.

Export-related costs have also been reduced, with dairy export permits falling from US$900 to US$10, and meat export permit fees lowered to US$100 annually. Environmental impact assessment licence fees have been slashed from 1,5% to 0,05% of project value, capped at US$100 000, and are now payable during operations rather than upfront.

“The government is elevating efforts to retain agriculture as the mainstay and engine of the economy, [and is] cognisant of its crucial role in job creation, particularly for the rural population, supporting 65% of livelihoods and the bulk of the country’s exports,” the Treasury said.

Meanwhile, Marapira cautioned that fee reductions alone would not automatically translate into lower consumer prices.

“The question is whether we have discipline at every level – from the farmer to the middlemen, abattoir, processor, and butcher. Otherwise, someone will take advantage of the government’s fee reductions to make bigger profits. It needs a holistic approach from all of us.

“Some want profit margins of as much as 200%, [or even] 50% in a US dollar environment where the currency is stable. But the government will have heard your concerns as farmers, as retailers,” he added.

Tea continues to play a crucial role in Malawi’s economy.

Malawi’s tea industry has recorded a sharp decline in production during the third quarter of the year, yet paradoxically delivered significantly higher export earnings, according to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of Malawi.

The contrasting performance highlights the resilience of one of the country’s most vital agricultural sectors despite ongoing production challenges.

Tea output fell dramatically to 4.7 million kilogrammes in the third quarter, down from 13.4 million kilogrammes in the previous quarter. This marks one of the lowest production levels seen in recent years and is also below the 5.5 million kilogrammes recorded during the same period last year. The decline has raised concerns among stakeholders, particularly given tea’s strategic importance to Malawi’s economy.

However, despite the sharp fall in output, export revenues from tea rose strongly. Earnings climbed to approximately K7 billion, more than double the K3.1 billion generated in the previous quarter. This growth was largely driven by higher volumes of tea sold on the international market, even though average prices were marginally lower.

Tea prices fell from about K1,195 per kilogramme in the previous quarter to around K1,838 per kilogramme during the quarter under review. While the price movement was unfavourable, increased sales volumes helped offset the decline, resulting in improved overall earnings.

Industry analysts note that the production slump aligns with Malawi’s well-established seasonal trends. Tea output typically peaks in the first quarter, eases during the second and third quarters, and begins to recover in the fourth quarter. Experts remain cautiously optimistic that production will rebound later in the year, provided weather conditions remain favourable.

Leaders within the tea sector say several initiatives are underway to boost long-term productivity and sustainability. These include enhanced support for smallholder farmers, improved dialogue between workers and tea companies, and the adoption of modern farming techniques alongside improved tea varieties.

Tea continues to play a crucial role in Malawi’s economy, contributing around eight percent of total foreign exchange earnings and accounting for 11 percent of national employment. The industry supports more than 60,000 jobs, both permanent and seasonal, underscoring its importance to livelihoods and economic stability.

Uganda's sugarcane price policy helps farmers.

The Ugandan government has stepped in to stabilise the sugarcane sector in Busoga, announcing a minimum price guarantee of Shs125,000 per tonne of sugarcane following growing complaints from out-growers over low farmgate prices.

The intervention is expected to ease tensions, protect farmer livelihoods and ensure stability in one of the country’s key agricultural value chains.

The decision was reached during a high-level meeting held on Friday, December 19, 2025, in Kampala. The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, the Sugar Industry Stakeholders Council, and six sugar milling companies operating in Busoga. It was chaired by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Francis Mwebesa.

Among those in attendance were State Minister for Cooperatives and Bulamogi North West MP Frederick Ngobi Gume, Chairperson of the National Biofuels Committee and former minister Daudi Migereko, senior ministry officials, and representatives from Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL), Kakira Sugar, GM Sugar, Kamuli Sugar, Mayuge Sugar and Bugiri Sugar.

Minister Mwebesa said the ministry had received numerous complaints from farmers who were earning as little as Shs90,000 per tonne, well below the pricing formula established under the Sugar Amendment Act 2025. “We have been receiving concerns from sugarcane out-growers regarding arbitrary low sugarcane prices, which we consider valid and directly impact farmer livelihoods, mill supply stability, and social and political stability in sugarcane-growing areas,” Mwebesa said.

The complaints mainly targeted GM Sugar, Kaliro Sugar, Bugiri Sugar and Kamuli Sugar, with farmers also protesting the continued five percent trash deduction, despite its earlier removal by the Sugar Industry Stakeholders Council. Mwebesa warned that poor returns, coupled with rising input and transport costs, threaten long-term production, investment and resilience within the sugar industry.

He further questioned the timing of the price cuts during an election period, stating, “Sugarcane pricing should be determined by the Sugar Industry Stakeholders Council, as clearly stipulated in the Sugar Amendment Act 2025.”

GM Sugar’s Henry Kata explained that pricing differences are influenced by varying production costs and urged the ministry to review the broader challenges affecting millers. In response, Minister Gume called on millers to raise prices for at least two months, noting, “This measure will help ensure social and political stability in Busoga during the current political period.”

The millers unanimously agreed to set a minimum price of Shs125,000 per tonne across Busoga for the next two months. The move is expected to restore confidence among farmers, stabilise incomes and support sustained growth in Uganda’s sugarcane sector.