Crops

Bambara groundnuts, an underrated African crop, can potentially diversify crop production and significantly contribute to food security, as per scientists' studies conducted on indigenous crops

Simulate 49 growing seasons based on 50 years of climate and soil data, scientists have found October to be the ideal time for the highest yields as it marks the onset of monsoon in the region. Planting any later than that exposes the crop to frost, reducing growth potential. 

As climate change and drought are increasingly affecting the growth of mainstream crops like maize, wheat and rice, indigenous crops are emerging as the best alternatives because of its high drought tolerance capacity.

Crops like bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterranea) are nutrient-rich, carrying vital minerals, including fiber, protein and zinc, iron and calcium. 

Researcher Richard Kunz stressed on the urgency of educating farmers about different kinds of indigenous crops to build climate resilience.

Using the Food and Agriculture Organization AquaCrop model, the scientists simulated growing conditions across 5,838 altitude zones in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, accounting for daily rainfall, air temperature, water retention, planting dates and plant density. The model analyzed growing seasons from 1950 to 1999.

“Our research stops smallholders from gambling their livelihoods on land suitability maps based on long-term climate averages, giving them and extension officers practical advice to ensure reliable crop production,” Kunz said.

Kenya, Ethiopia lead global floral supply in Q3 2026. (Image source: Royal FloraHolland)

Florists conglomerate, Royal FloraHolland, noted a boost in international supplies from Kenya and Ethiopia in the third quarter of 2026, even when it lagged behind in pricing for consistently low product revenues 

Overall, the conglomerate noted a stable market for the third quarter. Although fewer units were traded in flowers, houseplants and garden plants compared with a year ago, positive pricing ensured that revenue remained largely stable. Higher prices compensated for the lower volume, particularly in houseplants and garden plants, while the cut-flower market faced the pressure of lower prices in a number of major product groups.

Thomas Bugel, chief grower value management at RFH, said, “It is good to see that flowers, plants and trees remained in high demand even during the extremely hot summer weather in the past quarter, at a level broadly comparable to last year. Flowers play an important role in bringing people together, whilst greenery in outdoor environments can help to limit ‘heat stress’ during hot summers. In a challenging market environment, the sector once again demonstrated its resilience this quarter. Entrepreneurship, market focus and added value are becoming increasingly important in this regard.”

The third quarter reflected high market volatility as the flowers and plants are having to largely adapt to its frequently changing conditions. As prices continue to soar, it speaks of stable demand for distinctive products and quality, acting as offset to a significant proportion of the lower volume.

Despite a challenging market environment, the sector is thus once again demonstrating its resilience. However, the differences between product groups remain significant, making entrepreneurship, market focus and added value increasingly important.

Exxaro invests US$2.18mn in Cofimvaba agricultural facility. (Image source: Exxaro)

Exxaro Resources has officially opened a sheep-shearing and hydroponics facility worth R36 million (approx. US$2.18mn) in EliXeni Village, Cofimvaba, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

The development reinforces the company’s efforts to expand sustainable economic opportunities and support community development beyond its mining activities.

Established under Exxaro Matla Mine’s Social and Labour Plan (SLP), the facility combines conventional livestock farming with modern agricultural production through a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponics enterprise. It aims to strengthen agricultural productivity, generate employment, support sustainable livelihoods and increase local food production across EliXeni, eThunzini and Ezingxingweni villages in Cofimvaba. The infrastructure is intended to provide sheep farmers and hydroponics beneficiaries with opportunities to earn sustainable incomes while laying the groundwork for an agricultural hub serving the wider Cofimvaba community.

Construction encompassed site establishment, civil and structural works, a sheep-shearing shed, dipping facilities, equipment procurement, a packhouse and hydroponics infrastructure. The project has created employment opportunities for 74 people to date.

The facility is equipped to support substantial agricultural output. During the annual shearing season, the operation is expected to handle up to 500 sheep daily, producing approximately 22,418 kg of wool annually. The hydroponics enterprise consists of two tunnels, with an estimated annual capacity of approximately 90,000 heads of lettuce and spinach.

Ben Magara, CEO of Exxaro, said, “For Exxaro, impact is measured not only by what we extract from the ground, from solar and wind, but by what we help communities build beyond the surface for generations to come. This facility brings together traditional farming and modern agricultural technology to create sustainable economic opportunities, while demonstrating how SLPs can translate mining investment into meaningful socio-economic development. Although Cofimvaba is not a host community to our mining operations, it is part of our broader labour-sending footprint, and we believe our responsibility extends to the communities from which our people originate. By investing in productive infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods, we are helping build stronger, more resilient communities and ensuring that the benefits of mining extend beyond the mine boundary.”

The initiative also highlights the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in delivering sustainable community development. Such projects depend on collaboration between multiple stakeholders, combining financial resources with technical expertise, institutional backing, local knowledge and community participation. Bringing these contributions together can help establish initiatives capable of delivering long-term benefits.

Gwede Mantashe, minister of mineral and petroleum resources (DMPR), said, “We are pleased to hand over the newly constructed sheep-shearing shed to local farmers in Cofimvaba. We thank Exxaro for contributing to the construction of this important facility through its Social and Labour Plan. Named after the late Deputy President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Crosby Moni, the facility will support local farmers, create sustainable economic opportunities and strengthen agricultural development in the community. This is the transformation we seek to achieve in the mining industry, where mining is not only seen as extractive, but also as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and improved livelihoods. Mining must leave a lasting and positive legacy in both host communities and labour-sending areas”.

Exxaro’s investment reflects its wider approach to responsible business and sustainable social development. The company emphasises that its role extends beyond regulatory compliance and mineral extraction to include stakeholder engagement, community investment and a long-term commitment to improving social and economic outcomes.

The facility’s inauguration coincides with Exxaro’s 20th anniversary of listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The occasion offers an opportunity to consider the company’s development and its contribution to employees, communities, business partners and South Africa’s broader economy.

Looking ahead, Exxaro intends to continue collaborating with government, communities and other stakeholders to identify and develop initiatives that advance sustainable socio-economic progress. The company’s approach recognises that its long-term sustainability is closely connected to the resilience and prosperity of the communities within its wider social and economic network.

Google and the Gates Foundation commit over US$100mn to scale AI tools for smallholder farmers across Africa. (Image source: Gates Foundation)

Google and the Gates Foundation have announced an expanded initiative to bring artificial intelligence (AI) tools to 200 million smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

The programme will provide support for climate forecasting, agricultural productivity and resilience, backed by more than US$100mn in combined funding and dedicated technical expertise from Google researchers.

Announced on 18 September, the multi-year initiative aims to extend the reach of existing AI applications from 50 million farmers to 200 million, focusing on climate adaptation and food security. Funding, research and engineering assistance will support organisations developing and deploying these solutions at scale.

“No matter where they farm, people deserve access to the weather, crop, and soil information that can mean the difference between a good harvest and a failed one. When that information reaches farmers at scale, it’s transformational for their families, their communities, and their economies. We’re proud to work with Google, agricultural partners, and governments across Africa and South Asia to put AI to work solving a problem that climate change is making more urgent,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation.

“Our collaboration with the Gates Foundation is about turning the extraordinary potential of computational science into solutions that can make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Maggie Johnson, global head and vice-president of Google.org. "That means going beyond building AI for the Global South to building it alongside the people and communities it is designed to serve. Together, we’re connecting frontier AI with the farmers who feed a third of the world.”

Smallholder farmers operate more than 500 million farms worldwide, most covering less than two hectares, and produce nearly 35% of the world’s food. However, many remain vulnerable to unpredictable weather and lack access to satellite information, financial services and public support that could help them manage agricultural risks.

The Gates Foundation and Google will build on several initiatives to address these challenges.

Strengthening local innovation

The programme will provide funding, computing resources and technical assistance to researchers and innovators working within local ecosystems. Partners include Wadhwani AI and Digital Green in India. The approach aims to ensure that local expertise, data governance and intellectual property remain rooted in the regions where solutions are developed and implemented.

Delivering more precise local weather forecasts

Although meteorologists have access to sophisticated forecasting tools, smallholder farmers often lack weather information detailed enough to guide decisions at individual farm level. The initiative will help bridge this gap by integrating advanced AI forecasting into TomorrowNow, a climate platform co-funded by the Gates Foundation, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Google.org.

Improving the identification of smallholder farms

An estimated 85% of agricultural holdings worldwide are smallholder farms. Their relatively small and irregularly shaped plots can be difficult to distinguish using conventional satellite imagery. As a result, farmers may face difficulties verifying land ownership or cultivation cycles when seeking government programmes, insurance or subsidised agricultural inputs.

To address this challenge, the initiative will build on Google’s Agricultural Understanding Platform, a suite of AI foundation models developed for farmers, government agencies and businesses. The platform is designed to map field boundaries at sub-metre resolution and track crops throughout the growing season.

Google combines satellite imagery from third-party providers with AI to identify smallholder plots and crops, reducing reliance on expensive manual surveys. Meanwhile, the Gates Foundation is funding partners involved in local imagery collection and working with agricultural ministries and CGIAR research centres to prioritise important staple crops.

The Agricultural Land Use (ALU) data layer, one of the most accessed layers on Google Earth and part of Earth AI, already covers India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Further deployments are under way in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia and Nigeria. This information can help farmers receive more tailored weather alerts and access additional assistance, including government credit programmes.

Advancing agricultural research and technology

The combined US$100mn commitment is also supporting regional research and infrastructure. This includes collaboration with CGIAR to accelerate the development of crop varieties capable of withstanding drought, heat and disease.

Another priority is improving access to agricultural information in local languages. The initiative will support the development of open-source speech and text datasets covering more than 40 African languages, working with regional networks such as the Masakhane Research Foundation and Digital Umugunda.

These organisations, alongside numerous other partners, will share expertise and coordinate progress through the AI Collaborative: Food Security. The initiative recognises that tackling complex agricultural challenges requires cooperation between technology developers, researchers, governments and local organisations.

Through this expanded partnership, Google and the Gates Foundation aim to turn advanced AI research into practical tools that help farmers manage climate risks, improve harvests and strengthen resilience. By investing in regional institutions, infrastructure and expertise, the programme also seeks to ensure that AI solutions can be deployed widely while being developed and sustained by the communities they are intended to serve.