Author: Adewale Kupoluyi

South Africa’s agriculture sector closed 2025 on a historic high, with exports reaching a record US$15.1 billion, even as shipments to the United States fell sharply in the second half of the year. South Africa’s agricultural exports climbed to a record US$15.1 billion in 2025, marking a 10% year-on-year increase. The milestone was achieved despite steep declines in shipments to the United States following the imposition of new tariffs. Africa accounted for more than half of South Africa’s agricultural exports in the fourth quarter. The shift highlights a growing reliance on regional and emerging markets over traditional Western partners. The figure represents…

It’s not too early to get a head start on fresh veggies. The groundhog may have seen his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter, but it’s not too early to start thinking about a vegetable garden. February can be a good time to get your hands in the soil and plant some cool-season vegetables. Whether your area sees freezing cold snaps or mild, frost-free weather, you can set your garden in motion now. So, you can enjoy early harvests when warm weather arrives. You’ll need workable soil, and frost blankets and row covers can provide added protection. Here are the…

The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria says Nigeria remains Africa’s second-largest onion producer after Egypt, with annual production estimated at 2.1 million metric tonnes. The National President of the association, Alhaji Aliyu Isah, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. Isah said, “Nigeria currently produces about 2.1 million metric tonnes of onions annually, with a value of approximately N1.17 trillion”. According to him, Nigeria is among Africa’s largest onion producers, second only to Egypt. Nigerian onions are exported across West and Central Africa, as well as to some European markets. He described…

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his expectation that the National Economic Council conference would produce actionable resolutions on ranching, livestock investment, and agricultural diversification. Tinubu said he would play his part at ensuring that the reforms are delivered. Speaking at the opening of the two-day NEC conference at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the President linked the imperative for livestock sector transformation to national security, describing banditry and terrorism as economic hindrances requiring immediate solutions. “I’m confident that the resolution of this conference will include dairy farming, livestock investment, ranches, and diversification of our agricultural produce. I promise you here, I…

Yam porridge, popularly known as asaro, is one of Nigeria’s most loved comfort foods. Warm, hearty, and deeply satisfying, this one-pot meal brings together soft yam chunks, palm oil, peppers, onions, and spices in a way that feels like home in a bowl. Whether eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, yam porridge is proof that Nigerian cuisines do not rely on complexity to deliver flavour. What is yam porridge (asaro)? Yam porridge is a Nigerian dish made by cooking white yam in a seasoned pepper base until the yam partially breaks down, creating a thick, creamy consistency. Unlike boiled yam, this dish allows the yam to absorb flavours…

The government in France has passed new decrees intended to make it easier for farmers to create new cattle, pig, and poultry farms and to produce higher volumes within its borders. These decrees are related to the construction of livestock buildings. France’s Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Sovereignty has stated: “Simplifying administrative procedures is a top priority for representatives of the agricultural sector”. These two implementing decrees have been signed less than six months after the publication of the ‘Obstacles’ law, which aims to remove obstacles to farming, and following a public consultation that received nearly 22,000 responses. The first decree…

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has pledged to work hard towards ensuring that prices of agricultural inputs are stabilised in the country, the same way foodstuff prices were stabilised following efforts by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to tackle hunger in Nigeria. The minister made the pledge in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, while flagging off the distribution of 46 tricycles, nine weight scales, three destoners, seven petrol engines, seven small-scale rice mills, two steam parboilers, among other agricultural inputs to farmers’ groups drawn from across the state. The inputs, which were purchased by the Federal…

Farmers have lost nearly N5 trillion in productive capital over the past two years due to policy-induced price crashes, poor and misleading weather forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and severe market distortions. The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) revealed this in a statement, saying the country’s agriculture sector is drowning in a deep structural crisis. The Executive Director of the group, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, described the losses as direct agricultural capital destruction at the producer level, stressing that the estimate does not include secondary economic effects such as consumer inflation, Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) contraction, foreign exchange pressure, or security-related costs. “Those…

The Federal Government, through its Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, has warned that Nigeria must not become a dumping ground for substandard agricultural produce. The agency has called on shippers to embrace zero tolerance for unsafe imports, as it sealed a compliance pact with fruit importers in the country. Speaking during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting with fruit importers in Lagos, the Comptroller-General of NAQS, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, said the country must avoid actions that amount to self-sabotage or the creation of unnecessary barriers to legitimate trade. “Nigeria must not become a dumping ground for substandard agricultural produce”, Isegbe stated. He also reaffirmed…

A Federal Government-backed agribusiness policy committee has recommended the formal closure of current rice import windows, citing falling food inflation and evidence that Nigeria’s rice surplus is being driven largely by high import volumes rather than domestic production capacity. The recommendation comes as Nigerians spend over N1trillion, importing about 2.4 million metric tonnes of rice into the country. Using global benchmark prices published by S&P Global Platts, the scale of Nigeria’s rice imports in 2025 points to a substantial foreign exchange outflow, though the figures are only indicative estimates and not the actual import cost. At Thailand’s assessed price of about US$370…