“For example, African farmers cultivating new, improved varieties of maize and other crops see only a 28 percent bump in yields on average while farmers in Asia are harvesting an 88 percent increase,” the report states/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – African farmers are losing about Sh6.8 billion annually due to low crop yields.
According to a new report dubbed Africa status report 2016, on some 65 percent of Africa’s farmable lands, soils lack necessary nutrients, and many farmers are short of inputs and technical knowledge to revive them.
“For example, African farmers cultivating new, improved varieties of maize and other crops see only a 28 percent bump in yields on average while farmers in Asia are harvesting an 88 percent increase,” the report states.
Africa, the report urges must bridge the gap between the yields they now achieve and the amount their crops actually could deliver.
Minimal adoption of technology such as fertilizer and improved crop management practices have been attributed as the reasons for slow growth in crop yield especially in Sub Saharan Africa.
The report highlights adoption of improved technology as critical to raising crop yields and reducing post-harvest losses.
“Adopting improves seeds in conjunction with complementary technologies such as fertilizer and better crop production and protection practices can contribute to improving farmers’ cereal yields,” stated David Ameyaw, Head, Strategy, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Alliance for Africa Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
