South Africa’s decision to remove additional duties on Kenyan tea, coffee and spices has reopened an important regional market for Kenya’s agricultural exporters after a seven-month trade dispute. The restrictions were introduced in November 2025 following a disagreement over tariffs on South African steel. During Kenyan President William Ruto’s state visit to South Africa in ...

Kenyan and Rwandan farmers improve production for better earnings and for coffee lovers worldwide ©FAO/ Jean Baptiste Nkurunziza In Rwanda’s southern Huye region, when coffee cherries have turned red and ripe, trained farmers harvest these fruits at just the right moment. The harvesters work methodically, emerging from the shade of one coffee tree and into ...

Kenyan farmers are increasingly shifting from wheat to barley as strong demand from breweries in Uganda and Tanzania pushes up prices and creates more attractive commercial opportunities. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, rising barley demand, lower production costs and more favourable contracting arrangements are encouraging farmers to switch crops. ...

Ten African countries have pledged nearly US$9 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), increasing their contributions to support rural development, smallholder farmers and stronger food systems across the continent. Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe announced their commitments to IFAD’s fourteenth replenishment cycle, known as IFAD14, ...

Halcyon has opened applications for its Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Program 2027, targeting early-stage ventures across Sub-Saharan Africa developing market-based solutions for agriculture and food security. The programme is designed for impact-driven entrepreneurs working to improve the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers, strengthen food systems and help communities respond to climate-related ...

Artificial intelligence, precision agriculture and data-driven farming will take centre stage at this year’s Nairobi International Trade Fair as Kenya seeks to expose farmers and agribusinesses to technologies that can improve productivity, resource efficiency and climate resilience. The fair, organised by the Agricultural Society of Kenya (A.S.K.), will run from September 28 to October 4, ...

By Brandon Moss Africa’s agricultural sector continues to play a central role in food security, employment, rural livelihoods and international trade, with countries across the continent developing strong production bases in crops ranging from cassava and yams to cocoa, tea, maize and vanilla. The latest available FAOSTAT crop-production dataset covers agricultural production through 2024. Production ...

By Benson Ngigi, Stewardship Manager, aak-GROW / CropLife Kenya When a farmer buys a bottle of crop protection product, they trust it will do what the label says – protect their maize, their vegetables, and their income. When that bottle is counterfeit or smuggled, that trust is broken. Crops fail. Money is wasted. Soil and ...

Kenya has announced major reductions in agricultural input prices ahead of the October short rains, with certified maize seed prices set to fall by 50% from KSh300 to KSh150 per bag. The government will also cut the price of a 50kg bag of subsidised fertiliser by KSh500, from KSh2,500 to KSh2,000. The changes are expected ...

Africa’s agricultural sector must accelerate efforts to become more resilient to global supply disruptions, rising input costs and climate-related shocks, as recent instability in international trade has exposed the continent’s continued dependence on external agricultural inputs. The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already created significant consequences for farmers across Africa, with ...