Maravi

BUSINESS - Livestock, China, Maize Production, Tracking Investors

FAO calls for sustainable breed diversity in livestock
By Nomusa Michelo
Saturday June 16, 2007 [04:00]

THE United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that large-scale industrial livestock production which focuses on a limited range of breeds is a threat to global farm animal diversity. According to a new report entitled the ‘State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture’ presented to the FAO at a meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the skyrocketing global demand for meat, milk and eggs had led to the heavy reliance on animals which have been intensively bred.

According to the study, based on information from 169 countries, the problem is further worsened by the fact that genetic material can be moved with ease around the world. FAO assistant director-general Alexander Muller characterised the report as a wake-up call to the world, and stressed the need to boost the global food supply by maintaining and deploying a wide array of genetic resources, which are vital and irreplaceable.

The report states that one breed of livestock has become extinct every month over the past seven years, and 20 per cent of the world’s cattle, goat, pig, horse and poultry breeds were in danger of extinction. It cautioned that the developing world would be the main site of breed diversity loss in this century.

The report called for improved conservation programmes to prevent the crowding out of local breeds and for investments in personnel and technical facilities to effectively manage the problem.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=27905

Envoy pledges China’s commitment to helping Zambia
By Nomusa Michelo
Saturday June 16, 2007 [04:00]

CHINESE Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Li Qiangmin has pledged China’s commitment to helping Zambia develo. Paying a courtesy call on Lusaka Province minister Susan Sikaneta yesterday, Ambassador Li who is also China’s special representative to COMESA said the pledges made by Chinese President Hu Jintao during his visit to Zambia would be fulfilled. And Ambassador Li said one of the challenges that Zambia was facing is the issue of unemployment.

He revealed that there would be over 20 Chinese investors coming to Zambia to invest in various sectors including agriculture and technology. And Ambassador Li said there was need to continue the cultural exchanges between China and Zambia so that they could learn from each other.

Sikaneta said Zambia had a good number of Chinese investors engaged in various fields including mining, construction and agriculture. Sikaneta also thanked the People’s Republic of China for constructing the Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA) and Tanzania Zambia Mafuta (TAZAMA) pipeline, which she said have been of great benefit to the country. She said China was one of the countries in the world that was doing well and Zambia could learn some valuable lesson from it.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=27883

Maize production reduces
By Fridah Zinyama
Friday June 15, 2007 [04:00]

AGRICULTURE Minister Ben Kapita said there has been a reduction in total maize production from 1, 424, 439 metric tonnes from last years farming season to 1, 366, 158 metric tonnes this farming season. This represents a decrease of about 4.09 per cent in comparison to maize production achieved last year.

During a press briefing at Mulungushi House yesterday where he was presenting the results of the crop forecast survey for the 2006/7 agriculture season, Kapita said the decrease in total maize production had mainly been due to the floods that had affected about 41 districts around the country.

"According to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit in the office of the president, 41 districts were affected by floods in the 2006/7 season which subsequently negatively affected 1.4 million people," he said.

Kapita added that the country achieved a modest maize yield rate of 1.6 metric tones per hectare in the 2006/7 seasons.

"This represents a decrease of 13.79 per cent in maize yield rate in comparison to the previous season," he said. "The yield rate experienced this season is also lower than the yield rate of 1.92 metric tonnes per hectare achieved in 2003/4 agriculture season which was considered a normal season."

Kapita said the reduction in yield rate posed a critical challenge on agriculture extension services to help improve farm management practices so that national maize average yield rates can exceed previous records.

Maize hectareage increased by 11.25 per cent to 872,812 hectares in contrast to 6 percent decrease experienced in the previous season when total maize hectareage was 784, 524 hectares.

And Kapita added that small-scale farmers contributed about 79 percent or 1, 079, 069 metric tonnes to this year's maize production while commercial farmers contributed 287,089 metric tonnes.

"Due to the favourable production experienced in the previous season, the country has a maize carry over stock of 433,031 metric tonnes in comparison to last year's carry over stock of 20,259 metric tonnes," he said.

Kapita said due to the surplus of maize from this years' yield and last season's yield, the country would be in a better position to start exporting maize to neighbouring countries.





http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=27834

UNCTAD sets aside $15,000 for ZDA’s investor tracking system
By Fridah Zinyama
Thursday June 14, 2007 [04:00]

THE United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has set aside US $15,000 for installation of a computerised investor tracking system for Zambia Development Agency (ZDA). According to the Blue Book that UNCTAD prepared on the best investment promotion and facilitation - Zambia, the ZDA would need to sell the country's opportunities effectively to investors, hence the installation of the system.

"This will require a good investor leads tracking system, which tracks prospects throughout the investment promotion cycle - from inquiry to following up a lead; to commitment to investment and beyond," the Blue Book revealed.

The book indicated that installing an investor tracking system for ZDA would also enable it effectively manage its relationship with contacts, potential investors and established firms.

"The system will allow staff to input and update contact information and to produce reports so that management may track progress of investors through the investment process and thereafter," the Book stated.

The system would also include investor servicing, which would record the types of assistance that the investor requires both from the investment agency and from other agencies such as customs, business consultants and lawyers.

Labels: CATTLE, CHINA, FDI, MAIZE

posted by MrK @ 3:27 PM