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Tanzania: Agriculture Sector Heaves Relief
20 May 2017
FARMERS and consumers of agricultural products will soon breathe a sigh of relief as the government has announced the scraping of 80 out of 139 levies, in the 2017/18 fiscal year, that have been hogging the agricultural sector for a long time.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201705200179.html
IFC, Kosovo Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Work Together to Develop Agri-insurance
19 May 2017
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD) of the Republic of Kosovo, are working together to develop an agricultural insurance system in Kosovo to spur the development of the country's agriculture sector.
https://ifcextapps.ifc.org/IFCExt/Pressroom/IFCPressRoom.nsf/0/5C2F0F5CCC79DCD285258125003FA54A
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Antarctica is rapidly turning green because of climate change
19 May 2017
Few plants live on the continent but scientists studying moss have found a sharp increase in biological activity in the last 50 years.
http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/19/antarctica-is-rapidly-turning-green-because-of-climate-change-6647129/
America's forests are shifting across the country because of climate change
17 May 2017
A warmer, wetter climate is helping push dozens of Eastern U.S. trees to the north and, surprisingly, west, a new study finds.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4515998/Go-west-young-pine-US-forests-shifting-climate-change.html
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DROUGHTS
Drought-hit farmers show interest in less water-intensive guava
MADURAI, India, 22 May 2017
With water sources fast shrinking in the district, there is an increased interest among farmers in guava, which can be cultivated with limited supply of water. Besides, guava is fetching very handsome returns to farmers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/drought-hit-farmers-show-interest-in-less-water-intensive-guava/articleshow/58780155.cms
South Africa: If Drought Continues, More Farmers Will Close Shop - Free State Agriculture CEO
18 May 2017
If the drought continues unabated, it could see more farmers close shop, CEO of Free State Agriculture, Henk Vermeulen, said.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201705190386.html
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FLOODS
Sea level rise will double coastal flood risk worldwide
18 May 2017
Small but unstoppable increases will double frequency of extreme water levels with dire consequences, say scientists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/18/sea-level-rise-double-coastal-flood-risk-worldwide
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FOOD SECURITY
ADB to Help Indonesia Achieve Food Security with $600 Million Financing for Irrigated Agriculture
20 May 2017
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $600 million loan to support Indonesia’s program of irrigation improvement to enhance food security and reduce poverty in rural areas.
http://www.finchannel.com/business/65010-adb-to-help-indonesia-achieve-food-security-with-600-million-financing-for-irrigated-agriculture
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IRRIGATION
U.S. and Israeli Experts share best practices to improve Romania Irrigation Infrastructure
19 May 2017
On the occasion of the Romanian Government’s (GOR) launch of a one billion euro Rehabilitation of the Primary Irrigation Infrastructure program, the Embassies of the United States and the State of Israel join the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in a seminar concerning “Irrigation Rehabilitation and Agribusiness Opportunities in Romania”.
http://actmedia.eu/daily/u.s.-and-israeli-experts-share-best-practices-to-improve-romania-irrigation-infrastructure/69562
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Agri experts for strengthening capacities in water management
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 18 May 2017
Agriculture experts called for strengthening the individual capacities in the field of water management especially spring-shed management for conserving the rapidly depleting water resources in the country.
http://nation.com.pk/business/18-May-2017/agri-experts-for-strengthening-capacities-in-water-management
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
68th IEC and 23rd ICID Congress on Irrigation and Drainage, 8-14 October 2017, on the theme: Modernizing Irrigation and Drainage for a new Green Revolution, Mexico City, Mexico, 8-14 October 2017.
Website: http://www.icid2017.org/
69th IEC & Regional Conference, 12–17 August, 2018, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the theme: Innovative and Sustainable Agri-water Management: Adapting to a Variable and Changing Climate.
Website: http://www.icid2018.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
National Agriculture Policy, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, September 2016.
Agriculture remains the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, contributing significantly to employment, economic growth, export earnings, poverty reduction, food security, and nutrition. It also plays a critical role in ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. All of these pose a threat to food security and nutrition in the face of a growing population, increased land pressure, and climate change. In trying to address these challenges in the past, Malawi has over-concentrated on maize self-sufficiency for food and tobacco as a cash crop, at the expense of other agricultural commodities, including livestock and fisheries. Moreover, the sector remains predominantly subsistence-oriented. In response, the NAP seeks to sustainably transform the sector from subsistence to a market orientation in order to increase agricultural production, marketed surpluses of commodities, and real incomes.
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/NAP_Final_Signed.pdf
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