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Ministries of Agriculture and Marine Resources empower farmers to use bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides

Globally, the need to shift from chemical fertilizers and pesticides to bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides is becoming trendy. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has put the production of safe food through environment-friendly schemes as one of its priority programs. A number of initiatives have been taken to promote natural fertilizers and pesticides and have begun to be impactful as of last year.

In February 2021, the MoA and the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) jointly started a new initiative to use agricultural and marine residues as sources of solid and liquid fertilizers as well as bio-pesticides. The objective of the initiative was to contribute to producing safe and nutritious food through environment-friendly, socially acceptable, and economically feasible agricultural production practices.

To reinforce the endeavors, a technical committee that comprised bio-fertilizer production sub-committee and bio-pesticides sub-committee was established. Members of the committee include experts from the MoA and MMR, Eritrean Institute of Technology and the private sector. The committee has extended its membership up to the sub-regional level and contributed a lot in improving awareness of regional experts and farmers.

In the first stage, the committee has produced a considerable amount of fish amino acid (FAA), seaweed extract (SWE) and neem-pepper-aloe extract and delivered them to several progressive farmers for trials. Later, it accomplished a successful scheme to shorten the decomposition of plant and animal materials in the process of compost and liquid fertilizer production. In addition, the committee has carried out a number of training of trainers (ToT) programs to agricultural experts in all the regions.

As a continuation of its efforts to promote bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, the MoA conducted this month a one-week practical training to 30 farmers at Homib and Waekayt in Forto-Sawa Sub-zone of the Gash-Barka region.

According to Mr. Yosief Tewelde, head of the Compost Production Sub-committee, the training was given in response to a demand by representatives of farmers in Forto-Sawa sub-region.

Since the ultimate goal of the MoA is to convince farmers to use bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, their demand was most welcome, Mr. Yosief underscored.

“We have organized, for them, three types of training with regards to the production of solid and liquid fertilizers as well as bio-pesticides,” he added.

Mr. Yosief explained further that many farmers have been using compost produced by putting plant materials and livestock droppings in pits. However, they are now being acquainted with different varieties of natural fertilizers that are processed both in solid and liquid forms, he added. Finally, he said that it is good for farmers to know that there are a number of techniques to produce natural fertilizers and urged them to consult agricultural experts in their district.

Ms. Adiam Rezene, one of the trainers who was in charge of speeding-up the decomposition process in compost production, was able to reduce the time needed to produce compost from three months to three weeks.

She said that the experience she acquired from her training in Japan helped her to speed up the decomposition of organic materials to produce viable compost just in three weeks.

According to Ms. Adiam, the main concern of farmers has been the long time that took to produce compost. To address this issue, the MoA has been empowering experts in all the regions with techniques of shortening the time of decomposition in the compost production process using microorganisms.

Finally, Ms. Adiam commended farmers of Homib and Waekayt for their earnest demand and participation in the training program, and urged other farmers in the country to follow in their footsteps and adopt the initiative.

Participants of the training program said that the sessions were practical and important. Mr. Ebe Hadish is a farmer who lives in Homib, Forto-Sawa sub-region. He said that the MoA’s initiative was very important in increasing their awareness about using organic pesticides. He also said that it gave him great satisfaction to be able to use organic materials from their farms to produce solid and liquid fertilizers.

Mr. Osman Idris Yakob is also a farmer who came from Waekayt administrative area of Forto-sawa sub-region. He said that since some years ago he has been preparing compost and found it helpful in boosting his harvest. “However, this training has helped us to prepare compost in a very short period of time,” he added, and confirmed that they will adopt the scheme and influence other farmers in their surroundings.

Mr. Habtemichael Tsegay, a farmer from Homib-Abagosh area, was also one of the beneficiaries of the training program. He said it was his first time to participate in such an important program, and was convinced that using bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides will help them produce healthy agricultural produce and safeguard their land from contamination by chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Since the production of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides is somehow a new technique to Eritrean farmers and experts, continuous on-the-job training will be carried out, the MoA asserted.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (18 March 2022)

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TDPel Media

One patient has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out today at Testing Station in Adi-Tekelezan, Anseba Region. Accordingly, the total number of confirmed cases in the country to date has increased to 9,723. The total number of recovered patients stands at 9,618 while the number of deaths at 103.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea. Continue reading “Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (18 March 2022)”

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WHO Says Africa’s COVID Vaccinations Rose by 15% in February

The World Health Organization says Africa’s COVID-19 vaccinations rose by 15% between January and February, as several countries embarked on mass inoculation drives to expand coverage and protect populations from the pandemic.

Zimbabwe’s government says it is launching a “national vaccination blitz” targeting those who have not yet been vaccinated in a country where resistance to the shots has been an issue since the program started last year. The drive come amid government concern over rising COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said in a statement that the increase in COVID-19 vaccinations on the continent was driven mainly by campaigns in populous countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Dr. Thierno Balde, the WHO Africa regional COVID-19 incident manager, he says the continent must remain vigilant.

“We have seen what is happening around, in China, and the risk of also having new imitations, new variants still possible. We really need to continue to safeguard our population by taking the vaccine by not relaxing totally. The situation might change. So we really need to continue adapting some of these social measures and also to get vaccination,” Balde said.

The WHO said to boost African COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, it and other organizations were supporting mass vaccination drives in at least 10 priority countries to reach 100 million people by the end of next month.

Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, Zimbabwe’s acting information minister, said his country would not be left behind.

“Regarding the vaccination program, as of 15 March, 2022, a total of 159,628 third doses have been administered to date. The national vaccination blitz campaign will kick off on Monday, 21 March, 2022, and [the] government is urging those that have not yet been vaccinated to take advantage of this exercise to do so,” Ndlovu said.

A number of Zimbabweans have refused vaccination, saying they do not trust the mainly donated Chinese-made Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines. The country has lately recorded a rise in new infections – now cumulatively at 244,012 with 5,418 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the global outbreak.

Dr. Cleophas Chimbetete, president of Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians, attributes that to the recent lifting of restrictive measures, such as lockdowns. He says, however, it is not time to panic, just to enforce WHO protocols, such masking and social distancing.

“After relaxing measures, it is expected that cases will slightly go up. But I also think that it is too early to make any meaningful conclusions, I think it is just an opportunity for us to strengthen our preventative measures and continue highlighting to the rest of the population that COVID is still with us. The good news, though, is that severe cases have not gone up. What we need to do is to continue to get vaccinated and what is important is that the government should – as it is doing – is monitor these numbers. There is no cause for alarm or cause for us to introduce new measures,” Chimbetete said.

Zimbabwe had a target of vaccinating at least 10 million people by the end of last year, a figure that some say was difficult to reach given the scarcity of resources and hesitance. It has yet to announce when it plans to achieve herd immunity.

Source: Voice of America

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Use of natural fertilizers and pesticides

The Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the Ministry of Marine Resources is earnestly working to encourage farmers use natural fertilizers and pesticides free of chemicals.

As part of the effort, the Ministry of Agriculture organized theoretical and practical training to farmers in Forto-Sawa sub-zone, on preparation and application of natural fertilizers and pesticides.

One of the beneficiaries of the training, Mr. Ibe Hadish, farmer from Homib administrative area, said that the training he received is significantly contributing in boosting his agricultural production and called for organizing similar training programs to farmers.

Indicating that the program to encourage farmers use natural fertilizers and pesticides has significant contribution in boosting agricultural production as well as availability of fertilizers and pesticides, the Ministry of Agriculture said that similar training programs will be organized in various parts of the country.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Cameroon Says Frightened Separatists Relocate to Border with Nigeria, Harass Civilians

Cameroon’s government says calm is gradually returning to several towns in its English-speaking western regions after the military launched raids on separatist strongholds during the past month.

The military said troops carried out operations in many western towns and villages including Kumbo, Ndop, Wum, Bafut and Kom, with at least 20 separatist fighters were killed but no government troops were wounded.

General Valere Nka, the commander of Cameroonian troops fighting separatists in the English-speaking North-West region, said several hundred fighters escaped to villages along Cameroon’s western border with Nigeria. He said troops have been deployed to stop fighters from stealing goods and money from merchants and cattle from ranchers in border localities.

“The president of the republic, President Paul Biya, commander in chief of the armed forces has sent the defense and security forces to protect you, not to kill you,” Nka said during a visit to several border villages this week. “We need your total collaboration to better secure you.”

The military did not say how many troops have been deployed or how long the troops are expected to stay along the border with Nigeria.

Nelson Bwei, a spokesperson for the Abba Village Development Committee, said a military post is needed in the village, which is on the border with Nigeria, to protect civilians from separatist fighters. He said hundreds of the fighters are hiding in the bush along the border, especially in Fungong district.

“Our children are facing harassment,” he said. “Lower Fungong has no security post. The people there are exposed to insecurity. We plead to the general to create military units because we believe that if there is that military unit, it will beef up the security of the subdivision.”

Bwei said the separatists have seized at least 90 cows from ranchers within three weeks. He said fighters have abducted at least 13 civilians for ransom, especially merchants doing business between Cameroon and Nigeria.

On social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp, the separatists have denied the loss of 20 fighters. The separatists say their presence in border localities is a tactical withdrawal to prepare and face government troops. The fighters deny they are harassing civilians as the government claims and insist that they are out to protect English-speakers from Cameroon military brutality.

Cameroon’s military has always denied it abuses civilian’s rights.

Separatists have been fighting since 2017 to carve out an independent English-speaking state in majority French-speaking Cameroon. The crisis started when English-speaking teachers and lawyers protested the dominance of French in official government business and education. The government responded with a crackdown and separatists took up weapons.

The United Nations says at least 3,300 people have been killed with 750,000 internally displaced.

Source: Voice of America

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WHO Says Africa Faces Rising Substance Abuse Post-COVID

African health groups have warned that the COVID pandemic has led to a rise in drug and alcohol abuse on the continent, but a gap in data is making it hard to monitor. In South Africa, a Soweto-based nonprofit is scrambling to help youth to stay clean and sober.

Substance abuse — particularly alcohol consumption — has been on the rise in Africa for years, according to the World Health Organization.

The coronavirus pandemic that resulted in job losses and school closures has now amplified the problem.

The Ikageng children’s charity in Soweto says as many as 10 young people contact them daily suffering from addiction. Lydia Motloung, the acting program manager says that “during the lockdowns, they used to go and drink and some they were left in the houses alone, the parents are at work. And they start having the house parties and introduced to the alcohol, end up into crystal meth, which is very common around here, especially with schoolchildren.”

While Ikageng monitors the rise of addiction in the young people they’re helping, Motloung says national statistics on drug and alcohol abuse are sorely lacking.

“We normally get the statistics for COVID, you get the statistics for HIV, but we will never had any statistics for drugs and substance. I think if we can have that plan, the government can have that plan. … And then start funding the organization that are working with drugs and substance so that they fight it as they’re fighting for HIV and AIDS as they’re fighting for COVID,” she noted.

It’s not just South Africa that is lacking data on substance abuse, but the continent as a whole.

Florence Baingana is the African regional advisor on substance abuse for the World Health Organization.

“We may not count the exact numbers in each and every country. We know we have a problem. We also know that the services are inadequate, that one we know for a fact. Very often the alcohol treatment centers in the government facilities are underfunded. But I think if we were to begin by investing resources into building up the services, then we would be able to collect the data,” Baingana expressed.

She says investing in prevention would also be beneficial and less costly than treating addiction later on.

Ikageng’s caregivers like Nomali Monareng look for warning signs among the children they support.

She knows them first-hand, having struggled with addiction herself.

“Sometimes we need to start with parents. Most of children don’t, you don’t know how to talk about their feelings, don’t know how to express. Children need to be, to be taking care in all of their life, in all areas, like talking, having the conversation, even if it’s deep, even if it’s uncomfortable, you need to give the child a chance to talk,” she pointed out.

For those looking to get clean, the organization refers them to support groups that help people transition in and out of rehab.

They’re trying to offer skills training as well, so recoverees can find jobs and a purpose.

Vusi Nzimande is a project manager for the support program called Still We Rise.

“Where you find people idling, they don’t do nothing with their lives. That’s one of those things that causes us because of the mind is playing around. You started thinking too much. You don’t have a job; you don’t have anything to do. And then suddenly you see yourself going back to your old ways,” Nzimande said.

For the young people he’s helped, getting clean has been the first step. But experts say they’ll need opportunities and jobs to give them hope and keep them out of trouble in the long run.

 

 

 

Source: Voice of America

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Eritrea to participate at Africa Cycling Championship

Eritrea’s National Cycling Team is set to participate at the Africa Championship to be held in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, from 22 to 27 March.

According to Mr. Gebretensae Damir, public relations officer of the National Cycling Federation, Eritrea will participate at the championship in both genders in the elite as well as under 23 categories.

The national cycling team will participate at the team time-trail, individual chronometer and mixed relay as well as in the road race.

The national team composing 30 members will depart to Egypt on 20 March.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea