Africa 100
While the UK farming industry continues to ride the ups and downs of world markets and variable weather, it is also recognising that these times of increasing food prices are a cause of real problems for the world’s poor and their families. The NFU and its industry partners have therefore decided that the time is right to launch an appeal to help fellow farmers in Africa.
The appeal is called Africa 100 and was launched in July 2008 attracting supporters from across the agricultural industry. Africa 100 is not about food aid but rather about raising money for agricultural development projects in East Africa aiming to make a difference for the long term. Africa 100 works with the registered charity FARM-Africa which has an excellent track record in raising funds and running projects in East Africa. The projects have been proven to significantly increase local on-farm production and help local communities gain food security.
The NFU’s Head of Communications, Sarah Whitelock, saw for herself the dramatic effects FARM-Africa’s development projects can have on local farming communities when she visited Kenya in early autumn. “It was an extraordinary week” said Mrs Whitelock. “All the farmers I met worked so hard and were so positive about their involvement with FARM-Africa projects. It was clear that the
projects had had an immense impact on their livelihoods.”
One project that Mrs Whitelock visited taught farmer groups how to cope with a shortage of fodder. Most Kenyan farmers keep one or two dairy cows but have to buy in fodder during the dry season. The project worker paid for by FARM- Africa showed 20 groups, each with 25 members, how to store Napier Grass - an important cattle feed – with molasses as tube silage. The improved, year long supply of feed increased the milk yield by three or four litres a day, enabling the farmers to sell milk to their neighbours for a small income and thereby making a profit enabling them to pay their children’s school fees.
Another of the projects that Mrs Whitelock visited saw small scale
farmers in Homa Bay district in Kenya introduced to a new vitamin A-rich variety of sweet potato. By growing the new variety, yields have increased from 9 to 14 tonnes per hectare and poor farming families have much greater food security. An additional benefit has been the improved health of local people due to the increased uptake of vitamin A. As this is an area suffering from a high incidence of HIV and AIDS general health is crucial in halting the progress of the disease.
Development projects like the above are a reminder of the improved technology and resources that have enabled British farmers to increase production – advantages that are denied farmers in the developing world. Africa 100 is about helping African farmers help themselves – this time for the long term.
As the NFU is facilitating all administrative work, you can be sure that all donations will go to development projects in East Africa. For information about how to donate go to
www.africa100appeal.com or call 0207 430 0440
Bolette Neve National Farmers Union
27
agriculture
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