Land Reforms, Farm Attacks, and Other Reports
Every week, RuralReporters.com collate reports on development issues in rural Africa and its environs.
This report includes some of our top picks from recent must-read research, interviews, blogs, and in-depth articles, carefully selected to help you keep up with global issues.
Here are some of the updates you may have missed from the previous week:
Land Reform That Unleashes a Rural Economic Miracle Should Be The Goal
If integrated land and agriculture value chains are combined with improving the quality of public schools, hospitals and infrastructure in such rural towns, South Africa’s rural areas can be re-energised, the flight from rural areas to cities slowed down and a rural economic miracle could be unleashed.
Available state land, whether under the control of SOEs, municipalities or provinces, should be made available to farmers already active in farming – not given to political farmers.
Kenya: Rural Households Achieve Food Security through No-tillage Farming
Some rural households have conservation agriculture, a method introduced by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and it is yielding good fruits for them. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance, and diversification of plant species.
South Africa: DA Urges Police to Protect Rural Communities after Another Free State Farm Attacks
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is time for urgent police action to protect rural communities. Only six days after the DA expressed its concern at the murder of an emerging farmer in the Free State in the Frankfort district, Johannes Mazibuko, and further reiterated the urgency to government to establish specialised rural safety units to improve safety and security in rural areas, another farm attack occurred in the Free State, DA spokeswoman Mariette Pittaway said.
Nigeria: Monarchs Says No Land for RUGA in Delta State
The Delta State Traditional Rulers’ Council has declared that there is no land for Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) project in Delta State. The council also examined the heightening security situation in the country, occasioned by cases of kidnapping, killings and other criminalities and therefore, called on the Federal Government to be more proactive, firm and decisive in clamping down on all forms of criminal elements in the country.
Ghana: Research Shows Migration Patterns in Rural Ghana Remains Unchanged
Professor Joseph K. Teye, Director of Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, Legon and a Principal Investigator of the research team, said the research indicated that internal migration is still a dominant form of migration in the country, hence the need for migration management programmes to focus internally as well. The research also states that spatial inequalities in job opportunities are the main drive of internal migration in the country.
Kenya: Africa’s Largest Wind Power Project is Now Open In Kenya
Kenya has unveiled Africa’s largest wind power project in a gusty and rocky desert stretch located 600 kilometers (372 miles) north of the capital Nairobi. The Lake Turkana Wind Power farm consists of 365 turbines with a capacity to dispense 310 megawatts of reliable, low-cost energy to Kenya’s national grid. The Turkana plant was funded by a consortium of African and European companies, with Kenya expected to buy power at a fixed price over a 20-year period.
Africa: Powering Up Rural Areas Can Fight Unemployment in Africa and Asia
Amid growing concern in country capitals and regional institutions over the potential for social disruption and increased migration, new data suggests that rural electrification can be one important contributor to alleviating joblessness, especially for youth and women. Indications also emerged that providing access to energy can help scale agriculture, which is seen as crucial to the future growth of still largely agrarian economies.
