IDAK Strengthens Strategic Support For BUILDEXPO 2017

The Interior Designers Association of Kenya (IDAK) will be the main supporting partner of the 20th BUILDEXPO Kenya, the largest and most successful building and construction show in East Africa, taking place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi from the 20th to 22nd April, 2017. IDAK is the sole national body for interior design firms in Kenya and forms the voice and authority for professional interior designers in the country. Founded in 2012 in Nairobi,.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

Over 350 Companies from 44 Countries to be Part of BUILDEXPO KENYA 2017

The 20th edition of BUILDEXPO Kenya, East Africa’s largest building and construction show is all set for another massive event with over 350 exhibitors signed up from 44 countries including Germany, China, India, Turkey, Italy, UAE and Greece along with leading construction firms from East Africa. BUILDEXPO Kenya, organised by Expogroup Worldwide, a pioneer in the trade show industry in East Africa for the past two decades, will take place at the Kenyatta International.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

Tanzania: Soft Loans Required by Farmers to Modernize Agriculture, Boost Productivity

Farmers need soft loans to modernise agriculture and improve production, which is vital in supporting efforts to build an industrial economy.   But according to the World Bank (WB), banking sectors in developing countries, including Tanzania, lend a much smaller share of their loan portfolios to agriculture compared to agriculture's share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).   Most commercial banks in Tanzania regard agriculture as a high risk business to lend, thus leaving.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

Tanzania: Minister Assures Country Has Food Surplus, Not Shortage

Minister for Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba said yesterday that until October, 2016 a total of 1.5 million metric tonnes of cereals were sold to neighbouring countries from Tanzania.   The Minister was reacting on the recent comments on the state of food in the country. He said so far there is enough food in the country.   He said in the last season, the country had a total of 3 million metric tonnes of surplus food and that farmers.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

Kenya: Smallholder Farmers to Benefit from Mastercard's #2kuze Platform

Mastercard has launched 2KUZE, a digital platform that connects smallholder farmers, agents, buyers and banks in East Africa.   The platform that is live already in Kenya and had reached over 2000 farmers at its piloting stage. Mastercard seeks to launch the platform in Tanzania and Uganda in the coming weeks. The company also targets to reach close to half a million farmers in two years.   2KUZE, which in Swahili means "Let's grow together," enables farmers to.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 18th January 2017

EU Asks East African Countries to Invest More in Solar

SOROTI, UGANDA - East African states have been asked to invest more resources in the development of renewable power projects like solar energy where the region has a better comparative advantage as compared to Hydropower which is more expensive to finance.   Development partners say the climate conditions in some countries within the community such as Uganda supports the development of solar power but the country has not yet exploited such opportunities which have kept Uganda.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Ethiopia: Govt Working to Improve Potable Water Access for All

Water, Irrigation and Electricity State Minister Firenesh Mekuria said the country has build good reputation increasing access to potable water at national level and achieving most of the MDGs goals of supplying safe water as part of its GTP-I efforts.   Speaking at the 10th round water forum, the state minister also said there is still huge gap in the supply which various stakeholders need to narrow joining hands with the government. "The government has laid goals to.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Ethiopia: Focus on Sugar Production to End Importation

More than sixty years elapsed since Ethiopia had become familiar with sugar industry. Though the nation has huge potential for sugar development, the number of sugar factories was so limited and the production remained to be relatively small for long. As a result, the country was obliged to import huge amount of the product to meet the rising local demand.   Fortunately, the situation began changing a couple of decades ago when the government realized the potential of the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Kenya: Record Tea Prices This Year at Mombasa Auction

Tea prices at the Mombasa auction kicked off 2017 on a high note, nearly touching a one-year record during last week's auction.   A market report by the East African Tea Traders Association (EATTA) indicates that a kilogramme of made tea fetched Sh268 on average in Tuesday's trading compared with Sh260 in an earlier sale.   The volume traded last week though dropped by 667,483 tonnes in one of the largest volume declines in recent months as dry weather.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Tanzania: Grain Silos Helping Farmers Eliminate Post-Harvest Losses

Malahi Chalahani seems to win a race this year. Njire Jibusa and his wife Mwashi Kapimitilo are also confident to win the same race. Likewise, Yohana Samson and his wife Saru Lameck.   All of them are farmers in the ward of Msowero, Morogoro-District. And they all just installed a metal silo. In August last year, after harvest, they stored some 500 kilogrammes of maize in it and closed the silo hermetically. In February, they will most probably open the silo again and sell the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Tanzania: Chinese Firm Signs $1 Billion Deal to Boost Cassava Farming

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has signed a $1 billion partnership agreement with a Chinese firm to commercialise cassava farming and processing, raising hopes to growers who have been grappling with the challenge of accessing reliable markets.   Tanzania Agricultural Export Processing Zone Limited and Epoch Agriculture (TAEPZ) from China said they created an out-grower scheme that will ensure sufficient production of cassava for processing.   The firm will also.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Tanzania: UAE Firm Piques Govt's Interest in Building Modern Swimming Pool, Sports Academy

Dar es Salaam — The government has shown positive reception of the interest by United Arabs Emirates (UAE) Hamilton Aquatics club of building modern swimming pool as well as providing sports academy with training facilities in the country.   The officials who jetted in were: Hamilton Aquatics Director, Christopher Tidey and Chief Executive Officer (Ceo), Phillippa Clark.   The executives were hosted by the leading swimming club in the country, Dar es Salaam.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017