By Eratus Ndueh
Bishops in Cameroon have urged the population of Maroua in the Far North Region to work towards ensuring that peace reigns in the country while deploring all forms of violence.
The President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, NECC, in his opening address at the 47th Annual Seminar of the Bishops in Maroua, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea decried the protracted violence in the North West, South West, and Far North regions of Cameroon, and cautioned against desperation with the growing yawning poverty among the citizens amid security challenges.
Cameroon’s English-speaking regions plunged into conflict in 2016 after a protest by lawyers and teachers turned violent. An armed movement of separatists claiming independence for a country they call, the Republic of Ambazonia emerged following the government’s crackdown on protesters.
In the Far North, attacks by Nigeria’s Boko Haram fundamentalist sect have reportedly caused more than 320 thousand people, to flee the region.
Reflect
ing on the theme of the seminar, which was ‘A synodal church on Mission,’ Archbishop Nkea said, ‘The whole church is on mission and we must promote solidarity within our Christian communities through the Gospel.’
The next annual seminar of the Bishops of Cameroon will be held in the Diocese of Buea from the 4th to the 11 of January 2025. And this will be another opportunity for the men of God to discuss issues plaguing the country for adequate solutions to be meted.
Source: Cameroon News Agency
Addis Ababa: Ethiopian missions abroad urged to make efforts on soliciting technology transfers, facilitating capacity-building programs, garnering financial support for projects, searching for destination markets and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The annual meeting of Ethiopian ambassadors and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, which began last Saturday, has continued to its second day.
The annual meeting, which is part of the Diplomacy Week, takes place from January 13-27, 2024.
Today’s session deliberated on the policies, institutional frameworks, achievements and challenges of science, technology and artificial intelligence in Ethiopia, according to Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Belete Molla, made a presentation on the Science , Technology and Innovation policy of Ethiopia, the achievements registered thus far and key directions set to realize digital economy.
The Director General of the Ethiopian Artificial I
ntelligence Institute, Engineer Worku Gachena, also made a presentation on the institute’s tangible role in realizing digital economy and the major results in AI in various economic sectors of the country.
Both presenters emphasized that Ethiopian missions should work on soliciting technology transfers, facilitating capacity-building programs, garnering financial support for projects, searching for destination markets and attracting FDI.
Foreign Affairs State Minister, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, stressed on his part the critical role of digital technology in the development of Ethiopia and the need for the increased contribution of Ethiopian missions in supporting the digital efforts.
Ethiopian Ambassadors, heads of mission and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are conducting discussion on activities being undertaken in diplomacy and field visits until the 27th of January, 2024.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) have arrested four Lorries carrying immature avocados to Tanzania, exposing a tight syndicate of local fresh produce exporters smuggling the fruits to neighbouring countries despite the government’s ban.
AFA-Horticulture and Crops Directorate (HCD) confiscated 32 tonnes of avocados that were in the process of being illegally exported to Tanzania.
According to the Directorate’s Acting Deputy Director in charge of Regulation and Compliance Collins Otieno the consignment was being moved via road from Kenya to Tanzania to facilitate export to other destinations.
‘We managed to seize the vehicles full of immature avocados destined to our neighbouring country. The fruits are packaged in gunnery and polythene bags which are contrary to the regulations’, he said.
Currently, he noted that the country is yet to resume harvesting of avocado after suspending the same on November 3, 2023.
‘We have been carrying out a survey for the last week in all the growing counties to ascerta
in the maturity and estimated quantities volumes,’ said Otieno,
Kenya has also on several occasions had to battle the bad image occasioned by exported avocados that have gone bad before the also reach consumers.
This has been attributed to the harvest and export of immature fruits, something that a segment of the industry said is getting worse by the day and threatening to erode the gains that the local avocado fruit has made over the years.
Otieno says that in the recent past there have been complaints that some traders have been transporting immature fruits to Tanzania despite the suspension of shipments.
Just three months ago, the government warned that it will not hesitate to cancel the licenses of avocado dealers who will be found contravening rules and regulations governing the transportation of the produce with those involved in illegal export of immature avocados risking various penalties, including cancellation of their licenses.
Some traders are said to have been exporting avocados through Tanz
ania which enjoys tax exemptions due to its categorization as a least developed country unlike produce shipped as Kenyan harvest that face import duty in some countries.
The vehicles carrying the fruits stored in polythene and gunny bags were intercepted at Namanga border of Kenya and Tanzania by AFA security officials on Thursday evening.
Working on a tip off, the officers captured the trucks that belong to different Nairobi based transport companies and were said to have transported the fruits from one of the leading producing counties.
Addressing media after verifying the Lorries, Otieno said that there are unscrupulous traders working with brokers on the ground who are cheating farmers to harvest immature fruits.
AFA as the food crops regulator Otieno explained has been very consistent to ensure exporters comply with the set regulations.
Industry players have also warned that the new trend, if not tamed might hurt Kenya exports in the international market where it is reputed for producing quality fru
its.
Avocado packed in polythene bags in lorries and ready to cross the border
‘AFA will continue to enhance implementation of the horticultural crops regulations 2020 that even stipulates how avocados are supposed to be carried. Carrying the fruits in gunny bags and polythene bags enhances contaminations and equally the same decay quickly. Avocados are supposed to be transported in crates and cartons,’ Otieno said.
Investigations he confirmed are going on and the implicated transporter once identified will be subjected to the set penalties including his license revoked.
Last week the directorate deployed officers in all avocado growing areas to undertake a survey with a view to examining quantities and maturity levels of the fruit before uplifting a two month harvesting suspension.
Kenya is a prominent avocado producer in Africa, with key export destinations such as the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, France and Spain. In September 2023, Kenya deepened its presence globally after exporting the inaugu
ral consignment of 400 kilogrammes of avocados to India.
Last November 3, 2023, AFA suspended avocado exports for the 2023/2024 fiscal year from Kenya to other export destinations.
AFA board then argued avocado shipments to other segments of the global markets have to meet current food standards and equally in earning premium prices. The interruption specifically impacted the Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo avocado varieties, which are primarily cultivated by Kenyan farmers for export.
Avocado has been tipped to become a major foreign exchange earner especially after Kenya started exporting to India and China.
Gaining entry into these markets has propped the Kenyan industry, which has grown into being among the top five exporters of avocados globally and the largest in Africa.
According to the AFA Year Book of Statistics, area under Avocado increased from 26,561 Ha in 2021 to 27,807 Ha in 2022 while production was 455,279 MT up from 432,969 MT reported in 2021 accounting for a 5.2 percent increase. Fa
rmers earned Sh12.6 billion in 2022 production year compared to Sh12.4 billion in 2021.
Source: Kenya News Agency