KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — Before Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering a disruption of the global wheat supply and exacerbating the continent’s wheat deficit crisis, Africa’s wheat industry already was battling climate change, unfavorable trade policies, and inadequate investments in the sub-sector. In East Africa, wheat production has remained flat at 6.6 million tonnes from 2022 to 2024, according to the FAO. Between 2010 and 2020, reports indicated that Africa’s wheat production increased from 20.9 million tonnes to 25.3 million tonnes, a 21% increase. SAVE wheat varietyIn its drive to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat, Zimbabwe has embraced a new bread wheat variety called SAVE, developed by the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Other wheat producers such as Ethiopia and Sudan also have expanded their irrigated wheat acreage, increased use of modern irrigation technology and adopted climate change-resilient wheat varieties.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 14, 2024 12:23 UTC