In Côte d’Ivoire, Swollen Shoot disease is worsening in the cocoa belt in the central region. “That really worries us because  around 2010-11, I had harvested four tons each year. This year, I am at 1.8 tons,” said Cisse Ousmane, who owns 5 ha in Soubre. Producers and exporters told Reuters that the disease’s level boomed in recent years, dropping production.  According to an...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank’s private arm, has announced it will provide $2 billion to support private sector in Egypt, by 2019. The announcement was made by MD Philippe Le Houerou (photo), after he met the Egyptian Minister for Investment and Foreign Cooperation, Sahar Nasr, last weekend in Washington. The official pointed out that the money might increase to...

The 2nd Ecowas Mining and Petroleum Forum & Exhibition (ECOMOF 2018) is taking place from 9 – 11 October 2018 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. The event is organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, the Government of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and AME Trade Ltd. Held every two years, the event is taking place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Africa’s fastest...

The Disease Surveillance and Response Unit (DSRU) of the Public Health Authority  is well on its way to achieving its goal of conducting comprehensive web-based surveys thanks to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airtel. The MoU was signed yesterday by the public health commissioner Dr Jude Gedeon and chief executive of Airtel, Amadou Dina, in the presence of the...

Zambia’s capital Lusaka will host as of tomorrow July 26 a 2-day meeting initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners on controlling fall armyworm (FAW) in southern Africa. In fact, southern Africa is one of the most affected by the crop destroyer, with 13 countries (Lesotho and Mauritius excluded) according to the latest synthesis report on the state of food, security,...

India approved $205 million in financing to Uganda to expand grid and invest in agriculture. The announcement was made yesterday July 24 on the sidelines of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the Eastern African nation. According to Reuters which relayed the news, $141 million will serve to set transmission lines and power substations, while the remaining $64...

Base Resources posted today July 25, its Q2 operating balance sheet, reporting an increase in ilmenite, rutile and zircon production at its Kwale mine in Kenya.  Between April and June this year, the company hit record rutile production of 24, 451 tons, up from the 21, 634 tons a quarter earlier. Meanwhile, ilmenite production increased from 111, 630 tons to 114 773 tons and zircon...

Karo Platinum and the Zimbabwean government officially launched July 24 a platinum project in Chegutu. Through this project, the company plans to produce 1.4 million ounces of platinum group metals (PGMs) per annum and establish a refinery with a handling capacity of 2 million ounces of PMGs a year. “We are excited about partnering with Zimbabwe and its people in building a long-term...

Following the rescue of a migrant woman and the recovery of two dead bodies at sea, Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, announced it will take legal action against parties responsible for non-assistance to persons in danger and manslaughter. “We are outraged, we denounce once again policies in the Central Mediterranean, not only by one government but by several. We encounter enormous difficulties...

In Angola, the first sale of alluvial diamonds from Lulo mine for H2 this year generated gross revenues of $2 million. Lucapa Diamond and its project partners reported today July 24 that they sold 2,527 carats at an average price per carat of $800. Lucapa said that the July sale excluded four large white specials and a pink colored special, which has been held for sale later this...