African farmers demand affordable finance as governments fall short on funding

African farmers demand affordable finance as governments fall short on funding

STUNTED HOPE—A smallholder farm maize crop after weeks of dry spell By Farai Shawn Matiashe: Agriculture remains underfunded in Africa as governments struggle to deliver on decades-old promises to dedicate 10 percent of national income to agriculture. But for many farmers, mobilising finance is only half the battle. Reaching smallholder farmers in the last mile with the little available finance remains a challenge. Some of the funding is heavil…