Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 16 February 2024

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Major International Business Headlines Brief:::  16 February 2024 

 


 

 

	
 


 

 


 

ü  Nigeria: Cost of Living Crisis - Tinubu Meets Governors, Rules Out Food
Importation, Outlines 'Solutions'

ü  Guinea: Is Guinea's Military Junta to Blame for Rice Shortage?

ü  South Africa: Old Age Grant Is Not Enough to Cover Care Needs,
Researchers Find]

ü  Nigeria's Electricity Prices May Increase As Govt Says Subsidy No Longer
Sustainable

ü  Nigeria: Breaking - Nigeria's Inflation Hits 29.90 Percent Amid High Food
Prices

ü  Kenya's Shilling Significantly Appreciates Against American Dollar

ü  Nigeria: Cost of Living Crisis 

ü  Nigeria: Cocoa Prices Surge to Record High On Naira Depreciation

ü  Nigeria to Remove 'Political Farmers' From Database

ü  Liberia: MFDP Puts in Place Measures to Scrutinize Payrolls

ü  UK economy fell into recession after people cut spending

ü  Whisky takes a shot at China's baijiu-dominated market

ü  X accused of taking payments from terrorists

ü  The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beer

ü  Google joins mission to map methane from space

 


 

 


 <https://www.cloverleaf.co.zw/> Nigeria: Cost of Living Crisis - Tinubu
Meets Governors, Rules Out Food Importation, Outlines 'Solutions'

While the cost of living crisis persists, Nigerians also grapple with the
worsening security situation.

 

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with state governors in Abuja to
discuss insecurity and the increase in the prices of goods and services that
have made basic items unaffordable for millions of Nigerians.

 

PREMIUM TIMES has reported how government policies such as the removal of
petrol subsidy have led to over 200 per cent rise in the price of
commodities without any corresponding increase in wages across the country.

 

While the cost of living crisis persists, Nigerians also grapple with the
worsening security situation that has seen almost daily cases of killings
and kidnappings across the country.

 

Mr Tinubu and the governors met at the President Villa on Thursday where
they acknowledged what Nigerians were going through.

 

Part of their resolutions at the meeting was to reject the proposal by some
Nigerians for massive importation of food to at least reduce the prices of
basic food items.

 

"...a decision has also been taken that in the interest of our country,
there will be no need for food importation at this point," Information
Minister Mohammed Idris told journalists after the meeting.

 

Details later...

 

- Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

Guinea: Is Guinea's Military Junta to Blame for Rice Shortage?

People living in Guinea are becoming desperate as a food crisis soars in the
country. Citizens are blaming the junta leaders for price hikes, while
economists say a timely solution is necessary.

 

Labor unions in Guinea have threatened a nationwide strike if the government
does not reduce the cost of living in the West African nation.

 

Guinea has been led since September 2021 by a military junta that deposed
the country's first democratically-elected president.

 

The ruling junta recently increased the price of importing of basic food
items into the country -- which has resulted in an unprecedented price
increase in markets across the country.

 

"Life is very expensive today in Guinea," Mabinty Bangoura, a government
worker and housewife told DW, adding that "the authorities have willingly
increased the price of a bag of rice, and traders have done same, to make
life difficult for us."

 

The price of oil and other cooking items has also spiked -- just weeks
before Ramadan, Islam's holy month of fasting, spiritual reflection and
prayer.

 

 

Spiraling cost of living

 

Fatoumata Fofana, a female trader in one of the markets in Guinea's capital,
Conakry, said the abrupt and significant increase has left citizens
struggling to cope.

 

"Today, you can only buy a small quantity of goods and you hardly make a
profit because what was to be profit has been added to the cost," Fofana
told DW.

 

Citizens like Fofana have accused the junta leaders of failing to take
action to improve the worsening living conditions.

 

"Doumbouya, you should try to improve the living conditions of people in
Conakry," she said, refering to Guinea's coup leader Mamady Doumbouya. "If
the husband is not working and the wife's business is not flourishing, our
existence is threatened."

 

 

Bangoura shared a similar sentiment.

 

"I am not accusing anybody but the government that is incapable of saving
its people. The price of all the goods such as rice, oil, sugar and flour
have been increased by the government, and it comes just a month to
Ramadan," she told DW.

 

But Mory Kaba, a civil society activist accused the government of colluding
with importers.

 

"In our own analysis the government has connived with importers to punish
the Guinean population, but we won't accept it," he said.

 

Global rice prices increasing

 

Guinea's ruling junta has denied facilitating the economic hardship in
Guinea, citing a hike in global rice prices after major producers curtailed
their trade and supplies last year that impacted millions of consumers
around the world.

 

Rice prices have soared to the highest in a decade as India curtails exports
and erratic weather wreaks havoc on Asian rice fields.

 

 

Kaba, however, questioned why Guinea's neighboring countries had not
implemented similar policies.

 

"Why have the Ivorians, the Malians and the Nigerians not increased the
price of rice? They say the price of rice has increased in India, is it
India that is supplying us sugar, oil, and other foodstuffs?" he said.

 

Mohamed Camara, an economic expert in Guinea has also warned of dire
consequences of price hikes -- emphasizing the urgent need to enhance local
production.

 

"Guinea is likely to face high-level inflations if nothing is done to
augment local productions to imported ones," he said.

 

Camara further explains that middle-income households will be the hardest
hit.

 

"The low-class Guineans spend 60% of their revenue on food, so if the price
increases it will directly affect them," he told DW.

 

Are there any solutions?

 

Citizens and experts alike believe that the solution to the problem lies in
the government adopting fiscal policies that favor ordinary citizens.

 

"So, he has to improve the living conditions by allowing the free flow of
money in the country," Fofana said, refering to the junta leader.

 

Although the junta's policies might have contributed to the price increase,
it is impossible to disregard external influences and pre-existing problems.

 

Elsewhere in Africa, inflation and the high cost of living in Nigeria have
prompted many people to eating rice grains that millers often reject after
processing or sell to farmers to feed their fish.

 

Experts like Camara believe that acknowledging the problem and working
together is key to providing food security for the people of Guinea.

 

This article has been adapted by Mimi Mefo Takambou from a radio report that
was recently broadcast on DW's daily podcast AfricaLink

 

 

 

 

South Africa: Old Age Grant Is Not Enough to Cover Care Needs, Researchers
Find

The high cost of food, transport and electricity is straining the budget of
households headed by beneficiaries of the grant.

Researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have found that in most
cases, the Older Persons Grant is not sufficient to meet the needs of
elderly people in South Africa.

 

Professor Elena Moore and other researchers from Family Caregiving, based in
the Department of Sociology at UCT, interviewed 30 families in rural
KwaZulu-Natal and 50 families in the Western Cape to find out how families
headed by pensioners are making ends meet and whether older persons are able
to get the care they need.

 

About 3.9-million people in South Africa receive the monthly Older Persons
Grant, also known as the Old Age Grant, currently at R2,080 per person per
month.

 

 

Family Caregiving analysed data from Wave 5 of UCT's National Income
Dynamics Study (NIDS), which shows that the vast majority of beneficiaries
live in households of five people where the average household income is
R6,850.

 

Older people have significant and unique care needs, the researchers argue.
According to StatsSA data from 2021, the majority of older people need
chronic medication and need to access healthcare facilities: 24% of older
persons in South Africa have diabetes, 68% live with hypertension, and 14%
have arthritis. Older people also often have difficulties with sight,
mobility and cognition, meaning they need additional support to go about
their day-to-day lives, say the researchers.

 

In a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal, Family Caregiving found that most
households had between eight and nine members and were struggling to cover
the cost of food, medical supplies, and transport to clinics.

 

In this area, accessing healthcare is expensive, the team found. A round
trip to town by taxi cost R46 and a trip to the closest clinic and back
costs R82. Physically disabled older people often have to hire a car for
between R200 and R600 to get to a clinic and back. A pack of adult
incontinence products costs R219 and lasts only seven days.

 

Because of the costs of transport and medical supplies, many of these large
households were spending an average of only R1,000-R1,500 a month on food,
according to the report. A lack of access to water and electricity creates
an additional burden for older people in rural areas.

 

In urban areas, such as Cape Town, there is greater access to water and
electricity, health facilities are closer, and households are smaller,
meaning the Older Persons Grant is not stretched as far. But still, the
researchers found, older people are often required to carry households at
the expense of their own care.

 

Low income and low-middle income families in Khayelitsha and Eerste River
told the researchers that the only way to make ends meet is to spend less on
food. Many families are stuck in debt cycles, borrowing from loan sharks
from month-to-month with extremely high interest rates. Unpaid utility bills
stack up, and electricity tariff hikes and rising rental prices put further
pressure on older persons.

 

The monthly cost of nutritious food for a family of seven is R5,324,
according to Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity's household
affordability index. Family Caregiving found that low-income households
headed by older persons are often spending less than half that amount on
food because of other household expenses. This has serious consequences for
older people, especially those who need to eat before taking medication.

 

The report recommends additional investment by the government to care for
older people, such as free transport to health facilities and consistent
supply of incontinence products.

 

- GroundUp.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria's Electricity Prices May Increase As Govt Says Subsidy No Longer
Sustainable

Nigeria's Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this at a press
conference in Abuja.

 

The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it has become very difficult to
sustain subsidies on electricity in the country.

 

Nigeria's Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this at a press
conference in Abuja.

 

Mr Adelabu explained that the indebtedness of the country's power sector to
electricity-generating companies (GenCos) and the gas companies (GasCos) has
risen to over N3 trillion.

 

"Today, we are owing a total of N1.3 trillion to the power generating
companies, out of which 60 per cent is owed to gas suppliers. Today we have
a legacy debt, prior to 2014, to the gas companies of $1.3 billion; at
today's rate, that is close to N2 trillion.

 

"Now, if you add N2 trillion legacy debt owed to gas companies and the N1.3
trillion being owed to GenCos, we have an inherited debt of over N3 trillion
in this sector. How will the sector move forward? Nigerians deserve the
right to know this.

 

 

"However, we are working underground to make sure that we resolve these
issues and pay these debts either through cash injections or through
guaranteed debt instruments to ensure the continuity in the generation of
power," Mr Adelabu said.

 

Speaking on electricity subsidy, he said countries like Ghana, Togo, and
Benin Republic pay much more than Nigeria for electricity while noting that
the government might not be able to continue funding electricity subsidies.

 

"What we have made provision for in the 2024 budget for subsidy is N450
billion and we will require N2.9 trillion for subsidy. So can we afford it?
We must be realistic. Can we afford it?" he noted.

 

Mr Adelabu said N450 billion is less than 20 per cent of the almost N3
trillion that is required for subsidy if the nation must continue at the
current electricity price.

 

 

"So these are things that we need to decide on as a nation," he said.

 

He further explained that issues with the electricity supply value chain are
many across all segments in the value chain.

 

He said this was made complicated by a lack of sustaining liquidity and
infrastructure funding, as well as structural misalignment.

 

Mr Adelabu added that the simple technical operational issues are inadequate
shortage of gas supplies and ageing dilapidated generation machinery causing
below optimal capacity utilization causing short supply by the GenCos.

 

"Inadequate power evacuation capacity at GenCos locations, coupled with
unstable and fragile transmission lines, devoid of automated frequency
controls, lacking in fail-over or back-up capacity with frequent human
disturbances through vandalization and theft.

 

"Aging weak distribution infrastructures (lines and transformer) coupled
with huge meter gap causing unbearably large technical and collection
losses.

 

"These are issues that look so simple on the surface and should ordinarily
require little effort to fix over time," he said.

 

The minister's comments appear to indicate the government's plan to remove
the electricity subsidy, in tandem with a recommendation of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the government has been
reluctant to implement the recommendation as it would further impoverish
Nigerians amidst a cost-of-living crisis caused by government policies.

 

- Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Breaking - Nigeria's Inflation Hits 29.90 Percent Amid High Food
Prices

Nigeria's annual inflation rate rose to 29.90 per cent in January from 28.92
per cent in December 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said
Thursday.

 

The statistics office said the January 2024 headline inflation rate showed
an increase of 0.98 per cent points when compared to the December 2023
headline inflation rate.

 

According to the report, the food inflation rate in January 2024 quickened
to 35.41 per cent.

 

The NBS said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 8.08
per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in January 2023, which
was 21.82 per cent.

 

"This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased
in January 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e.,
January 2023)," it said.

 

According to the report, the food inflation rate in January 2024 quickened
to 35.41 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was

 

11.10 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in January 2023
(24.32 per cent)

 

More details later.....

 

- Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

Kenya's Shilling Significantly Appreciates Against American Dollar

Nairobi — The Kenyan shilling has significantly strengthened against the
American dollar amid an inflow of greenback from global lenders as well as
the buyback of the Eurobond by the government.

 

A spot check by Capital Business shows that Equity Bank is buying one dollar
for Sh135.8 and selling at Sh140.8.

 

Stanbic Bank is also buying a similar amount at Sh135 and selling it at
Sh145.

 

Major forex bureaus in Nairobi also indicate that the local unit has
improved against the USD.

 

Satellite Forex Bureau is buying one USD at Sh135 and selling at Sh147, with
Sky Forex Bureau quoting the same amount at Sh120 (buying) and Sh148
(selling).

 

 

The dramatic appreciation of the Kenyan currency against the USD comes after
the state got $1.5 billion to repay the previous Eurobond that matures on
June 24, 2024.

 

The buyback of part of Europe has eased fears among investors, attracting
investment into the country.

 

Likewise, the Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved
$942.2 million for Kenya under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as well as
the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

 

Immediately, Kenya accessed $624.5 million from the facility.

 

On Wednesday last week, during the monthly post-Monetary Policy Committee
(MPC), CBK Governor Kamau Thugge said that the stabilization of the local
currency had gained momentum.

 

"The Kenyan shilling has been stable for the last few days and as CBK we
expect this stability to continue because we have taken action to raise the
Central Bank Rate higher from 12.5 per cent to 13 per cent," Thugge said.

 

Since Shilling has overshot its intended equilibrium target range, the apex
bank added that it is focused on protecting the local unit from further
declines in value.

 

- Capital FM.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Cost of Living Crisis 

As for other things, such as the cost of petrol and other energy costs,
which increased by 216 per cent from N195 per litre after the removal of
subsidy last May, I threatened to buy a bicycle to augment my transportation
cost.

 

A few days ago, I had a conversation with my local cashew nut seller. I had
been buying cashew nuts from her since when a bottle cost N800, which was
not up to four years ago. Slowly, but steadily, the price climbed to N1,000,
then N1,200, then N1,500 and before you could say, "cashew," it became
N4,000 per bottle - roughly the cost of my daughter's one-term school fee in
the late 1990s... How do you buy a bottle of nuts for N4,000?

 

I was going through some old files in my closet the other day when I saw
some documents and receipts that absolutely cracked me up. Among the
browning, time-worn papers was the receipt from a private primary school for
the payment of my first daughter's fees.

 

 

It was a middle-class school that charged N5,000 per term. Attached to the
fading receipt was a thank you note by the bursar. I rocked with laughter.
This was in 1995 when, after nearly seven years of working, my monthly
salary was around 60k or so. I will not forget how my mother reacted when
she found out how much I was paying for her granddaughter's termly fees.
"Did your university tuition cost that much?", she asked despairingly.

 

Of course, it did, but not by a lot. As I held that rusty receipt in my hand
on that day, the shock and despair in my mother's face about how prices had
gone up and how things had changed, for the worse, flooded my mind.

 

Yet, within three decades of my mother showing concern, the joke was on me.
By this time, it is no longer a laughing matter.

 

"Ilu le o...!"

 

I had somehow managed to find out how much my daughter was paying for my
granddaughter's fees in a school certainly more upscale than the one she
attended, but by my reckoning, unlikely to be among the A-List schools in
her part of town.

 

 

What she was paying for my granddaughter's kindergarten per term was roughly
ten times my salary after seven years of working. I couldn't help wondering
what my mother would have said or done if she had lived to see the school
fees of her great-granddaughter, a kid enrolled barely out of her diapers!
And this was only three years ago.

 

Many things in the old files in my closet reminded me of how the times are
changing. When I think of Victor Olaiya's famous highlife song, "Ilu le o!"
(literally meaning, "Country is hard!") released over 40 years ago, which
was supposed to have captured the misery of men and women complaining about
the hard times, I wonder exactly what the moaning was about.

 

Nuts for the rich

 

 

A few days ago, I had a conversation with my local cashew nut seller. I had
been buying cashew nuts from her since when a bottle cost N800, which was
not up to four years ago. Slowly, but steadily, the price climbed to N1,000,
then N1,200, then N1,500 and before you could say, "cashew," it became
N4,000 per bottle - roughly the cost of my daughter's one-term school fee in
the late 1990s.

 

This was how the BBC report described it: "A standard 50kg bag of rice,
which could help feed a household of between eight and 10 for about a month,
now costs N77,000," that is, about double the price last December. The
prices of other staples, such as beans, garri, maize and millet have also
gone up, costing the average worker two months' minimum wage for a bag.

 

How do you buy a bottle of nuts for N4,000? Perhaps because I drive a big
car - which is a Tokunbo, by the way - the nut seller thought she had me
hooked; that I should be able to afford the nuts, whatever the price. Well,
she was mistaken and I told her so. Of course, she pleaded that it was not
her fault, that it was - you guessed right - the exchange rate! Dollar or
not, I won't buy cashew nuts now priced as luxury items.

 

Of course, I know about the fibre, protein and healthy fats that come from
cashew nuts, not to mention blood sugar control, heart health and weight
loss. But at 72.5 kilogrammes, and with the gift of a stature that can eat
both pounded yam and mortar without them showing, why should I lose sleep
over weight? Whatever cashew nut offers, especially in fibre, I will get
from sweet potatoes.

 

But cashew nuts are not the whole story of this cost-of-living crisis. Even
potatoes have doubled in price. According to a BBC report, prices in Nigeria
are rising at their fastest rates ever in the last 30 years.

 

This was how the BBC report described it: "A standard 50kg bag of rice,
which could help feed a household of between eight and 10 for about a month,
now costs N77,000," that is, about double the price last December. The
prices of other staples, such as beans, garri, maize and millet have also
gone up, costing the average worker two months' minimum wage for a bag.

 

Portion control

 

Portion control was a frequent point of argument in my house. It's a problem
with men, of course; but it's worse with African women brought up to believe
that the proof of spousal care is in the size of the husband's weight,
measured by the amount of food on his plate. It is considered taboo in many
places, especially in the South of Nigeria, for example, for a man's plate
of soup to have only one piece of meat or fish. Or for his dough, famously
called swallow, to appear miserly.

 

This well-intended culture of culinary excess is captured in Chinua Achebe's
Things Fall Apart, where the story is told of a wealthy man who gave a feast
at which guests on one side of the table did not see those on the other side
from morning until night when they managed to level the mountain of food set
before them during the new yam festival.

 

 

If, however, Okonkwo's guests were living in today's Nigeria, where a sachet
of water in a 50cl plastic bag costs N20, more than twice the price last
year, they would be lucky to find enough water to drink after a meal of
afafata, chaff of rice grain, which is now a staple in parts of Northern
Nigeria.

 

My point about portion control is that after years of struggling to convince
my wife, and often the female domestic staff, that measurements and smaller
food portions, including far fewer pieces of protein in my meals don't mean
lack of care, the cost-of-living crisis is finally driving the point home!

 

Of course, it's not a uniquely Nigerian problem. From New Zealand to Nepal,
countries around the world have been battling with serious cost-of-living
crises. These crises is a combination of factors ranging from COVID-19 and
the supply chain problems that followed, to the war in Ukraine and extreme
climate changes across the world.

 

As for other things, such as the cost of petrol and other energy costs,
which increased by 216 per cent from N195 per litre after the removal of
subsidy last May, I threatened to buy a bicycle to augment my transportation
cost, before a concerned staff warned me of the risk of cycling nearly 15
kilometres to work across two major highways.

 

There is, however, one area of adjustment, which after futilely struggling
to contain without luck, I have decided to seek "divine intervention" for,
as we say: My BP medication. In a country where less than five per cent of
the population have health insurance and the rest pay out-of-pocket for
treatment, persons with underlying medical conditions have been badly hit by
the current inflation rate of 28.9 per cent.

 

It's not a laughing matter. Last year, for example, a packet of Co-Diovan
80/12.5mgs, my recommended BP management medicine, cost about N8,000. Now,
it is N24,000 and still rising for the same packet which lasts 28 days.

 

Trouble in the World

 

Of course, it's not a uniquely Nigerian problem. From New Zealand to Nepal,
countries around the world have been battling with serious cost-of-living
crises. These crises is a combination of factors ranging from COVID-19 and
the supply chain problems that followed, to the war in Ukraine and extreme
climate changes across the world.

 

In fact, Nigeria is not listed among the 10 African countries with the
highest cost of living - a list that features Senegal at the top, with
others such as Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Cameroon and Kenya,
among others.

 

Just like economic problems imitate physical diseases, countries with
underlying structural problems have been the worst hit. The difference from
place to place, however, has been in how leaders repair trust and mobilise
resources in response.

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu campaigned for his current job knowing full well
there won't be a honeymoon from day one. I'll need to file something
urgently in my closet that my granddaughter might see someday to show that
my vote for him was not a mistake.

 

Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP.

 

- Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Cocoa Prices Surge to Record High On Naira Depreciation

Nigerian cocoa farmers and exporters are reaping big as global cocoa prices
hit record high, thanks to the steep naira devaluation that has resulted in
a sharp increase in the naira income from the export of the beans.

 

The cost of cocoa - the key ingredient for making chocolate - has almost
doubled since the start of the year, and quoted prices on the Internal Cocoa
Organisation's website reached a new historic high of US$5,874 a ton on
February 8.

 

This is because bad weather has battered harvest in top West African growers
- Ivory Coast and Ghana, causing a supply shortfall and sending prices
surging.

 

 

Locally, prices are also surging as the naira continues on a free fall
hitting N1,534 at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on
Monday, data from FMDQ showed.

 

Findings show that the local price of cocoa per ton at Matori cocoa
warehouse in Lagos was N8 million per ton on Wednesday, 14 February, a 344
percent increase when compared to N1.8 million per ton in December of 2023.

 

Mufutau Abolarinwa, national president of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria,
said cocoa farmers and exporters are cashing out from the record surge in
global prices of the commodities.

 

"As we speak, the farm-gate price is between N6.5 and N 7 million. We are
still in the main-crop season ending early March," Abolarinwa said.

 

"This is one of the times that we cocoa farmers are proud of our
profession," he added.

 

Lawrence Afere, the founder and CEO of Springboard Farmers' Co-operative of
Nigeria, said some farmers are mopping up the beans from neighbouring West
African countries to sell to exporters.

 

"This is one of the moments that it is exciting to be a cocoa farmer as
prices keep surging daily," he said.

 

"The naira devaluation and surge in global prices owing to a shortfall from
top producers is benefitting cocoa farmers greatly. Exporters are exporting
a ton between N8 and N8.5 million," he added.

 

Nigeria, the world's fourth-largest cocoa producer and supplier, saw the
value of its global supply decline by 3.4 percent to 280,000 metric tonnes
in the 2022-2023 season, according to the International Cocoa Organisation's
latest data on global production (ICCO).

 

However, the cocoa association is optimistic that the country will increase
its production output for the 2023-2024 cocoa season.

 

"With what we are seeing now, we expect an increased output next month when
the mid-crop season commences," said Sayina Rima, former cocoa association
national president from his Ikom farm in Cross River State.

 

"Farmers are happy that prices are surging," he said, adding that several
farmers are now expanding production as it is more profitable growing the
commodity.

 

He urged the Tinubu government to support the cocoa industry so that farmers
can help the country generate its much-needed foreign exchange.

 

The country has two cocoa harvest seasons which include the smaller mid-crop
from April to June, and the main crop from October to December.

 

The main crop accounts for about 70 per cent of Nigeria's cocoa output while
the mid-crop accounts for 30 per cent of the total production for the
season.

 

Nigeria exported agricultural products valued at N798.5 billion in the first
nine months of 2023, according to data from the country's foreign trade
report.

 

Out of the total agricultural products exported in the first nine months of
2023, cocoa accounted for 26.23 per cent within the period.

 

The commodity was mainly exported to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
Indonesia, the United States, Malaysia, and Canada, and Italy.

 

- Leadership.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria to Remove 'Political Farmers' From Database

According to him, only genuine farmers will benefit from
government-subsidised interventions.

 

The federal government, on Wednesday, announced that it is making efforts to
modify farmers' databases to get rid of "political farmers" as it plans to
kick off the second phase of dry season farming.

 

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed
this in a maiden press briefing organised by the Minister of Information and
National Orientation to regain public confidence.

 

According to him, only genuine farmers will benefit from
government-subsidised interventions.

 

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Bola Tinubu administration earlier announced
that a lot of agricultural policies meant for farmers were enjoyed by
'political farmers': persons linked to politicians but who were not real
farmers.

 

Last year, the ministry launched the first phase of dry season farming under
the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) project. The
first phase focused on 15 wheat-growing states.

 

 

I50,000 hectares of rice to be cultivated in second phase

 

Mr Kyari said following a key evaluation of the first phase of dry season
farming, measures have been taken to ensure the success of the subsequent
phase.

 

He said 150,000 hectares of rice would be cultivated during the second
phase, noting that 300,000 genuine farmers are targeted for this. The
farmers, he said, would benefit from the government's subsidised
interventions such as fertilisers, herbicides and micronutrients among
others.

 

According to him, the farmers would get three bags of these agro-inputs for
free after purchasing half bags.

 

In addition, he said, 30,000 hectares of maize would be cultivated across
the 36 states of the federation. The minister expressed optimism, noting
that some state governors have shown interest in the scheme.

 

 

Mr Kyari also clarified that 42,000 metric tonnes of grains earmarked for
distribution to vulnerable households would be at no cost.

 

"The 42,000 metric tonnes of food from the national food reserves is free,"
he clarified. "We're trying to crash down the prices of food and make it
available."

 

"So these 42,000 metric tonnes of food will be given to the needy free of
charge. It would go directly to the needy at no cost at all.

 

"We've met with the DSS and NEMA to give us the index. This is to gather
intelligence on where it is needed the most, and we are going to look at
those indices," Mr Kyari added.

 

Idris unveils five-pillar agenda to regain public confidence

 

In his remarks, the information minister, Muhammed Idris, said his ministry
has developed a five-pillar agenda in line with President Bola Tinubu's
Renewed Hope vision.

 

Mr Idris said the agenda is targeted at restoring trust, amplifying policies
and programmes, reorienting national values, modernizing technology and
talent, and creating an enabling environment for the media.

 

"The Ministerial Press Briefing Series (MPBS) that we are kicking off today,
are in line with our 'Restore Trust' and 'Amplify Policies and Programmes'
pillars. This is a chance for you, the distinguished members of the press,
to engage with senior officials of the federal government, on behalf of the
good people of Nigeria," the minister told journalists.

 

"You will hear first-hand about what the federal government is doing,
policies, programmes, targets and objectives, and you will be able to ask
questions and receive relevant clarifications. We have also made efforts to
ensure that this Briefing Series receives the widest possible coverage,
through traditional and digital platforms," the minister explained.

 

Mr Idris said the ministry is "determined to restore trust, confidence and
credibility to public communications, by engaging in a timely, proactive and
consistent fashion with all our stakeholders, across government, the media,
private sector and international community, deploying all available
platforms and media."

 

He noted that the press briefing will subsequently feature other ministers
who will be brought before the press to highlight the government's efforts
in stabilising the country.

 

- Premium Times.

 

 

 

Liberia: MFDP Puts in Place Measures to Scrutinize Payrolls

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has issued an
official directive to all governmental agencies to submit their current or
dummy payrolls by the 10th of every month for thorough scrutiny and
necessary adjustments.

 

This proactive measure is said to be part of the government's commitment to
improve fiscal management and ensure the punctual disbursement of salaries
to all government employees.

 

The move, the ministry said in a statement issued Thursday, February 10,
reflects the dedication of the government to uphold transparency and
accountability within its financial operations. Agencies are instructed to
comply with the deadline set by the MFDP to facilitate a smooth process.

 

The MFDP assures all agencies that this step is crucial in enhancing the
effectiveness of payroll management, thereby ensuring that hardworking
public servants receive their salaries early and without discrepancies.

 

The Ministry noted that it appreciates the cooperation of all entities
involved and reiterates its commitment to fostering a robust and efficient
public sector for the betterment of the country.

 

- New Dawn.

 

 

 

 

UK economy fell into recession after people cut spending

People spending less, doctors' strikes and a fall in school attendance
dragged the UK into recession at the end of last year, official figures
show.

 

The economy shrank by a larger than expected 0.3% between October and
December, after it had already contracted between July and September.

 

The UK is in recession if it fails to grow for two successive quarters.

 

The figures raise questions over whether Rishi Sunak has met his pledge made
last January to grow the economy.

 

The government has never publicly said what measure should be used to assess
if it had met the Prime Minister's pledge, despite repeated requests.

 

In some private briefings to journalists, sources said it would be if the
economy was bigger between October and December compared to the previous
three months.

 

But based on that measure, Mr Sunak's promise has not been fulfilled because
the UK economy shrank by 0.1% in July to September.

 

For the whole of 2023, the UK economy grew by 0.1%.

 

Nevertheless, excluding the Covid years, that annual growth figure is the
weakest since 2009 when the UK and other major economies were reeling from
the global financial crisis when bank lending almost ground to a halt.

 

What is a recession and how could it affect me?

Faisal Islam: Should we care that the UK is in recession?

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the latest figures showed that Mr
Sunak's pledge to grow the economy was "in tatters".

 

The UK is not alone in facing economic pressure. The European Union narrowly
avoided recession in the second half of 2023 while Japan confirmed its
economy had contracted for a second quarter.

 

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were a number of areas
where economy faltered at the end of the year. Shoppers spent less in
December after taking advantage of Black Friday sales in November.

 

The health sector was affected by strike action by junior doctors while
attendance levels at schools dropped by 1%.

 

Gross domestic product (GDP) is a key measure of all the economic activity
of companies, the government, the public sector and individuals in a
country.

 

The government can use growing GDP as evidence that it is doing a good job
of managing the economy. Likewise, if GDP falls, opposition politicians can
suggest the government is running it badly.

 

If GDP is going up steadily, people pay more in tax because they're earning
and spending more. This means more money for the government that it can
choose to spend on public services, such as schools, police and hospitals.

 

Governments also like to keep an eye on how much they are borrowing in
relation to the size of the economy.

 

Treasury sources have confirmed to BBC News that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is
looking at a larger squeeze on public spending as a way to deliver tax cuts
in the Budget on 6 March.

 

Forecasts for the public finances have materially deteriorated in recent
weeks as interest costs on UK government borrowing have increased. Final
decisions on the Budget have not been made.

 

Commenting on whether or not Mr Sunak had fulfilled his pledge to grow the
economy, Mr Hunt told the BBC: "When the Prime Minister made his commitment
he was very clear, tackling inflation had to come first.

 

"The big picture is that actually since then the economy has been more
resilient, unemployment has stayed low, real wages have been rising now for
six months. And if we stick to our guns now, we can see light at the end of
the tunnel."

 

Figures earlier this week showed wage growth had slowed, but was still
outpacing price rises. Meanwhile, inflation - the rate at which prices rise
- was lower than expected in January with monthly food prices falling for
the first time in over two years. However, it is still double the Bank of
England's 2% target.

 

'Mild recession'

Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said "this
recession is as mild as they come", adding that the data "is more
politically significant than it is economically".

 

However, Lord Rose, chairman of Asda, the supermarket group, told BBC Radio
4's Today programme: "It looks like a duck, it quacks like a duck, it walks
like a duck, it is a duck - it is a recession.

 

"There is no surprise here and I take no pleasure in saying there is no
surprise that we're in it. We've got a low growth economy or a no growth
economy."

 

Official figures from the ONS showed that during the final three months of
last year, there was a slowdown in all the main sectors it measures to
determine the health of the UK economy, including construction and
manufacturing.

 

Mark Keyes, construction director at building firm Bennett, said last year
had been "turbulent".

 

"We were still feeling the ripple effects of inflation running through the
industry, and then that was, in a way, compounded with rising interest
rates," he said.

 

Mark Keyes, construction director at building firm Bennett

Image caption,

Last year was "turbulent", according to Mark Keyes, construction director at
building firm Bennett

The Bank of England had been lifting interest rates to put the brakes on
inflation but has kept them at 5.25% since August last year.

 

Mr Hunt said: "While interest rates are high - so the Bank of England can
bring inflation down - low growth is not a surprise."

 

But he said he believed the economy was "turning a corner", while Mr Keyes
said there were signs of optimism in the construction industry.

 

"I suppose you look at the start of the year compared to the start of last
year, there definitely is an uptake in inquiries," said. "I suppose the air
of optimism is there, albeit a glimmer of light at the end of the
tunnel."-bbc

 

 

 

 

 

Whisky takes a shot at China's baijiu-dominated market

The Lunar New Year is traditionally a time for gathering with family and
friends to eat and drink.

 

And for hundreds of years the drink of choice in China for these
celebrations has been baijiu - a clear spirit made with fermented grains
which packs a potent punch.

 

Baijiu is also often drunk straight and at social events such as weddings
and birthdays.

 

Its Alcohol-By-Volume (ABV) can top 60% - in comparison spirits like scotch
whisky and tequila typically have an ABV of around 40%.

 

"Baijiu certainly still has its place in Chinese liquor consumption, even
among young consumers," says Allison Malmsten, public research director at
Daxue Consulting.

 

It accounts for well over 90% of China's spirits sales, with annual sales of
around $160bn (£127bn).

 

However, in recent times drinks from abroad have been growing in popularity
in what is the world's biggest spirits market.

 

Brand new story

In 2022, sales of whisky in China were valued at $2.3bn, according to market
research firm Euromonitor International.

 

That figure is expected to almost triple by 2027 as the whisky market there
is expected to grow at around five times the rate seen globally.

 

Those sales are being driven by young, middle class, urban, educated and
increasingly female drinkers.

 

Many of them are shunning baijiu in favour of less alcoholic spirits from
outside China, according to Ms Malmsten.

 

The growth in demand for whisky in particular, has helped encourage
international brands to open distilleries across China.

 

Bottles of whisky at a shop at the Pernod Ricard Chuan Malt Whisky
Distillery in Emeishan, Sichuan Province, China.

-

Amongst them is French drinks giant Pernod-Ricard, which owns the Jameson
Irish whiskey brand as well as Beefeater Gin and Absolut Vodka. It is
investing $140m in a production base near Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province,
Southwest China.

 

UK-based rival Diageo also opened a plant in the Yunnan Province in December
and is currently trialling production with plans to be fully up and running
later this year. The company is also opening an Asia-Pacific Innovation hub
in Shanghai.

 

"We are here for a long-term play," Managing Director for Diageo in China
Atul Chhaparwal told the BBC.

 

He is bullish about the market, saying the demand is so strong that is space
for everyone.

 

"Given the vibrancy of the overall whiskey category in China, there will be
enough space for single malts, for blended whiskies, for local players, for
imported whiskey, to grow," he says.

 

"Whiskey currently makes up less than 2% of the total spirits consumed in
China, which indicates that how much room headroom everyone has to play in
here," he adds.

 

That includes homegrown distilleries which have sprung up across the
country. Pernod estimates there are between 30 and 50, with many still being
built.

 

The whisky market is also expanding in other parts of Asia.

 

"The growth is immense", spirits retailer Maison du Whisky's Jamie Li told
the BBC in the French company's store in Singapore.

 

Person places whisky in tumbler on bar with drinks bottles.

Image caption,

In 2022, sales of whisky in China were valued at $2.3bn

Mr Li, who heads sales to South Korea, Japan and China expects to see a
boost during the Lunar New Year as Chinese tourists visit Singapore.

 

"Chinese New Year is kind of like Christmas in Europe - it's festive, people
want to spend money, buy nice gifts and have something memorable. So whisky
is part of their memory," he says.

 

There is also a growing number of collectors who "buy and hold" bottles of
whisky which are expected to rise in value.

 

But it's not all smooth sailing for China's whisky market warns Ms Malmsten.

 

"The local distilleries are still in the early stages. 80% of the whisky has
only been aged for two years or less. There's a lack of barrels and a lack
of professionals to help with production," she says.

 

Still, if the success of China's wine industry is anything to go by, 'watch
this space' when it comes to whisky.

 

"What we saw with China's wine industry is that once it started to mature,
the demand for Chinese wines skyrocketed. In our recent survey, we found
that after French wines, Chinese wines are the second most preferred," Ms
Malmsten says.

 

"As China's whisky production matures, we might see a similar rise in demand
for domestically produced whisky as well."-bbc

 

 

 

 

X accused of taking payments from terrorists

Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, granted subscription perks to designated
terrorist groups and others barred from operating in the US, according to
campaigners.

 

The Tech Transparency Project (TTP) found X had granted blue check marks to
accounts tied to Hezbollah members, among others.

 

For $8 (£6.40) a month, a tick allows longer posts and better promotion.

 

X removed some ticks after the report, saying its security was "robust".

 

Mr Musk's decision to charge for check marks was one of the most
controversial changes he made after he bought Twitter in 2022, with critics
saying the move would make issues of disinformation worse, opening the
platform to impersonators.

 

The badge was previously free, meant to indicate that the social media
platform had verified the identity behind the account.

 

Many of the recipients were journalists, as well as world leaders and
celebrities.

 

In some cases, those included people facing sanctions in the US, which
opened the company to criticism that it was giving a platform to the wrong
people and accusations that it was breaking US sanctions law.

 

Now that the system is paid, however, "X may be raising new legal issues,"
the Tech Transparency Project said.

 

It said X had removed the ticks from the accounts it had identified after
its report was published.

 

The TTP said an account run by Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, had also
seemingly paid for its blue check mark. The check mark has now been removed.
The account has over 23,000 followers. The Houthis are sanctioned in both
the US and UK. The UK government says on its website that it has sanctioned
the Houthis "to disrupt their ability to attack international shipping in
the Red Sea, and to promote Yemen's peace, stability and security".

 

The US Treasury, which outlines organisations the US will not trade with,
did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

 

"The U.S. imposes sanctions on individuals, groups, and countries deemed to
be a threat to national security. Elon Musk's X appears to be selling
premium service to some of them", the TTP wrote in its report.

 

"A blue checkmark account that bears the name and profile image of Hassan
Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, also indicates it is 'ID
verified', a service that X offers to premium subscribers as a way to
prevent impersonation. X requires users to submit a government-issued ID and
a selfie to get verified in this way, though it is unclear if Nasrallah did
so", it added.

 

Posting on X, the firm's team in charge of safety wrote that its
subscription process was "adhering to legal obligations", and was
independently screened by X's payment providers.

 

"Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not
directly named on sanction lists, while some others may have visible account
check marks without receiving any services that would be subject to
sanctions", X wrote, adding that the firm would "take action if necessary"
after reviewing TTP's report.

 

The TTP responded to the post saying even though some of the organisations
were not named on the US sanctions list, they were owned by entities that
are under US sanctions.

 

The director of the TTP Katie Paul told the New York Times that it was a
sign that X had "lost control of its platform".

 

The owner of X, Elon Musk - who is also the chief executive of Tesla and one
of the world's richest people - has previously said that he wants the social
media platform to be like a "town square", advocating the right to free
speech, while also removing illegal content.

 

But some decisions following Mr Musk's takeover of X have been
controversial, including the reinstatement of rapper Kanye West's account in
2023 after an almost eight-month ban over offensive posts including
antisemitic comments.

 

The TTP identified other accounts that had seemingly paid-for subscription
accounts, including one belonging to NTV, a state-controlled television
channel in Russia. The US made trade with Russia illegal after its invasion
of Ukraine.-bbc

 

 

 

 

The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beer

Joe Thomson stands surveying his shiny brewery from the elevated glass
fronted taproom.

 

At one end of Firebrand Brewing Company's factory stand four towering 9,000
litre vessels, a recent purchase to help meet growing demand for
non-alcoholic beer.

 

"We weren't sure what to expect when we launched our first non-alcoholic
beer, Shorebreak, in 2022, but it is now our biggest selling canned beer by
a long way," he says.

 

Firebrand, which sits in an industrial estate not far from the wilds of
Bodmin Moor in Launceston, Cornwall, reflects a much wider trend.

 

Mintel estimates that retail sales value of low and no-alcohol beer in the
UK grew by 28.7% and volume sales by 18.8% over 2021-23.

 

The keen appetite for a healthier, non-alcoholic alternative to traditional
beer is fuelling innovation as brands explore ways to mimic the taste of
traditional beer.

 

Alcohol gives beer a sweet, warming, full-bodied taste, as well as affecting
how other flavour compounds evaporate, resulting in its distinctive flavour.
So, removing it presents a challenge.

 

"With alcohol free beer you are breaking the rules. You have to find
creative ways to brew a tasty balanced beer," says Mr Thomson.

 

One of the most widely used approaches to brewing non-alcoholic beer is
arrested fermentation, which either removes the yeast or stops the yeast
from becoming active.

 

Firebrand does that by adding less malted barley - the main source of sugar
which ferments into alcohol.

 

"In a normal mash we might add 400kg of barley whereas in our non-alcoholic
beer there is more like 25kg. The challenge is how you still achieve that
flavour. It's about manipulating unfermented sugars and ingredients as well
as temperatures to give the sensation of beer," explains Mr Thomas.

 

Another UK-based brewer, Impossibrew, which specialises in non-alcoholic
beers, uses a different means of arrested fermentation. "We brew it in such
a way that we can cryogenically stop the fermentation process," says
founder, Mark Wong.

 

"By suddenly putting it in a very cold state, parts of the process are
halted and parts of the process are activated to make sure the flavour is
retained," says Mr Wong.

 

Impossibrew also adds its "proprietary social blend", a mix of nootropic
herbs designed to imitate the feeling of relaxation induced by traditional
beer. It is a precise blend developed in collaboration with Professor Paul
Chazot at Durham University's Biophysical Sciences Institute.

 

Nootropics are natural compounds - billed as "smart drugs" - which improve
cognitive functions.

 

Including them, Mr Wong says, adds to the challenge: "Our social blend
doesn't enhance flavours so we have to work extra hard to make sure the
flavour aspect of the beer is as close to the beer experience as possible."

 

Bigger breweries such as Heineken tend to use vacuum distillation, which
requires costly technology, to produce pallet-pleasing non-alcoholic beer.
This process reduces the atmospheric pressure, lowering alcohol's boiling
point and allowing the beer to be heated to a warm temperature to retain
taste while evaporating the alcohol. But because alcohol is removed, there
is still a lower concentration of flavour compounds.

 

Willem van Waesberghe is the global master brewer at Heineken. He says to
produce Heineken 0.0 the company uses almost the same ingredients as
traditional Heineken but with less malt, before removing the alcohol using
vacuum distillation.

 

The flavours lost during evaporation are added afterwards. "There are five
fruit esters, or aroma compounds, which are very typical for Heineken, and
we know which ones to bring back," says Mr van Waesberghe.

 

"This is where the trick is: Heineken and Heineken 0.0 aren't the same
taste, but the flavour and aroma profile is very close, and we try to make
the brain think it is the same."

 

 

Another innovation being seen in the non-alcoholic beer space is aroma
capture during vacuum distillation. Shane McNamara, who is responsible for
beer education at brewing giant AB InBev, says this has marked a significant
advancement in flavour preservation.

 

"In earlier methods, much of the beer's aroma was lost during the process.
Now, brewers can capture and reintroduce these aromatic compounds into the
beer. This technique ensures that the distinctive aromas, which are integral
to the beer's overall sensory experience, are retained."

 

Luke Boase, the founder of non-alcoholic beer brand, Lucky Saint, which
launched just over five years ago, spent two years working with six
breweries in three countries to test different processes, ultimately
investing in vacuum distillation.

 

"Fundamentally we adhere to the 'Reinheitsgebot' German purity law [where it
is brewed] which says you can only brew with the four ingredients which you
are supposed to find in lager - nothing else," says Mr Boase.

 

"But the beer we put through de-alcoholisation isn't brewed to be a
full-strength beer, it is brewed with the knowledge that there will be an
additional process which will have lots of different effects. So, a lot of
work goes into the upfront brewing process."

 

Other brands may be tapping into the recent development of specialised yeast
strains capable of fermenting while producing very little alcohol. As Mr
McNamara says, "This innovation allows for the full fermentation process,
enhancing flavour profiles without significant alcohol content."

 

Some brewers want to keep their techniques secret.

 

Bill Shufelt and John Walker, founders of US-based Athletic Brewing Company,
which launched in the UK in 2022, are cagey about their process, other than
to state that they don't remove or add any ingredients, making a fully
fermented no-alcohol product.

 

Mr Shufelt says, "We decided to do it using a totally different process to
everyone else."

 

The pair deemed their approach unique enough to justify having their own
breweries. The company now has 200-barrel breweries in Connecticut and San
Diego.

 

Brewers large and small are combining centuries of learning with new
technologies to capture a share of this growing market, but Alice Baker,
senior research analyst, Mintel says brands could push further.

 

"We believe the sector will grow and alcohol free beer brands will use
fortification to stretch into the health space, ie added vitamins for a
health halo, relaxing ingredients, and added protein and electrolytes for
post sports recovery."-bbc

 

 

 

 

Google joins mission to map methane from space

Tech giant Google is backing a satellite project due to launch in March
which will collect data about methane levels around the world.

 

The new satellite will orbit 300 miles about the Earth, 15 times per day.

 

Methane gas is believed by scientists to be a major contributor to global
warming, because it traps in heat.

 

A lot of methane is produced by farming and waste disposal, but the Google
project will focus on methane emissions at oil and gas plants.

 

Firms extracting oil and gas regularly burn or vent methane.

 

The new project is a collaboration between Google and the Environmental
Defense Fund, a non-profit global climate group.

 

The data captured by the satellite will be processed by the tech giant's
artificial intelligence tools and used to generate a methane map aimed at
identifying methane leaks on oil and gas infrastructure around the world.

 

But the firm said if it identified a significant leak it would not
specifically notify the company which owned the infrastructure responsible
for it.

 

"Our job is to make information available," it said, adding that governments
and regulators would be among those with access to it and it would be for
them to force any changes."

 

There is no international rule on controlling methane emissions. The EU has
agreed a set of proposals aimed at reducing them, which includes forcing oil
and gas operators to repair leaks. In the coal sector, flaring will be
banned in member states from 2025.

 

Google's map, which will be published on its Earth Engine, will not be in
real time, with data sent back from the satellite every few weeks.

 

In 2017, the European Space Agency launched a similar satellite instrument
called Tropomi, which charts the presence of trace gases in the atmosphere,
including methane.

 

It was a mission with a minimum seven-year life span, which means it could
end this year.

 

Carbon Mapper, which uses Tropomi data, released a report in 2022 indicating
that the biggest methane plumes were seen in Turkmenistan, Russia and the US
- but cloud cover meant the data did not include Canada or China.

 

Google said it hoped its project would "fill gaps between existing tools".

 

Close-up image of cows

-

Despite various tracking efforts, methane levels remain concerningly high.

 

Nasa says levels of the gas have more than doubled in the last 200 years,
and that 60% of it is created by human activity.

 

A major contributor to that percentage is livestock: specifically cows.
Because of the way they digest their food, cow burps and farts contain
methane.

 

In 2020 the US Environmental Protection Agency published a report that said
a single cow could produce 154-264 pounds of methane gas every year. It
added that there were believed to be about 1.5 billion cows raised for their
meat worldwide.

 

"Satellites are great for finding the really big, massive culprits" of
methane emissions, said Peter Thorne, professor of physical geography at
Maynooth University in Ireland.

 

But detecting more diffuse methane sources, such as those emanating from
agriculture, is more difficult, he added.-bbc

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 Invest Wisely!

Bulls n Bears 

 

Cellphone:         +263 71 944 1674 | +27 79 993 5557 

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INVESTORS DIARY 2024

 


Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

 


 

Robert Gabriel Mugabe Youth Day

 

Feb 21

 


Nampak

AGM

Virtual (FTS Platform)

28 Feb 9am

 


Art

AGM

virtual (escrow platform)

March 7. 2:30

 


 

2024 auction tobacco marketing season opens

 

13 march

 


 

Good Friday

 

march 29

 


 

Easter Monday

 

1 April

 


 

Independence Day

 

April 18

 


 

Workers day

 

1 May

 


Companies under Cautionary

 

 

 


 

 

 

 


CBZH

GetBucks

EcoCash

 


Padenga

Econet

RTG

 


Fidelity

TSL

FMHL

 


 

 

 

 


 <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> 

 


 

 


DISCLAIMER: This report has been prepared by Bulls ‘n Bears, a division of
Faith Capital (Pvt) Ltd for general information purposes only and does not
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or
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been compiled from s believed to be reliable, but no representation or
warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All
opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without
notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be
suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth
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investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of
any companies referred to in this report. Other  Indices quoted herein are
for guideline purposes only and d from third parties.

 


 

 


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