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How can African farmers respond to the changing climate?

鈥淵ou cannot rely on the rain to do farming... The seasons have become unpredictable.鈥

鈥淵ou cannot rely on the rain to do farming. Either it鈥檚 recurring drought or if rainfall comes, it floods. The seasons have become unpredictable.鈥

Last week on Africa Daily we heard about the drought in East Africa and the flooding in South Africa 鈥 both bringing misery to millions. Basic food supply becomes difficult.

So today Mpho Lakaje speaks to Abdi Hashi, a farmer and entrepreneur in Somaliland who has set himself a task: to help the breakaway state 鈥 which currently imports 80% of its food 鈥 to become more self-sufficient. Six years ago he bought up a parcel of arid and unused land that some had deemed unfarmable. Now he has eight greenhouses and eight acres of thriving farmland 鈥 and trains other small farmers to become more productive and resilient, and less reliant on the rain.

And with the drought worsening, he tells us how his farm has become a stopping point for nomads from as far afield as Somalia and Ethiopia who are looking for water for their cattle.

Presenter: Mpho Lakaje (@mpholakaje)
Guest: Abdi Hashi (@HorngardensB)

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16 minutes

Podcast