The European Union’s plan to reduce the bloc’s natural gas use by 15% to prepare for a potential cutoff by Russia this winter received sharp skepticism on Thursday from the governments of Spain and Portugal, which are usually big supporters of the bloc.

The governments in Madrid and Lisbon said they would not support the initiative announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday. The proposal would start with voluntary reductions, but the EU’s head office also wants the power to make 15% savings mandatory in the event of an EU-wide energy emergency.

Spain and Portugal said making reductions obligatory was a non-starter. They noted that there are scant energy connections linking them to the rest of Europe and that they use very little Russian gas compared to fellow EU members such as Germany and Italy.

Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said, “We will defend European values, but we won’t accept a sacrifice regarding an issue that we have not even been allowed to give our opinion on,”

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has injected a total US$25, 65 million grant drawn from the Transition Support Facility. This is to enhance domestic food production and mitigate against possible food crisis in Zimbabwe.

The funds were drawn from the African Development Fund, a concessional arm of the AfDB Group which granted the country an exemption from debt-related eligibility criteria, given the severity of its circumstances.

Under normal circumstances the Southern Africa nation would not qualify for the grant because it remains in arrears.

The development comes shortly after the AfDB president, Akinwumi Adesina committed to assist Zimbabwe with a strategy to clear off its US$13,5 billion debt owed to external financiers.

A fortnight ago, the World Food Program added Zimbabwe to the list of countries with hunger hotspots following a bad agricultural season due to poor rains received last year.

“This $25.65 million project aims to mitigate the food insecurity situation in Zimbabwe, which results from a poor agriculture season due to rainfall deficits and the impacts of the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The conflict has contributed to a sharp rise in commodity prices, including food and farm inputs, such as fertilizer and seed.

“This project is in line with the Bank’s Zimbabwe strategy to support the private sector and agriculture productivity and sustainability as well as developing related value chains,” said Leila Mokaddem, the Bank’s Director General in southern Africa.

Under the initiative , the African Emergency Food Production Facility will distribute certified seeds and fertilizer to 180,000 beneficiaries, including around 70,000 women, in the eight farming provinces of Zimbabwe, namely Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and the Midlands.

It will make use of ICT-based platforms and the existing private sector-based distribution channels.

The farming inputs will be delivered to beneficiary farmers through innovative financing, using a transparent and accountable electronic platform. To improve efficiency and productivity, it will employ extension systems based on the AfDB’s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (TAAT), which has boosted agricultural output in several countries.

The World Food Program has identified Zimbabwe as one of 20 countries globally that need the most urgent support due to rainfall deficits that cut 2022 cereal production below average and caused permanent crop wilting in four provinces.

The project will also support the Zimbabwean government’s implementation of agriculture and trade policy reforms that create an enabling environment to support market-led input distribution and import and export markets.

Effective Thursday July 21, Bakers, under the aegis of the Premium Bread Makers Association of Nigeria  announced to halt production of their products,.

According to a statement signed by the President of the association, Emmanuel Onuorah, operating a bakery in Nigeria has become almost impossible as the incessant increases in the prices of baking materials and diesel have affected the industry negatively.

The Association President said bakeries were running in losses and the situation was no longer sustainable.

According to Onuorah , bread is a staple food and one of the cheapest ‘grab and go’ food that is available for both the poor and the rich.

“It, therefore, behooves the Federal Government to be mindful of this and ensure the survival and sustainability of the industry,” he said.

The statement read in part, “In a move to ensure the survival of the premium bread-making industry in Nigeria, we have decided to embark on a withdrawal of services beginning from Thursday 21st of July, 2022 for four days in the first instance and where there is no intervention from the government, we shall escalate the duration of the withdrawal.”

“The reasons for the withdrawal of services include an incessant increase in the price of baking materials, Federal Government’s 15 per cent wheat development levy on wheat import, NAFDAC’s N154,000 penalty charged for late renewal of certificates, the inability of its members to access grants and soft loans being given by the Central Bank of Nigeria to Micro, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises and multi-agencies regulation of the bread-making industry.”

According to the statement, the association’s series of meetings with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in 2021 did not the desired result hence its decision to embark on the strike.

Last month, the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria via a communique issued, and signed by the association’s executives, led by Mansur Umar, had declared that it would embark on two-week strike action in response to skyrocketing prices of baking materials.