Climate Finance for Smallholders: Uganda is set to receive about $200m (Shs755bn) under IFAD’s ARCAFIM, a 12-year private-sector-led scheme for climate adaptation in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, targeting 260,000 smallholders and rural MSMEs with irrigation, water harvesting, resilient livestock, post-harvest storage and renewable energy. Food Prices Under Pressure: FAO reports global food prices rose in August to the highest level since late 2022, driven by weather shocks, El Niño concerns and conflict-linked supply disruptions, with cereals and oils among the biggest movers. Drought Relief Calls in Europe: Visegrad countries urged the EU to coordinate drought relief, citing major crop and feed losses that threaten dairy and breeding sectors. Farmer Livelihoods Hit by El Niño: India’s Nilgiris tea belt faces a sharp drop in green leaf supply as heat and drought cut production, raising fears for tea powder output and smallholder incomes. Agritech Prize for Finance Access: Uganda’s SANDI AI won the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize (US$50,000/around Shs190m) to expand AI tools that connect smallholders to loans. Seed Saving for Resilience: The Philippines’ DA collected 300 heirloom rice varieties from Palawan indigenous communities for preservation and pest-resistant distribution via PhilRice. Rural Energy Meets Farming: Solar pumps and agrivoltaics are spreading in rural India and Texas, helping farmers reduce fuel dependence and keep land in agricultural use.