ATP and CropLife Africa Middle East hold workshops to increase farmers’ productivity in West Africa

March 3, 2010 No comments yet

In West Africa, a history of deficiencies in maize production is being addressed by a series of workshops to educate farmers on sustainable crop and natural resource management.
A partnership between the USAID-funded Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (ATP) project and CropLife Africa Middle East was set up last year to help farmers in the West African

Wireless Reach Programme Looks to Bring Phones to Rural Farmers in Indonesia

January 15, 2010 No comments yet

Although research into agricultural development is extensive, and markets continually evolve, this information doesn’t often reach the farmers who could benefit most from it.
In remote areas of many developing countries, lack of access to telecommunications means that farmers either struggle to keep up-to-date market and agronomic information, or they are forced to spend time and

Supporting Rural Development in Guatemala

November 12, 2009 1 comment

In the Cuchumatanes Highlands in Guatemala, The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has been supporting a rural community development project.
The project aims to improve the livelihoods of 22,000 families with incomes below the poverty line. A needs analysis demonstrated that one of the problems in the area was poor handling and application of crop

Training Courses in Vietnam Use Contests, Storytelling to Reach Out to Farmers

October 28, 2009 1 comment

Vegetable production is very important to Vietnam’s economy, with many farmers seeking access to export markets as a means of improving their livelihoods. However, meeting quality requirements for export produce can be a challenge for farmers.
As a response to this issue, the Plant Protection Department (PPD) of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in

New Research Maps Critical Drought-tolerant Molecular Structure

October 27, 2009 2 comments

New research coming out of the Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego, has determined the molecular structure for a drought-tolerant plant hormone called abscisic acid.
In drought conditions, plants begin to produce more of this hormone, which creates a number of changes to their physical structure. Their seeds lie dormant in the

Walking on Water: Low-cost Treadle Pumps Help Indian Farmers

October 23, 2009 6 comments

The Gates Foundation has provided this video to show how one of their grantees’ low-cost treadle pumps are helping Indian farmers access irrigated water for their crops.
These water pumps are supplied by International Development Enterprises (IDE).  They are designed to be cost-effective and low-maintenance, with only one part needed to be changed each year at


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