New Agriculturist

Drought response - reduce livestock numbers

With water sources drying up and grazing resources under pressure, livestock herders in northern Kenya are being encouraged to slaughter their weaker animals. The approach is recommended by the recently published Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS), but implementing it has involved building the trust of pastoralist communities. Under a destocking programme, the communities are being paid for animals that are killed, and also receive the meat. Dan Irura, programme manager for VSF Belgium in Turkana, explains how it has worked.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=274
Article: Pastoralists suffer in East Africa

Uganda's agricultural stock-take

In 2008, Uganda carried out a national livestock census, to gather figures for its numbers of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and ducks, as well as information about production systems and farm infrastructure. Currently, the country is undertaking a full agricultural census, in order that policies can be developed to meet actual needs in farming communities. Census enumerators are using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to record the data, as Pius Sawa finds out when he visits a farm being surveyed.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=273
Article: Uganda's GPS stock-take

Hungry season - a deepening crisis

Despite countless initiatives to boost agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa, seasonal hunger continues to blight the lives of millions of families. Poor storage is just one reason behind it, with farmers losing much of their harvest to pests and damage. As a result, in the weeks and even months prior to harvest, families have to scrape by on minimal food or income. And with climate change making rainfall increasingly unpredictable in many areas, small-scale farmers seem to be more vulnerable than ever. At a recent workshop - Seasonality revisited - experts considered the best ways forward. Hungry season - a deepening crisis presents a selection of their views.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=279
Article: Uncovering seasonality

New Agriculturist podcast 2009-5

With the wheat and barley harvested, our New Agriculturist podcast comes from the fringes of a wind-swept stubble field in the UK. The seasons are on the turn, and changing seasons are also under discussion. For example, what kind of support do farmers need to cope with an increasingly unpredictable climate? Meanwhile, Uganda is busy analysing this year’s farm yields; we learn the views of field staff and the office number-crunchers on the value of conducting a national agricultural survey. And, from the shore of Lake Victoria, we hear how locally-run Beach Management Units are tackling over-harvesting, by confiscating unsuitable nets.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag09-5.mp3
Article: Editorial , Uncovering seasonality, Uganda's GPS stock-take, Net improvement for Lake Victoria

Land grabbing - the scramble for Africa

The leasing or buying of farmland by foreign governments and private investors in Africa has been described as ‘land grabbing’. There are serious concerns about the threat to smallholder farmers and the environmental impact of intensive agricultural production. But could it also work to the advantage of developing countries, as a valuable source of investment? Four experts from Africa, Europe, America and the Philippines offer their views.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=270
Article: 'Land grabbing' - opportunity or threat? , 'Land grabbing' - realising the benefits

New Agriculturist podcast 2009-4

Resourceful and full of resources: this short phrase sums up many Africans and their nations. On the shores of one of East Africa's greatest resources, the mighty Lake Victoria, Ugandan radio presenter Pius Sawa joins Susie Emmett to discuss some of the issues that feature in this edition of New Agriculturist. While rain clouds hover ahead and fishermen offload their catch, this podcast ponders the rights and wrongs of 'land grabbing' by investors from afar, hears about Pius's visit to an unusual pineapple farm on an island in the lake, and samples some exciting new forest products from Ghana and beyond.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag09-4.mp3
Article: Editorial , 'Land grabbing' - opportunity or threat?, Agarwood - the sweet smell of success, Bittersweet: going organic for pineapple in Uganda, Novel approach for Allanblackia

Joining forces for irrigation

In Kafue district, Zambia, food shortage has been the norm for eight years. Now, 126 smallholder farming families have pooled their land and leased part of it to a commercial farming company. In return for using part of the land, the company is installing irrigation equipment over the entire area, allowing the smallholders to produce maize and vegetables. This pilot project is a new way of financing small-scale farming to tackle food insecurity, but could pave the way for similar schemes elsewhere.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=265
Article: AgDevCo - a positive investment approach in difficult times

Allanblackia - high value oil from the rainforest

The seeds or nuts of the Allanblackia tree - a tall rainforest species found in West, Central and Eastern Africa - are rich in a high value oil. Superior in quality to palm oil, Allanblackia oil can be used in foods and cosmetics, and is highly sought after by businesses around the world. But uncontrolled harvesting from the wild would put the species at risk. Hence a partnership of local communities, NGOs, donors and private companies, are working so that the benefits of Allanblackia can be sustainable and offer fair rewards to local people. Domestication and propagation of fast-flowering tree seedlings are vital.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=243
Article: Novel approach for Allanblackia

New Agriculturist podcast 2009-3

At the very heart of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in Nigeria, stands a giant rain tree, whose spreading branches provide a large area of cool shade. It’s under this tree that Nigerian and Ghanaian journalists Oluyinka Alawode and Kofi Adu Domfeh sit with Susie Emmett to introduce this podcast. They reflect on their week, during which they have looked at how to improve agricultural science reporting in Africa, and met with one hundred young African agricultural scientists, who have gathered to discuss 'Sustainability in Agriculture: the way ahead'. Towards the end of the podcast, they also offer their advice on 'Making the most of the media', using tips gathered from their team of ten African print and radio journalists, who have been covering the sustainability event on behalf of New Agriculturist.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag09-3.mp3
Article: Editorial , Agricultural science - a promising future?, Cocoa video - Ghana's television extension

Tissue culture - cleaning up baby banana plants

Bananas are typically multiplied by taking 'suckers' from a mature plant. Often farmers will exchange suckers with each other, to increase the diversity of their banana crop. However, one disadvantage with this method is that diseases can be retained in the sucker, causing loss of productivity in the new banana plant. Tissue culture is an alternative approach. Tiny pieces of banana are cleaned of disease and multiplied in a laboratory. A scientist and a farmer explain just how this works, and the benefits it offers.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=225
Article: TC bananas bear fruit