New Agriculturist

New Agriculturist podcast 2010-5

What impact has agricultural research had in Africa? How can evidence of impact be gathered and presented, and what is needed to turn a good research idea into actual improvements in people's lives? These are questions that will occupy many New Agriculturist readers, and were also under discussion at FARA's Africa Agriculture Science Week. In this podcast, three of the delegates offer their views. We also hear from young farmer Kennedy Chindi, who describes a simple technology that is spreading fast in some of Nairobi's slum areas - growing vegetables in sacks. And from Tanzania, community animal health worker Kapoo Lucumay explains the challenges he has faced delivering East Coast fever vaccine to his fellow Maasai pastoralists.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag10-5.mp3
Article: Editorial , Evidence and impact in agricultural research and development, Garden-in-a-sack for urban poor, Fighting East Coast fever - lessons from Maasailand

Vegetable growing in the slums

Slum dwellers generally have little space to grow crops close to their homes. But in some slum areas of Nairobi, a project has introduced the growing of vegetables, such as onions and kale, in sacks. The sacks have a simple but effective design, including a central column of stones which helps plants in all parts of the sack to get water. And to prevent theft of the vegetables, the sacks are stored in a central location which is fenced and guarded. Winnie Onyimbo talks to an agronomist who has helped to introduce the sacks and to one of the growers, to find out more.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=347
Article: Garden-in-a-sack for urban poor

Getting East Coast fever vaccine into use

In May 2010, Tanzania formally registered a vaccine against East Coast fever, allowing commercial manufacture and delivery of the vaccine to livestock farmers. The vaccine is very effective, preventing up to 98% of deaths in cattle from the disease. In recent years, the pharmaceutical company Vetagro Tanzania Ltd. has been developing a system to deliver the vaccine among the Maasai cattle herders of northern Tanzania. Company director, Lieve Lynen and animal health worker Kapoo Lucumay, discuss the opportunities and challenges for widespread use of the vaccine.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=359
Article: Fighting East Coast fever - lessons from Maasailand

New Agriculturist podcast 2010-4

Few would dispute that private sector investment is essential if African agriculture is to fulfil its potential. In the podcast we hear from some of those who are championing a greater private sector role in shaping Africa's farming future. From the discussions on how to awaken the 'sleeping giant' of the Guinea savannah, Gem Ardwings-Kodhek and Maja Slingerland offer strong views, including on the 'land grab' issue of foreign investment. The development of export horticulture to meet European quality and environmental standards is advocated by consultant Peter Keniarariti, and Brenda Wandera from the International Livestock Research Institute describes an innovative approach that is enabling livestock farmers in parts of Kenya to insure their animals against the risk of drought.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag10-4.mp3
Article: Editorial , Livestock insurance: reducing vulnerability, Sharing belief in LEAF, Africa's agricultural future - large-scale or small?

Grain amaranth - quick maturing and nutritious

Despite being commonly regarded as a weed plant, amaranth species are seen by some as a crop for the future. Like many weeds, they can thrive in poor soils and arid conditions, and they produce large numbers of seeds - up to half a million on one seed head. The grain has higher levels of protein and iron than found in wheat or rice. Pius Sawa visits western Kenya to meet farmers who have recently started to grow grain amaranth, both for home consumption and for sale. He finds them upbeat about a crop which is helping them cope with a challenging climate.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=322
Article: Grain Amaranth - the drought-beater

New Agriculturist podcast 2010-3

This podcast highlights what can be achieved through partnership. From a forest that is home to over 400 species of butterflies, Dr Paul Bosu explains how the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana is partnering with local schools to instil respect for trees and forests among children. In Uganda, Dr Godfrey Asea describes the work of the WEMA partnership, which includes private company Monsanto and international research institute CIMMYT, in developing Water Efficient Maize for Africa. And from the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development, Sharmila Karki and Namanga Ngongi reflect on the role of farmers in driving the research agenda, and the need for research programmes to have a strong local focus.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag10-3.mp3
Article: Editorial , Small steps towards a greener Ghana, Public-private partnerships, The future of agricultural research for development

Agriculture could end poverty in Africa

Hartmann, director general of IITA, has an exciting vision for farming in Africa. Young people are not interested in farming like their parents and grandparents did. But agricultural products can find a good market in many industries, so increased production can mean higher incomes. This in turn gives the potential for agriculture to modernise, making use of sophisticated equipment and supporting many other jobs. But higher education in Africa needs to change, to produce a new generation of well-trained young entrepreneurs who can drive the modernisation of African farming. He explains his vision to Busani Bafana in Agriculture could end poverty in Africa.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=331
Article: The future of agricultural research for development

New Agriculturist podcast 2010-2

From a warm evening in Ghana and the chirpy accompaniment of cicadas, Susie Emmett and Mike Davison reflect on the success that has resulted from the introduction of an appropriate, affordable and manageable technology that is serving dairy farmers in central Kenya. Highly nutritious fodder shrubs have enabled those farmers to keep their milk production going even during the country's long, recent drought. And from India, three development specialists offer their points of view on how to achieve last mile delivery - bringing information, ideas and inputs to the rural communities that need them.
Audio link: http://wrenmedia.jellycast.com/files/audio/new-ag10-2.MP3
Article: Editorial , Fodder shrubs deliver dairy success, Reaching the last mile

Extending the reach of radio to farmers

Millions of people in the world's most remote communities live beyond the reach of radio. And for those who don't read and write, getting information is even more difficult. In the past, government extension services may have provided support, by actually visiting and advising farmers. But such services are now very thin on the ground, so finding other ways of spreading information is vital. Pius Sawa reports now from Apac district in northern Uganda, where an information centre and a local radio station are working together to give rural communities the farming advice they need.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=314
Article: Reaching the last mile

Plant your own fertiliser factory

The leaves of the Faidherbia albida tree are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. Plants that grow beneath the trees benefit from their annual leaf fall, which fertilises the soil and counteracts soil acidity. In Zambia, the Conservation Farming Unit is encouraging farmers to plant 100 of the trees per hectare, at 10 metre intervals, as a long term means of boosting soil fertility. Over 160,000 farmers have already begun to do so.
Audio link: http://www.agfax.net/radio/detail.php?i=305
Article: Faidherbia - Africa's fertiliser factory