News
31
Mar
Less is more: fewer cashew trees and a bigger harvest!
Saidi Taibu is member since the beginning of the Tanzanian cashew nut company Masasi High Quality Farmers' Products (MHQFP) and has no problems in telling why he joined the organization. "When they came in our village in 2007 to start up groups, they explained the advantages of being in a group and why to farm organically. After a few meetings me and my wife we were convinced that we should be part of this. When selecting the group leaders I was lucky to be chosen as the deputy chairman." Read more
27
Mar
Added value of Dutch approach for dairy development in emerging markets
Are you a professional in international dairy sector development? Are you searching for ways and means to support those men and women working in the dairy sector? Are you looking for the latest developments and good practices? Read more
26
Mar
The importance of quality maize for farmers in Myanzi
The quality of produce that a farmer attempts to achieve is clearly dependent upon the target market. At the village market the quality criteria may be very rudimentary and it is only when farmers attempt to sell to larger market players that investment in quality brings financial return. Besides being aware of the advantages of quality, farmers in Myanzi and Nalutuntu have been trained and given knowledge about how they can achieve the important quality attributes. This has been the emphasis of the Myanzi Area Cooperative Enterprise (ACE) agricultural staff to see farmers' contribution to maize produce quality. Farmers have benefited from this approach by agreeing to grow the same high yielding and early maturity variety of maize (K153 Hybrid) to ensure uniform quality, cooperation to improve quality to meet the needs of the specified market and milling the maize into flour and packing it in a standard way to attract a higher price. Read more
21
Mar
Training fish farmers on Java: better incomes and a snowball effect!
Having a new house was Ju Sugiyanto's dream. He would never imagine that only from three times harvesting from his fish pond, he would have enough money (around USD 2,500), to build a house of his own. He often smiles when he recalls the time when he started raising fish in a "ranu" (small lake) in his village. Here's how he did it. Read more
20
Mar
Whether treasurer or farmer: keep track of the money!
Zena Libundi is the treasurer of the Tanzanian cashew nut company Masasi High Quality Farmers' Products (MHQFP) and since the beginning of the company in 2007 treasurer of her village group. She is 58 years old and married, with 6 children and 3 grandchildren. Mrs Libundi only finished primary school but through training of MHQFP she made it all the way to treasurer of the company. In her village Mwena she was elected treasurer of the group. But she also is a member of MHQFP, and hopes to gain something by that membership. How? Read more
19
Mar
Moldovan farmers have good use for Dutch tractors
Odaischii Igor (39 years old) and son Valeriu (19 years old) live in Ucrainca village in Moldova. Odaischii Igor started his agricultural business in 2009 after investing money earned abroad. He started with 3 ha of own land where he cultivated potatoes. Now he has leased another 5 hectares where he cultivates cereals for feeding the animals. And two years ago with his son and four young farmers he set up a mini farm of milking cows (3 at the beginning) and some cattle for meat. In an interview, he gives us the details of his story - and makes a proposal to his Dutch colleagues. Read more
15
Mar
I think we're doing a good job in Dhading (Nepal)
Dil Prasad Simkhada shares his experiences as program replicator within the project that the Small Farmers Agriculture Cooperative Federation of the Dhading District has carried out during last 12 months. His role in the project was to mobilize women farmers and inform them about the benefits to be organized in Small Farmers groups and to be member of the Small Farmers Agriculture Cooperative Ldt (SFACL). Let's see what he and the women farmers say. Read more
15
Mar
