Philippines targets rice self-sufficiency by 2013
JOHANNA CAMILLE SISANTE, GMANews.TV MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will achieve rice self-sufficiency by the year 2013 if the government increases its investments into the agriculture sector, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said Monday. In a public forum at the House of Representatives, PhilRice executive director Ronilo Beronio said increased technological and farm input […]
Organic livestock production and marketing
FarmFriday is here again and we showcase this downloadable guideline on organic livestock production — it details the steps necessary to market livestock produce as ‘organic’. The contents of this Primefact include: * Role of livestock in organic farming systems * Livestock nutrition * Shelter * Breeding * Livestock welfare * Livestock health * Marketing […]
Cellphone helps reduce irrigation costs
TechTuesday presents this interesting news article about how small farmers in South Africa are using cellphone to better manage their irrigation system. Small scale sugar cane farmers in South Africa have managed to potentially reduce their direct irrigation costs by US$300 per hectare thanks to the use of a high cellphone technology system that is […]
Free Flickr pro accounts for nonprofit organizations
Are you an non-profit and want to post your all pictures in flickr but can’t because you dont have a pro account yet? well, worry no more. Flickr for Good is donating 10,000 1-year Flickr pro accounts to nonprofit organizations in partnership with TechSoup Stock. So hurry on and visit Flickr for Good for details. […]
FFTC has a new director
AsiaDHRRA extends it warmest congratulations to FFTC’s new director, Mr. Jen-Chyuan Lee: Director Lee is one of Taiwan’s leading research and development (R&D) managers whose professional commitment is the scientific and technological advancement of the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Asian region. His professional experience speaks well of his managerial and administrative competence, having […]
10 reasons to buy local food
FarmFriday brings this instructive list by Brenton Johnson of johnsonsbackyardgarden.com. (via http://www.organicconsumers.org) 1. Locally grown food tastes better. Food grown in your own community is usually picked within the past day or two. It’s crisp, sweet, and loaded with flavor. Produce flown or trucked in from Florida, Chile, Mexico, or Holland is, quite understandably, much […]
Sustainable agriculture can feed the world
HungerWednesday highlights this interesting article from Ms. Lim Li Ching of TWN about how the widespread practice of sustainable agriculture can practically solve the current global food crisis and at the same time alleviate climate change. The challenges facing agriculture today are immense. Of immediate concern is the global increase in food prices, starkly brought […]
Food revolution thru SRI
Here’s a very interesting article about how SRI is proving to be a viable rice production strategy worldwide. By William J. Broad IHT Many a professor dreams of revolution. But Norman Uphoff, working in a leafy corner of the Cornell University campus, is leading an inconspicuous one centered on solving the global food crisis. The […]
Storing seeds the SACLOB way
FarmFriday brings us this ingenious seed storage techniques from our friends over at Philrice. SACLOB comes from the Filipino word saklob which means “cover”. True to its name, SACLOB shields stored seeds from pest infestation. In their paper, Orge and coworker Engr. John Eric Abon described SACLOB as a hermetic or airtight seed storage enclosure […]
Iraqi farmers ordered to plant mutant seeds
HungerWednesday features this alarming and frightening news about how Iraqi commercial farmers are forced to use registered terminator seeds (the “protected variety”). Order 81 is part of ghastly Bremer’s 100 orders Order 81 deals specifically with Plant Variety Protection (PVP) because it is designed to protect the commercial interests of corporate seed companies. Its aim […]
