1. No category

16 March 2015
avrdc.org
With vegetable seed
kits, farmers start
gardens, save seed
in Uganda
“Attraction in Action”
aims to reduce
pesticide use in
Vietnam’s Red River
Delta
Page 19
Page 21
Post (harvest) haste
The urgent need to reduce food loss and food waste worldwide
demands action across the vegetable value chain. AVRDC is on the
forefront of postharvest research and training.
What is a quality tomato?
AVRDC – The World Vegetable
Center Postharvest Research
Associate Roseline Marealle tells
visitors how climate-smart
technology such as the zero
energy cooling chamber (ZECC)
can help farmers keep their
vegetables cool to reduce waste
after harvesting.
Improved varieties drive the growth of the vegetable industry, but who says which
varieties are best? For a farmer, a variety has to yield well and get a good price. But
the value chain doesn’t end at the farm gate, and characteristics like good shelf life
and nutritional quality are also critically important.
(...continued on page 2)
2
(...continued from page 1)
Editor’s note: Studies by the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization show that
an astounding one-third of all the food
produced for human consumption never
reaches a plate. Inefficiencies in crop
harvesting, food production and
processing cause food to lose
nutritional value or be discarded before
it reaches the consumer. More than
40% of food losses and waste occur at
the postharvest and processing stages
in developing countries, where
unorganized and fragmented food
production systems and a lack of
access to equipment for transportation,
processing, cooling and storage hinder
the entire food value chain.
AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center
works with vegetable value chain actors
in Asia and Africa to tackle postharvest
challenges.
The AVRDC-United States Agency
for International Development
(USAID) training workshop on
“Tomato variety evaluation for
quality traits and postharvest
research techniques, experimental
design and data analysis” sought to
address this problem. The weeklong workshop from 9-12 February
2015 involved 25 participants from
Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia,
Pakistan, Thailand and India and
was held at the Royal University of
Agriculture University in Phnom
Penh, Cambodia.
Organized by Jun Acedo, leader of
the Asian component of the USAID
Postharvest project, the course
aimed to give the Center’s national
partners the skills to conduct more
comprehensive variety evaluations
for tomato, an important crop
across Asia.
AVRDC Tomato Breeder Peter Hanson (left)
provides training on rating variety trials.
Participants were welcomed by Jun,
Professor Ngo Bunthan, Rector
of the University; Warwick
Easdown, Regional Director,
AVRDC South Asia, and Borarin
Buntong, leader of the project
team in Cambodia.
Reducing food waste by 50%
globally could save $300 billion
a year by 2030.
WRAP - Waste & Resources
Action Programme
The national project teams from
Bangladesh, Nepal and Cambodia
made presentations on their
national postharvest situations.
They were joined by a team from the
USAID-funded Agricultural
Innovations Program in Pakistan,
which also focuses on postharvest
issues.
AVRDC tomato breeder Peter
Hanson provided training on
varietal trials and how to rank
performance, while Ray-yu Yang
discussed quality evaluations of
varieties. Didit Ledesma helped
participants understand the
(...continued on page 3)
3
(...continued from page 2)
(left) Viewing a tomato seed extractor.
(right) Motorized “coolbot” to keep vegetables fresh.
complexities of effective trial design
and data analysis. Lectures were
followed by field work at the Kbal
Koh Vegetable Research Station,
where participants got to do handson varietal evaluation work.
Other resource persons provided
information on improved
postharvest technologies. For
instance, Jate Sathornkich from
the Horticulture Innovation Lab at
Kasetsart University in Thailand
introduced coolbot technology and
its application to reducing
postharvest losses. “Postharvest
losses are a critical problem
worldwide,” Warwick said.
“Together, the participants in this
course explored common
approaches and solutions they can
apply in their home countries.”
Food discarded by retailers
and consumers in developed
countries would be more than
enough to feed all of the
world’s 870 million hungry
people.
Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO)
Postharvest progress starts with knowledge
On 24 February 2015, staff at
AVRDC Eastern and Southern
Africa in Arusha, Tanzania hosted
trainees from the Postharvest
Education Foundation, who
were in Arusha for a five-day
Postharvest Short Course. The
visitors were welcomed by
Thomas Dubois, Regional
Director, Eastern and Southern
Africa, who introduced them to
AVRDC Director General Dyno
Keatinge. Dyno emphasized the
importance of developing solutions
to postharvest problems. Victor
Afari-Sefa, AVRDC
Socioeconomist, explained the need
to accurately estimate costs and
benefits of postharvest handling
practices and technologies to
encourage adoption.
(...continued on page 4)
4
(...continued from page 3)
The 30 visitors from Tanzania,
Kenya and Burundi also heard about
the results of trials conducted on
improved tomato packaging from
Srinivasulu Rajendran,
Postdoctoral Scientist (Agricultural
Economics) and on low-cost cooling
methods from Ngoni Nenguwo,
Postharvest Specialist. Tsvetelina
Stoilova, Genetic Resources
Scientist, guided the group through
the genebank, and Radegunda
Kessy, Research Associate in
Agribusiness and Socioeconomics
and Roseline Marealle,
Postharvest Research Assistant,
introduced the visitors to the
activities and products of the
Postharvest Training and Services
Center.
Getting a closer look at tools and methods at the Postharvest Training and Services Center,
AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa.
The key to profitable farming: Understanding what the market wants
the Australian Centre for
International Agricultural Research
(ACIAR), operates in Ethiopia,
Malawi, Mozambique and
Tanzania. In Tanzania, VINESA is
implemented by AVRDC Eastern
and Southern Africa and the
Horticultural Research and
Training Institute (HORTI)
Tengeru. With an emphasis on
value chain thinking, VINESA
Paul, one of the members of Usambara Lishe Trust, demonstrates the importance of using
trays to sow tomato seeds. Due to assured markets, he sells tomatoes and sweet chilies worth
USD 550 per week from his 50 × 18-foot nethouse.
The paradigm that farmers should
“produce what they can sell rather
than trying to sell what they have
produced” was verified during a
three-day study tour organized for
the second batch of trainees in the
“Improving Income and Nutrition
in Eastern and Southern Africa by
Enhancing Vegetable-based
Farming and Food Systems in Periurban Corridors (VINESA)” from 19
-21 February 2015 in Tanzania.
VINESA, funded by the Australian
International Food Security
Research Centre (AIFSRC) through
VINESA trainees learned how to look for
markets and produce vegetables that meet
market needs from other farmers in Lushoto
District, Tanzania.
(...continued on page 5)
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(...continued from page 4)
(left) VINESA trainees see how fresh
vegetables are graded before packaging and
transporting to urban markets in Dar es
Salaam.
(right) VINESA farmers admire a nethouse
crop of tomatoes that has been harvested for
the last 14 months while tomato crops in open
fields have been devastated by a new pest,
Tuta absoluta.
equips young male and female
farmers with skills to produce safe
vegetables, reduce vegetable losses
after harvest, and how to look for
markets for their vegetables. The
purpose is to turn ordinary small
vegetable farmers into agrobusiness
entrepreneurs.
During their study trip in Lushoto
District, 25 young farmers were
able to “walk along” the vegetable
value chain, where more than 250
small farmers were growing more
than 60 varieties of vegetables. The
Usambara Lishe Trust (ULT), an
umbrella association for four
farmers’ groups, coordinates the
procurement process, taking orders
from markets and then distributing
these requests among its members.
Members are committed to deliver
the produce different consumers
and customers need. In contrast,
most small-scale growers produce
first and then push produce to the
markets, in which case price is the
only factor of competition.
Understanding one’s consumers or
customers and their requirements
should drive farmers’ decisions on
what, how and when to produce.
This way, vegetables are “pulled,
not pushed” to the market, and
suppliers compete on quality of
products or services delivered,
which earn premium prices.
“Usambara Lishe Trust (ULT) has
done excellent work linking its
members with market
opportunities,” said John
Macharia, VINESA project
manager. “The trust is an example
many other value chain players can
emulate.” He challenged the
trainees to embrace a collective
value chain approach. “Farmers
must develop reputations for being
reliable suppliers for specific
market opportunities,” Silvesta
Samali, VINESA’s research and
training facilitator in Tanzania, told
the group.
Agatha Aloyce, VINESA’s
coordinator in Tanzania, explained
that the project strategy of
encouraging trainees to recruit
other peer farmers will lead to
group production planning, a
necessary requirement to meet
market demand. Group leader
Thobias Ngidare promised to
prioritize lessons learned, starting
by identifying market opportunities
to know what, how and when to
produce.
Learn more
Community of Practice on Food
Loss Reduction
http://www.fao.org/food-lossreduction/forum/en/
First International Congress on
Postharvest Loss Prevention
4 - 7 October
Rome, Italy
http://agrilinks.org/events/firstinternational-congresspostharvest-loss-prevention
Postharvest Education
Foundation
http://www.postharvest.org/
home0.aspx
6
CORNUCOPIA
The Center in the news
In January 2015 the AVRDC
Genebank was listed as one of
“15 Seed Saving Initiatives
Protecting Biodiversity for
Future Generations” by Food
Tank, the think tank about food.
SPORE, the magazine for
agriculture and rural development,
highlighted the African
traditional vegetable rallies
conducted by AVRDC Eastern and
Southern Africa staff with partners:
http://foodtank.com/
news/2015/01/fifteen-seedsaving-initiativesprotecting-biodiversity-forfuture-generati
http://spore.cta.int/en/
component/content/
article/278-spore/agriculture2/11630-nutrition-174-en
The December 2014 issue of
Appropriate Technology
featured AVRDC’s VINESA
project activities to train young
vegetable farmers in Tanzania,
Ethiopia, Malawi, and
Mozambique.
Dutch reporter Frank Mulder
interviewed AVRDC Director
General Dyno Keatinge during
Feeding the World 2015, a oneday symposium on food and
nutrition security for 9 billion
hosted by The Economist magazine
in Amsterdam.
Dyno’s message: It’s time for a
“revolution with greens.”
http://www.ipsnews.be/
artikel/laat-de-groenerevolutie-volgen-door-eengroenterevolutie
In its 6 December 2014 issue, The Solomon Star noted
the introduction of a new AVRDC-improved tomato—
‘Rose’s Choice’—into the Solomon Islands as a pilot
project to increase farmers’ access to improved
vegetable seeds. The open-pollinated line is a high
yielding, medium to large tomato with good flavor. It
is firm when ripe, making it a suitable tomato variety
for transport to markets. The seed is being distributed
by SPE Analytical.
Farewell
AVRDC said goodbye to a very special quartet of senior
headquarters staff on 12 March 2014. (left to right) Minkuan Huang, Chief of Motor Pool, Technical Services, kept
the tractors running and coordinated ground transportation
for colleagues at all hours; Ketty Fang-fei Chou, Senior
Officer, Financial Services, ran the cashier’s office with
efficiency and probity; Chao-hui Lin, Field Laborer,
Entomology, helped researchers trap and track some
troublesome pests; and Jin-yi Chen, Field Helper, Mycology,
knew where all the fungi were hiding. They devoted
significant portions of their careers to the Center and have
been essential to the smooth operation of the entire
organization. We will miss you all!
CORNUCOPIA
Seminars
Anthracnose, a fungal disease that affects a variety of plants in warm, humid areas,
is a particular problem for pepper producers. It can occur on leaves, stems, and both
pre- and postharvest fruit. Anthracnose is caused by several species of fungi in the
genus Colletotrichum, and it is a very difficult disease to control once it becomes
established in a field. Complex host-pathogen interactions make identification of
Colletotrichum especially challenging. Two visitors from different countries recently
gave seminars about their work on pepper anthracnose to staff at AVRDC
headquarters:
Rossitza Rodeva, Associate Professor
at the Institute of Plant Physiology and
Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences, discussed her research on
fungi that infect pepper seeds and
plants on 11 March 2015. Prof. Rodeva’s
team has had some success in
identifying different Colletotrichum
species using high resolution melting
analysis. Prof. Rodeva was accompanied
by her colleague, Prof. Irina Moskova.
AWARDS IN ARUSHA: Professor of Plant
Production Systems Ken Giller and spouse
Dr. Irene Kooman from Wageningen
University took a moment from their
sabbatical to visit AVRDC Eastern and
Southern Africa in Tanzania. Dr. Giller was
the winner of the World Bank’s Harvesting
Nutrition Contest in 2014 for his N2Africa
(Nitrogen to Africa) project, which promotes
the cultivation of pulses for their ability to fix
nitrogen from the air in the soil, thereby
improving soil quality. AVRDC Director
General presented Prof. Giller with the muchcoveted chili tie, and Dr. Kooman with an
AVRDC luggage strap.
Orarat Mongkolporn, Molecular
Breeder, Kasetsart University, Thailand, has
been working to breed anthracnoseresistant chili pepper. On 9 March 2015, she
presented her experiments using Capsicum
baccatum and C. chinense to search for
genes conferring resistance to the disease.
Two recessive genes, co1 and co2, are
involved in resistance, but are expressed at
different stages of fruit maturity. She is
developing crosses of these species with C.
annuum, the most commonly cultivated
chili.
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CORNUCOPIA
8
AIRCA members meet
The Association of International Research and
Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA), of which
AVRDC is a founding member, held its annual steering committee
meeting at the African Insect Science for Food Health
Organization (icipe) in Nairobi, Kenya on 19-20 February 2015.
AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge and Regional Director
for Eastern and Southern Africa Thomas Dubois attended the
meeting, where AIRCA’s progress in 2014 and plans for 2015 were
discussed. Participants held an open exchange to share best
practices in operations, financial management and IT, and
expressed appreciation for the advice, information and close
cooperation that the association has brought them. A milestone in
AIRCA’s work was the approval of two legal documents: the
Memorandum of Understanding and the Hosting Agreement. The
group discussed refinements to the AIRCA Lake Victoria Basin
concept note; this initiative proposes to bring about real impact in
agricultural production and improved access to nutrition by
making agricultural markets work for women and young farmers
across the basin. A representative from the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation (SDC) attended the meeting to
learn more about the association. AIRCA will participate in the
Global Landscapes Forum at the Paris Climate Change Summit in
December 2015.
Thomas Dubois, Regional Director, AVRDC Eastern
an Southern Africa, giving a presentation about the
AIRCA Lake Victoria Concept Note at icipe.
9
CORNUCOPIA
Vegetable gardens grow in Bhutan schools
In collaboration with the Bhutan
Council for Research (CoRRB),
Ministry of Agriculture and Forests
(MoAF), the Vegetables Go to
School (VGtS) Project organized a
Training Workshop from 5-10
January 2015 at Bhur, Gelephu,
Sarpang. Staff from 15 schools (10
intervention and 5 new additional
schools) participated.
Representatives from the five newly
recruited control schools learned
how to enter data in the VGtS
survey form, and then departed to
carry out the surveys at their
respective schools. The remaining
10 schools received practical
training in vegetable gardening.
During the five-day workshop, the
trainers focused on policies and
briefed the participants on the
project objectives, the importance
of agriculture education, nutrition
through agriculture diversification
in schools, vegetable production
programs for nutrition and food
security, and integrating WASH
(water, sanitation, health)
programs with school gardening for
better health and nutrition.
Participants also learned how to
sow seeds, set up seedling
nurseries, make compost and create
polytunnels.
During a field visit to Samtenthang
community and Dekiling Lower
Secondary School, participants met
Mr. Data Ram and his family, who
have a well-established vegetable
garden with livestock. Participants
(top left) Participants in the training course.
(top right) Learning how to make raised planting beds.
(bottom right) In Samtenthang community, representatives from
various ministries (Department of School Education, Department of
Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, Royal Institute for Health
Science; Ministry of Health, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of
Agriculture and Forests) saw healthy crops growing in the vegetable
garden of Mr. Data Ram.
were motivated by Mr. Ram’s
progress, and hope to replicate his
farming activities at their schools.
At the closing ceremony
participants received seeds and
questionnaires for data collection.
They were asked to keep track of
their work through pictures and
other documentation. Vegetables
Go to School is funded by the Swiss
Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC).
10
CORNUCOPIA
Collaboration: Nelson Mandela Institute of Science and
Technology
(left) AVRDC and NM-AIST dignitaries, staff and student representatives after the signing ceremony. AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge
is flanked by the two Deputy Vice-Chancellors: Professor Patrick Ndakidemi (left) and Professor Lughano Kusiluka (right). Also in the
picture is Thomas Dubois, flanked on the left by Professor Joram Buza, the Dean of the School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering.
(right) Dyno Keatinge taken a moment in memory of the late Nelson Mandela, at a statue in his honor at the entrance of the Nelson Mandela
African Institute of Science and Technology campus.
The Nelson Mandela African
Institute of Science and
Technology (NM-AIST) is a relatively
new state-of-the-art university in
Tanzania striving to produce worldclass masters and PhD graduates,
fulfilling a vision of the late Nelson
Mandela. Staffed by an international
faculty, the university offers four
schools, one of which is the School of
Life Sciences and Bioengineering. The
university is situated on the hills of
Mount Meru, just a short 20-minute
drive away from AVRDC’s Eastern and
Southern Africa regional office in
Arusha.
On 23 February 2015, AVRDC Director
General Dyno Keatinge and NMAIST Professor Lughano Kusiluka,
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of
Academic, Research and Innovation,
signed a Memorandum of Agreement to
guide future collaboration. After the
signing, Dyno Keatinge and Regional
Director Thomas Dubois took an
extensive tour of the beautiful campus,
visiting the laboratories, the digital
library and some of the screenhouses.
Both institutions realize that to
facilitate good health and overcome
malnutrition and poverty for both the
rural and urban poor, it is crucial to
increase the production, quality,
consumption and profitability of
nutritious and health-promoting
vegetables. Several areas of
collaboration have been identified:
Joint supervision of MSc and PhD
students is the priority, and both
partners agreed to source funds and
write proposals to provide
opportunities for scholars. In addition,
AVRDC staff will provide guest lectures
to students and faculty of NM-AIST,
and joint seminars will be organized.
AVRDC has participated in NM-AIST’s
annual “Open Week,” a large showcase
event that brings together researchers
from Tanzania and beyond.
(left) Dyno and Professor Lughano Kusiluka (r), Deputy Vice-Chancellor, NM-AIST with the freshly signed agreement. (center) Dyno in
discussion with Professor Joram Buza, the Dean of the the School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering during a visit to the molecular laboratories.
Professor Patrick Ndakidemi and Professor Lughano Kusiluka listen in. (right) Martha Stambuli Niko (l to r), Strategic Management, Business
Development &Reengineering Specialist, NM-AIST, Dyno Keatinge, Professor Patrick Ndakidemi and Professor Lughano Kusiluka listening to
NM-AIST chief librarian.
CORNUCOPIA
11
Visitors (left) Benjamin Liang, Director General, Southwestern Taiwan Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taiwan, visited
AVRDC headquarters on 9 February 2015, accompanied by his secretary, Michael Lin. Mr. Liang met with the
management team—Director General Dyno Keatinge, Deputy Director General – Administration and Services Yin-fu
Chang, Deputy Director General – Research Jackie Hughes, Director of Human Resources Nagaraj Inukonda, and Director
of Finance Dirk Overweg—and enjoyed the flourishing crops from around the world in the Demonstration Garden.
(right) Pairote Potivong, Director, and Balamurugan Ratha Krishnan, Deputy Director, Centre for Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand-Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Sub-region Cooperation, ASEAN visited the Center on 28 January 2015.
The Center’s management team welcomed the visitors, and the group toured the Demonstration Garden with Yi-chin Wu
and the Genebank with Genebank Manager Andreas Ebert.
Bernadette de Arellano, Founder of
the Moringaling Philippines
Foundation, Inc. and Honorio Tan,
Vice Chairman of the First
International Moringa Symposium, got
a closer look at the Center’s moringa
fields on 4 March 2015. They met with
Genebank Manager Andreas Ebert, one
of the conference organizers, and other
AVRDC staff. Learn more about the
conference: http://avrdc.org/
moringa-symposium/
Rossitza Rodeva, Associate
Professor and Irina Moskova,
Assistant Professor from Institute of
Plant Physiology and Genetics,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
accompanied by three scientists
from Taichung District Agricultural
Research and Extension Station,
COA, visited the Center 10-11 March
2015. They met with AVRDC
scientists Lawrence Kenyon
(Virology), Jaw-Fen Wang, Marti
Pottorff, Zeke Sheu (Plant Pathology
and Mycology), and Sanjeet Kumar,
Ruby Hsiao and Vicky Cherng
(Breeding) on possible
collaboration.
Orarat Mongkolporn, Molecular
Breeder, Kasestart University (KU),
and Yupa Sitthikraipong and
Warapron Sinsathapompong,
Senior Researchers at the Tropical
Vegetable Research Center, KU
Kamphaeng Saen, came to AVRDC
headquarters to meet and collaborate
with center staff in various disciplines
from 3-13 March 2105. The visitors had
fruitful exchanges with AVRDC plant
pathologists, genebank curators, and
the pepper breeding and molecular
breeding teams.
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
12
AT THE INTERNATIONAL
SOCIETY FOR
HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE
(IHSH): Jens Wunsche, a
member of the ISHS Board,
receives the very first copy of the
society’s new journal, the
European Journal of Horticultural
Science, at ISHS HQ in Leuven,
Belgium. In the background: The
1000+ books in the Acta
Horticulturae series. Detlef
Virchow, Executive Secretary of
the Global Horticulture Initiative,
and Jens in front of the historic
buildings that house the ISHS
secretariat.
TAKE A BREATH, NARINDER! AVRDC’s Cucurbit
Breeder, Narinder Dhillon, is living proof that
consuming nutritious vegetables helps a person gain
more strength, stamina and vigor: On behalf of
AVRDC East and Southeast Asia (ESEA), Narinder
took part in a Mini Marathon (10.5 km) organized by
Kasetsart University in Kamphaeng Saen, Thailand
on 1 February 2015—and successfully completed it in
a mere 59 minutes. The 920 runners participating in
the race ranged in age from 12-70 years. Narinder
shared the happy moment at the finish line with KUKPS Vice-president Dr. Sombat Chinawong—and
made a solemn promise to Dr. Sombat to motivate his
ESEA colleagues to participate in next year’s
marathon. Says Narinder: “Start training now!”
SEED PRIZE IN AFRICA: The African Seed Trade Association
(AFSTA) is quickly becoming a force to reckon with on the African
continent. More than 400 policy makers, regulators, private sector
players, donors and scientists met to exchange ideas about the seed
industry from 3-5 March 2015 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Vegetable
Breeder Fekadu Dinssa, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional
Director, Thomas Dubois, Deputy Director General – Research
Jackie Hughes, and Consultant Guat Hong Teh represented
AVRDC at the event. AFSTA’s special interest group on vegetables
organized a symposium during the event; it was chaired by Jackie,
and featured talks by Fekadu, Sonja Venter (Agricultural Research
Council, South Africa) and Guat Hong.
At the gala dinner, the vegetable group was awarded several prizes—
an indication of AFSTA’s increased interest in streamlining the
vegetable seed sector for the benefit of smallholder farmers on the
continent. Jackie Hughes accepted the prize for the group.
13
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Sun, fun and smiles: AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa on retreat
(left) Tigers, Lions, and Elephants roared in spontaneous song.
(right) Early morning exercises got the muscles warmed up and team members’ spirits soaring.
On 16 January 2015, all staff of
AVRDC Eastern and Southern
Africa convened at a beautiful lodge
near Arusha, Tanzania for their
annual retreat. A rather tough
workout session early in the morning
warmed up muscles and lifted spirits
for the team-building exercises. Two
unfortunate latecomers were
subjected to an even more punishing
(clockwise from left)
Victory dance by Roseline Marealle and the
Lions.
Two latecomers are punished with a set of
grueling exercises, while the instructor
clearly displays an evil grin.
The Elephants do a victory stomp.
Teams set goals for the day on a big
billboard.
(...continued on page 14)
14
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
(...continued from page 13)
workout while their team
members looked on, and it
was all part of the fun.
Three teams were formed:
Tigers in orange, Lions in
red, and Elephants in
yellow, each with a
distinctive team song. Team
-building challenges
included lifting water
buckets using toes only,
crawling through very high
nets hung in trees, classic
blindfold games, and many
more. A rope tug-of-war
was elegantly won by the
Elephants, who also were
victorious in the tree net
challenge, setting a
Tanzanian and probably a
world record in the process:
two minutes only to get all
Elephants through the tight
netting! Although the Tigers
came dead last in the tug-ofwar, they were clearly the
loudest of the three teams.
On a serious note, there was
plenty of time for reflection,
and staff got to know each
other much better on a
personal level through
several short but fun face-to
-face tasks. Participants
learned skills to set personal
goals—an exercise many
appreciated and some are
using now.
The day ended with a
relaxing chat and a drink in
the lush gardens. The
retreat was a great success,
and the Eastern and
Southern Africa crew is
already looking forward to
their next event!
1
2
3
4
1. Rope pull between the Tigers and Lions; the Lions
won by a wide margin.
2. Precariously lifting a bucket full of water only using
toes.
3. Elephants on their way to yet another victory.
4. Through the eye of a needle: the Lions have no
problem pulling their team members through a tight
net.
5. A little dance with a twist.
5
6. Fekadu Dinssa giving instructions to fellow Tigers
using blindfolds.
6
15
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Dutch trade mission to Tanzania
(left) AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa Genebank Manager Tsvetelina Stoilova explains the activities undertaken to conserve, characterize
and distribute elite germplasm.
(right) Fekadu Dinssa, AVRDC Vegetable Breeder, speaks about the two success stories of ‘Tanya’ and ‘Tengeru 97’ as a result of the long
partnership between AVRDC and private companies.
The Dutch horticulture sector is
known globally for its innovative
industry with high standards of
excellence. The sector excels in
sustainable production methods,
water recycling, tissue culture, solar
energy, greenhouse technology, and
integrated pest management
strategies.
Dutch know-how and expertise in
flowers, fruits and vegetables is
increasingly available for use by
African farmers and stakeholders.
Green Farming Kenya—
“Partners for perfect solutions”—
aims to combine Dutch technology
and experience with that of their
African partners to develop custommade product and service packages
that meet farmers’ production
needs. Fifteen private investors and
entrepreneurs, business
consultants and trade
representatives from the
Netherlands, and staff from the
Netherlands Mission in Tanzania
and Netherland’s Ministry of
Economic Affairs convened at
AVRDC Eastern and Southern
MY CARD: AVRDC Eastern and
Southern Africa Farm Manager Omary
Ijumaa Mbwambo is officially a cardcarrying member of Team AVRDC. He
received his name cards from Director
General Dyno Keatinge, who delivered
them personally to Omary during a
recent visit to Arusha, Tanzania. “Now I
can give out my contact details so easily
to people who ask, instead of writing
down my number on a piece of paper,”
Omary said.
Africa in Arusha, Tanzania on 23
January 2015 to explore how to
strengthen cooperation ties
between Dutch and East African
business networks. The group
visited local companies and
institutions involved in
horticultural activities, identified
local investment opportunities, and
assessed market openings for
horticulture products from the
Netherlands, such as seed,
fertilizer, greenhouses, and
irrigation equipment.
16
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Black stems in Bali? Grafting is the solution
(left) Ibu Dewi with her grafted tomato field in the
background.
(right) Grafted tomato planted at a farmer’s field in
Baturiti, Bali. The tomato has been harvested seven times
and four to five more harvests are expected. Non-grafted
tomato planted the previous year died with black stem
without any yield.
Vegetable exporter FGI works with
farmers in Bali, Indonesia to plant
and produce high quality vegetables
for clients in many countries.
Planting varieties of tomato desired
by customers in various countries,
however, has proven to be an
enormous challenge. Stems of the
tomato plants frequently became
black and the plants died,
producing no harvest.
Suspecting a soil-borne disease to
be cause, Ms. Fransiska, a Bangli
district agricultural extension
agent, encouraged FGI to try
grafting to solve the problem.
Fransiska learned about tomato
grafting from a course conducted by
AVRDC under the USAID-funded
“Vegetables for Indonesia” project.
Tomato grafted onto AVRDC
eggplant rootstock EG-195 was
shown to increase tomato tolerance
to flooding and bacterial wilt in
Bali. EG-195 is also known for its
tolerance to Fusarium wilt,
nematodes and possibly other soilborne diseases. Fransiska linked
FGI to a nurseryman in Denpasar,
who was trained by the project to
produce grafted tomato seedlings;
he is currently the sole provider of
the seedlings in Bali.
In August 2014 Ibu Dewi, one of
FGI’s contract farmers in Baturiti
district, planted 2000 grafted
seedlings of various tomato
varieties provided by FGI. By
November 2014 she had harvested
her tomato seven times, producing
600 kg of cherry tomatoes and 1200
kg of fresh tomatoes. FGI provided
all inputs. Fresh tomatoes were
priced at IDR 3,000/kg and the
cherry tomatoes at IDR 5,000/kg.
Dewi received a net income of IDR
6.6 million (USD 550) from her
field. She expects to harvest four
more times to yield about 500 kg of
mixed cherry and fresh tomatoes.
When asked how many times she
harvested when she planted nongrafted tomato, Dewi said “Zero.
The plants grew fine until the black
color started developing on the
stems, then they would die soon
afterward.”
All tomato farmers contracted by
FGI now plant grafted tomato. The
technology solved the production
problem faced by FGI and
generated significant income for
Dewi and other FGI contract
farmers. Two neighboring farmers
(not FGI contract farmers) are now
planting grafted tomato in their
fields after seeing Dewi’s success.
17
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Analysis for Humidtropics Cameroon action site
Participants during the Writeshop and Validation Workshop for the situational analysis of the Cameroon Action Site.
AVRDC organized a Writeshop and
Validation Workshop Situational
Analysis Study for the Cameroon
Action Site for the Humidtropics
program on 28 November 2014 at the
International Institute for Tropical
Agriculture (IITA) in Nkolbisson,
Cameroon. The situational analysis
was one of the first field activities of
the research program; its purpose
was to broadly characterize all
important system aspects relevant to
Humidtropics in Cameroon.
Two teams of consultants conducted
the exercise: One team worked on
natural resource management and
agricultural production systems,
while the other was in charge of
human development characteristics
of households, markets and
institutions.
The 16 workshop participants
included representatives from
farmers’ organizations; Cameroon’s
ministries of Agriculture, Scientific
Research, and Gender and Family;
University of Yaoundé II; University
of Dschang; the Institute of
Agricultural Research for
Development (IRAD); IITA;
International Livestock Research
Institute (ILRI); and the World
Agroforestry Center (ICRAF).
The consultants are using the
information they gathered from the
participants to refine their materials;
they are expected to deliver a
coherent, consolidated report in mid2015.
Humidtropics is a CGIAR Research
Program to help poor farm families,
particularly those led by women in
tropical Africa, Asia and the
Americas, to boost their income from
integrated agricultural systems while
preserving their land for future
generations.
VegOneX ready for testing
The database offers two exclusive modules for stakeholders
involved in the production and marketing of vegetable seed
and vegetables in Africa. Module 1 (Seed Supply System)
enhances the existing seed distribution process between
government and private companies. Module 2 (Vegetable
Marketing Information System) provides information on
vegetable demand and supply in Tanzania.
A beta version of VegOneX, a database to strengthen links
between various actors in the vegetable seed and produce
supply chain designed by IT Manager Bharath Krishnan
(center) and Postdoc in Agricultural Economics Srinivasulu
Rajendran (left), was introduced to potential public and
private sector users on 3-4 February 2015 at AVRDC Eastern
and Southern Africa in Arusha, Tanzania.
Representatives from seed companies (Alpha Seed, Kibo Seed,
Krishna Seed, Africasia Seed, Northen Seed, Suba-agro Seed,
Beula Seed, Highland Seed, and Meru Agro Seed), Tanzania’s
Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA), the Tanzania Official Seed
Certification Institute (TOSCI), HORTI-Tengeru, and Farm
Radio International received hands-on training to learn how
to use Module 1 to order seed. The group discussed the
challenges in Tanzania’s vegetable seed value chain and
further refinements for the database.
VegOneX is expected to begin operating in May, with full
access for all registered members.
18
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
India’s first triple disease resistant tomato F1 hybrid has
farmers smiling again
Mr. Babu, a progressive tomato grower
from Karnataka, has exported ‘Arka
Rakshak’ to Dhaka, Bangladesh and Port
Blair, Andaman and Nicobar.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
is the second most important
vegetable crop in India after potato.
It is cultivated over an area of 0.89
million hectares with production of
18.23 million metric tonnes.
Average productivity is about 20.7
tonnes per hectare. Andra Pradesh,
Odissa, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, West Bengal,
Maharashtra, Chhatishgarh and
Gujarat are the country’s major
tomato-growing states.
In recent years, the occurrence of
major diseases such as Tomato leaf
curl virus (ToLCV), bacterial wilt
(BW) and early blight (EB) has
become very serious, causing
considerable yield loss for tomato
producers. Yield loss due to ToLCV
has been reported up to 70-100%
depending on the stage of attack,
and bacterial wilt can cause yield
loss up to 70%. Early blight
damages foliage and fruit, causing
Arka Rakshak: A high yielding F1 hybrid with disease resistance to
Tomato leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt, and early blight. Plants are
semi-determinate with dark green foliage. Fruits are oblong with
light green shoulders, medium to large size (80-100 g), deep red,
very firm with good keeping quality (15-20 days) and long
transportability. Bred for both fresh market and processing. Yield:
90-100 t/ha in 140-150 days.
yield loss up to 50-60%. No
chemicals provide effective control
of these serious diseases.
Adoption of multiple disease
resistant tomato varieties is the
most practical and cost-effective
way for growers to manage the
three pathogens. Research carried
out for several years at the Indian
Institute of Horticultural
Research (IIHR), Bangalore has
produced a high yielding F1 hybrid
named ‘Arka Rakshak’ with triple
disease resistance to ToLCV, BW,
and EB. ‘Arka Rakshak’ is a cross
between advanced breeding line
(TLBER-12-21-43-1) bred at IIHR
and breeding line CLN-2498D
developed at AVRDC – The World
Vegetable Center, Taiwan.
Breeders, virologists,
bacteriologists, pathologists and
molecular biologists joined in an
interdisciplinary effort to breed the
hybrid. Further work is underway
to introgress late blight resistance
genes in ‘Arka Rakshak’ to make it
even more valuable to farmers in
India; the new hybrid has also
sparked demand for seed in
Pakistan, Mauritius, Vietnam, and
countries in Africa.
Concentric rings: symptoms of early blight on leaves and fruit
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
19
Vegetable seed kits a hit in Uganda…but not right away!
AVRDC distributed vegetable seed kits
in Uganda under the Humidtropics
program during the last quarter of 2014.
Farmers were trained in vegetable
production, and after the training, each
received a seed kit. Initially, many
farmers expressed disappointment with
the kits, as they felt the quantities of
seed (ranging between 5 to 10 g per
variety) were insufficient for their
needs. Once the seed was in the ground,
however, the farmers were surprised
and delighted at the quantity of the
vegetables they harvested throughout
the season and as well as the quantity of
seed they were able to save. Mr.
Kigoonya could not believe the amount
of Ethiopian mustard he obtained from
his plot, for sale and to enjoy during
family meals. Mrs. Kibazo Victoria was
happy to harvest tomato ‘Tengeru
2010,’ the fruits of which were healthy
and nice-looking even in the dry season.
Several women farmers, like Ms.
Masituula, harvested good quantities of
amaranth seed from their 10 g packs.
Another farmer, Ms. Nalumansi,
planted her saved amaranth seed in a
low wetland area during the February
2015 dry period to supply her local
market with the leafy, nutritious
vegetable. “This AVRDC Ddoodo
(amaranth) is very quick maturing and
has a good taste,” she said.
(top left) Ms. Masituula receiving a seed kit after the training. (top right) Gardens are
already growing in the eyes of farmers with their new seed kits.
(Clockwise from bottom left)
Mrs. Kibazo Victoria harvesting tomato ‘Tengeru 2010’.
Mr. Kiggonya tends a thriving stand of Ethiopian mustard.
Ms. Nalumansi and friends in her new amaranth garden.
Ms. Masituula shows the amaranthus seed she produced from a 10-gram packet in the
seed kit.
The Humidtropics team gets at look at Ms. Nalumansi’s stored amaranth seed.
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Pepper tasting in the Solomon Islands
An organoleptic test was conducted
at the Solomon Islands
Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock Research (MAL) on
16 January 2015 to identify the best
capsicum lines with good taste for
further evaluation in on-station and
on-farm trials.
Fourteen evaluators—farmers,
NGO representatives, Rural
Training Center staff, a
representative from the Taiwan
Technical Mission, and MAL
research officers—sampled fruit
from eight AVRDC capsicum lines
and a local check variety harvested
from a trial at St. Joseph Tenaru
School. This was a blind test, so
selected fruits from each variety
were cut into small pieces and
whole fruit samples were placed on
different plates. Each line was
identified only by a corresponding
alphabetical letter. The varieties
were evaluated based on fruit
appearance (shape, size and color),
smell, feel and taste (pungency and
flavor). The evaluators ranked each
parameter on a 1– 6 scale, with
poor = 1 and excellent = 6. The
scores given by each evaluator were
recorded on a prepared standard
recording form.
Based on the evaluators’ comments,
most of the varieties were described
as having good taste, shape and
size. Several expressed a preference
for the dark green varieties.
Out of the eight lines, it is highly
likely that five (C05483, AVPP9814,
AVPP1114, AVPP1115 and
AVPP0121) will be selected for
further evaluation; however, the
yield of these lines as well as their
tolerance to pests and diseases in
the field will also be considered
before the final selection is made.
During the next selection exercise,
we hope to bring in more farmers,
consumers and hoteliers to canvass
a wider opinion on the taste of the
pepper lines.
20
21
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Pulling away from pesticides in the Red River Delta
(left) Pesticide disposal bins lined up along a farm lane.
(center) Spraying tomato plants. (right) An illustrated guide
shows how to identify natural enemies of insect pests.
Farmers grow vegetables year-round
in the fertile soils of the Red River
Delta around Hanoi in Vietnam.
Long, narrow plots intensively
cultivated with many different types
of leafy greens, fruit vegetables and
root crops criss-cross the delta plain.
Men do most of the land preparation
and watering, while women take care
of planting, fertilizing, harvesting and
selling. Pests and diseases are usually
the main difficulty for farmers. Both
men and women carry out pest
control, and previous studies have
shown synthetic pesticide use is
extremely high.
The German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ)/Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ)-funded project “Attraction in
Action” develops and tests new
methods for farmers in Vietnam,
Cambodia, and Laos to reduce their
dependence on synthetic pesticides
and thereby improve their health and
income. Together with the Fruit and
Vegetable Research Institute
(FAVRI), AVRDC is conducting a
baseline study to better understand
the constraints that farmers in
Vietnam face, and to quantify
indicators to monitor the project’s
impact over time. Focus group
discussions were held in early
February in preparation for this
study.
During the discussions, farmers
tested their knowledge about pest
management in French bean and
leafy mustard. For instance, they
were shown pictures of different
insects and asked to separate those
that damage crops from those that
help crops. Many incorrectly
identified beneficial insects such as
ladybugs, earthworms and lacewings
as pests. Farmers admitted their lack
of knowledge about natural enemies;
they trust the local pesticide shop to
provide them with the necessary
products to solve their pest problems.
Farmers did not know which
pesticides they applied. They were
aware that pesticides are hazardous;
many regularly experienced
dizziness, drowsiness, headaches and
itchiness directly after spraying
pesticides, and mentioned that such
symptoms could last for several days.
Yet good crop protection was their
priority, and they felt satisfied with
the immediate solution pesticides
offer.
Some positive developments were
noticeable. Containers to dispose of
empty pesticide packages are now
widely available across the fields, and
help to reduce the hazard of careless
disposal. Biopesticides are generally
available in shops; farmers like to use
them and they appreciate the
effectiveness of these products as well
as the lack of ill-health effects.
Several farmers tried pheromone
traps distributed by the plant
protection department and thought
they were effective. However,
shopkeepers don’t sell the traps, as
they felt the traps were too expensive.
The interviewed vegetable farmers
expressed their hope that the project
could help bring down the cost of
traps and biopesticides.
22
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Pakistan Agriculture Conference & Exhibition 2015
AIP Project Manager Mansab Ali (3rd from
left) at the display booth.
Senior-level decision makers from
government and commercial
organizations in Pakistan and around
the world attended the Pakistan
Agriculture Conference &
Exhibition on February 27-28, 2015
at the Pakistan China Friendship
Center, Islamabad. Organized by
KMK Global, the event featured
agricultural projects and programs
from across the country. The first day
of the conference focused on
investment opportunities in
Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Presentations, panel discussions and
case studies from local and
international pioneers in the sector
provided insight into policies and
addressed issues faced by local
industries. The Minister for National
Food Security & Research, the
Mission Director of the United States
Agency for International
Development (USAID)-Pakistan, and
the Chairman of the Pakistan
Agricultural Research Council
(PARC) were the keynote speakers.
At the exhibition, local and
international companies showcased
their products, services, and
technologies, and networked with
targeted groups to identify business
opportunities in Pakistan. This
platform also helped local industries
explore advances in in farming, dairy,
poultry and livestock. Farmers,
working partners and officials shared
their experiences while visiting the
project and program booths. The
USAID Agriculture Innovation
Program booth highlighted the
work of project partners AVRDC,
PARC, International Maize and
Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT), International Livestock
Research Institute (ILRI), and
International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI). AVRDC Pakistan presented
the Center’s improved onion and
tomato lines, seedling trays, compost,
and drip irrigation system. Staff
distributed crop brochures and copies
of articles from Fresh highlighting
activities in the Pakistan office. They
also answered visitors’ questions
about AVRDC’s global activities and
work in Pakistan.
A pest to watch
The invasive leaf miner, Tuta
absoluta, has been officially
reported as a pest in India. Tuta
absoluta prefers to feed on
tomato, though other
solanaceous plants, including
potato, have been recorded as
hosts. T. absoluta is known to
have many generations in a year
and affects tomato in all growing
stages. It is of South American
origin, and it is an invasive pest
in several countries in Europe
and Africa. The larvae mine in
the mesophyll of leaves and
make irregular, papery blotches.
The larvae also mine apical buds
and stems. In cases of heavy
infestation, both green and red
fruits are attacked and infested
fruits show small holes on the
surface. Pupation takes place in
soil or on plant parts such as
leaves and stem. Adult moths
are silvery brown with mottled
wings.
Images courtesy of National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, India.
3
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
23
inside
insight
Dr. Wolfgang Kasten,
Ex-Senior Programme
Manager, Advisory
Service on Agricultural
Research for
Development (BEAF),
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Germany, has been a
member of the AVRDC
Board of Directors since
2012 and is currently
chair of the Audit
Committee. Dr. Kasten,
who received his
doctorate from the
University of Leipzig for
his work on embryo
culture to rescue hybrid
embryos of the genus
Lupinus, decided to
spend part of his
sabbatical year in the
AVRDC Genebank,
where he is learning
about the operations of
the world’s largest public
collection of vegetable
seed from Genebank
Manager Andreas Ebert.
Wolfgang Kasten (left) with Genebank Manager Andreas Ebert in
the seed sorting and packing room.
A sabbatical is a time to rest,
recharge and explore. What do
you hope to discover by
spending some time among
AVRDC’s 61,280 vegetable
accessions?
I have been fascinated since my
childhood about the enormous
number of species that live on our
small, blue planet. It is not a given
fact that these species will exist
forever. There are natural reasons
why they disappear, but currently
mankind is the biggest threat to
nature. As a part of nature, we
depend on it. My hometown, Thale,
in Germany is very close to the
German genebank in Gatersleben. In
the 1980s I did a short internship
about genebank management there. I
learned a lot about the different
technical aspects of the work, but the
most vital lesson was understanding
how important that work is for us
human beings. These three weeks at
AVRDC are giving me the chance to
refresh my knowledge about that
interesting issue in the surroundings
of the world’s largest public
vegetable genebank.
You studied Lupinus and
conducted research on food
legumes. Why do species in the
Fabaceae fascinate you?
Before starting to work with different
lupin species, I did my master’s
thesis on maize and sugarcane tissue
culture. At that time, modern
biotechnology was just beginning.
We were happy to build up
regeneration systems of cell and
(...continued on page 24)
3
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
24
inside
insight
(...continued from page 23)
tissue cultures for these species.
This is the precondition for genetic
engineering. Lupins came later into
my life. At that time, living in the
Eastern part of Germany, we were
interested in growing our own
protein in our own country for
animal and human consumption;
we didn’t want to import it. Yellow
lupins, for instance, grow well on
sandy soils in rotation with
potatoes and rye. Unfortunately,
the farmers we were working with
reported that these yellow lupins
had some non-desirable
characteristics. Making a long story
short…we started an interspecific
hybridization program and luckily
we were able to produce some of
the first interspecific hybrids. It is
somehow sad that after
reunification sustainable land
management was abundant for
short-term profit interests, and our
plant protein now comes out of
former rainforests in Brazil. But
your question was: what fascinates
me? Have you ever seen a huge field
of flowering yellow lupins and the
sweet smell of the flowers in your
nose? This is fascinating!
In your opinion, what is the
greatest challenge we face to
secure plant genetic resources
for the future?
The human population is growing
fast. To feed this growing
population we need to secure plant
genetic resources. The problem is
that many people, for instance in
Germany, don’t know about this.
They are accustomed to seeing so
many different vegetables in the
supermarkets and that makes them
believe that all this is always
available. The greatest challenge is
the lack of education. If children
would learn in school gardens more
about vegetable varieties and
vegetable production, they would
develop respect for those producing
our food, would waste less food,
and would hopefully sensitize
decision makers about the
importance of supporting
genebanks to prepare mankind for
future challenges.
AVRDC strives to link research
to development. You’ve had
some experience in this area…
would you share some advice?
Donors are under constant pressure
to show impact on the ground for
taxpayers’ money. The expectations
of donors towards international
agricultural research institutes are
really challenging. On one side,
internationally competitive
research is expected; on the other
side, technology transfer is
anticipated. Personally, I believe
that centers like AVRDC should, in
their research activities, work
closely together right from the
beginning with potential technology
transfer partners (governments,
NGOs, donor agencies,
philanthropic organizations, private
sector, etc.). Own development
work should be limited to
demonstrating that a developed
technology works.
What has surprised you most
about your time in Taiwan?
It is not my first stay in Taiwan but
my experiences in this cultural
context are really limited. I’m truly
positively surprised how friendly
and warm-heartedly I was
welcomed. Everyone in the institute
has been helping me. I’m very
grateful for that. I was not
surprised but happy to see the
passion of the people working in
the genebank. You need passion if
you have the responsibility for such
a treasure.
CORNUCOPIA
25
Welcome
Sheeraz Ahmad has joined AVRDC as a Training Expert/Ag Extensionist for the
Agriculture Innovation Program in Islamabad, Pakistan. He holds an MSc in Rural
Development from Agriculture University Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan
and an MSc in Rural Sciences from the University of New England, New South Wales,
Australia. Sheeraz began his professional career in 2004 as a Community Development
Officer for the KP Forest Department. He served as a Field Coordinator/Master Trainer for
Save The Children Pakistan and as a Project Coordinator for World Vision International’s
Emergency Response and Disaster Mitigation Earthquake Relief Program in Pakistan. He
most recently completed a posting as Project Coordinator for the Agribusiness Project
implemented by LASOONA and funded by USAID for the KP and Gilgit-Baltistan regions.
Andreas Gramzow, Agricultural Economist, works on agribusiness development in
Tanzania and Africa. He joined AVRDC in February 2015, bringing extensive experience in
value chain analysis, supporting farmers’ access to finance, and developing agricultural
cooperatives and rural credit cooperatives. Andreas served for more than three years as an
agricultural policy advisor to the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture on behalf of the German
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and has conducted short- and medium-term
assignments in several African, Central Asian and Eastern European countries. From 2004
to 2008, he was a Research Scholar for the Leibniz-Institute of Agricultural Development
in Transition Economies (IAMO), where he also wrote his doctoral thesis on improving
rural livelihoods by means of rural development policy measures. From 2006 to 2007 he
worked for the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in
Patancheru, India, where he conducted a socioeconomic evaluation of different irrigation
projects in Andhra Pradesh. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Martin
Luther University, Germany.
James Leonard Magumba, Assistant Accountant, is the newest member of the AVRDC
Eastern and Southern Africa team in Arusha, Tanzania. James worked with the Imara
Foundation from 2010-2013 while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and
Finance. His experience in accounting and financial management for nongovernmental
organizations will be an asset to the Arusha office.
Fresh, 16 March 2015
Fresh is published by :
AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center
P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199
Taiwan
avrdc.org
Editor: Maureen Mecozzi
Graphic design: Kathy Chen
Photographic guidance: Amy Chen and
Vanna Liu
Comments, ask a question, add a name to our mailing list: [email protected]
Contributors: Mansab Ali, Sheila de Lima,
Narinder Dhillon, Thomas Dubois, Warwick
Easdown, Klaus Fleissner, Ellen Iramu, Dyno
Keatinge, Kartini Luther, John Macharia, Sylvia
Namazzi, Ngoni Nenguwo, BB Rai (Bhutan
Council for Research (CoRRB) - Ministry of
Agriculture and Forests (MoAF), Srinivasan
Ramasamy, A.T. Sadashiva (Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research), Pepijn Schreinemachers