Greetings!

    | July 19, 2010

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    Our new subscribers this week come from far and wide. We would like to welcome: Bernard Guioua, Radio Rurale, Central African Republic; Nassao Salif and Gabriel Zopoula, FEPPASI, Burkina Faso; Leon Marcellin, Programme de Promotion des Revenus Ruraux, Madagascar; Marie Jeanne Raharison, Ministry of Agriculture, Madagascar; Esnart Hamiyanda, Sky FM Radio, Zambia; Peters Olufemi, The Agricultural Voice, The Gambia; and Adella Mbabazi, UBC Buruli FM, in Uganda.

    Resourcefulness and creativity are key talents for any farmer or entrepreneur. Our two main news items this week provide examples of these talents and the innovations to which they lead. From Mozambique, we hear how Gilberto Tethere adapted an efficient but costly grain store, reproducing it with affordable local materials. Many farmers are now copying his idea. Moving to the Congo, Josephine Bouanga has developed a method to make milk from pumpkin seeds. She created her own business and is developing other inventive food processing ideas.

    Last week, we brought you a news brief about the launch of the East African Community Common Market. This week we bring you a short follow-up, with some reactions to the new regulations, and reflections on what they might mean for small-scale farmers in Uganda. We also present a news brief on the new International Cocoa Agreement. The accord contains provisions which should ensure that small-scale farmers benefit from producing cocoa in an ethical and environmental way.

    Finally, the Radio Resource Action contains a link to the Farm Radio International blog where you can watch a short video about Asio Koku’s experiences working with participatory radio campaigns in Ghana.

    Happy reading!

    -The Farm Radio Weekly Team