Nelly Bassily | March 24, 2013
A very warm welcome to you! This edition of Farm Radio Weekly features stories from Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa.
Cameroonians enjoy eating okok, a plant found in the forests of the Congo Basin. But demand for this culturally significant leafy vegetable was starting to outstrip supply before a project encouraged locals to start replanting the forests. Now the future looks greener for the members of the co-operatives who plant, harvest and manage the sales of okok.
Many East Africans like to eat ugali or posho, a stiff maize porridge. But unpredictable weather plus pests and disease are making it more difficult for small-scale farmers to grow enough maize to both feed their families and sell maize at the market. A new initiative is teaching farmers how to grow upland rice, filling their bellies and their pockets. As demand for rice grows, local farmers stand to gain from their proximity to the new markets.
Older but still farming! Elder farmers in South Africa are choosing the best enterprises for their abilities, and profiting from their decisions. Vegetables, pigs and poultry are going to the markets and wise farmers are earning good money!
Interested in learning about permaculture in Swahili? There will be a permaculture design course in Arusha, Tanzania, in April 2013. Details are available in the event section.
Keep broadcasting!
–The Farm Radio Weekly team.