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FRW news in brief

Farm Radio Weekly has a new trial resource for you: Farmer news briefs. These are stories from across the continent which have been adapted from print or online sources and are suitable for use in your regular farm radio program. Read them, edit them, broadcast them, localize them, or simply use them as background info. Want more details? Click the link under the story to see the original article.

Please let us know what you think. Do you want to see Farmer news briefs in Farm Radio Weekly on a regular basis? Email us at farmradioweekly@farmradio.org [1]

1-Zambia: Fighting to save local radio

The government of Zambia has threatened to revoke the broadcasting licence of Radio Mano in Kasama, in the country’s Northern Province.

Information Minister Mwansa Kapeya stated that the radio station is not observing good broadcasting ethics and is airing programs which create public discontent. Mr. Kapeya is pledging to review the government’s media policy and offer grants to community radio stations.

The grants are designed to help stations sustain their operations as most community radio stations are staffed by volunteers. There are more than 70 radio stations across Zambia, with that number continually increasing. The government has also set aside 8.3 million Zambian Kwacha [$20,000 US] to install FM transmitters to enhance radio reception countrywide.

The UN Educational and Scientific Organization, or UNESCO, has also provided some financial assistance to radio stations in rural areas.

To read the full article, go to: http://www.zambian-economist.com/2014/03/funding-local-radio.html [2] There is further information here: http://lusakavoice.com/2014/03/01/govt-warns-radio-mano-of-de-registration/ [3]

2-Mozambique: Program lends a helping hand to agricultural development

Small-scale farmers in Mozambique are receiving aid and technical support from the US and Brazil through a program called Mozambique Food and Nutrition Security Program.

The program was created in 2012 with the help of the Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research, or IIAM, and is designed to expand fruit and vegetable production and distribution throughout the country. According to IIAM, fruit and vegetable growing is key to generating employment and income for small-scale farmers, as produce represents 20 per cent of family expenditures.

South Africa is the largest supplier of fruit and vegetables to southern Mozambique. IIAM figures show that, prior to 2010, nearly all the onions, 65 per cent of tomatoes and 57 per cent of cabbages consumed in the cities of Maputo and Matola came from South Africa.

To read the full article, go to: http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/03/brazilian-innovation-financed-mozambican-agriculture/ [4]