- Barza Wire - https://wire.farmradio.fm -

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

Organizations want to improve extension services

Only one in ten Ghanaian farmers has access to agricultural extension services.

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana and the NGO, SEND Ghana, want to change that.

The two organizations received US $88,000 from Trust Africa, which will be used to lobby the national government. The organizations want to highlight the mismatch between the number of extension officers in the country and the number of farmers they have to serve.

The two-year project will involve media campaigns, stakeholder workshops and engagement of policy makers.

Original story: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=275283 [1]

Kenyan farmers embrace cassava

Farmers in Kenya’s Nyamira County have discovered the commercial potential of cassava.

The energy-rich tuber is cheaper to grow than maize. It’s also believed to be more resilient during droughts.

Last year, maize farmers in parts of Rift Valley and Nyanza Provinces incurred huge losses due to an insect infestation. So agriculture experts are now promoting alternative crops such as cassava.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the crop has huge potential to alleviate hunger and rural poverty, and to contribute to economic development.

Original story http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000085112&story_title=farmers-in-nyamira-county-embrace-cassava-growing&pageNo=1 [2]