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“ Because of the effects of climate change, all our old varieties are abandoned”
The village of Dacoumani in Mali, like all villages in the Sahel, has had to endure the drastic effects of climate change. Notably, Dacoumani has experienced the gradual disappearance of local genotypes and decline in crop yield due to unpredictable rainfall patterns. In order to address this issue, SAA’s office in Mali – SG 2000 Mali – implemented a Climate Smart Village (CSV) extension model in 2018, as part of the Crop Productivity Enhancement (CPE) theme. The model is implemented at the Post...
“Our hard work paid off” – The multipurpose cooperative society reaping the benefits of SAA training
The Rebuild Nigeria Multipurpose Cooperative Society is located in the Cross River State of Nigeria, and comprises 30 members. Despite Cross River State being one of the highest rice producing states in Nigeria, the local variety available in the market is limited. In 2019, SAA’s office in Nigeria – Sasakawa Global 2000 Nigeria (SG 2000 Nigeria) – was introduced to the cooperative through the Extension Agent of the Bekwara Local Government, as part of the Cross River Agricultural Development Pro...
“I present my heartfelt thanks to SG 2000 Uganda” – The Ugandan farmers’ group benefitting from SAA initiatives
The Bulamu Tweweyo Farmers’ group was recently selected to participate in the Vegetable Oil Development Project (VODP), launched in 2016 by Sasakawa Global (SG) 2000 Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The project aims to alleviate poverty among rural communities by increasing production of vegetable oils, primarily soybean and sunflower oil, through the introduction of new technol...
“I’m really grateful” – the success story of Dorothy Anima Effa, one of SAFE’s first graduates
This edition of Voices from the Field was written and supplied by Joseph Kwesi Sarpong, a Ghanaian national who was also among the first intake of SAFE students in 1993.
An appraisal carried out by SAA in 1992 found that 83% of Extension Officers in Ghana were largely certificate holders from agricultural colleges. The Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension (SAFE) program was launched in 1993 to support the development of Extension Officers beyond the academic qualifications they had acquired f...
“I will keep practicing the lessons I have learned to improve my livelihood” How one farmer benefited from working with SG 2000 Ethiopia
Wolde Gichamo, a 65-year old smallholder farmer, lives in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. For farmers like Wolde, access to high-yielding wheat varieties has proved challenging and has forced his community to resort to local varieties, which significantly lowered their productivity.
Extension Agents (EAs) working as part of SG 2000 Ethiopia chose Wolde to host a 1000 m2 Community Demonstration Plot (CDP) and to test a new wheat variety known as Og...
“My income and livelihood have improved”
The farmer’s multipurpose cooperative reaping the benefits of collective seed production
The Bulunguli Farmer’s Multipurpose Cooperative is located in the Iganga district of Uganda. A needs assessment was conducted in 2016 as part of an agreement between SG 2000 Uganda and the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), during which many farmer groups requested capacity development in oil-seed crop production. SAA worked with eight of ...
“ This foundation seed project has been an opportunity to improve our living conditions”
The Foloda Women’s Group
The Monzonblena Postharvest and Trading Center (PHTC) boasts a membership of 10 villages, and is located south of the Malian capital, Bamako. In 2017, SAA identified the villages, including Foloda, which has a population of 450 and relies on subsistence agriculture as its main source of income, to follow a needs assessment survey organized in collaboration with the national agriculture sector of Dioïla.
Following the survey, a women’s group in Foloda was chosen to ...
“ Without the SAFE program, I would never have had the opportunity to be where I am today”
The Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE)integrates African universities and colleges into the agricultural development process, to ensure that extension staff are equipped to lead the transformation of agriculture along the value chain.Joseph Kwesi Sarpong, a Ghanaian national, was among the first intake of SAFE students when the program launched in 1993.
“There were 25 of us in total when we graduated in 1996,”Joseph explains. “After graduating, I went back to Kwadaso to spear...
“I am proud of being engaged in agriculture”
The youth agribusiness in Uganda turning agricultural employment into a winning choice.
The Zirobwe Agaliawamu Agri-business Training Association(ZAABTA) is a dynamic and award-winning youth agri-business association situated in the Luwero district of central Uganda. The success of the group rests on its ability to inspire African youth to view agriculture as an employment choice with a bright future, rather than as a last resort.
The Nokia Youth Farming Agricultural Innovation Platform (N...
“ This is a new type of market that we did not know before SG 2000”
The National Cereal Exchange Fair, which has over the years become an essential event in Mali for the promotion, and exchange of, grain products, held its 13th edition in Ségou from 14-15 February. The Exchange Fair, which was first launched
in 2006, was the initiative of the President of the Permanent Assembly of the Chambers of Agriculture of Mali (APCAM), in partnership with SG 2000 Mali and AMASSA Afrique Verte. In addition to providing smallholder farmers access to a larger
market, the Fa...
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Voices from the Field Special Edition 2022
This is a special edition of the "Voices from the Field" articles.
