Under the OVOP in Malawi, launched in 2003, some rural communities have set up a village food processing plant to produce jams, fresh juices, cassava bread and soya oil, or cooperatives that grow oyster mushrooms, while others have focused on products made from plants found in their area, such as baobab trees, or are even growing rice. A Japanese concept to help villages in Malawi focus their efforts on producing and marketing a single product has turned around the lives of rural dwellers....

He says rice is becoming a staple food in the country and its important the government encourage farmers to grow the crop locally instead of importing it. The Solomon Islands government and an advertising agency have provided equipment for some rice farmers. Sols government and an advertising agency provide equipment for rice farmers. PNG police minister warns cops against accepting favours from election candidates. India's post-coup Fiji stance labelled opportunistic. The Voice of New...

On its part, the government has decided to continue with its policy to rein in the rising prices through fiscal measures and import of food articles to ease the supply-side crunch. However, the government may have to do some tightrope walking as the wholesale prices of food articles, fuel, power and manufactured goods continued to rule firm. Although the fall in prices of some food articles such as moong, barley and sugar, among others, have come as a relief for consumers, staple...

As a model hybrid rice cluster, more than 200 hectares of rice fields were planted to hybrid rice this 2007 dry cropping season. He said that the highest yield in the cluster was 246 cav/ha while the lowest was 173 cav/ha, which is still much higher than what they would usually get from ordinary or inbred rice varieties. Domingo, Nueva Ecija are again overwhelmed with the benefits that they are reaping from their hybrid rice farms. The DA provides them adequate irrigation, postharvest...

In the coming months, Zambia will face the effects of both floods and deficit rainfall as a result of the mixed rainfall performance during the 2006/07 season, in which many parts of the country received excessive rainfall and parts of the south had prolonged dry spells. In the coming months, Zambia will face the effects of both floods and deficit rainfall as a result of the mixed rainfall performance during the 2006/07 season, in which many parts of the country received excessive rainfall...

DAILY EXPRESS NEWS Govt acts on loss of padi lands Papar: All district offices in Sabah have been directed not to approve applications by landowners to convert their padi lands for commercial development, said Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail. DAILY EXPRESS NEWS Govt acts on loss of padi lands Papar: All district offices in Sabah have been directed not to approve applications by landowners to convert their padi lands for commercial development, said...