BCI farmer shares benefits of safer and more sustainable biological controls to manage pests in cotton crop
What does sustainability mean? In the context of agriculture, sustainability refers to the successful management of agricultural resources to satisfy human needs while at the same time maintaining or enhancing the quality of the environment and conserving natural resources for future generations.
Stakeholders hail positive impact of FDOV project on Ghanaian vegetable exports to EU market
Stakeholders in the implementation of a project to deal with interceptions of vegetable produce from Ghana to the EU market because of harmful organisms have hailed the positive impact of the project on exports.
Digital climate advisory services – an investment case for equity
The need for climate adaptation Smallholder farmers are facing increasing impacts from droughts, floods, heatwaves and wildfires, as well as crop pests and diseases, being driven by climate change. And these issues are only projected to get worse as our world warms over the coming years. Smallholders are the backbone of our global food supply.…
Aflatoxin control in Pakistan through the eyes of a maize grower from Punjab
Mian Muhammad Irfan is a maize grower from district Faisalabad in Punjab province. Here Rafhan Maize Products Co. Ltd procures thousands of tons of maize crop each year for processing. He is one of the thousands of maize crop farmers contracted with Rafhan Maize. Mr Irfan grows around one hundred acres of maize annually. Over…
Piloting worker voice technology in Pakistan
Engaging people working in agriculture to get a clear, comprehensive understanding of the challenges they face in their work, especially on labour issues, is key to being able to provide effective solutions. In rural, dispersed farming areas, however, this can be a difficult task using traditional outreach methods. The Covid-19 pandemic has made this engagement…
Agricultural Minister endorses establishment of innovative biological control at farms in Sindh province of Pakistan
The Agricultural Minister for Sindh province in Pakistan, Mr Muhammad Ismail Rahoo, has officially endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see the establishment of Natural Enemy Field Reservoirs (NEFRs) to fight pests of fruits, vegetables and other economic crops – including cotton and rice.
Farmers in Pakistan use pheromone capsules to fight back against cotton crop pest the pink bollworm
Cotton is Pakistan’s largest industrial sector but is impacted by many pests. The pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) is considered its worst enemy as it affects the quality of the lint and, ultimately, loss of the crop.
Measuring the value of improving data access and governance in Gates Foundation programmes and projects
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation addresses many important global issues. One of the foundation’s core areas of focus is data, including data access and data sharing in agriculture. Agricultural data is important as it can help to address issues of international concern such as reducing hunger and poverty as called for by the Sustainable…
Organic cotton in Pakistan: policy analysis and recommendations
As the fourth largest cotton producer worldwide, cotton is an integral part of Pakistan’s economy contributing 9.5% of its gross domestic and serving as a core livelihood for 15 million cotton workers. In addition to bringing US$3.5 billion as foreign currency each year to the country, it provides crucial income to cotton-producing households, accounting for…
Biological control for Japanese knotweed comes into sharp focus during second release of psyllid
Research to find a suitable and safe biological control to fight the scourge of Japanese knotweed is stepping up a gear in the Netherlands after the second release of a psyllid – Aphalara itadori – and our very own Dr Janny Vos, Partnerships Development Director, was on hand with camera for this picture special.