Participants in all IFDC training programs and workshops are asked to evaluate the technical content and administrative arrangements. Participants are also asked to offer comments and suggestions. Representative comments follow.
2011 Participants' Comments
DSSAT, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA, May 9-19 2011
Overall, this training program was very well organized and executed. I enjoyed this training and learned a lot of new things from the workshop; millions of thanks to IFDC staff and other speakers from the ‘outside.’
– Dr. Senthilnathan Samiappan
IFDC staff was very nice; the instructors who gave the lectures were very good, knowledgeable and funny.
– Li Zhang
The combination of theory and practical exercises is good for this training – it is important to keep this!
– Anonymous
Great program: Thank you for taking great care of us – very friendly and helpful; I would recommend DSSAT and the training program – IFDC was very generous and helpful, I am looking forward to
continued work. – Anonymous
I very much enjoyed the workshop; I believe I got a lot out of it that will be very useful. The IFDC staff was very helpful and hospitable; thank you! – Anonymous
All lecturers were very knowledgeable, helpful and responsive; I enjoyed working with everyone attending and presenting at this training course – Mike Thompson, Resha and Rachael were also VERY helpful and underappreciated or unrecognized for all the hard work they did for us. – Anonymous
Dr. Gerrit Hoogenboom was an excellent speaker/teacher; in general, all instructors did a very good job and were very helpful in understanding the software – thanks for a wonderful workshop! – Anonymous
Step-by-step instructions were helpful. – Anonymous
I would be very interested in participating in the future development of DSSAT. – Anonymous
In general it has been a very good experience – I have learned a lot and it has been a very useful program – thank you very much for your effort! – Anonymous
I rated this program excellent because it met my needs at the appropriate time; however as an individual who has not been exposed to the use of DSSAT before, I think there should be more time apportioned to hands-on training and the training taken a little bit more slowly to enhance meaningful learning – maybe it can be extended by a week. – Anonymous
I initially thought this program was too long (10 days), but after seeing how much material needs to be covered I have changed my mind. – Anonymous
Please try to convey information about training and workshops through agricultural institutions and ministries involved in agricultural and livestock development throughout the developing world and not just those in which IFDC has projects currently. – Anonymous
Phosphate Fertilizer Production Technology Workshop, Berlin , Germany, June 20-24, 2011
For me it was a great opportunity to learn an overview of other aspects of the industry that we are not involved in because meeting and networking with people from other countries is a fantastic opportunity – very enjoyable and most worthwhile. Congratulations to organizers and a big THANKS! – Grant Whitefield
I am very glad I could take part in the IFDC workshop – it is very needed to refresh knowledge, to discuss with partners from other countries about the same producers’ problems. – Mrs. Monika Zienkiewicz
Fantastic program – well done! - Matthew Ellen
The content of the program is very well-balanced. – Robert Pleskacz
The program was primarily industry-specific; in my opinion, we should include people/representatives from governments because it is a national/international issue to provide food for people at lower cost – for better political stability in the country, especially in underdeveloped countries. – Mr. Tufail Ahmed
Fertilizer Policy and Marketing Strategies in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, July 4-8, 2011
Thanks so much, it was a great week. – Anonymous
Thank you for having me and IRM Ltd. – this has been a great opportunity to meet “decision makers” in a market that we will soon be operating. This was also a great chance to get some insight into the development of Africa – this not only will benefit our fertilizer market distribution, but it also opens up our corporate-shared value policy. – Anonymous
Personally I benefited a lot from participating in this workshop, because besides the new knowledge from papers presented, I got some ideas on what kind of research I can do to benefit my country (i.e. inform policy forming and adjustment processes). – Anonymous
This is an excellent program for stakeholders to share experiences on fertilizers in the region and Africa in general. – Anonymous
Fertilizer Value Chain - Supply System Management and Servicing Farmers' Needs, Bangkok, Thailand, August 22-26, 2011
Thank you IFDC for enabling me to participate in your training program. I have personally gained a lot and hope to transfer it to the very great community that I am with daily. – Anonymous
Enjoyed the course and it was definitely worth the money! – Anonymous
It was great! Thanks to IFDC and hope you keep doing better and better! – Anonymous
I think the topics are very representative of the various interests of professional callings and therefore none should be deleted. – Anonymous
It was a very well-run program and well-managed given the diversity of the audience; perhaps consider running a program for developed countries specifically to enable more specific discussions. – Anonymous
Nitrogen Fertilizer Production Technology Workshop, Seville, Spain, October 3-7, 2011
The organization of the program was excellent considering the number of countries involved, location in a Spanish-speaking country and the busy schedule of the presenters. – Mr. Baptiste Obadiah
Congratulations on an excellent job! – Nelson Guevara
Very good – I really liked the workshop. Nice city. – Ms. Paola Bernal
In general, it was very good and educational. – Anonymous
Arrangements for the manufacturing plant visit were excellent – congratulations! Very good program and arrangements. – Anonymous
Linking Farmers to Markets in Africa, Accra, Ghana, November 21-25, 2011
All items in the course were very nice and will help me. – Albert Bigirindavyi
Generally, the training was good and informative and will go a long way in enabling me to carry out my duties of linking farmers to markets.– Anonymous
The training program is very good, especially for people working directly with farmers. If possible, IFDC should be rotating the trainings to different countries so that it can benefit even more people. – Anonymous
The training time needs to be increased and IFDC needs to increase the area of coverage in other regions of the continent. – Anonymous
I just want to thank the organizers of this program, and I would like to encourage them to rotate these programs or take the programs to the participants on a country level, and it should reflect the needs
of that country. – Anonymous
Learning by experience was excellent. – Anonymous
Came late, but I do believe I got value for my money and time. – Anonymous
Participation from various countries is quite encouraging. – Anonymous
Assessing Indigenous Fertilizer Production Opportunities in Africa, Arusha, Tanzania, December 5-9, 2011
The program was well organized, and I believe the objective was achieved. – Professor Damian O. Asawalam
I am happy to be part of this workshop and the knowledge acquired will be put into practice when I get home. We are looking forward to investors coming to Nigeria to become involved in fertilizer production, distribution and marketing. – Peter Adetutu
Good work! Keep it up IFDC team! – Samuel Onjolo Omolo
Enjoyed the networking and the people! – Bruce Bassett
You are all good. Thanks! – Mr. Aloyce Massawe
The training workshop has been important for developing country – suggest more of these!- Ms. Rose Kitambi
I am impressed by the timelessness and the level of interaction between IFDC organizers and participants.
– Anonymous
The course was very good. I believe it will go a long way in promoting fertilizer production and use in Africa and the associated benefits. – Anonymous
This workshop is very good so that we can have a chance to develop many ideas for African growth.
– Anonymous
2010 Participants' Comments
Decision Support Tools for Agricultural Production, Fertilizer Recommendations and Climatic Variability – Nairobi, Kenya – March 8-19, 2010
“The IFDC staff members were very friendly and simple. This allowed interaction and easy expression of difficulties.”
“The course was beneficial to my Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and covered most of the relevant research interests directly related to my areas of interests.”
“Thank you to IFDC and its partners for this important input. Congratulations to all of the organizers who made this course happen.”
“The course is very relevant for scientists working in Africa. It should be supported to expose more scientists to the use and application of systems modeling. This should be backed up by follow-up courses to strengthen the use of systems modeling.”
Managing Risks in the Fertilizer Value Chain in West Africa – Accra, Ghana – June 21-25, 2010
“I am grateful to IFDC for organizing such a program.”
“The Kabulate Republic case study developed was very innovative and helpful.”
“Presentation of lectures was quite exciting and up-to-date. However, the period of discussion or interaction should be increased for maximum knowledge transfer.”
Developing Fertilizer Supply and Marketing Strategies for the Future (with FSSA) – Pretoria, South Africa – August 23-27, 2010
Maurice Magugumela, Mgwali Commodities, South Africa – "The material was well-targeted. This was a very valuable program.”
Misheck Mushinda, Omnia Small Scale Limited, Zambia – "Educative program. Please continue with the good work.”
John Briton Walker, Greenbelt Fertilizers Limited., Zambia – "Excellent course. Ian and Ramon had fantastic knowledge and experience – thanks!”
Designing and Implementing Agro-Inputs Marketing Strategies (Training and Study Tour) – Muscle Shoals, AL; St. Louis, MO; Washington, DC; – October 4-15, 2010
Luiz Chiappetta, Empresa Agricola Chiapetta, Brazil – “I will recommend each program from this one made in the future by IFDC.”
Sakkree Namchaitaharn, Sumi-Thai Fertilizer Company Limited, Thailand – “Thank you very much for providing the best training for us.”
Mahenye Muya N.C., Suba Agro-Trading and Engineering Company Limited, Tanzania – “The workshop has been very informative. We have been able to network, to get knowledge on marketing strategies, as well as to mirror the future in terms of threat such as environmental issues and technological programs.”
Dr. Emmanuel Dormon, ACDI/VOCA, Ghana – “An excellent program. Well thought through and well organized; a very informative and invaluable experience.”
“Overall this was a very good international training program.”
“Mike was a very good host in Muscle Shoals!”
Brian Kiger, IFDC, Nigeria – “Thanks! Thank you immensely for your time and efforts. I have learned a tremendous amount.”
“At the end of this wonderful training, I wanted to thank you Mr. Ian Gregory and Mr. Paul Makepeace for the excellent arrangement for this course.”
Professor Victor Chude, National Programme for Food Security, Nigeria – “It can’t be any better by my assessment. It was a huge success! The organizers were very friendly and mature in their handling of complex issues. Bravo!”
Developing Private Sector Agro-Input Markets: Designing and Implementing Targeted Input Subsidy Programs – Yankari National Park, Bauchi State, Nigeria – October 25-29, 2010
“IFDC staff super. The support staff deserves Nobel prizes.”
“This workshop in Yankari has been an excellent opportunity of linkage with other people.”
“The training is geared at a specific topic on the development of private sector agro-input markets, all the presentations are quite on the line and were appreciated.”
“I would like to participate again in a program like this.”
“Overall this was a beautiful and well-organized program. I only ask that IFDC keep up the good work.”
“Good learning process. It has been a wonderful experience being here.”
“Your topics are excellent. Please keep it up.”
Murtala Mohammed, Notore Chemical Industries Limited, Nigeria – “I will like to participate again in a program like this.”
Fertilizer Granulation and NPK Production Alternatives – Bangkok, Thailand – November 1-5, 2010
VVN Acharyulu, Coromandel International Limited, India – We many times recall your sessions, which have been thought provoking and useful in our day to day activities related to fertilisers production. Particularly your energetic movements and patient listening during Question Answering sessions was wonderful.
“We believe “knowledge is power.” IFDC succeeded in this workshop by giving opportunity for knowledge-sharing across the world which will enhance fertility and enrich the farmers. Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to . Ramon Lazo and Luisa De Faria.”
Daniel Basuki, PT. Selektani Horticulture, Indonesia – “To all the IFDC organizers: great job! Thank you so much for all the nice efforts! Look forward to seeing you all again for the next opportunity.”
Mohd Zamani Bin Salim, Malaysian NPK Fertilizer Sdn Bhd, Malaysia – “Overall satisfied. I will recommend to my subordinates to attend the similar training. Well done.”
Reuben Rozario, PK Fertilizers Sdn Bhd, Malaysia – “Overall the program was a good exposure for new people in the NPK production with no chemical knowledge.”
“This IFDC workshop was a very impressive experience to me as a new engineer in the fertilizer field - thank you so much.”
“Field trip to TCCC (Thai Central Chemical Public Company) was particularly useful.”
Manjul Anand, Export Trading Company Limited, Tanzania – “The course content is excellent and the additional info about technology (bulletins attached to the soft copy material) is highly appreciated.”
Yakov Kahlon, ROTEM Amfert Negev Limited, Israel – “Thank you very much for a very professional and well-planned program.”
Vipani Anandapu, Coromandel International Limited, India – “This kind of session is very informative; please arrange a special session for each organization for about an hour to discuss with IFDC experts. Thank you.”
Gordon Baird, Omnia Fertilizer Limited, South Africa – “IFDC does very well in catering for a large spectrum of participants and processes; in general the NPK was quite basic although touching on detail at times which suited me personally as an excellent refresher course; a level grading system for the course might be of value.”
Johnny Jimenez Romero, Inkabor, S.A.C., Peru – “This program is very interesting; congratulations to the staff for a good program and good work.”
V. V. N. Acharyulu, Coromandel International Limited, India – “Overall the program topics, selection, organizing manner and coordination was very good.”
Stefan Schaafsma, Stamicarbon bv, The Netherlands – “Perfect location and it was good to see some old friends again.”
Sebastian Schaefer, RHEWUM GmbH, Germany – “Thank you very much for being a part of this great event! I hope that I can also be a part of it next time!”
John Suldickas, ArrMaz Custom Chemicals, USA – “Fantastic workshop that greatly exceeded my expectations!”
Improving Agricultural Productivity and Net Returns Among Smallholder Farmers Through Efficient Use of Nutrients and Water – Can Tho City, Vietnam – December 6-10, 2010
Ngawang Tenzin, National Soil Services Centre, Department of Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan – “Excellent!”
Suraj Chhetri, Bhutan Department of Agriculture, Bhutan – “The course was good and the presentation was well conducted.”
Santosh Bakhale, Zuari Indisutries Ltd., India – “Hands-on training with computers can be provided in future programs.”
“Training course period should be about 2 weeks longer and more field trips should be included.”
Ramananda Hosakere Kendegowda, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO), India – “This program should be for 7-10 days.”
“The presentations were excellent.”
2009 Participants' Comments
Phosphate Fertilizer Production Technology (with IFA) – Marrakech, Morocco – October 19-23, 2009
Luis Miguel Ilelaty, Industrial Projects Director, ABOCOL S.A., Colombia – "Ramón and Luisa, thank you for everything. The workshop in Morocco was really successful. The hotel, speakers, mine/plant visit, knowledge and research papers; you did excellent work!!! For everybody who attended, thanks for your time and friendship and I hope you are fine back home. ABOCOL/Colombia is open to you when you want to come or to know anything."
Vidyanand Prasad Yadav, Paradeep Phosphates Limited, India – "Wonderful; very relevant and most useful to those associated with the fertilizer industry."
Taryn Warburg, Omnia Fertilizer, South Africa – "I think the granulation talks were awesome; it was a real pity that we only had one-half day for them. Is it possible to have a granulation mini-conference as an extra two-day workshop after this one?
Thanks to the IFDC staff – it must have been very difficult to arrange this seminar for so many people, but you did an awesome job!"
Gordon Baird, Omnia Fertilizer, South Africa – "My thanks to the IFDC personnel. You did very well in trying circumstances. Great personnel!!!"
Darrell Bracey, Tellus Operating Group, LLC, United States – "Not knowing very much when I came, I have a much better understanding now."
2008 Participants' Comments
Training and Study Tour on Overview of Fertilizer Production – Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and Tampa, Florida, United States – July 14-23, 2008
Chittipeddi Viswanathan, Senior General Manager of Finance and Accounts at Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd. (KRIBHCO) in Nagar, India – "The training gave me a global view of the fertilizer industry and will help me make sound investment decisions. KRIBHCO produces fertilizers and other farm-related products. We have to select, finance and manage agricultural development projects that are both socially desirable and commercially profitable."
Sherif Magdy Abel Salam El-Gabaly, Business Development Manager at Abu Zaabal Fertilizers and Chemical Company in Egypt – "My position requires constant updates on new trends and needs in the fertilizer industry. The IFDC training will help me tap into the wealth of available knowledge and know where to go for more information."
Amanda Jayne Saunders, Process Chemical Engineer at Cumming Smith British Petroleum (CSBP) in Australia – "In 2001, two CSBP product developers brought raw materials to IFDC to work with IFDC engineers on the development of ammonium sulfate-based fertilizers. The outcome was a great success."
Luis Miguel Ilelaty, Technical Service Director of ABOCOL S. A. in Colombia, called the training a "mind-opening experience. I was pleased to learn about IFDC's pilot plants. We may run some tests in these facilities. We want to upgrade the technology of our current NPK plant and lower production costs by replacing 85 percent of the mono-ammonium phosphate used as a raw material with local phosphate."
Daniel Buswell, Chemical Engineer at A. J. Sackett in Baltimore, Maryland, United States – "I now have a better grasp of the fertilizer industry in terms of where fertilizer comes from, how it is made, who it goes to and how it affects the world. I work in process design and equipment systems, but knowledge of end-user products and customers' needs are also important. Moreover, the group was terrific! We came from diverse backgrounds and cultures and the experience was mutually enriching."
Marsha Springer, Assistant General Manager of Eastern Caribbean Fertilizer Co. in Barbados – "My background is in chemistry, but I didn't know much about fertilizer production. When a product got to me, it was already finished. But now I know what to look for in terms of grade and quality and how to adjust production to customers' needs."
Maina John Kabui, Senior Quality Assurance Officer at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) – "KEBS develops national market standards, but since we import most of our fertilizer products, we are more on the implementation side. This training gave me an overview of production processes and a better understanding of quality control. That will help a lot in my inspection work."
The visit to Mosaic in Florida was particularly significant to Dibyendu Ghosh, Assistant Production Manager at Tata Chemicals Ltd. in Durgachak, India – "We are benchmarking our products and processes," he said. "Granule size is the most important parameter in the production of DAP and NPK. I wanted to know what steps to follow to obtain 90 percent granule size and how to minimize breakdowns in our plants."
Safaa Ibn Ghazala, Engineer at Cerphos (OCP) in Casablanca, Morocco – "I liked the balanced combination of theory and practice. Presentations were highlighted by real-world examples that piqued and sustained our interest."
Stepan Kiminchidzhi, Deputy Director for Foreign Relations and Welfare Issues at Odessa Port Plant in Ukraine – "We are revamping our company to better respond to new market challenges and our customers' needs. The new information I learned and the contacts I made will be useful for our future development."
Khalil Mahmoud, Business Development Manager at Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemical Co. in Alexandria, Egypt – "The only problem was the duration of the program. I wish it had been longer, considering the broad range of topics covered and the crucial role of fertilizers in agricultural development."
Khalid Marshod Al-Rohily, Agronomist at Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) in Saudi Arabia – "SABIC not only produces fertilizers, it also provides extension services to help farmers improve crop yields through efficient fertilizer use. I value this opportunity to enhance my knowledge of fertilizer chemistry, economics, production and markets. This will be useful in my research on new methods of fertilizer application."
Al-Rohily continued, "It was really a pleasure to meet all of the other participants. I would like to thank IFDC for the information I received and the opportunity to meet such friendly and good persons whom I will never forget. I would also like to extend my thanks to Ramón Lazo de la Vega, who taught us so well; we spent a wonderful time with him, as well as Michael Thompson. Once again, I extend my thanks to IFDC on the success of this training course."
Fertilizer Granulation & Micronutrients – Bangkok, Thailand – November 3-7, 2008
P. C. Varma, IFFCO, India – "Overall program and reading materials provided are excellent!"
Hamid Iqbal, Pak-American Fertilizers Limited, Pakistan – "The workshop was excellent!"
Ahmad Abbas Mirza, ENGRO, Pakistan – "Brilliant effort by IFDC in putting together a great workshop. Compliments to the team."
P. A. Wilson, IFFCO, India – "Overall, the program was excellent. The subjects were informative. Plant visits and local visits were arranged in a very good manner. Thanks to IFDC and the Rice Department of the Royal Government of Thailand."
Agro-Input Dealer Development in Africa – Arusha, Tanzania – December 8-12, 2008
Brighton Karume – "On a personal level and on behalf of my employees, this was an ideal way for me to develop some business linkages. Having Nigerians on board was a source of encouragement and joy."
Bello Abba Yakasai, Nigeria – "A timely, planned program that will greatly impart needed information to the participants, countries, projects and agro-dealers."