IFDC Roundup
By Kristen Sukalac, Editor
Fertilizers
and Agriculture, November 2001
International
Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Paris, France
Despite its name,
the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is about much
more than fertilizers. The Center's mission is to increase
agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner through the
development and transfer of effective, environmentally sound plant
nutrient technology and agricultural marketing expertise. The scope
of the organization is truly global, although focusing primarily on
developing countries and countries in transition.
Some of the recent
activities of IFDC give a flavour of how it contributes to
agricultural development across the globe.
In late July, a
high-level delegation from Nigeria visited IFDC’s headquarters in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama. A number of site visits were organized.
During a tour of a
local family farm, Mallam Adamu Bello, Nigeria’s Minister of
Agriculture showed particular interest in the precision farming
techniques being employed. Contrary to commonly held opinions about
the future of farming in Africa, the Minister stated that he thought
precision might be used to help Nigerian farmers increase their
yields. However, this is not likely to be a solution for tomorrow as
O. A. Edache, Director of Agriculture for Nigeria, noted that many
farmers in Nigeria still use hoes or ox-drawn ploughs.
Edache was more
interested in the no-till methods being employed by the family.
Members of the family explained that using herbicides instead of
tillage to control weeds has multiple advantages. Doing so frees up
time for other tasks and helps prevent soil erosion because the soil
is not turned over.
The delegation,
including the Director of Nigeria’s National Veterinary Research
Institute and representatives of the US Agency for International
Development (USAID), also visited a local poultry farm and a farmers’
co-op. The visit was a precursor to a new program being developed to
help Nigerian farmers increase yields.
Shortly before the
Nigerian visit to IFDC, the Center conducted a weeklong
international meeting on the use of phosphate rock for direct
application and related appropriate technology in Malaysia. The
Malaysian Society of Soil Science, the Potash and Phosphate
Institute and the Potash and Phosphate Institute of Canada, East and
Southeast Asia Program (ESEAP) were partners.
The gathering aimed
to increase understanding of the use of phosphate rock and modified
products within the special context of agriculture in tropical and
sub-tropical regions. Soils in these locations tend to be acidic and
deficient in phosphate, the latter problem being compounded by a
relatively high phosphorus-fixing capacity that can reduce the
recovery rate of conventional phosphate fertilizers.
The discussions at
the workshop were complemented by recent work done by IFDC staff
scientists and visiting scholars on the impacts of the chemical
characterization on the behaviour of phosphate rock when applied in
the field.
At the beginning of
the summer, IFDC organized a seminar in Kosovo to discuss the
importance of agribusiness in the future of the country and to set
the stage for the necessary policy framework. Kosovo presents a
greater challenge for agricultural development than most countries
in transition because of the devastating effects of recent
conflicts. Nonetheless, the IFDC project in that country has been
hailed as being largely successful to date.
Not surprisingly,
the seminar endorsed moving towards a market-based agriculture as
quickly as possible, with a strong role for business and industry as
well as a solid policy framework to enable this switch. Agribusiness
is seen as an important engine for growth in this country,
especially in the area of labour-intensive value-added niche
products. It was recognized that Kosovo has an important window of
opportunity for putting needed changes in place while donor support
remains strong, but there are many fundamental changes to put in
place, not the least of which is the need for a new entrepreneurial
culture to take root.
Agricultural
development will fulfil two needs in Kosovo. Farmers in the country
cannot currently produce enough food to feed the population, but the
conflict-torn country has difficulty buying food from abroad. Donor
aid is helping fill the gap at the moment, but will not last
forever. Increased production will directly help feed the population
and can help the country begin to earn the foreign currency needed
to buy food on international markets.
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