Monique Calon, Senior Policy Advisor for Food Security and Private Sector Development at the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discusses in a video interview food security issues in the Sahel and the Netherlands’ approaches to ameliorating them. http://www.donorplatform.org/climate-change/interviews/732-monique-calon-on-new-partnership-for-resilience-in-the-sahel.html
Private Sector Urged to Invest in Food Production
The Philippine Department of Agriculture is looking fore more private sector partners to support its goal of rice self-sufficiency by the close of 2013. The government is advocating work in grains handling and processing, farm services outsourcing, and increased drying facilities. An additional urge is for banks and financial institutions to invest in affordable and […]
Agriculture Should be a Close Companion
The Vietnamese agricultural sector’s high growth of 5.5% as compared with other Southeast Asian countries has led to stable growth and the ability to combat poverty. However, the Mekong River Delta, which accounts for 32% of the country’s farming land, is highly underutilized and unproductive due to outdated postharvest technology. Additionally, facilities such as warehouses […]
Agriculture Sector Lacks Efficiency, Competitiveness
Pakistan’s agricultural sector has gone from being deemed the “great bread basket” to being known for lacking efficiency and global competitiveness. Wheat yield is 20% lower and non-basmati rice yield is 40% lower than global standards. Pakistan’s PHL ranges from 40-80% compared to the global benchmark, and agricultural credit disbursement to Pakistani farmers declined from […]
Intelleflex CEO to Present at U.S. State Departments Global Impact Economy Forum
The CEO of Intelleflex will present as part of a panel at the U.S. State Department’s Global Impact Economy Forum on reducing inefficiencies in the food value chain on April 26 in Washington, D.C. The panel will discuss “how a combination of technical assistance, grants, investment and technology backed by innovative business models is required […]
Grainpro Executives Express Support for PHL Food Security Needs
GrainPro, Inc., met with the Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. and the Philippine Agriculture Attache to the U.S. at the Philippine Embassy to discuss collaboration opportunities to promote global food security through postharvest improvements. GrainPro supplies farm and village level pesticide-free hermetic storage units, which aid in decreasing the amount of PHL in grains and […]
Africa: Private Equity Deal to Spur Growth in Agribusiness
Zeder Investments Limited is committing US $46.7 million to acquire and expand Chayton Africa, an agricultural business. Chayton Africa will be transformed from its status as a private equity vehicle into an agricultural operating company. The company currently produces 10% of Zambian soya and 5% of its wheat, with production increase estimates for the next […]
The New Economics of Food
“The New Economics of Food” outlines the importance of markets, trade, and private investment to food security and PHL reduction, highlighting the roles of the ADM Institute, Bill Gates Foundation, and the Global Harvest Initiative. http://savethefloor.com/savethefloor/the-new-economics-of-food/
Post Harvest Losses of Foodgrains Decline
In the results of two published surveys, India has announced that its PHL of foodgrains has declined. The data comparison on storage losses from a 2004 Millennium Survey with a 2010 ICAR study shows that wheat PHL has been reduced from 8% to 6%, rice has gone from 11% to 5.2%, and maize from 7.5% […]
Producers Invest Profits in Bins, Other Large Items
The U.S. grain bin business has been promoted through “monster harvests, strong crop prices, and favorable tax policy.” Farmers are investing more into giant grain bins, machinery, and buildings. As farmers make additional money, they spend it on infrastructure that helps them to diminish the waiting time at grain elevators and also enables them to store quickly […]