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6 October 2014 avrdc.orgRISING GAPfor vegetablesin BabatiPage 11Agriculture ministersfrom sevenEast African countriesvisit AVRDCPage 13Tales from TanzaniaActivities hosted byAVRDC Eastern andSouthern Africa arechanging lives andlivelihoods offarmers, theirfamilies, andcommunitiesTraditional vegetable recipes tempt tastebudsAttracted by the tantalizing aromaof pumpkin soup and savoryvegetable stew, more than 500people happily lined up to sampledishes prepared with traditionalvegetables at Monduli DistrictHospital in Tanzania during CookShow 2014, a nutritionalawareness program hosted on 20September 2014 by AVRDC, CABI,HORTI-Tengeru and Radio5. Theevent was supported by Irish Aidthrough its Good Seed Initiative.Forty-nine patients admitted atMonduli Hospital were among theparticipants. As the event was heldon the hospital grounds, manypatients could listen to and watchthe activities.Traditional vegetables such asamaranth and African eggplant areimportant sources of nutrition,especially for children, pregnantwomen, and the elderly. To(...continued on page 2)

FOCUS2(...continued from page 1)encourage more people to growtraditional vegetables for their ownconsumption and for incomegeneration, Cook Show 2014followed a time-honored method:the way to a person’s heart isthrough the stomach.AVRDC’s Inviolate Dominickintroduced several recipes forpreparing traditional vegetables,including pumpkin cake, amaranthand pumpkin snacks, pumpkinsoup, and a vegetable stewincorporating African eggplant andleaves of African nightshade,Ethiopian mustard, amaranth,moringa, pumpkin, pigeon pea andsweet potato. Anet Kaaya fromAVRDC and Arumeru DistrictHorticultural officer DignaMasawe showed participants howto cook a tasty pumpkin soup, stepby-step.Appetites whetted, the participantswere ready to find out more aboutgrowing these nutritious crops.Srinivasulu Rajendran, AVRDCPostdoc in Agricultural Economics,distributed seed kits to 100 people.Each kit contained seed of fivevegetables: amaranth, Africannightshade, African eggplant,tomato, and spider plant.Participants filled out monitoringand evaluation forms to share theirviews about the cultivation andconsumption of traditionalvegetables and their perception ofthe nutritional benefits thesevegetables offer. Daniel Karanjafrom CABI emphasized theimportance of following up on seeddistribution, which will helpresearchers and trainers improvevegetable production practices andlearn more about consumptionpatterns.Guest of honor Jowika Kasunga,Monduli District Commissioner,encouraged the community to learnabout, grow and consumetraditional vegetables. “Thesevegetables can enhance theeconomic empowerment of theMonduli community, especiallyyouth groups and women farmers,through various enterprisemodels,” he said.(...continued on page 3)

FOCUS3(...continued from page 2)Monduli Ward CommissionerRehema Msabila noted thehealth benefits of increasedvegetable consumption. DistrictMedical Officer Dr. ZaveryBenela and the matron forMonduli hospital, Ana Manga,pointed out the importance ofawareness campaigns about thevalue of vegetables as a source ofvital nutrients in human diets andthe potential traditional vegetableshave to generate household income.They observed that most of thepeople admitted to hospitals in andaround Monduli district suffer froma lack of nutritious food, andstressed the importance ofdeveloping the habit of eatingvegetables for a balanced diet.Silivesta N. Samali from HORTI-Tengeru explained hisorganization’s role in thepromotion of traditional vegetablesin Tanzania. Arumeru Districtnutritional officer Asha Msengiexplained the nutritional value ofvegetables in detail, andencouraged participants to increasetheir consumption of vegetables toat least 200 gm per day, theminimum recommended by theWorld Health Organization.Ana Mrutu, representing theKubane Food Processing Group,demonstrated several waysamaranth grain can be processed toadd nutritional and economicvalue, and offered these productsfor sale. Many people boughtamaranth popcorn and amaranthflour to make porridge and otherdishes. Marketing Manager fromRadio 5, Sarah Keiya, thanked thevisitors and the organizers for asuccessful and satisfying day.VINESA young farmers graduateThomas Dubois (left), Regional Director,AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa,opened the graduation ceremony.Young farmers in Africa can derivemeaningful employment and a steadyincome from growing high valuevegetables—and the 20 Tanzaniangraduates of a six-month trainingcourse conducted as part of theVINESA project will soon put thatstatement to the test. “Improvingincome and nutrition in Eastern andSouthern Africa by enhancingvegetable-based farming and foodsystems in peri-urbancorridors” (VINESA) organized agraduation ceremony to honor theinitiative and hard work of its firstgraduating class on 18 September2014 at HORTI-Tengeru in Arusha,Tanzania.The ceremony also served to solicitsupport for the Maweni villagegraduates from local businesses andvendors—such as banks and inputproviders—with whom the graduateswill interact as they venture intoagricultural entrepreneurship.The graduates formed the MaweniYoung Vegetable Growers(...continued on page 4)

FOCUS4(...continued from page 3)(l): Farmer trainees and guests pose for a group photo.(r): Nyerembe Sabi, Meru District Commissioner, addresses the graduates and guests during the ceremony.Association (MAYOVEGA) andare planning to register theassociation and open a group bankaccount. Their motto: Vijanatuamke, tukithubutu tunaweza namaendeleo ni lazima (“Youth, weshould wake up, if we dare we canand development is a must”).Representatives from AVRDCEastern and Southern Africa,HORTI-Tengeru, Equity Bank,Selian Agricultural ResearchInstitute (SARI), Agricultural SeedAgency (ASA), ALPHA SeedCompany, Tanzania AgriculturalProductivity Programme (TAPP),Arumeru District Council, LushotoDistrict Council, and TumainiUniversity Makumira, as well asfamily members, area farmers andthe media joined the celebration.A call went out to the inviteddignitaries and community to offerthe young people post-graduationsupport so they can realize theirdream of becoming agriculturalentrepreneurs. Meru DistrictCommissioner Nyerembe Sabichallenged the youth to take theGraduates receiving their certificates from District Commissioner Sabi.first step toward implementingtheir business plans, and presentedcertificates to the participants forsuccessfully completing the course.The youth responded with a poem(see page 5) about theircommitment to put into practicewhat they have learned.As part of the ceremony, the secondbatch of 20 youths from NdurumaVillage were welcomed to the fold;they will receive their training atVINESA’s Best Practice Hub atMadiira Farm for the next six months.VINESA hopes to train five morebatches of young people who willhelp to usher in a "revolution” inthe smallholder horticultural sectorin Arusha by growing high valuecrops for both domestic andinternational markets. Over thenext four years, VINESA hopes tosee better fed families, progressivecommunities and young peoplewith more cash in their pockets inEthiopia, Malawi, Mozambique andTanzania.(...continued on page 5)

FOCUS5(...continued from page 4)Vegetables to Improve Nutrition andIncome for Youth and CommunitiesFirst we thank you, for taking us up this far;We learnt a lot, and have seen a lot;About good pracces, on vegetables for nutrion;Income and nutrion will be improvedWe have gained knowledge, and we will enter into farms;Youth, we will organize ourselves, and will harvest the fruits;We are commied to do agriculture,VINESA was commied to us;Income and nutrion will be improvedProject Manager Macharia, provided us with skills;To sustain vegetable farming, laziness is over now;We will idenfy markets, and produce vegetables;MAYOVEGA group, surely we must work hard;Income and nutrion will be improvedAgatha Country Coordinator, endowed us with strategies;In value chain thinking, which she trained so well;We went to Lushoto, and found Rimoy the extension officer;She taught us a lot, including group dynamics and marketstandards.Income and nutrion will be improvedTrainees perform a dance just before presenting their poem to guests atthe graduation ceremony.We appreciated Lushoto farmers’ groups, and leant aboutmarkets;HomeVeg Company, key player to help implement our trainings;And we will export vegetables, to Belgium and other countries;Income and nutrion will be improvedEducaon wise we have improved a lot, we are able to operatevegetable farms;Crop rotaon, we learnt in the field;Planng of different crops, all were taught with praccal skills;Income and nutrion will be improvedYouth, if we dare; development is a must;We will get employment, if we commit ourselves to work hard;The and poverty, we say goodbye for sure;Income and nutrion will be improvedOur sister Radegunda, receive greengs from MAYOVEGAwherever you are;We understood vegetable losses, for sure we learnt a lot inpostharvest management;You provided several approaches, without selfishness;Income and nutrion will be improvedAVRDC POST-It NOTES SWOT UP: In a recent STRENGTH-WEAKNESS-OPPORTUNITY-THREAT (SWOT) analysis atAVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa, participants wroteweaknesses on “rotten tomatoes,” while strengths were pennedon “healthy eggplants.”MAYOVEGA we thanks, our resource persons from HORTI –Tengeru, AVRDC and others;We congratulate all facilitators, our parents, families andMaweni Community;We will struggle to fulfill our dreams, MAYOVEGA we are readyto work hard;We pray to our Lord, that you are all blessed.

FOCUS7(...continued from page 6)Young farmers admire a high value tomato crop grown in a nethouse operated by women from the Upendo Women’s Group.How did the trust manage to growrapidly from its humble beginningsto its current state? “It calls formembers to be reliable, trustworthyand committed suppliers,” saidUsambara Lishe Trust ChairmanRajabu Mgonja. “Without theseattributes and a clearcommunication between farmers, itwould have been impossible for usto supply vegetables that meetdemands of consumers andcustomers for quantity and qualityover the years.” Effectiverecordkeeping also ensures thatindividual farmers receive returnsdue to them, and if need be,produce can be traced from themarket back to the farmer.MAYOVEGA farmers visited theUpendo Women’s Group. Foundedin 2010 by nine women, today thegroup has invested over 1.5 millionTanzanian shillings (about US$1,000) in two net houses to producetomatoes and sweet papers.Members showed the trainees howto stake tomatoesand applyfertilizers to cropsthrough dripirrigation pipes.MAYOVEGAmembers werechallenged by thisexample torevitalize anunutilized nethouse in Mawenivillage;communitiesaround Maweniare endowed withadequate waterand fertile soil,which could beused to producevegetables for highvalue markets in Arusha andbeyond.Muhidin Rajabu in LushotoDistrict has grown snow peas since2006. The MAYOVEGA team wasamazed by Rajabu’s farm for itsfield sanitation, crop quality andamount of money (USD 2,250) itgenerated last season from a plotmeasuring only 22 m x 8 m. Thisconvinced MAYOVEGA membersthat intensification of vegetablefarming to meet high marketstandards is a sure source ofemployment and income. A visit toa collection center, pack house andcold rooms for green peasdemonstrated how vegetablefarmers in Lushoto District worktogether to meet the demand fromexport markets. “Our company iswilling to work with small farmersto improve their living standards byfacilitating them to produce highquality produce and get access topremium markets,” said SamwelNassari, an agronomist withHome Veg, a company that exportshorticultural crops to Europe.Home Veg is currently exportingpeas from Lushoto and Arusha andhas plans to start working ontomato as well.The three-day field trip was a realeye-opener for the MAYOVEGAteam. “A third revolution inMaweni village is coming,” saidAVRDC’s Hassan Mndiga, one ofthe VINESA project staff whoaccompanied the young farmers onthe tour. “This move towardgrowing high value vegetables forpremium markets is inevitable. Thefirst revolution occurred whenmany Maweni farmers shifted fromgrowing sugar cane to vegetables,and the second happened whenarea farmers began wide-scaleproduction of vegetable seeds forseed companies.” Agatha Aloyce,VINESA Country Coordinator forTanzania, reminded MAYOVEGAmembers about the urgency ofpassing the knowledge and skillsthey have acquired to peer farmersin their community. This way manyfarmers can become preferredsuppliers for high value markets.John Macharia, VINESA ProjectManager, told the group that“success will only come with goodorganization, attention to quality,cooperation among farmers, andstarting with markets in mind.” Heinspired MAYOVEGA to start bybelieving in themselves; if theyworked hard, their associationcould one day become an umbrellaorganization for future groups offarmers to be trained by VINESA.

FOCUS8VINESA equips smallholder vegetable growers to engage inhigh value market opportunitiesParticipants in the value chain thinking course at AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa explore available postharvest opportunities for vegetablesto suit identified market opportunities.In Eastern and Southern Africa,most smallholder farmers producevegetables during the rains—whenevery other farmer does the same.The result is an oversupply ofvegetables in the wet season andscarcity in the dry season, leadingto low income for farmers and highprices for consumers. To encouragefarmers to change their mindsetand behavior, the Australian Centrefor International AgriculturalResearch-funded project“Improving income and nutrition inEastern and Southern Africa byenhancing vegetable-based farmingand food systems in peri-urbancorridors” (VINESA) held a five-daytraining course for young farmersin Tanzania in July and August2014. The training was organizedby HORTI-Tengeru and AVRDCEastern and Southern Africa toequip famers with knowledge andskills on value chain thinking.Twenty farmers age 18 - 35 fromMaweni Village, Arushaparticipated.Value chain thinking places theneeds of consumers and customersfirst, and aims to build lastingrelationships among chain actors tomeet those needs. Farmers mustbase their decisions on customerbehavior and consumerrequirements because consumersare willing to pay higher prices forvegetables that meet theirpreferences. “There is an urgentneed for chain actors to understandthe needs of consumers andcustomers,” said ResearchAssociate Radegunda Kessy, oneof the trainers. “They must learnParticipants discuss issues of interest withNeema Kaaya, who owns a vegetableshop in Usa River.which actions cause waste andwhich add value to appropriatelyallocate available resources.”“Chain players must stopcompeting on price and start to setquality standards for a specific cropin a specific market outlet,” saidAgatha Aloyce, VINESA’sTanzania Country Coordinator.“This is a value that should be(...continued on page 9)

FOCUS9(...continued from page 8)(l): VINESA’s Gender Expert, Florence Ghamunga (r), facilitating a session on gender equity.(c): Participants view a zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) at AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa.(r): Participants meet with a potential client, Aurelia J. Kitumbo, Headmistress of Young Roses Pre- and Primary School in Usa River.shared equitably among actors alongthe chain.” Participants wereencouraged to produce what theycan sell rather selling what theyhave produced—a strategy thatshifts emphasis from trying to pushvegetables produced through thechain to pulling these vegetablesfrom the demand of consumers atthe end of the chain.The participants visited threevegetable outlets during a study tourto identify market opportunitiesaround Usa River, a town nearVINESA’s Best Practice Hub inArusha: a pre- and primary school, ahotel, and a shop selling vegetables.Using a set of questions to guidetheir discussion, the trainees wereable to identify vegetable typesbeing sold, evaluate demand anddeficit, and note possible areas forcollaboration.“Farmers should know that differentgrades of vegetables will fetchdifferent prices at the market place,”said Aurelia J. Kitumbo, theheadmistress of Young Roses PreandPrimary School. NeemaKaaya, a vegetable seller in UsaRiver, and Ms. Lily, the hotelowner, observed that “it is wrong forfarmers to assume they will getsimilar prices for their produce asthose being offered by traders forpremium produce.”The women expressed interest inbuying vegetables from the traineesonce they graduate from the BestPractice Hub—provided thesevegetables meet required standardsfor type, quality and quantity. Thetrainees already have secured acontract to supply vegetables forpupils at the Young Roses Pre- andPrimary School.Maximum returns to householdsoften depend on gender relations invalue chains. FlorenceGhamunga, VINESA’s GenderExpert, emphasized the need toaddress gender diversity tostrengthen equity amongindividuals, families, households,and societies. More equitable accessto resources (land, money,transport); greater roles in decisionmaking; a fairer division of labor;and more sustainable partnershipsmake stronger chains that supportmore stakeholders.After their field activities anddiscussion of the feedback theyreceived during the study tour,participants exercised value chainthinking and ranked the preferencesof different consumers/customersfor selected crops in the threemarket outlets surveyed.Participants also identified suitablepostharvest opportunities and areasof collaboration among chainplayers to more effectively meetconsumer/customer preferences.On the last day of training,participants met with ACIAR’sRegional Manager for Africa, LizOgutu, who gave an overview ofother ACIAR-funded projects inTanzania and sub-Saharan Africa,and highlighted possible areas ofcooperation with VINESA. Shedescribed the role of VINESA inimproving community nutrition inTanzania by encouraging vegetableconsumption as the most affordablesource of protein, vitamins andmicronutrients. Partnershipsbetween ACIAR projects wouldimprove community livingstandards and promote achievementof respective project objectives.John Macharia, VINESA ProjectManager said that “participation bykey players along the value chain isa must if farmers are to improveperformance of the chain in asustainable way.” He also remindedparticipants that value chainthinking needs time, collaboration,trust and commitment. In hisclosing remarks to wrap up thecourse, Cornel Massawe, Officerin Charge, HORTI – Tengeru,reminded participants to “notdespair, or think that value chainthinking is too difficult.” With theknowledge gained from the course,the participants are now wellpreparedto rise to the challenge.

FOCUS10“Multipliers” key to quality and quantity of Tanzania’sseed supply(l): Omary Mbwambo, Research Associate – Farm Operations, AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa, explains seed extraction to the vegetableseed certification trainees.(r): A happy group of trainees at Alpha Seed Company on a visit organized by Hassan Mndiga (front row, left), Training and OutreachCoordinator.With funding from Helen KellerInternational (HKI), AVRDCorganized a week-long training onvegetable seed certification from 4-8 August 2014 for participants fromtwo districts in the Mwanza regionof Tanzania, a region hampered bypoor soil quality and erraticrainfall. HKI is implementing along-term strategy in 12 villages inthis region that fosters small-scaleagricultural interventions toincrease micronutrientconsumption in farmers’households.To empower farmers to producetheir own vegetable seed, AVRDCand HKI invited lead farmers fromall villages to attend the trainingcourse to learn technical as well aslegal aspects of seed production.The trainees received a certificatefrom AVRDC Eastern and SouthernAfrica at the end of the course, andwere then designated as seedmultipliers in their villages.The Quality Declared Seed Systemdeveloped by the Food andAgriculture Organization of theUnited Nations guided the courseinstructors. This seed qualitycontrol mechanism provides apractical approach to seedcertification in areas where seedmarkets are not functional andgovernment resources are toolimited to effectively managecomprehensive certificationsystems. Under the system, seedproducers are responsible forquality control, while governmentagents check only a very limitedportion of seed lots and seedmultiplication fields. The trainingcurriculum blended theoreticalsessions, hands-on training, the useof demonstration plots, and fieldstudy tours.Trainees were taught aspects ofseed preparation, weedmanagement, plant protection,harvesting and postharvesthandling. Equally important weremodules on laws, regulations andprocedures for quality declaredseed in Tanzania. Representativesfrom the Tanzania Official SeedCertification Institute and theAgricultural Seed Agency wereinvited to give presentations andhelp the farmers begin thecertification process. The TanzaniaOfficial Seed Certification Instituteis a certifying body that regulatesthe seed business in Tanzania,while the Agricultural Seed Agencyis a semi-autonomous body underthe Ministry of Agriculture, FoodSecurity and Cooperatives ofTanzania tasked to ensure that highquality agricultural seeds areavailable to farmers in Tanzania ataffordable prices. The trainees alsovisited Alpha Seed Company inArusha, Tanzania, where theyobtained information oncontractual seed productionschemes; saw packaging, labelingand marketing procedures; andwere able to buy seeds.

FOCUS11RISING GAP for vegetablesOn 10 September 2014 a group of13 vegetable farmers and twoextension officers participating inan Innovation Platform in Arusha,Tanzania visited Gallapo village,Babati district to see AVRDC’sdemonstration plots and meetfarmers who have benefitted fromAVRDC’s extension servicesprovided through the AfricaResearch in SustainableIntensification for the NextGeneration (Africa RISING) Eastand Southern Africa Project. AfricaRISING is supported by the UnitedStates Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) as part ofthe U.S. government’s Feed theFuture initiative to alleviate globalhunger and malnutrition.The field trip, sponsored by IrishAid through its Good SeedInitiative, was led by RadegundaKessy, Inviolate Mosha, andSrinivasulu Rajendran fromAVRDC along with SilivestaSamali and Damas Marandufrom HORTI-Tengeru.Participants evaluated theperformance of healthy seedlingsunder farmers’ normal practicesand the Good Agricultural Practices(GAP) promoted by AVRDC. GAPemphasizes the importance of usinggood quality planting materials aswell as following proper agronomicmethods to enhance yield. “Wehave seen amazing yields fromusing healthy seedlings andfollowing GAP, which we havenever realized before,” said onefarmer. The group also learned howintegrating vegetables into maizebasedfarming systems can enhancefarmers’ livelihoods.Africa RISING, now on its thirdyear, has made significant progressin getting researchers comingfrom different backgrounds andinstitutions to work together in atruly integrated way to developscience-based solutions to thechallenges faced by smallholderfarmers. This has resulted inimpressive increases in theproductivity of smallholder farmersinvolved in the research projectacross its five districts in East andSouthern Africa.One such increase was shared at theannual review meeting of projectactivities in East and SouthernAfrica on 9–12 September inArusha. “We have experiencedtremendous increase in yields inthe project and farmers’demonstration plots—up to even700%—after introducing improvedvegetable varieties of tomato,amaranth, and African eggplantand through the implementation ofimproved agronomic practices ingrowing vegetables including theuse of disease-free healthy plantingmaterial and inorganic fertilizercombined with manure,” saidVictor Afari-Sefa, AVRDCAgricultural Economist. “We havealso introduced poultry-vegetableintegration, where farmers usepoultry droppings as manure for(...continued on page 12)

FOCUS12(...continued from page 11)the vegetables and wastefrom the vegetables tofeed the poultry,” headded.Africa RISING willcontinue to verify and testthe successfultechnologies and carry outcost-benefit analyses toensure they areeconomically beneficialfor the farmers. Theproject will furtherstrengthen the R4DInnovation Platforms sothat they are active andremain functional beyondthe project’s lifespan.Vegetables, chickens and eggs: a strange conceptual marriageWho came first: the artist or the chicken?Belgian Koen Vanmechelen is aninternationally renowned conceptualartist. His artistic tool is the chicken, andits egg. Central to his extensive andinnovative oeuvre is the concept of“biocultural diversity” and the interactionbetween art and science. With theCosmoGolem Foundation, he travels theworld with giant wooden statues(“golems”) as a symbol of universalchildren’s rights. Through the WalkingEgg Foundation, he conducts research oninfertility in developing countries.Koen gained worldwide acclaim andprizes with his Cosmopolitan ChickenProject, a long-term internationalundertaking to crossbreed nationalchicken species in search of an ultimatehybrid or “cosmopolitan” chicken thatwould eventually carry the genes of allbreeds of chicken on the planet. His workhas been presented on almost allcontinents, from the United States toChina and from Iceland to Botswana.From 7-15 September 2014, aninternational and interdisciplinary teamof thinkers, experts and scientists as wellas a film crew traveled to Arusha,Tanzania to set up an Arena de Evoluciónwith the aim to gather knowledge. Koenwas especially inspired by the Maasai.Their old ideal was to live by their cattlealone— other foods they could get byexchange—but today they also need togrow crops. Despite thegrowth of moderncivilization, the Maasaihave largely managed tomaintain their traditionalways, although thisbecomes more challengingeach year.Because of his interest inbreeding, local crops andscience, AVRDC caughtthe attention of Koen, andEastern and SouthernAfrica Regional Director ThomasDubois was invited to make a dinnerpresentation in the spirit of knowledgesharing. Koen and his entourage thenspent half a day at the regional office,where Vegetable Breeder FekaduDinssa gave a detailed explanation of therich variety of vegetables the continenthas to offer, and how they are beingselected and bred to serve the population.Koen surely picked up a trick or two fromFekadu to hasten his quest to breed themost cosmopolitan chicken.All the knowledge generated via theArenas is being documented andarchived, and will be presented during the12 th Havana Biennial in 2015. We hopeAfrica’s rich diversity of traditionalvegetables inspired Koen and will soon beon display in Cuba!Fekadu Dinssa (left) in a seriousdiscussion about the nexus of art,chickens, and vegetables.

FOCUS13High-ranking officials from seven East African countriestour AVRDC(first row, l to r): Marry Iiana, Scientist, HORTI-Tengeru, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Tanzania; Heruy Asghedom,Director General, Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Eritrea; Beda Machar Deng, Minister of Agriculture andForestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, South Sudan; Wondirad Mandefro, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry ofAgriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Ethiopia; Sicily Kariuki, Principal Secretary of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya; BrightRwamirama, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda; ChristopherChiza, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Tanzania; ArefaineBerhe, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Eritrea; David Sarakikya, Senior FinanceOfficer, AVRDC; (second row, l to r): Roseline Marealle, Research Assistant (Postharvest), AVRDC; Atem Garang Malual, Director General,Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, South Sudan; Fikre Markos, Director, Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock andFisheries, Ethiopia; AVRDC staff Thomas Dubois, Regional Director, Eastern and Southern Africa; Baraka Mchala, Procurement Assistant;Tsvetelina Stoilova, Genetic Resources Scientist; Moses Okhoba, Director, International Red Locust Control Organization, Zambia; SrinivasuluRajendran, AVRDC Postdoctoral Scientist (Agricultural Economics); (third row, l to r): Fabian Mkondo, Assistant Director, Plant HealthServices, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Tanzania; Fekadu Dinssa, AVRDC Vegetable Breeder; Khidir Gibril MusaEdres, Director General, Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sudan; Joseph Ngetich, Deputy Director, PlantProtection, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya; Gaffar Ahmed Abdalla, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture andNatural Resources, Sudan; Komayombi Bulegeya, Commissioner of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries,Uganda; Hassan Mndiga, Outreach Coordinator, HORTI-Tengeru, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Tanzania, (secondedto AVRDC); Philipo Joseph, AVRDC Research Assistant (Postharvest & Socioeconomics); (fourth row, l to r): Cornel Massawe, Officer-in-Charge, HORTI-Tengeru, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Tanzania; Nadine Kwazi, AVRDC Executive Assistant to theRegional Director; Mateete Bekunda, Farming System Agronomist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; Rony Swennen, BananaBreeder, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; AVRDC staff Ngoni Nenguwo, Postharvest Specialist; Omary Mbwambo, ResearchAssociate (Farm Operations); John Macharia, Project Manager – VINESA.During the last week of September,agriculture ministers from ninecountries convened in Arusha,Tanzania for the 59th Meeting ofthe Desert Locust ControlOrganization of Eastern Africa.They were accompanied bydirectors and commissioners fromtheir ministries. Unexpectedly, thedelegates decided to wrap up theirvisit to Tanzania with an in-depthexcursion to AVRDC Eastern and(...continued on page 14)

FOCUS14(...continued from page 13)(l): Christopher Chiza, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of Tanzaniaexamines a vegetable seed kit at the seed repository.(r): AVRDC Vegetable Breeder Fekadu Dinssa (front, right), explains the principle of grafting tothe delegates. Komayombi Bulegeya, the Commissioner of Plant Protection of Uganda, takesphotos of the grafting chamber, while Christopher Chiza asks questions about the benefits ofgrafting.Southern Africa. Delighted bythe opportunity, AVRDC staffquickly prepared a comprehensivetour of the regional office.On 24 September, the ministersfrom Eritrea, Ethiopia, SouthSudan, Sudan, Tanzania andUganda, as well as the PrincipalSecretary of Kenya spent almosttwo hours at AVRDC. RegionalDirector Thomas Dubois led thedelegation around the campusgrounds, with the first stop at theseed repository, where theministers saw the importance oftraditional vegetables firsthand.Scientist Tsvetelina Stoilovaexplained the importance ofvegetable seed kits for home andschool gardens, and post-conflict ordisaster zones. The delegation sawspider plant accessions flourishingin a screenhouse, and learned aboutAVRDC’s first steps toward anamaranth breeding program, partof the PhD studies of DavidByrnes.At the Postharvest Training andServices Center, PostharvestSpecialist Ngoni Nenguwo andResearch Assistant RoselineMarealle introduced the ministersto the Center’s zero-energyevaporative coolers and solardryers. They also demonstratedvarious harvesting, postharvest andprocessing technologies—especiallyfor tomatoes, which are easilydamaged during harvest andtransport. The ministers discussedways to reduce farmers’dependence on wooden crates, toreduce deforestation. ThomasDubois explained how AVRDC,together with Fintrac, the TanzaniaHorticultural Association and otherpartners, is tackling postharvestlosses head-on. When visiting theCenter’s cold storage prototype, theministers took out theirsmartphones and tablets todocument the simple yet ingeniousways cold storage and coldtransport could soon become areality for smallholder farmers.In the field, Fekadu Dinssaexplained the intricacies of seedregeneration, vegetable selectionand vegetable breeding.“Traditional vegetables hold greatpotential for smallholder farmers,and are increasingly being pickedup by consumers as well as theprivate sector in several of yourcountries,” Fekadu told thedelegation. “That is because theyare very nutritious, fast growingand more robust against biotic andabiotic stresses.” Collaboration withthe private sector and governmentagencies was stressed during thefield visit, as they are vital links ingetting improved lines out tofarmers. Cornel Massawe fromTanzania’s HORTI-Tengeru wasintroduced to the delegates as a keypartner for AVRDC. AVRDC hoststhe International Institute ofTropical Agriculture (IITA) atArusha, and the visitors also caughta quick glimpse of IITA’s newbanana hybrids.AVRDC’s grafting chamber wasparticularly interesting to thevisitors with plant protectionbackgrounds. “The future is inseedlings, and with seedlings,grafting is just a small next step,”said Hassan Mdniga. “Graftingsusceptible tomatoes on resistantrootstocks allows tomatoes to begrown in places and during timesthat would otherwise not bepossible.” AVRDC’s strategy of firstfine-tuning the technology and thentraining trainers was explained.During a coffee break at theDemonstration Garden, the visitorssaw elite varieties of Africaneggplant, vegetable cowpea, sweetpepper and many other vegetables.IITA’s Rony Swennen gave thedelegates a quick presentation onbanana bacterial wilt. The AVRDCteam mingled with the delegates,answering questions and discussingpoints of common interest. Judgingfrom the many smiles, the delegateswere delighted with their in-depthimmersion in the work of AVRDC.“I hope nutrition will be kept highup on the agricultural agenda, forthe benefit of smallholders and(...continued on page 15)

FOCUS15(...continued from page 14)consumers,” Thomas Dubois told theministers. “I hope you make even morepublicity and promotion of theexcellent activities AVRDC undertakesfor Tanzania and the region!” ripostedChristopher Chiza, the Minister ofAgriculture, Food Security andCooperatives of Tanzania.Undoubtedly, the visit provided plentyof “vegetables for thought” to theministers and their teams, and willhelp ensure nutrition andimprovements to small-scaleagriculture are on the agenda for theregion’s policymakers.Ministers at AVRDC••Christopher Chiza, Ministerof Agriculture, Food Securityand Cooperatives, (Ministry ofAgriculture, Food Security andCooperatives), Tanzania•Beda Machar Deng, Ministerof Agriculture and Forestry,(Ministry of Agriculture andForestry), South Sudan•Wondirad Mandefro,Minister of Agriculture,Livestock and Fisheries,(Ministry of Agriculture,Livestock and Fisheries),Ethiopia•Bright Rwamirama, Ministerof Agriculture, Animal Industryand Fisheries, (Ministry ofAgriculture, Animal Industryand Fisheries), Uganda•Arefaine Berhe, Minister ofAgriculture and NaturalResources, (Ministry ofAgriculture and NaturalResources), Eritrea•Gaffar Ahmed Abdalla,Minister of Agriculture andNatural resources, (Ministry ofAgriculture and NaturalResources), SudanSicily Kariuki, PrincipalSecretary of Agriculture,(Ministry of Agriculture), Kenya(clockwise, l to r): “I hope you make even more publicity and promotion of the excellentactivities AVRDC undertakes for Tanzania and the region!” said Christopher Chiza (l), theMinister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of Tanzania to Thomas Dubois,AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Director after an excellent visit.(l to r) Thomas Dubois, Sicily Kariuki, Principal Secretary of Agriculture of Kenya, andBright Rwamirama, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Ugandadiscuss the importance of nutrition during the coffee break.AVRDC staff mingled with the delegates for engaging discussions. Beda Machar Deng,Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, South Sudan chats with AVRDC staff Ngoni Nenguwo(r). David Sarakikya looks on.Time for reflection: Fikre Markos, Director of Plant Protection, Ethiopia, strolls through theAVRDC Demonstration Garden.

CORNUCOPIA16The Center in the newsLocal media outlets in Tanzania are finding plenty to write about at AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa, fromyouth training in vegetable production and marketing through the VINESA project to cooking demonstrations at adistrict hospital:IPP Media, 23 September 2014Youth express optimism overvegetable farming traininghttp://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=72441Coastweek, 29 September2014Tanzania’s youth brace forbooming vegetable farminghttp://www.coastweek.com/3738-latest-news-Better-farmingmethods-drives-increased-crop-yields-in-Kenya.htmDaily News, 23 September 2014Monduli launches campaign oneating fruit and vegetablesWorld Food Prize Borlaug-Ruannutrition intern Natalie Hansonmade headlines at home in Iowa USAafter her eight-week stay at AVRDCheadquarters in Taiwan:AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge discussed the value ofAVRDC’s vegetable breeding work to private sector seed companies andthe need for greater global institutional support for horticultural researchwith reporter Matthew Ogg of Fresh Fruit Portal, a worldwide aggregatorof news and information for the horticulture industry.The Progress Review, 3 September2014http://theprogressreview.co/prosperity-poor-health/Fresh Fruit Portal, 22 September 2014Vegetable pre-breeding vital for global food securityhttp://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/36278-monduli-launches-campaign-oneating-fruits-and-vegetableshttp://www.freshfruitportal.com/2014/09/22/vegetable-pre-breeding-vitalfor-global-food-security/?country=others

CORNUCOPIA17VisitorsJournalists Petra Kolonko, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,Germany; Patrick Saint Paul, Le Figaro, France; and StephanScheuer, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany made a quick stop atAVRDC headquarters on 24 September 2014 to familiarize themselveswith the Center’s activities in Asia and beyond. They wereaccompanied by Lin-ang Kao, representing the InternationalCommunication Division of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MOFA). The three European correspondents are based in Beijing.They discussed various topics including food safety, crop productionand nutrition with AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge, DeputyDirector General – Administration & Services Yi-fun Chang, Head ofBiotechnology & Molecular Breeding Roland Schafleitner and Head ofCommunications Maureen Mecozzi.Also on the 16 th , Sir Dwight Venner, Governor, EasternCaribbean Central Bank, St. Kitts and Nevis, the bank’sManaging Director Jennifer Nero and Senior Directorof the Governor’s Office Laurel Bain, accompanied byJau-hong Lin, Department of Central and SouthAmerican Affairs, MOFA, were introduced to the Center’swork by Dyno Keatinge and Yin-fu Chang. Horticulture onthe islands is constrained by a number of factors—including a population of about 25,000 voracious vervetmonkeys that gorge themselves on crops of all kinds, fromfruit to squash, cucumbers and even chili peppers.Protected cultivation could be a solution for local farmers.VISITING ARUSHA: On 24 September 2014, Ylva Hillbur, DeputyDirector General - Research from the International Institute of TropicalAgriculture (IITA) paid a courtesy visit to AVRDC Eastern and SouthernAfrica in Arusha, Tanzania. She was accompanied by Victor Manyong,IITA’s R4D Director for Eastern Africa, and several scientists. AVRDC hasbeen a strong collaborator with IITA in the region, and houses several IITAstaff on its campus. Vegetables and staples go hand-in-hand, and staff fromIITA and AVRDC work closely together in the Feed the Future AfricaRISING project in Tanzania. Through Humidtropics, a CGIAR researchprogram lead by IITA, AVRDC has introduced vegetables into one ofUganda’s action sites. (left to right): IITA Farming System AgronomistMateete Bekunda, Banana Breeder Rony Swennen, AVRDC RegionalDirector Thomas Dubois, Ylva Hillbur, Victor Manyong, ScientistFredrick Baijukya.On 16 September 2014, Yvon Martel, Board Member of the InternationalCenter for Biosaline Agriculture and retired Chief Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, visited AVRDC headquarters to tour the campus and meet withDyno Keatinge and Deputy Director General – Research Jackie Hughes.

CORNUCOPIA18SeminarsSuwanna Praneetvatakul, Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural andResource Economics at Kasetsart University, Thailand, discussed methods to minimize therisk of pesticide use in Thailand in a presentation to AVRDC staff on 2 October 2014. Dr.Praneetvatakul collaborates with AVRDC on the Humidtropics and Begomovirus projects.She has a particular interest in ways to provide incentives for farmers to reduce pesticide use.After her seminar she met with Dyno Keatinge, Jackie Hughes, and Genebank ManagerAndreas Ebert, and also visited the Demonstration Garden.On 15 September 2014, Chen-Yang (George) Tai, Research Fellow from Taichung DistrictAgricultural Research and Extension Station, Taiwan Council of Agriculture, spoke to AVRDCstaff about his research on greenhouse fertigation systems and crop cultivation in plastic bagswith different growing mediums. He found no significant differences in plant growth rate andfruit characteristics of tomato and peppers grown with two different nutrient solutions in twodifferent fertigation systems installed in greenhouses on the AVRDC research farm. Georgenoted the computer systems used to control the two systems did differ somewhat in their easeof use.WelcomeFenton Beed joined AVRDC as Regional Director, East andSoutheast Asia on 1 October 2014. An experienced plantpathologist in crop protection and biological weed controlwith extensive managerial experience in temperate andtropical environments, Fenton holds a PhD in PlantPathology from University College London.From 2000 to the present he was Plant Pathologist for Eastand Central Africa at the International Institute of TropicalAgriculture (IITA). During his IITA tenure he managed arange of projects, from the establishment of the West AfricanPathogen Diagnostic Network (www.intpdn.org) to providingtheoretical and practical training in plant pathology, samplecollection, disease diagnosis, symptom recognition,morphological, serological and molecular identification, storage and weed control, and using fungal and insectbiocontrol agents, botanicals, and cultural methods.He has adapted state of the art technologies to meet local needs—for example, the development of hand-heldserological kits for on-the-spot diagnosis of a given plant pathogen and methods to capture pathogen DNA from thefield for analysis in centralized laboratories. He is the author of more than 75 scientific papers.“During my career I have proven on several occasions my ability to gain understanding and support from donors,governments, inter‐governmental and nongovernmental organizations, regional trade and research bodies, extensionand regulatory bodies, and researchers of different scientific disciplines to implement activities and policies that arecritical to the empowerment of farming systems,” he said. “I therefore relish the challenge of nurturing an enablingenvironment to ensure that AVRDC’s regional research and development agenda flourishes.”

CORNUCOPIA19WelcomeOn 1 October 2014 AVRDC West and Central Africa in Bamako, Mali welcomed ThuwebaDiwani as a project manager for the USAID-funded “Deploying Improved VegetableTechnologies to Overcome Malnutrition and Poverty” project. Thuweba is a croppingsystems agronomist who also has experience in project management, impact monitoring,value chain analysis and development, and in developing strategies for improving cropproduction and marketing. She has advised women’s groups on the processing andcommercialization of parboiled rice to develop the rice value chain in Benin, and hasworked on projects to promote value chains for products of small-scale irrigation in Mali.She holds a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Bonn, Germany.Tanguy S. Mercier from the Institut des Sciences et Industries du Vivant et de l’Environnement, Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences(AgroParisTech), arrived at Center headquarters on 14 September 2014 for 5-monthinternship. Tanguy is studying “Mapping disease and pest resistance in mungbean (Vignaradiata)” under the supervision of Roland Schafleitner, Head of Biotechnology/MolecularBreeding.Wen-Hwa Lin, Research Fellow from Hualien DARES (District Agricultural Researchand Extension Station), Council of Agriculture (COA), Hualien, Taiwan has been secondedto Center headquarters for a three-month cooperation program (29 September - 26December 2014). Funded by the 2014 COA Project “Strengthening the cooperationbetween AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center and Taiwan research institutes onvegetable research and development,” Wen-Hwa will work on “Evaluating selectedMalabar spinach accessions for horticultural and quality traits and studying the effect ofdaily photoperiod adjustment on flowering of Malabar spinach” with the IndigenousVegetables breeding group. He is supervised by Plant Breeder Peter Hanson and AssistantSpecialist Yun-yin (Ruby) Hsiao.Fresh, 6 October 2014Fresh is published byAVRDC – The World Vegetable CenterP.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199Taiwanavrdc.orgEditor: Maureen MecozziGraphic design: Kathy ChenPhotographic guidance: Amy Chen andVanna LiuContributors: Thomas Dubois, InternationalInstitute of Tropical Agriculture, Dyno Keatinge,Radegunda Kessy, John Macharia, HassanMndiga, Srinivasulu RajendranComments, ask a question, add a name to our mailing list: info@worldveg.org