Disaster relief in the wake of Typhoon Morakot

Transcription

1 10 September 2010 Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia: new name for the Center s regional base in Thailand Pages 4-6 Disaster relief in the wake of Typhoon Morakot Quick-growing vegetables for income and health in central Taiwan (left): Tropical violet field and simple seedling preparation shelter at Niahosa Farm (above): Seed donated to farmers by AVRDC- The World Vegetable Center through World Vision for rehabilitation projects On Niahosa Farm in Xinmei village, jute mallow plants grow vigorously and okra seed has been set out under the bright sunlight to be dried for next season s planting. Niahosa, meaning ancient farm or pearl in the language of the Tsou people of central Taiwan, is the name given to this one-hectare rehabilitated farm in Alishan in Chiayi County, an area that experienced severe damage from Typhoon Morakot in August To help residents of the devastated villages, AVRDC The World Vegetable Center donated 1,850 seed packs to nongovernmental organization World Vision for rehabilitation projects, including Niahosa Farm. It was full of rocks and stones when we rented this plot of land from an elderly man in our village, P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199, Taiwan Phone: (+886) Fax: (+886)

2 2 said Yiwen, a 32-yearold farm manager at Niahosa. He was too old to manage his farm, and it had been fallow for some time. Yiwen explained that the choice was made with a purpose in mind. We wanted a fallow field instead of an operating farm because we wanted to do organic farming, she said. The soil in a fallow field would be more fertile and have less agrochemicals. There are four female farmers, including Yiwen, that work the Niahosa community farm. They are sponsored by a three-year World Vision project funded by the Taiwan Council of Indigenous Peoples. It is difficult to create a cash flow at the initial stage of AVRDC s Mandy Lin (l) and Yiwen (r), Niahosa farm manager, discuss planting and field management of jute mallow. establishing a farm, said Hiu-min Chang, a social worker from World Vision. However, farmers livelihoods should be ensured and their input should be encouraged. We talked to the villagers about their willingness to participate, then developed and submitted a proposal to the Council, whose purpose is to fund projects to help aboriginal people revive post-disaster. The Niahosa farmers receive stable wages every month for working 8 hours a day, 22 days a month. AVRDC provided seed for the okra, jute mallow, and bush snap bean plants now growing on Niahosa Farm, and also supplied mungbean seed, which will be planted this month. The species were selected for their quick growth and nutritional qualities. Bush snap bean is the most popular among the four crops. Everyone just likes the sweet taste of bush snap bean, said Yiwen. However, we are not left): Rebuilding the road from Shanmei village to Xinmei village in Alishan Township; it was destroyed during the typhoon (inset): Temporary prefabricated houses at Leye village, Alishan Township (right, top): A family enjoys the first harvest of bush snap bean right, bottom): Vegetable sale stand at Shanmei village

3 3 Seed multiplication for next planting of jute mallow (l) and okra (r) at Niahosa Farm familiar with jute mallow; it looks very nutritious, and we will have to learn how to cook it. The first harvest was delivered free to schools, neighbors, and villagers. After the second harvest, Niahosa started to sell fresh produce. Marketing is Yiwen s responsibility as farm manager. In the beginning, I just went to every villager s house, knocked on the door and said: Would you like to try the vegetables from our community farm? and tried not to be embarrassed! Yiwen said. Other sales channels now have been built up through churches, guesthouses, and farmer s markets in Taipei and Chiayi. If these seeds grow on Niahosa Farm, that means they are welladapted to the climate of Alishan Mountain, said Yiwen. The next step is to save seed from these crops for next season. By carefully selecting seed and breeding the healthiest plants, the Niahosa team can develop varieties appropriate for the natural conditions in the area. The localized seeds will contribute to agricultural development in other aboriginal villages. The Niahosa farmers hope to educate fellow villagers to eat fresh vegetables in season and encourage them to purchase healthy vegetables grown safely and locally rather than buying them from growers that use heavy doses of agrochemicals. We would like to instill a love of the land in our people, said Yiwen. We want them to be healthy and our land to be healthy. i Jenny Huang Communications & Information jenny.huang@worldveg.org Harvested seed of jute mallow drying in the sun World Vision Taiwan For details on AVRDC Disaster Relief Seed Kits, please contact Greg Luther <greg.luther@worldveg.org> or Mandy Lin <mandy.lin@worldveg.org> from AVRDC s Global Technology Dissemination group.

4 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 4 New name for regional base in Thailand On Kasetsart University's Kamphaeng Saen campus, staff from AVRDC The World Vegetable Center and their guests gathered around the entrance to the Research & Training Station to watch an old friend retire. At a renaming ceremony held at on 3 September 2010, they bid farewell to their old name the Asian Regional Center and embraced their new identity as the Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia. The change reflects AVRDC The World Vegetable Center's desire to be more effective in executing its mission to alleviate poverty and malnutrition in the developing world by adapting to local and regional needs in vegetable production and consumption. Assistant to the Regional Director Steve Kebasen introduced the ceremony s four speakers: Dr. Chawalit Hongprayoon, Vice President for Kasetsart University (KU) Kamphaeng Saen Campus; Prof. Dr. Kampol Adulvit, Chairperson of the KU Council; Dr. Jackie Hughes, AVRDC Deputy Director General Research; and Dr. Robert Holmer, East and Southeast Asia Regional Director. More than 30 people attended the ceremony, including Dr. Sirikul Wasee, head of the Tropical Vegetable Research Center; Asst. Prof. Tanu Pinyopummintr, Assistant to the President for Academic and International Affairs, KU; Asst. Prof. Pissawan Chiemsombat, head, Plant Pathology Department, KU Kamphaeng Saen; and Assoc. Prof. Bancha Kwanyuen, Dean, Engineering Faculty, KU Kamphaeng Saen. (continued on page 5)

5 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 5 Q & A Why a new name now? The guests enjoyed a poster exhibition and lunch following the unveiling. "Asia encompasses vastly different countries, climates, and concerns," said Dr. Hughes. "By delineating more specific geographic areas for the scope of our work, we can fine-tune our programs to a greater degree and ensure maximum effectiveness for the people we serve and the donors who support us." The Asian Regional Center was launched in Thailand in 1992 to offer training in vegetable production for farmers and researchers across Asia. With headquarters in Taiwan and three regional offices now covering the continent regional offices opened for South Asia in 2006 and for Central and West Asia and North Africa in 2009 the Center is well-positioned to make an even greater impact on vegetable production, farmer incomes, and health and nutrition in Asia. (continued on page 6) AVRDC The World Vegetable Center, a nonprofit international agricultural research and development institution based in Taiwan, has had a regional base in Bangkok since 1992, formerly known as the Asian Regional Center (ARC). Regional offices opened for South Asia in Hyderabad, India in 2006 and for Central and West Asia and North Africa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in We needed a new name for ARC to complement the roles of our other regional offices in Asia, and to sharpen areas of responsibility. The Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia more clearly delineates the area covered. With three regional offices now operating across the continent and headquarters in Taiwan, AVRDC The World Vegetable Center is well-positioned to make an even greater impact on vegetable production, farmer incomes, and health and nutrition in Asia. What is really changing? Although the official name will change, the nature of the work at the Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia will not. The office will continue to provide leadership in vegetable production research to benefit small-scale farmers, foster development in agriculture to benefit the poor through improved incomes and better nutrition, provide training, and build collaborative partnerships with Kasetsart University. Has AVRDC The World Vegetable Center s mission changed? No. Our mission remains the same: to alleviate poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of nutritious and health-promoting vegetables. AVRDC The World Vegetable Center will continue to expand our programs in Asia, Africa, and Oceania and seek new sources of funding in support of pro-poor agricultural research and development. We will continue to build networks, associations, and alliances with the private sector, civil society groups, government, and academia, offer our expertise in vegetable production technology, and freely share knowledge, information and germplasm.

6 CORNUCOPIA 6 AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center in East and Southeast Asia (continued from page 5) Dr. Holmer said the name change will help guide his office as it responds to the specific concerns and interests of small-scale farmers, public institutions, and the private sector across the region. The new name clarifies our role for donors by stating unambiguously where we work, he said. Donors can match their priorities to our strengths in the countries that make up this region. Holmer noted the new name symbolizes an important step in the Center s evolution as a leading research and development institute dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of millions of malnourished and poor people in Asia. The old name, the Asian Regional Center, floats away, but the work of AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center in East and Southeast Asia will continue to serve the needs of vegetable farmers and consumers in the region. Diamondback Moth Workshop: Call for papers In conjunction with Cornell University, USA and Kasetsart University, Thailand, AVRDC The World Vegetable Center will host the Sixth International Workshop on Management of the Diamondback Moth and Other Crucifer Insect Pests from March 2011 at Kasetsart University s Kamphaeng Saen campus in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. About researchers worldwide are expected to participate and present papers on the bio-ecology of insect pests, host plant resistance, biological controls, pesticides, and insect management on crucifer crops. Call for papers: 1 October - 31 December 2010 Registration: 1 October January 2011 Conference brochure: id=646

7 3 7 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT inside insight Ma Mau-Long, a field assistant in the entomology group since 1980, came to the Center with a background in pineapple cultivation. He has designed and built two sets of diverted-entrance greenhouses on AVRDC s experimental fields, and is an expert in the judicious use of agrochemicals to control pests. Do you work only with specific crops and pests? Because insect pests don t respect boundaries, we need to understand different cultivation practices and methods of protection for all types of vegetable crops. My job is to make pest control decisions to help researchers experiments succeed while protecting the natural resources on-farm and in the surrounding area. I also make sure field workers protect themselves when handling agrochemicals. It helps that I have had long experience in the field; I ve seen many infestations over the years. If an infestation occurs in an experimental field, how do you prevent it from spreading to other fields? Entomology experiments typically are conducted in remote fields to decrease the risk of disease transmission or pest migration to other fields. Careful crop rotation schedules also avoid the spread of pests and diseases. And here is an interesting point: According to conventional wisdom, when the wind blows it carries insects from upwind locations, but in reality this is not true; the insects actually come from downwind locations. The scent of the vegetable plants on the wind attracts them. Pests and diseases are always evolving. How do you keep up? The Center s entomology researchers seek to solve emerging pest problems to meet the needs of small-scale farmers. Currently we are focusing on the development and promotion of healthy, safe agriculture. We held a pepper workshop last month to emphasize that a bumper harvest can still be achieved even if a farmer reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizers they use and the number of applications. Effective, affordable, and simple-to-construct greenhouses, screenhouses, and shelters can improve field management, reduce pests, diseases, and weeds, and help farmers maintain soil moisture and fertility. With all your effort to fight pests, do you ever get to enjoy the fruits of your labor? Four years ago, we grew tomatoes as required for an experiment. But these tomatoes were special they were exceptionally sweet, with such a delicious and memorable flavor! Colleagues clamored for a taste, and I truly was gratified by the recognition. It made all the hard work worthwhile.