Strengthening the potato value chain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
The Kurdistan Region of Iraqā€™s (KRI) favourable climate and soil fertility offer ideal conditions for potato production, while cultivation and post-harvest activities provide important sources of employment and income in rural areas. Land and labour are also in abundance so there is the potential to significantly increase production. However, due to a lack of investment in the value chain and the limited training received by trainers and extension workers, these factors are underutilised.
CABI assesses opportunities and challenges of online learning at African universitiesā€™ webinar
CABI’s Digital Learning Manager, Mark Berthelemy, joined a panel of experts as part of a webinar to assess the opportunities and challenges that African universities face with online learning in a post-COVID-19 environment. The webinar was organized by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a network of 66 African universities in 26 African countries.
Improving soybean production in Kenya using digital and extension approaches
In Kenya, soybean is a key crop in helping to improve livelihoods and nutrition. However, production only meets 10% of the market needs due to the effects of poor agricultural practices and pests and diseases. To address these issues, this project will provide a frontier system that integrates Earth Observation technology, pest modelling and best-practice approaches in agricultural extension to increase soybean productivity and quality. The project aims to reach 30,000 farmers, of which support will be given particularly to women farmers in helping them to engage with this high-value commodity, access local markets and improve their livelihoods.