Developing Countries Farm Radio Network

By Gary Garriott

This is the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.

For more than twenty years, the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network has been helping farm families around the world. People who listen to the programs on the radio learn about simple proven ways to increase food supplies and improve nutrition and health.

The Developing Countries Farm Radio Network is based in Toronto, Canada. It sends its programs free of charge to more than one-thousand-five hundred Network members in about one-hundred countries. They share the information with millions of farmers around the world by shortwave and local radio stations. Programs provide information about crop production, soil, controlling insects, animals and the environment. Programs also deal with nutrition, family health and starting small businesses.

A recent program discussed the important role women play in producing most of the food people eat in many communities. It told how a woman in one village was a very successful farmer. She produced more of the grains maize and sorghum than other farmers.

The woman farmer said that she did not grow more grain than the other farmers. But she said she was successful because she had a special way of storing the grain so that insects would not eat it. Like other farmers, she stored her grain in containers called gunny bags.

However, this woman farmer added other things to protect the grain from insects. She experimented with wood ash, soap nuts, and different kinds of leaves from trees, such as nochi, neem and eucalyptus. When she found something that worked, she used it. Because she was successful at storing and selling more grain, she and her husband agreed that she would keep all the money she earned from farming. During a period when there was no rain, she taught others in the village how to store grain. Because of her efforts, the village had enough food for everyone.

By broadcasting interesting stories like this, the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network helps people improve their lives. Its programs are available in English, French and Spanish.

You can get more information about this group at its Internet address, www. farmradio. org. Or you can write to Special English, Voice of America, Washington, D-C, Two-Zero-Two-Three-Seven, U-S-A.

This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by Gary Garriott.