Issue #39

Hello to all!

This past week was a special one at Farm Radio International’s Ottawa office, as Mahamadou Diarra from the Réseau de communication Kayira in Mali paid us a visit. Mr. Diarra shared the inspiring story of how his radio network was founded and continues to work to give a voice to the Malian people and promote democracy in the country. To read more about Réseau de communication Kayira, please see the Farm Radio Action section below. Mr. Diarra became a new FRW subscriber, as have Mahamane Toure from Graine d’Espoir in Mali, Nzita Makuelo Dieudonné from Radio Télé Rurale MUINDA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Abdoulatif from the farmer’s organization foen’ ny mangoro in Madagascar, Teresa Chirwa from Zodiak Radio in Malawi, and Charles H. Mumanikidzwa from The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe. We welcome all of our new subscribers!

In this week’s FRW, we look at the connections between African agriculture and some issues making international news. The global market has been rocked by the news that Chinese milk and milk products were contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, causing the death of four children and illness in more than 50,000 people in mainland China. Our FRW news story looks at how, as this international scare plays out, locally-produced milk is enjoying a boost in popularity in some African countries.

From September 30 to October 3, representatives from over 70 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries gathered in Accra, Ghana. Proposed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union were at the top of the agenda. By the end of the summit, the group had resolved to meet with European negotiators before the end of October to re-visit controversial clauses. Our story, adapted from an article in Ghana’s Public Agenda newspaper, visits Ghanaian farmers, who explain why they oppose the EPAs.

Would you like to be a correspondent for Farm Radio Weekly? FRW is looking for skilled radio journalists to report on agricultural issues in their areas. To be considered as a correspondent, please send a sample of agricultural reporting to Farm Radio Weekly Editor Heather Miller at: hmiller@farmradio.org. You can also suggest a story idea to Heather, or simply share your thoughts about the current edition.

Happy reading!

-The Farm Radio Weekly Team

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African Farm News in Review

1. Africa: Local milk promoted in wake of Chinese milk contamination (Le Soleil, Angola Press Agency, The East African)

2. Ghana: Farmers say EPAs would destroy livelihoods (Public Agenda)

Upcoming Events

October 13, 2008: Apply for fellowship to cover UN Climate Change Conference

October 16-23, 2008 – La Via Campesina to hold International Conference in Mozambique

Radio Resource Bank

Marketing your community radio station

Farm Radio Action

Radio Kayira is a voice for the Malian people

Farm Radio Script of the Week

Two women rice farmers discuss their best seed saving practices

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In the village of Koutal, in the Kaolack Region of central Senegal, dairy farming is a collective activity. There are numerous communal herds, many of which are managed by women. Both the livestock and their milk products are highly valued in the community.

Oumou Khaïry Bâ is president of a women dairy farmers’ collective known as the Directoire régional des femmes en élévage. She explains that the group wanted to promote their products more widely in the Kaolack Region. To this end, the group obtained a pasteurization unit. Now, the group can transform its milk into products such as yogourt and curdled milk. Mrs. Bâ says that sales are going well, and the dairy farmers hope to open kiosks in the town of Kaolack to sell their milk and milk products.

This model of local dairy production stands in stark contrast to the large Chinese dairy companies that recently produced tainted milk. Chinese companies added the industrial chemical melamine to dairy products in order to make the protein content appear higher. To date, four children have died and more than 50,000 people have fallen ill in mainland China after drinking the tainted milk.

Around the world and throughout Africa, food regulators have been working to identify imported milk and milk products tainted with melamine. Retailers have been pulling Chinese milk and milk products off their shelves. While the scandal has shaken confidence in imported milk, some smaller-scale African milk producers are expanding their production.

In late September, as the extent of the Chinese tainted milk scandal was coming to light, Angola’s national dairy company launched a brand of local milk. One-litre containers of “Waku” milk are now on supermarket shelves in the Waku Kungo region of western Angola. The company stressed that this milk is made with high quality Angolan ingredients.

While the Angolan dairy sector is seeking to establish its domestic market, Kenya is struggling to keep up with demand. Kenya’s dairy industry has grown by 50 per cent over the past five years, as locals now consume more milk and export markets have expanded.

Machira Gichohi is managing director of the Kenya Dairy Board. He says the country faces a dairy shortfall of 450 million litres and will not be able to fill export orders. Mr. Gichohi explained that post-election violence hit the “milk pot” regions of Nyanza and Rift Valley and it may take years for dairy farmers to restore production levels.
Click here to see the notes to broadcasters on local dairy

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Jacob Kwabla Kpodo can readily name the challenges faced by tomato farmers in Ada, a coastal town in southern Ghana. Farmers are unable to purchase modern farming equipment. They have difficulty accessing loans. They cannot access trade routes and face marketing problems.

Still, the tomato business has been looking up for Ada farmers. Last November, the Ghanaian government banned the import of tomato paste, as part of an overall effort to reduce imports. Since then, demand for locally-produced tomatoes has grown, and farmers have been encouraged to produce more of the red fruit. Mr. Kpodo says that farmers have increased their yields. And, as tomato farming became more profitable, more youth became involved.

But Mr. Kpodo fears that all of these advances could disappear with the swish of a pen if his government signs an Economic Partnership Agreement, or EPA, with Europe. EPAs would mean easier access for European produce to African markets. The proposed agreements have led to a groundswell of protest in many African countries. In Ghana, the Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Trade Union Congress, and other organizations are calling on the government to withhold its signature. Ghanaian farmers have now joined the protest.

Mr. Kpodo says that Ghana simply doesn’t have factories to package tomatoes to international standards. Therefore, he believes, if Ghana were opened to the world market, Ghanaian tomato products could not compete with European products. He says that the government should focus on renovating the country’s many tomato factories or constructing new ones.

Emmanual Amoak is Vice President of the Okyereko Co-operative Society. He has similar concerns about European rice freely entering the Ghanaian market if an EPA is signed. According to Mr. Amoak, it costs a Ghanaian farmer the equivalent of 450 American dollars (about 330 Euros) to produce a tonne of rice. A European farmer, benefitting from subsidies, can produce the same amount of rice for the equivalent of 275 American dollars (about 200 Euros). Instead of signing the EPAs, Mr. Amoak would like to see his government implement measures to keep foreign rice out of the country.
Click here to see the notes to broadcasters on EPA protests

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For further information on this topic, see:
-“Melamine milk crisis – Countries to ensure safe feeding for infants and increase vigilance,” a bulletin by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000926/index.html
-“Researchers want local milk kept safe,” a story from Kenya’s The Nation on local threats to milk safety: http://allafrica.com/stories/200809280098.html

The following Farm Radio International scripts provide information on keeping dairy cows and milk products healthy and safe:
-“A mystery at the dairy: The importance of proper sanitation when working with animals,” (Package 63, Script 6, April 2002), set in Costa Rica
-“A farmer practices zero grazing,” (Package 51, Script 3, February 1999)

-This FRW article recalls the types of food contamination that were uncovered in Ghana earlier this year:
-“Use of harmful food additives on the rise” (Issue #35, September 2008)
-This article, from January 2008 (FRW Issue #7), describes early predictions that Kenya’s post-election violence would affect dairy production: http://farmradio.org/english/weekly/2008/01/21/2-kenya-violence-forces-farmers-to-flee-threatens-food-supply-various-sources-allafricacom/

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Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) were at the top of the agenda when leaders from African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries met last week. As many of you know, the EPAs are a successor to the Lomé Convention – an aid and trade deal signed by 71 ACP countries and Europe in 1975. The Lomé Convention allowed ACP countries duty-free access to European markets, except for a select number of agricultural products, such as sugar and beef, which competed with European producers. But in 2000, the Cotonou Agreement established a framework for EPAs between the EU and individual countries, which were to take effect in 2008. EPAs would open ACP country markets to European products.
Many African civil society organizations have voiced major concerns about EPAs and the principle of free trade between Africa and Europe that EPAs promote. In December, the Communauté économique des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest and the government of Mauritania declared that they would not meet the December 31, 2007 deadline, but would negotiate with the European Union over the next 18 months for a “real instrument for growth and development.” Meanwhile, a number of eastern and southern African countries, as well as Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, chose to sign interim EPAs, with special provisions to protect certain products from European competition.

You may wish to research the situation in your own country and broadcast area:
-Did your government sign an EPA agreement prior to the December 31 deadline? What position did your government take at the recent ACP summit?
-If your government has signed an agreement, which local products were given special protection and what does that protection entail? Which local products are vulnerable to European competition?
-If not, what are the repercussions for local producers who export to Europe? Does your government plan to negotiate a deal with Europe?
-What do farmers in your area know about EPAs, and what do they need to know?
-What are individual farmers and farmers’ associations doing to cope with the changing trade environment?

Two links that you might find interesting are:
-The European Union’s January 11 press release on the status of the EPAs (includes a list of countries that have signed EPAs and the provisions of these agreements): http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/15&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
-The video for Senegalese rapper Didier Awadi’s anti-EPA song, “On signe pas!”, which includes lyrics in French, English, and Wolof: http://www.awadimusic.com/

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The Climate Change Media Partnership is pleased to invite journalists who live and work in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, or the Middle East to apply for a climate change fellowship.

Fellows will attend the UN Climate Change Summit in Poznan, Poland from December 1-12, 2008 and produce journalism to highlight climate change issues within their regions.
Selected journalists will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of environmental issues with the support of the Climate Change Media Partnership, and to develop their professional journalism skills through the media activities offered during the summit. Women journalists and journalists from under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

For more information and to download the application form visit: http://www.panos.org.uk/climatechangefellowship. The deadline for applications is Monday 13 October. To learn more about the Climate Change Media Partnership visit: http://www.climatemediapartnership.org/

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More than 500 men and women farmers’ leaders from over 70 countries will gather in Maputo, Mozambique, for La Via Campesina’s fifth annual conference, from October 16-23. La Via Campesina defines itself as the international movement of peasants, small- and medium-sized producers, the landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural youth, and agricultural workers. Delegates will present their analyses of the current agricultural situation and debate strategies for future action.
This event will start with the Rural Youth Assembly on October 16, which has been designated World Food Day by the United Nations. It will be followed by the Women’s Assembly and by the conference itself. The president of Mozambique, Armando Emilio Guebuza, will be present at the conference inauguration, October 19.

The conference will give journalists the opportunity to interview farmer leaders from every continent, to document their stories, and better understand the strategies that family farmers will adopt to solve the food crisis. It will also give journalists a chance to meet members of the Mozambican farmer movement and interview local producers in their fields.

Due to logistical limitations, only a limited number of journalists will be accredited to cover the conference from October 21 to 23. However, La Via Campesina can organize media interviews by phone (or other means) during the conference and send high resolution pictures and video images to any media interested in covering the event from their home base.

For a press kit, visit: www.viacampesina.org. For more media information, contact
Isabelle Delforge, by e-mail at: idelforge@viacampesina.org, or by phone at: +32 498522163.

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Obtaining advertising or sponsorship can be critical to the long-term sustainability of a community radio station. When seeking this type of financial support, it is important for an organization to understand its best “selling points.” The following is a list of community radio selling points adapted from the Community Radio Collective Marketing Strategy. This guide was produced by the Radio Knowledge Center/Community Radio Support Center and was first published in Nepali in 2006. You may link to the full guide by clicking here .

1. Local element
Community radio stations have the capacity to broadcast information to a targeted local audience. This is a capability that national television, newspapers, and national radio do not have, and something that is useful to advertisers and sponsors.

2. Cost-effectiveness
Advertising on a community radio station is inexpensive in comparison with other media. Therefore, advertisers and sponsors can get their message to a targeted group in a cost- effective way.

3. Portability
Listeners can tune into the radio while travelling or working. As a result, advertisers and sponsors can count on radio to reach people in places that television and newspapers cannot.

4. No lead time
Community radio stations can air the news as it breaks, even interrupting a regularly-scheduled program if the news is urgent. For this reason, listeners may rely on radio to a greater degree than other media.

5. Greater exposure
Researchers have found that listeners are more attentive while tuned in to community radio compared to commercial radio stations. This increases the possibility of an advertiser or sponsor’s message reaching targeted listeners.

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In Bambara, “Kayira” means happiness! Last week, we were very happy to have Mahamadou Diarra with us in Ottawa. Mahamadou is the coordinator of the Réseau de Communication Kayira (also known as Radio Libre Kayira or just Radio Kayira) in Mali. “Kayira is a radio that actively fights alongside the poorest stratum of society,” says Mahamadou.

In 1993, following the fall of the dictatorial regime of Moussa Traoré and the opening up of the radio airwaves in Mali, Radio Libre Kayira was born. The network, which now includes nine radio stations in southern Mali, has been a Farm Radio International partner since 1995.

The nine radio stations in the Kayira network are in Bamako, Ségou, Koutiala, Kita, Mahina, Niono, Koulondieba, Kayes, and Niakourazana. According to Mahamadou, Radio Kayira focuses primarily on women and better understanding their roles in society. However, Radio Kayira also focuses on and helps farmers, often defending their rights. For example, Mahamadou explains that an agricultural development bank which was transformed into a commercial bank had loaned money to farmers for the purchase of cattle and ploughs. However, the season was not good and farmers were unable to repay the borrowed money. The bank then seized 80 cows from the village. Farmers complained to Radio Kayira and, following an investigation, Radio Kayira discovered that the bank took the cows into the city and sold them for 50,000 CFA francs (about 100 American dollars or 75 Euros) each, while others were given to a prosecutor, to the police chief, or were slaughtered. Through their association with Radio Kayira, farmers realized that they can voice their complaints and demand their rights

In addition to disseminating news in the local Bambara language, Radio Kayira airs a radio program called Togoda that focuses solely on agriculture. In Bambara, Togoda means “village” or “rural area.” This program deals with all issues related to agriculture and the livelihoods of farmers. Other topics discussed on Radio Kayira include education, health, and the environment.

Mahamadou also talked about the Radio Kayira listening club. He says it costs 500 CFA francs (about 1 American dollar or 0.76 euro) to become a Radio Kayira listening club member. The membership card allows members to attend board meetings and critique the radio. Last year, Radio Kayira sold nearly 10,000 membership cards. However, even those who are not paying members of the listening club can approach the radio stations with their concerns and participate in programs.

What will the future bring for Radio Kayira? There is an ongoing project to increase the number of radio stations in the network to 19 (10 additional radio stations) by 2012.

Mahamadou encourages and commends Farm Radio International for its work. He also made a special appeal to FRW readers: “Farm Radio Weekly [readers], all across Africa, really need to get more involved in helping out farmers. Everyone must get involved because farmers are our salvation. We must be able to provide enough food for Africa because, if we do not have enough to eat, we can not possibly talk about development.”

For more information about Radio Kayira, visit their website: http://www.kayira.org/. (in French only)

-Click here to listen to Mahamadou Diarra and Nelly Bassily (Farm Radio International’s Research and Production Officer) interviewed on Radio Canada. (In French only)

Mahamadou and Nelly during the interview in the Radio-Canada studios.

-Click on the links below to listen to an interview conducted by the Farm Radio Weekly team with Mahamadou. (In French only)

Part one:

Part two:

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This week’s featured script was produced as part of a collaboration between Farm Radio International and the Africa Rice Center (WARDA). Our most recent script package consists of five Farm Radio-WARDA scripts on rice production and seed management, and is posted online, here: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/. In this script, two women rice farmers discuss methods of ensuring that rice seed remains in good condition while in storage. They describe traditional and innovative methods, such as using cooking oil to seal the pores of earthenware pots, removing oxygen from the top of the storage container with a lit candle, and adding insect-repellent leaves to keep away pests.

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