As agreed upon, the WWF will provide assistance for the cacao plants, the key ingredient used to process cocoa, to be grown under a sustainable development model on 39ha in Phuoc Loc Commune from now until 2009. Under the project, 39 ethnic households in the commune will receive training on cacao farming techniques. The WWF will distribute 600 cacao trees to each hectare and farming tools to project participants. The project will use an agriculture-forestry sustainable development model...

OLAM Nigeria Ltd, has distributed one million hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers at the beginning of the planting season to enable them expand their production. Olam, he said, believes that a well developed agricultural sector will create employment opportunities, alleviate poverty and guarantee a stable means of livelihood to farmers. Olam distributes 1 million cocoa seedlings to farmers, trains them. Vanguard - Business : Olam distributes 1 million cocoa seedlings to farmers, trains them....

Orchards must be mowed and trees need to be sprayed to prevent diseases, even if they don't bear fruit and make money for an orchard. Owners of Missouri orchards hit hard by an Easter freeze are looking to other states to provide peaches, blackberries and blueberries for their customers. Some apple orchards will have crops, but Avery expects to see many Missouri orchards selling apples from other states. Three acres of grapes fared about as well as the strawberries, he said. A lack of...

The government has decided that the Cocoa farmers housing scheme will be extended to 66 cocoa districts in Ghana. It was meant to offer cocoa farmers affordable housing and improve their living conditions. The scheme was initially targeted at cocoa farmers in Western region alone. He said though the original plan had changed, the focus was still on cocoa farmers. Lansah said, the use of bricks, clay tiles and other natural building materials were meant to make the houses affordable,...

Little yield for fruit crops hit by freeze Devastated farmers may have to buy fruit from other states. Orchards must be mowed and trees need to be sprayed to prevent diseases, even if they don't bear fruit and make money for an orchard. But with the peach crop at his Marionville orchard non-existent because of the Easter freeze, Murphy is on a quest to find affordable peaches he can resell. Three acres of grapes fared about as well as the strawberries, he said. Some apple orchards will...

The quality of the antioxidants in the processed dried fruit is the same as in the corresponding fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is the better choice. Basically, the drying process removes most of the moisture from the fruit, thus preserving it. Even though many supermarkets put dried fruit in the candy section, it can be an excellent source of fiber, nutrients, antioxidants and complex carbohydrates. In fact, ounce-for-ounce, all types of dried fruit are much higher in calories than their fresh...

This projection is part of a five-year plan by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands to export some 1,400 tonnes of the commodity annually. He also noted that the cleaning of cocoa plots was another major area of concern for the organization and the Board was currently working with a number of farmers to address this problem. Additionally, he said that the organization was looking at increasing the density of cocoa plots to some 400 plants per acre. Work, he said, was also being done to...

Different farmers specialize in different items, so produce may look better or be cheaper from farmer to farmer. You can ask the farmer or vendor how to spot freshness, when the produce was picked, the best recipes or even which flowers might work best in your lawn. Well, there is a way you can get a good portion of your groceries for a bargain while enjoying the great outdoors: Try kicking off your weekend with a visit to your local farmers market. The prices at a farmers market are...

It's a result that those selling fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets and produce stands say is making life hard for them and for the state's farmers. Because rain is not falling, produce prices are rising. Some produce seemed as big as during a normal season, but the prices larger. The farther produce is driven to market, the more the cost is driven up, especially because of record gas prices, Lynn said. If consumers aren't overjoyed by this, neither are those selling the...