Category: Featured

Anne Vezina pushes back:

But there are funds for the GM banana. Should the project be stopped? What kind of reasons would warrant taking such a step?

Value for money, perhaps? Have your say!

Lieven Claessens resolves the Great Millet Mystery:

In GYGA we use HarvestChoice’s SPAM crop distribution masks for our analysis. SPAM in turn uses FAO statistics to create spatially disaggregated maps of crop distribution. I looked in more detail to the FAOstat numbers and found out that their numbers for ‘millet’ are actually for all sorts of millets combined… So finger and pearl millet are combined, even with teff to my big surprise! Identity crisis? ;-) In GYGA we have used a generic model for both pearl and finger millet so they are combined in the analysis….

Bottom line: the GYGA results for “millet” are unusable. But it’s FAO’s fault.

John Mulumba of NARO, Uganda weighs in on that millet controversy:

Sorry to join in this late. Uganda certainly produces far more finger millet than pearl millet. The second map therefore gives a picture close to what is on ground.

Any other views on this?

Bill W. thinks that Ethiopian farmers should derive some benefit from taking care of tef for all these millennia:

I must admit that I don’t know anything about the quinoa trade, but it seems counter-intuitive that I am supposed to be relieved that the farmers who grew tef until the rest of the world noticed it will not benefit economically from their stewardship. It’s a crazy world.

And if you’re into plant breeding, do visit his site.

Mike Jackson adds some detail to our short note on the recent typhoon in the Philippines:

This typhoon, known as Glenda in the Philippines, actually did more damage at IRRI probably than any other in recent years. In fact, one of my former staff who has been at IRRI for 40 years or so, told me it was the worst damage she had experienced. But, resilient as ever, IRRI staff have cleared up much of the damage, roofs and windows will be replaced, and soon things will get back to normal.