IFDC Announces an International Training Program on Improving Agricultural Productivity and Net Returns Among Smallholder Farmers Through Efficient Use of Nutrients and Water – Co-Sponsored by AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, Can Tho University (CTU) and International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI).
Can Tho City, Vietnam
December 6-10, 2010
Program Fee: US $1,500 (by November 6, 2010) or $1,700 (after November 6, 2010)
Background
Nearly three billion people around the world are subsisting on less than US $2 a day amidst strained natural resources. Almost 33 percent of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and 17 percent in Asia are undernourished. In both SSA and Asia, large percentages of the population – 64 percent and 46 percent, respectively – are involved in agriculture. Significant improvements in agricultural productivity, market access, post-harvest infrastructure and rural incomes are needed. Otherwise, the imbalances between food supply and demand will increase food scarcity, food price volatility and food insecurity in the developing countries.
Smallholder farmers must be prepared to face the challenges associated with the need for significant increases in productivity. Such needs result from growing urban populations, a reduction in farm land under cultivation, a reduction in the number of farmers, increased demand by industry for prime materials, competition in international markets and the greater uncertainty of farming due to less predictable weather. Water shortages, soil losses and rising temperatures from climate change are placing severe limits on food production. These limits add to the challenges of the small farmer – to increase productivity while safeguarding the health of soil, water and the other elements of the environment.
The developing countries have a grave need for research and development to identify rapid interventions to increase yields. This becomes more crucial because the forecast for 2030 predicts that 97 percent of rice, 50 percent of wheat, 70 percent of oilseeds and 65 percent of maize will be produced in the developing world. The efficient use of fertilizers by smallholder farmers is the most important factor influencing improved agricultural production, farmers’ profitability and the impact farmers have on other resources and the environment. All available tools – experimental and simulation tools – must be used to demonstrate the effective use of fertilizers while conserving the integrity of natural resources to ensure high productivity and the well-being of the future generations.
Training Program Objective
The objectives of this one-week program will:
- Increase a participant’s knowledge of the principles of nutrients and water use efficiency (NWUE) to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods and protect natural resources.
- Update participants on the development of new fertilizer products and technologies to enhance NWUE.
- Present participants with experimental and simulation tools for the assessment of NWUE and recommendations for fertilizers in rice-based production systems and peri-urban agriculture.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is designed for agronomists, soil scientists, researchers and extensionists from national and international agricultural research institutes and universities as well as policymakers from governments and ministries in charge of agricultural productivity and planning.
Program Content
The topics to be addressed by a faculty of experts will cover the general concepts associated with:
- Site-specific management of nutrients and water in the context of smallholder farmers, including the impact of NWUE on:
- Yield and revenue increases.
- Environment.
- Human health and nutrition.
- Risks associated with climate variability and change.
- Alternatives to enhance NWUE will be discussed with respect to:
- Development of efficient fertilizer products.
- Use of resource conservation agriculture and Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMP).
- Improvement of plant types.
- Tools for the assessment of NWUE and recommendations of fertilizers:
- Experimental tools.
- Simulation tools.
Methodology
The five-day training session will include lectures, research reports, a field visit and demonstrations of tools and methodologies. These will demonstrate the available technology as well as the developing technology that can help smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods and conserve natural resources.
Faculty
The program faculty will include subject matter experts from IFDC and partner organizations.
Venue
The training will take place in Can Tho City, Vietnam, at the CUU LONG hotel located in Quang Trang Street. The hotel is located in the heart of Can Tho City, the dynamic provincial capital of the Mekong Delta. The hotel is easily reached from all other parts of the city including the Tra Noc International Airport, thanks to frequent transport service in the city. Can Tho River and Quang Trung Bridge, two prime tourist attractions in Can Tho City, are located just 50 meters from Cuu Long Hotel. Services and amenities offered meet international standards at a very reasonable rate.
Participants will be extended IFDC’s negotiated rate of US $25 (standard room) per person, per day, breakfast and government tax included.
Coordinates are:
CUU LONG HOTEL
52, Quang Trung Street
Can Tho City, Vietnam
Telephone: +84 710 3 822 669 / 3 820 300
Telefax: +84 710 3 826 157
E-Mail: cuulongcthotel@hcm.vnn.vn
Participants will be responsible for reservation and payment of accommodations at the Cuu Long Hotel. Participants should plan to arrive in Can Tho on Sunday December 5, 2010.
Visa and Medical Insurance
APPLICATIONS FOR VISAS SHOULD BE MADE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.
Participants, except ASEAN citizens, are not eligible to enter Vietnam without a visa. Can Tho University’s Department of International Relations may assist in applying for entry visas. Passport data will have to be sent to the department at least three (3) weeks before entry. All required immunizations and health formalities should be completed. Medical insurance should be obtained by participants. The fee does not cover any medical insurance or expenses.
Cost and Enrollment
The program fee for this training course is US $1,500 per participant. This fee is due with enrollment but no later than November 6, 2010. A non-refundable deposit of US $200 is required with each registration. The deposit will be credited towards the program fee, which is due four (4) weeks before the program is scheduled. Thereafter, a Late Fee in the amount of US $200 will apply. The program fee, less the deposit, will be refunded for cancellations made two (2) weeks before the commencement of the program; thereafter, 90 percent of the paid fee will be returned and 10 percent, in addition to the deposit, will be charged to cover administrative costs.
Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid participants will receive priority. Registration and program fee payments should reach IFDC by November 6, 2010. Those received thereafter will be accepted at IFDC’s discretion and incur an additional US$200 late fee. An organization wishing to enroll more than one participant should supply information for each participant.
Payment of the program fee can be made by: (1) check or draft payable to IFDC; (2) wire transfer to IFDC account in the U.S.A. through First Metro Bank, 406 West Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, U.S.A., ABA number 062203955 for credit to IFDC Account number 55281; or (3) major credit card – MasterCard, Visa or American Express.
The workshop fee covers registration, training and reference material, coffee/tea breaks, all lunches and surface transportation when applicable. The fee does not include air travel, lodging and dinner expenses, or medical and communication expenses. Participants should plan to arrive in Can Tho City, Vietnam on Sunday, December 5.
About IFDC
IFDC is a nonprofit, public international organization (PIO) dedicated to increasing agricultural productivity and food production through the development and use of plant nutrients in sustainable crop production systems. Headquartered in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, U.S.A., IFDC is involved in human resource development, research and technical assistance in collaboration with public, private, national and international organizations throughout the world. IFDC has conducted more than 700 formal workshops, study tours and training programs for about 10,000 participants from 150 countries since 1974. The programs have covered a wide range of subjects including integrated soil fertility management and fertilizer use efficiency, fertilizer production technology, agro-input dealership, competitive marketing, supply chain management, investment analysis, policy reforms and numerous specialized topics.
About AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center
AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center is an international nonprofit research and development institute committed to alleviating poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of nutritious and health-promoting vegetables. The Center develops improved vegetable lines and technologies for small-scale farmers to produce vegetables efficiently and safely, which increases their incomes and improves the health of their families and communities. Founded in 1971 with a mandate to work in tropical Asia, the Center’s global network now covers East and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central and West Asia and North Africa. The Center’s work is built around four global themes—Germplasm, Breeding, Production, and Consumption—that address the entire vegetable value chain. In production, the Center’s integrated crop management strategies include improved lines with resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, low-cost drip irrigation, safe pest management, and crop fertilization and rotation systems suited to smallholders. Ongoing programs disseminate and extend these improved technologies to farmers, non-governmental organizations, and national agricultural research systems.
About Can Tho University (CTU)
Can Tho University (CTU) is an important state higher education institution in the Mekong Delta. It is the cultural, scientific and technical center of the Mekong Delta and Vietnam. Since its founding in 1966, CTU has been improving and developing itself. From a university with a few fields of study at the beginning, it has developed into a multidisciplinary university. Currently, it has 77 undergraduate, 28 Master and 8 Doctoral training programs. Every year CTU receives students on internship programs from the U.S, Belgium, Japan and so on, or under agreements between their universities and CTU. CTU's main missions are training, conducting scientific research and transferring technology to serve regional and national socio-economic development. In addition to its training responsibilities, CTU has actively taken part in scientific research projects, applying the advances in scientific and technological knowledge to solving problems related to science, technology, economics, culture and society in the region.
About International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)
IPNI is a not-for-profit, science-based organization with a focus on agronomic education and research support. IPNI officially began operations on January 1, 2007, and has established programs in China, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northern Latin America, Brazil, Latin America-Southern Cone, North America (U.S. and Canada), Australia/New Zealand, Africa, Eastern Europe/Central Asia, and a presence in the Middle East. The mission of IPNI is to develop and promote scientific information about the responsible management of plant nutrition for the benefit of the human family. IPNI is a global organization with initiatives addressing the world’s growing need for food, fuel, fiber, and feed. There is widespread concern for issues such as climate change and relationship of crop production to the environment and ecosystems, and IPNI programs are achieving positive results. Best management practices (BMPs) for fertilizer use encourage the concept of applying the right product, at the right rate, right time, and right place.
For more information:
Director, Training and Workshop Coordination Unit
IFDC
P.O. Box 2040
Muscle Shoals, Alabama 35662, U.S.A.
Telephone: +1 (256) 381-6600
Telefax: +1 (256) 381-7408
E-Mail: training@ifdc.org
Website: www.ifdc.org
As a nonprofit organization, IFDC does not finance or sponsor any participant.
Photo Credit: Walter Bowen