News
Improving Produce Quality with Banana Ripening Units and Process Training
May 14, 2015
In Pakistan, the Lasbela District is well suited for trade because of its close proximity to Karachi, the nation’s capital city. Roughly 46,000 tons of bananas are produced here annually, the highest production within the region of Balochistan. Unfortunately, much of the fruit intended for trade in Karachi return to Lasbela, because they are sold […]
Safe and Hygienic Fish Handling Practices: Fiberglass Fish Holds Reduce Post-Catch Losses
May 13, 2015
The economy of Gwadar, a port for Pakistan in the Balochistan region, is enormously dependent on fishing. However, far too often, fishers lose a good portion of their catches because of unsafe handling practices, which decreases their profit and income. The average fisher in Gwadar uses fish holds made out of wood with an inner […]
Establishing the Missing Link in the Cold Chain Process in Balochistan
May 13, 2015
The Winrock-implemented Pakistan Agriculture and Cold Chain Development (PACCD) initiative has helped established 9,400 tons of cold storage capacity to help farmers in Balochistan prolong the shelf life and marketability of their produce — ultimately resulting in increased profits and income. However, while instituting cold stores that range from 25 to 1,500 tons of capacity, […]
Winrock Volunteers, Staff Share Knowledge, Explore Opportunities with Farmers in Cuba
April 23, 2015
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 23, 2015) – Staff and volunteers from Arkansas-based NGO Winrock International met face-to-face with Cuban farmers in March, as part of the first Winrock-sponsored volunteer exchange in Cuba. With warming relations between the United States and Cuba as a promising backdrop, Winrock’s first assignment in Cuba focused on assessing needs and […]
New market strategies boost incomes for resin collectors in small Cambodian village
February 24, 2015
Villagers in Poupet, a small community in Cambodia’s Mondulkiri Province, are earning more money from collecting and selling resin than ever before and are supporting their families without jeopardizing the forest resources they need to survive. But that wasn’t always the case. Low resin prices, as well as shrinking rice yields due to unsustainable farming […]
Farmers’ Profits Increase in Balochistan with Improved Packaging
October 22, 2014
Balochistan is the top-producing cherry region in Pakistan, and demand for cherries has been increasing for several years. However, cherries are difficult to grow and are highly perishable — often with a shelf life of less than 15 days. Up to 30 percent of the fruit is spoiled before it ever reaches market because of […]
Improved vegetable production practices increase incomes of smallholder farmers in Nepal
October 21, 2014
Shanta B.K., 33, lives in the Narpani, Arghakhanchi district in western Nepal with her husband and four children. She is a member of the Dalit community, a disadvantaged group in Nepal, but despite the challenges she faces, Shanta has been determined to improve her livelihood by becoming a commercial farmer. By participating in KISAN trainings […]
Emerging From Tragedy: Tree Nursery Gives Woman New Hope, Income Source
October 9, 2014
Community Patrolling Groups (CPGs) in Bangladesh are at the frontlines of forest protection, confronting illegal logging and poachers in an effort to save forests and biodiversity in protected areas. There are 75 CPGs working to protect 43,974 hectares of bio-diverse forest areas in Bangladesh. Since CPGs began patrolling in 2006, two CPG members have been […]
Winrock volunteer featured in ‘Roast’ magazine for his work with smallholder coffee farmers in Burma
September 16, 2014
In November 2013, Winrock sent Rick Peyser to Burma on a volunteer assignment through the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer program. A coffee expert with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Peyser spent two weeks in Burma with smallholder coffee farmers and coffee estates, assessing their needs and opportunities, and providing training. His visit is the subject of a feature […]
Innovative Farming Techniques Good for People and Ecosystems in Bangladesh
May 29, 2014
In the low-lying flatlands of Jatra Pasha in Bangladesh, Gunendra Sen’s lush green vegetable farm is burgeoning with potatoes, tomatoes, beans, squash, lentils and cucumbers. He is a lead farmer for the Winrock-implemented Climate Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CREL) project, demonstrating to people in his region that border the Hail Haor, a major wetland in […]