USAID programmes
According to a recent USAID 'Press Release', more than 150 tons of sweet onions are giving some Bolivian farmers a $340000 harvest! The recent bountiful shipment to Los Angeles marked a three-year USAID effort to make Bolivian onion growers international competitors. It may be mentioned here that the sweet onions, along with a dozen of other crops including chilli, peppers, garlic, grapes, etc. are a USAID training programme to improve Bolivian agriculture.
For the information of the readers, I would like to add here a few lines about sweet onions. This is a variety which is not pungent like other types. Its water content is rather high but sulphur is very low, which makes it sweeter than other onions.
Meanwhile, as I was going through the above press release, the picture of our farmers flashed across my mind. Ours is an agricultural country and we have natural resources to grow a variety of crops. Our farmers are very hardworking too. We have also a very sophisticated govt. department of agricultural extension. But question arises, if our farmers are really organised to switch over to commercial agriculture? Are they getting appropriate extension support?
It is true that the USAID is providing assistance for our agricultural development, but we are not getting Bolivian types of returns. Would the USAID consider undertaking crop-specific development programme for our farmers?
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments