Postharvest Newsletter
A Publication of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Postharvest Technology Program
NUMBER 60
ACIAR PROJECT NEWS
Maintaining the effectiveness
of phosphine fumigation
P hosphine is a popular fumigant
for pest control because it is
cheap, readily available, and
relatively easy to use. However,
resistance to phosphine among
grain insects including psocids is a
serious and escalating problem in
many grain-storing regions, prima-
rily through misuse. With methyl
bromide being phased out, main-
taining phosphine’s efficacy is
increasingly critical for the effec-
tive fumigation of grain.
The ACIAR project “Integrating
effective phosphine fumigation prac-
tices into grain storage systems in
China, Vietnam and Australia” (PHT/
1998/137) has been under way since
January 2001. The institutions partici-
pating in the project are: China—State
Administration of Grain (SAG), Beijing,
Guangzhou Institute for Cereal Science
Research (GICSR), Chengdu Grain
Storage Research Institute (CGSRI),
and Zhengzhou Institute of Technology
(ZZIT); Vietnam—Plant Protection
Department (PPD) and Post Harvest
Technology Institute (PHTI); and
Project PHT/1998/137 China workshop
participants inspect phosphine
recirculating equipment during a field
visit to the Xinlong grain depot.
Australia—Queensland Department of
Primary Industries (QDPI) and
GRAINCO Australia.
The objectives of the project are to:
1. formulate and verify the national
fumigation standards for China,
Vietnam and Australia;
2. improve fumigation practice in
China and Vietnam by undertak-
ing training programs;
3. investigate potential innovations
to enhance the efficacy of phos-
phine fumigation; and
4. determine the key factors pre-
venting effective control of
psocids with phosphine.
Members of the Australian team
visited China and Vietnam from 11
September to 4 October 2001, to hold
a workshop for Chinese participants
(under project objective 2) and to
discuss how the project is progressing.
Workshop in China
Entitled “Australia–China workshop
for extension of modern technology
to manage resistance to phosphine”,
(L–R) Professor Cao Yang (ZZIT), Barry
Bridgeman (GRAINCO), and Graham
White (QDPI) examine a fumigated stack
for insects during the field visit.
MARCH 2002
IN THIS ISSUE
Maintaining the effectiveness of
phosphine fumigation ... page 1
Editorial ... page 2
Successful durian project extended ...
page 3
Vietnam adopts sealed storage
technology ... page 4
Vegetable shelf life project continues
... page 5
Improving cocoa in Indonesia ...
page 5
Safe, low-cost ways to disinfest fruit
after harvest ... page 6
Grand plan to lift postharvest in
Africa ... page 7
Agro-industrial development in
Southeast Asia ... page 9
Joint PhAction–JIRCAS seminar ...
page 10
“Current Awareness” ... pages 11–12
Contributors to this issue:
Jan van Graver, Ed Highley,
Greg Johnson, Emer O’Gara,
Mary Webb, Graham White
this meeting was held at the ZZIT in
September 2001 with additional
financial assistance from the Crawford
Fund. There were about 40 partici-
pants. By holding discussions in
small groups, visiting storage facilities
to “validate” understanding of prob-
lems, improvements and constraints,
and drawing up action plans, the
workshop participants:
• developed a list of 46 changes that
could be made to improve fumiga-
tion practice in China;
• discussed and evaluated appropri-
ate training methods to put these
changes into practice;
• developed plans for training to
make important improvements to
fumigation;
Continued on page 2.
1
Better phosphine fumigation
in China and Vietnam ...
from page 1
• learned the importance of analys-
ing the changes to find the most
suitable training methods; and
• learned a technique for planning
and managing training projects.
Two important changes in fumiga-
tion practice are to be incorporated
into training:
• switching from a recommended
dose rate to a recommended
minimum concentration and
exposure time; and
• improving storage design to make
storages as gastight as possible.
The State Administration of Grain
(SAG) is planning an extensive
training program for grain depot staff
which will be led by participants of
the Zhengzhou workshop.
Project progress
Australia
Among other studies, Australian
collaborators are working on new
fumigation standards and resistance to
phosphine in psocid species, and have
discovered the significance of delayed
hatching of eggs of resistant insects.
China
All three participating institutions
have been conducting field trials at
various depots to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of different methods of
applying phosphine using a variety of
storage types and commodities. In
the GICSR experiments, the insects
most difficult to control were strains
of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha
dominica, and flat grain beetle,
Cryptolestes sp. The CGSRI team has
also been conducting laboratory
experiments using the flow-through
apparatus set up during ACIAR
project PHT/1994/015. Resistance in
both the lesser grain borer and the
rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, seems
to be stronger than that detected so
far in Australia.
Until now, each of the cooperating
institutions has been using insect
species and strains of regional
importance. The Chinese project
leaders have now decided to stand-
ardise on the most resistant strains
available nationally.
Staff and students at ZZIT are
focusing on control of psocids. Psocid
infestation is a major problem in China
for several reasons, including resistance
to phosphine. The most frequently
2 ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
Group working sessions, large and small,
were on the program of the PHT/1998/137
workshop held at the Zhengzhou Institute
of Technology.
encountered species is Liposcelis
entomophila with L. decolor also found
but less commonly. These two species
occur together in about 70% of
storages surveyed. They are also
common pest species in Australia.
Resistant L. bostrychophila are a
problem in Australian storages, but this
species is seen only rarely in China.
Resistance of L. entomophila ranged
from 7–81 times compared with a
susceptible strain from Australia. No
Chinese strains were susceptible. Life
table studies have revealed that both
temperature and relative humidity have
a marked effect on population develop-
ment and that their combined effect is
also highly significant. The spatial
distribution of psocid populations within
storages is also under investigation.
Regarding project objective 3,
researchers at the CGSRI are examin-
ing the use of controlled levels of
carbon dioxide (6–7%) in combination
with phosphine fumigation to improve
efficacy.
Vietnam
After a delayed start, the Vietnam
component of the project is now
making good progress. PPD staff are
currently completing a national survey
of phosphine resistance in major pests
of stored grain. Strongly resistant
strains will be used as the benchmark
for setting national fumigation stand-
ards for Vietnam. PHTI researchers
have completed a survey of pest
management practices undertaken by
farmers, cooperatives and central
storages in 10 provinces in Vietnam.
MW/EH/GW
EDITORIAL
Whither postharvest?
T wo items in this issue, “Grand
plan to lift postharvest in
Africa” and “Agro-industrial devel-
opment in Southeast Asia”, display
a remarkable commonality of
theme that is largely disguised by
their titles.
The African story opens with the
message from FAO’s François
Mazaud that postproduction activities
account for more than 55% of the
economic value of the agricultural
sector [my emphasis] in developing
countries and up to 80% in developed
countries. Be this as it may, the
agricultural research resources
devoted to postharvest development
are paltry, less than 4% of CGIAR
funding, for example.
Why is this so? I suspect that,
consciously or otherwise, funding
bodies no longer perceive
postproduction activities as being
part of agriculture.
Looking at the matter from a
purely semantic viewpoint, it is
perhaps perfectly understandable that
agricultural research agencies are
more willing to support research on
the growing of things than on the
protection of things harvested.
Agriculture is, after all, about “the
cultivation of land, including crop-
raising, forestry, stock-raising etc.;
farming” (Macquarie Dictionary). Not
much in there about dealing with the
harvest.
Certainly, in the real world the
terminology has been changing. I
recall that as recently as the early
1980s, we were accustomed to
talking about the “postharvest
subsector of agriculture”. But that
quickly became, by the early 1990s,
the “postharvest sector”, and, per-
haps even more rapidly, simply
“postharvest”. Should we be thinking
of postharvest as an activity equiva-
lent to, but distinct from, agriculture?
Food for thought.
The account of Manalili’s studies in
Southeast Asia supports the idea that
we need a new pre-/postproduction
paradigm. Perhaps agriculture and
postharvest will eventually become as
one, under the banner of
agribusiness. In the interim, it seems
likely that, while it continues to seek
support from agriculture, postharvest
research and development will
continue to be short-changed.
EH
ACIAR PROJECT NEWS
Successful durian project
extended
A CIAR, after considering the
September 2001 external
review of ACIAR project PHT/
1995/134, “Management of
Phytophthora diseases in durian”,
has decided to extend the project
for 18 months, to 30 June 2003.
The reviewers reported that the
project had made considerable
progress and should generate signifi-
cant benefits, and recommended that
it be extended to allow further imple-
mentation of the project outcomes.
The durian industry
Often called the “king of fruits”,
durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) is
highly prized in Southeast Asia—
gastronomically, culturally and
economically. It is grown widely
throughout the region, and there are
fledging industries in Australia—in the
Northern Territory and northern
Queensland.
The estimated value of the world-
wide trade in durian was estimated in
1998 at A$1 billion annually. Thai-
land is the world’s largest producer
and exporter of durian, followed by
Malaysia and Indonesia. While most
of the durian produced in Thailand is
consumed locally, its exports never-
theless account for 80% of the world’s
trade in durian. In 1998, exports of
durian from Thailand exceeded those
of banana and mango.
The durian industry in Vietnam is
relatively small and caters for the
domestic market. However, the area
planted to the fruit is rapidly expand-
ing and is expected to double by
2005, due to high local demand and
the high value of the durian com-
pared with other crops.
While Australia has fewer than
10,000 durian trees at present, the
future of the durian industry in
Australia has great potential, as there
is a high demand for good quality
durian amongst Australians of Asian
descent. Also, the general popularity
of the fruit is increasing here.
The durian project
Phytophthora palmivora Butl. is
the causal agent of many diseases of
major economic importance in
tropical crops, including black pep-
per, cocoa, coconut, durian, papaya,
ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
Fisheries. Complementary funding for
the first phase came from the Thai-
land Research Fund, the Rural
Industries Research and Development
Corporation (Australia), and the
Vietnam Fund. The project is led by
A/Prof. David Guest (Australia), A/
Prof. Somsiri Sangchote (Thailand)
and rubber. In durian, it affects all
stages of the cropping cycle, causing
leaf blight, seedling and tree dieback,
and Dr Nguyen Minh Chau (Vietnam),
with coordination by Dr Emer O’Gara
(Uni. of Melbourne).
patch canker of the trunk, root rot,
and pre- and postharvest fruit rot. Continued at foot of page 4.
Annual yield losses caused by
Phytophthora are estimated at 15–
30%, and compounded by severe
incidences of tree deaths, and storage
and transit rots that can destroy
entire consignments. Efforts to
reduce losses caused by
Phytophthora diseases are seen as
paramount to expanding this highly
valued crop.
The aim of the durian project was
to develop integrated disease man-
agement (IDM, see box below)
recommendations for farmers to aid
in the control of Phytophthora and
the diseases it causes, in order to
improve the consistency and supply
of durian fruit to the world market.
The project is a collaboration
between Australia, Thailand and
Vietnam, involving the University of
Integrated disease
management (IDM)
IDM in agriculture and horticulture
is the long-term control of crop
diseases to economically
acceptable levels through a Some durian producers still allow their
fruit to fall to the ground, from where they
holistic approach that combines
collect it. This practice leads to obvious
the following: problems from Phytophthora and other
• use of resistant plant varieties; postharvest rot pathogens. Project
• cultural control methods; researchers have shown that postharvest
diseases generally are significantly
• biological control methods; reduced if the ripe fruit is prevented from
• applying knowledge of the contacting the ground.
pathogen’s biology,
epidemiology, and ecology; and
• the judicious use of chemicals.
IDM takes into consideration the
associated agro-ecological
environment in which the plant is
growing, and the phenology and
agronomy of the plant. IDM is also
practised in the control of animal
diseases.
Phosphonate has proven highly effective
Melbourne (commissioned organisa- in ameliorating Phytophthora disease in
tion), in partnership with the South- durian. This environmentally benign
systemic compound is injected directly
ern Fruit Research Institute, Vietnam,
into the trunk of the durian trees where it
Kasetsart University, Thailand, the travels to the crown and the roots. A
Queensland Department of Primary
major aim of the durian project is to
Industries, and the Northern Territory determine optimal rates and times for
Department of Primary Industries and application of phosphonate.
3
 One outcome of the earlier ACIAR–
Vietnam adopts sealed AFHB collaboration was the produc-
tion of detailed operations manuals

storage technology for sealed storage. Mr van Graver

reports that these have been incorpo-
rated into the procedures manual

T echnology for sealed storage of

grain developed by CSIRO,
and extended by ACIAR and the
now disbanded ASEAN Food
Handling Bureau (AFHB) during
the late 1980s–early 1990s, is now
being used by the National Grain
Reserve of Vietnam.
The technology involves the
fumigation, with carbon dioxide, of
bagged grain inside a plastic enclo-
sure. The enclosure is then sealed,
the atmosphere inside killing any
insects present and the enclosure
itself preventing entry of insects from
outside.
Mr Jan van Graver of CSIRO
observed the technology in use
during a recent visit to Hanoi. He
notes that it was adopted after a visit
by Vietnamese officials to Indonesia,
the country for which it was originally
developed in a collaboration between
CSIRO and the National Logistics
Agency (BULOG).
According to local sources, some
30,000 tonnes per year of milled rice
are being stored using the method.
Mr van Graver was fortunate to be
present when a stack in which grain
had been held for a year was being
unloaded. He reports that the grain at
outturn appeared to be of good
quality, with less than 1% yellow
grains.
He also notes that the grain had
been stored in polypropylene rather
than jute bags, because the latter
taint the grain as a result of the small
quantities of oil added to the jute
during spinning and weaving.
being used in applying the technol-
ogy in Vietnam.
The long gap between the end of
project work and the spin-off adop-
tion of this technology in Vietnam
indicates how difficult it is to estimate
the benefits of a research program at
or soon after the completion of
research. One can never be certain
that a “dormant” technology will not
awaken at some time in the future
when circumstances for its adoption
become propitious. Mr van Graver
speculates that carbon dioxide sealed
storage may become even more
attractive as the ultimate phase-out of
methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting
fumigant, draws closer.
JVG/EH

Successful durian project • their high level of commitment to <http://www.botany.unimelb. edu.au/

extended ... from page 3
All participating countries have
contributed to the research on IDM
for durian, with individual countries
also examining: pathogen biology,
epidemiology, resistance screening,
rootstock selection, and disease
diagnosis, sampling and pathogen
identification (Australia); biology of
fruit infection, and postharvest
disease biology and management
(Thailand); and nursery practice, and
composts and fertilisers (Vietnam).
Project review
During their assessment of the
project, the reviewers saw the results
and demonstrations of various IDM
options, including the potential of
non-chemical treatments (manures,
mounds and mulches), and
phosphonate for control of root rot,
cankers and fruit rot, as major
achievements. These techniques are
very effective and easy to carry out
in the field. Although the strategies
developed may need further refine-
ment, the preliminary demonstrations
have had a positive outcome in many
areas. Importantly, growers are willing
to follow the new recommendations,
and should consequently gain higher
incomes and a better livelihood.
Project personnel were
commended for:
• excellent management skills which
kept the project on track in spite
of significant staff changes;
the project; botanyunimelb/1pages/research/
• use of varied communication labs/mycology/duriansite/
strategies (e.g. workshops/group index.html>.
training sessions, manuals, in- MW/EH/EO’G
formative annual reports, Internet,
email); and
• development of strong linkages—
internationally, as well as with the
Cooperative Research Centre for
Tropical Plant Protection, and the
related ACIAR project on diversity
of Phytophthora (PHT/1996/193).
An example of the close coopera-
tion of the two ACIAR projects is
the planning of a workshop
combining their outputs, to be held
in Chiang Mai, Thailand in Novem-
ber 2002.
These tactics meant that everyone
involved maintained a clear under-
standing of the direction of the
project, there were good links with
farmers at all locations, and it was
possible to ensure standard operating
procedures across the participating
institutions.
Future work
The extension for the project was
primarily granted to: The use of disease-tolerant planting
• finalise/consolidate the data used material should be one of the major tools in
to develop the IDM recommenda- an IDM program, though breeding for
tions; and resistance is a long-term goal and has
always been beyond the scope of this
• concurrently undertake a program project. A large part of this project involves
to extend the IDM strategies to refining methods to identify tolerant
growers. germplasm that will be suitable for use as
For further information on the rootstocks, and testing their compatibility
with popular commercial varieties.
durian project, consult the web site:

4 ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)

ACIAR PROJECT NEWS
Vegetable shelf life project
continues
R esearch in an extension of
project PHT/1984/016, “Ex-
tending the shelf life of leafy
vegetables” until the end of 2002
is now well under way in Australia
and China. An article on the
project appeared in PH Newsletter
No. 55 (December 2000) and
ACIAR Proceedings No. 105
contains papers presenting the
results of the project research to
mid 2001.
Scientists from six research agencies
are working in the project: in China—
the Beijing Vegetable Research Centre
(BVRC), Hangzhou University of
Commerce (HUC), and Zhejiang
University (ZU); in Australia—the
Queensland Department of Primary
Industries (QDPI), the University of
Adelaide (UA), and Agriculture Victoria
(AgVic).
Postharvest researchers at Zhejiang
University, including Professor Ying
Tiejin, Wang Lefen and Du Rongmao
are joining the project for the first
time. They will work closely with
Hangzhou University of Commerce
personnel led by Wang Xiangyang
and Prof. Shen Lianqing.
Research topics
During the project extension,
researchers at BVRC will be trialling
improved domestic handling treatments
ACIAR PROJECT NEWS
Improving
cocoa in
Indonesia
T he cocoa industry in Indonesia
suffers from major production
losses caused by several pests and
diseases: cocoa pod borer (CPB;
Conopomorpha cramerella);
Phytophthora pod rot (PPR) and
canker; and vascular-streak dis-
ease (VSD).
ACIAR project PHT/2000/102,
“Selection for improved quality and
resistance to Phytophthora pod rot,
cocoa pod borer and vascular-streak
dieback in cocoa in Indonesia”,
ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
for non-chilled broccoli, developing
simple, cost-effective storage insulation
techniques to maintain bunching
onions at as near as possible to ideal
storage temperature (–1°C), and safe
storage methods for summer cultivars
of Chinese cabbage.
At HUC and ZU, the work will focus
on pak choy and Chinese cabbage.
The aims of research on pak choy
include improvements to the current
handling system to reduce mechanical
injury, investigation of the use of ice
and insulating covers for summer
transport, and of the commercial
viability of pre-harvest shading to
improve pak choy quality and yield.
Also, methodology for extending shelf
life of pak choy using hot-water dips
will be further evaluated.
Work on Chinese cabbage will
finalise and report to handling system
participants on an assessment of the
system, alerting them to identified
loss areas and some improvements
that could be made. Also, a simple
but effective adaptation to the current
handling system has been proposed
to reduce damage to Chinese cab-
bage during weighing, loading and
transport. It includes retention (rather
than trimming) of outer leaves at
harvest in order to prevent excessive
mechanical damage of inner leaves
during loading of product for trans-
port, and would be coupled with a
began in April 2001. Its first formal
activity was a workshop held at the
Agricultural Technology Assessment
Institute (Balai Pengkajan Teknologi
Pertanian (BPTP)) headquarters in
Kendari, Sulawesi (see PH Newsletter
58).
Researchers in the project are
seeking to develop a straightforward
method for resistance screening in
cocoa that can be applied under local
field conditions, so ensuring that the
results are specific to the areas where
the screening is done.
The method will subsequently be
used to enhance the infrastructure
and capability within Indonesia for the
collection, maintenance and screen-
ing for pest and disease resistance of
cocoa genotypes. Also, preliminary
collection and screening of material
and assessment of quality character-
istics of cocoa lines will be done, and
new policy of collectors paying
farmers after loading of heads. The
wholesaler will reject badly handled
heads. The adaptation has already
been tested, resulting in a doubling of
net income to the collector (and no
loss of net income to the grower or
retailer). This system would be
further tested and extended broadly
to the Chinese industry throughout
China (but starting with Zhejiang
province).
Work at QDPI is being done under
two sub-programs, one on handling
systems assessment the other target-
ing aspects of the handling of fresh-
cut pak choy. The former sub-
program is, among other things,
providing support to HUC and BVRC
in the extension of research results to
industry. The latter is extending work
on modified atmosphere packaging of
pak choy, reduction in mechanical
damage to fresh-cut leaves, leaf-
sorting technology, and optimal time
of day for harvesting.
Researchers at UA are completing
their studies of the physiology of
Chinese cabbage, while at AgVic
glasshouse trials of the effects of
intermittent water stress on shelf life
of pak choy are being repeated under
field conditions. Also at AgVic,
researchers are assessing and costing
the effects of postharvest water-loss
from pak choy throughout the han-
dling system, and the use of plastics
to ameliorate the problem.
More detail on this research and its
results can be found in a program
newsletter available electronically
from <Tim.O’Hare@dpi.qld.gov.au>.
MW/EH
cultivation practices to minimise
disease and pest risks promoted.
Screening of cocoa varieties
Two sites in Sulawesi, Indonesia
have been selected for field trials:
Soppeng (in the south) and Ladongi
(in the south-east). CPB and PPR are
found at both sites, while VSD is
present only at Ladongi. The absence
of VSD at Soppeng could prove to be
an advantage, since VSD could have
a severe impact on young grafted
trees. This means that any clones
affected by VSD at Ladongi could be
tested against CPB and PPR at
Soppeng.
Collections have been made of 40
promising cocoa genotypes, the
budwood of which has been grafted
onto mother trees at the two sites.
Continued at foot of page 6.
5
ACIAR PROJECT NEWS
Safe, low-cost ways to
disinfest fruit after harvest
U sing heat to rid harvested fruit
of insect pests is an attractive
technique as it is free of the resi-
due problems associated with use
of chemical pesticides.
However, traditional methods of heat
disinfestation are expensive, and
problems arise when the temperatures
necessary to kill the most resistant
stages of the insect life cycle damage
the fruit to such an extent that it is
downgraded or unmarketable.
Researchers in ACIAR project PHT/
1993/877, “Low-cost disinfestation
systems for fruit”, are seeking to
improve the efficacy of heat treat-
ments by combining them with low-
oxygen conditions, or “pre-treatment
conditioning’” of fruit to render it
more tolerant of the temperatures
needed for effective disinfestation.
Improving cocoa in
Indonesia...from page 5
Selected varieties represent both
characterised clones and promising
local varieties in established cocoa-
growing areas, and include standards
known to be either particularly
resistant or susceptible to the prob-
lems under investigation.
The advantage of the grafting
method is that it causes no significant
loss or damage to existing cocoa
production areas since trees are not
removed and mother trees continue
to produce pods until the graft takes
over. Moreover, it can be used in
extension work or by farmers who
wish to replace their cocoa trees with
improved varieties.
Testing for performance against
VSD and Phytophthora leaf blight can
begin soon after grafting, but data
relating to pods (e.g. incidence and
severity of CPB and PPR) can be
collected only after pods are pro-
duced, probably 1.5–2 years after
grafting. Assessments will be made of
both production and resistance
characteristics. Assessment of pro-
duction performance will include yield
and quality parameters such as cocoa
butter content and flavour of beans.
Resistance will be measured through
both incidence and severity of pest
and disease problems. Results will be
compared with baseline data obtained
when the field trials were set up.
6 ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
The project is being led by the
Queensland Department of Primary
Industries (QDPI), collaborating with
the Plant Protection Department
(PPD) and the Research Institute for
Fruit and Vegetables (RIFAV),
Vietnam, and the Department of
Agriculture, Thailand. The project
leaders are Mr Rod Jordan (Aus-
tralia), Mr Dam Quoc Tru (Viet-
nam—PPD), Prof. Tran Van Lai
(Vietnam—RIFAV) and Mr Udorn
Unahawutti (Thailand). The project
began in January 1998 and, follow-
ing an extension, is due for comple-
tion in December 2002.
Project objectives
The project has three comple-
mentary strands: fruit fly entomol-
ogy, fruit quality responses, and
Recommendations
It is expected that the results of the
screening trials will allow recommen-
dations to be made about the best
varieties to grow under local condi-
tions and to be used in breeding
programs in Indonesia. The methods
used will ensure that recommended
genotypes can readily be used by
local producers, as they require only
local technology and do not disrupt
the producers’ routine.
Expected benefits
Among the benefits sought by
participants in the project are:
• use of better-suited and more
productive cocoa varieties, if
project recommendations are
widely adopted;
• enhanced knowledge of Sulawesi
cocoa researchers through col-
laboration with other experts in
Java, Australia and Papua New
Guinea (PNG); and
• improved livelihood for smallholder
families.
Since 70% of cocoa worldwide is
produced on smallholdings, the cocoa
project has wider implications and
could provide a model for cocoa
research in other countries.
Low environmental impact
The introduction of more-resistant
varieties will encourage lower use of
chemical pesticides and so will
treatment systems development. The
overall objective is to use existing
knowledge of fruit fly, fruit and
pathogen responses to heat to
develop disinfestation treatments
suitable for low-technology treatment
systems for application in Southeast
Asia and Australia by:
• identifying conditions that mini-
mise fruit injury and disease
development;
• investigating complementary
strategies, including the use of
pre-treatment conditioning, to
reduce fruit injury while maintain-
ing efficacy;
• establishing facilities in Vietnam
for research on the development of
fruit fly treatments, and evaluating
fruit quality after treatment appli-
cation; and
• building and demonstrating low-
cost heat treatment equipment in
Thailand and Vietnam.
Continued at foot of page 7.
benefit the environment. In addition,
it has been observed that the inci-
dence of CPB is reduced by the
presence of groundcover in cocoa
plantations. If borne out by this
project, recommendations can be
made about improved groundcover
and therefore enhanced on-farm
biodiversity.
A key element of the project is
that it aims to develop methods that
can be easily integrated into the
traditional farming methods used in
Indonesia. These methods rely on
crop diversity, mixed planting regimes
and a low level of chemical use—
hence they have a relatively low
environmental impact compared with
modern, chemical-intensive methods.
Cooperation with PNG
Many of the disease and pest
problems in cocoa occur in both
Indonesia and PNG. PNG experienced
a severe outbreak of VSD in the
1960s and resistant cocoa varieties
were developed as a result. Some of
these will be included in the cocoa
screening trials in Sulawesi. CPB is
still not found in PNG, but it repre-
sents a major threat. PNG cocoa
research scientists were extremely
helpful in the initial stages of the
ACIAR project, and valuable links
have been established between cocoa
research groups in the two countries.
MW/EH
THE GIPhT PROGRAM
Grand plan to lift postharvest
in Africa
P ostproduction activities ac-
count for more than 55% of the
economic value of the agricultural
sector in developing countries and
up to 80% in developed countries.
Although they are the basis for
socioeconomic development in rural
areas and of critical importance in
meeting the food security and nutri-
tional requirements of populations,
relatively little public sector and
developmental support is targeted to
addressing concerns about and the
growth of and trends within this
sector. The Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR), for example, has less than
4% of its total funding allocated to
postharvest development (Mazaud
2002).
The GIPhT program
In an effort to gain more support
for postharvest, the Agro-Industries
and Post-Harvest Management
Service of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
(FAO/AGSI), with the endorsement of
PhAction (the Global Post-harvest
Forum), has launched an interna-
tional initiative—the Global Initiative
on Post-harvest Technology
Safe, low-cost ways to
disinfest fruit...from page 6
Progress report
During 2000–2001, research
concentrated on developing an
optimal protocol for heat disinfesta-
tion. This work built on the studies of
a previous ACIAR project, PHT/1990/
051—“Development of heat systems
for quarantine disinfestation in tropi-
cal fruit”. After testing all life stages
of a range of fruit flies of economic
importance, the mature eggs of
Bactrocera jarvisi were chosen for
further experiments, as these had by
far the highest tolerance to heat.
Conventional treatments. While
vapour heat treatment (VHT) at 48°C
for up to 40 minutes was effective in
killing B. jarvisi eggs in mango, the
quality of the fruit after treatment was
marginal. Using lower temperatures
for longer periods (e.g. 39°C for 18
hours) was ineffective in this species,
even though it had been successful in
ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
(GIPhT)—aimed at enhancing the
postharvest sector of developing
countries. To prime this venture,
workshops run by FAO in collabora-
tion with the Global Forum on Agri-
cultural Research (GFAR) have been
organised in the five regions recog-
nised in GIPhT—sub-Saharan Africa,
Latin America and the Caribbean,
West Asia and North Africa, Asia–
Pacific, and Central Asia and the
Caucasus. The aims of the workshops
are (for each region) to:
• identify and analyse the problems
of, and opportunities and con-
straints in the postharvest sector;
• assess the technical, organisa-
tional, institutional, and informa-
tion needs of the postharvest
sector;
• identify major areas for improve-
ment and development;
• prepare a strategy to postharvest
action; and
• identify concrete follow-up actions
to implement this strategy.
African regional workshop
The first GIPhT workshop, for sub-
Saharan Africa, was held in Entebbe,
Uganda in September 2001. The
Bactrocera tryoni. When the treat-
ment temperature was increased to
43°C, mortality rates improved, but
still fell short of international trade
and quarantine requirements.
Stepped treatments. Treatments
consisting of two or three stages were
carried out—low humidity (forced hot
air) treatments at temperatures
ranging from 38–43°C for 1 or 2
hours—followed by VHT at 47°C for
30 minutes. The initial steps are
believed to have some conditioning
effects on the fruit. These protocols
improved fruit quality, but failed to
provide acceptable insect mortality.
Hypoxic treatments. Heat tolerance
in insects is reduced in the absence
of oxygen. Using this knowledge,
infested mangoes were exposed to
low-oxygen conditions (<2% v/v O2)
at 40°C for 2 hours. This led to a
significant improvement in the
effectiveness of subsequent VHT.
Experiments carried out in papaya
showed that “nitrogen blanketing”
could rapidly produce similar condi-
information in this article is based on
a report on the workshop by Drs
Shaun Ferris (Foodnet coordinator)
and Chris Wheatley (consultant).
The goal of GIPhT in sub-Saharan
Africa is to contribute to sustainable
economic growth, poverty alleviation
and food security, in order to enhance
smallholder farmer livelihoods
through the development of sustain-
able, demand-driven and equitable
postharvest interventions.
The region was divided into three
sub-regions: West–Central Africa,
East Africa, and southern Africa.
Workshop participants were asked to
identify the major strengths and
weaknesses of the postharvest sector
(i.e. internal factors) and external
opportunities and threats that are
bearing on each sub-region (i.e. a
SWOT analysis), based on sub-
regional reports. These reviews also
included a summary of current trends
and priorities for action.
Regional trends and priorities
The authors of three sub-regional
reports were as one in identifying
several major trends that are affecting
the development of the postharvest
sector in Africa. These are:
• continued population growth
accompanied by very rapid rates
of urbanisation and its impact on
food habits;
Continued on page 8.
tions inside the fruit to those that
occur more slowly by heating in
ambient air, and hence shows great
potential for incorporation into a heat
disinfestation strategy.
Equipment development. A pilot-
scale treatment unit was constructed
at the QDPI laboratories, using up to
four plastic bins, each holding 250
kg. So far, it has been tested using
various types of heating and found to
perform satisfactorily. The software
and hardware used for the monitoring
and control functions have been
modified and refined to suit incorpo-
ration into treatment units in Vietnam
and Thailand.
Economic assessment. A detailed
economic model has been developed
to allow rapid determination of the
costs of treatment. This model should
be applicable in any of the collabo-
rating countries.
MW/EH
7
Grand plan to lift
postharvest in Africa...from
page 7
• trade liberalisation, with enhanced
prospects for exports offset by
increased competition from im-
ported foods and commodities in
domestic markets;
• concentration of the agrifood
sector, with penetration of multina-
tional (and South African) firms
into local markets, and increasing
vertical integration of major,
export-oriented commodity chains;
and
• food security, which continues to
be a major issue, but increasingly
addressed at the sub-regional level
through market-oriented strategies.
Although the requirements in the
three sub-regions varied in many
areas, there were some common
priorities identified, namely:
• food quality/safety regulations and
standards;
• training in enterprise development/
business skills;
• methods for market analysis and
opportunity identification; and
• sub-regional postharvest networks
(already operational in East Africa,
i.e. Foodnet).
Other cross-cutting issues ad-
dressed were as follow:
• HIV/AIDS—which affects the most
economically active cohort of the
population and therefore reduces
the availability and productivity of
labour. There are also implications
for the type of food products in
demand in the marketplace, as
sufferers need easily digestible,
nutritious food. HIV/AIDS is
already having a major impact in
East and southern Africa, and is
an imminent threat to West–
Central Africa.
• Gender—throughout Africa, many
small-scale, food-processing
operations are undertaken mainly
by women, and their specific
needs have to be taken into
account when addressing both
technical aspects and capacity
building (business skills) to ensure
the uptake and success of such
programs.
• Environment—this is a multifac-
eted issue, encompassing: (1) the
impact of cropping decisions on
the sustainability of natural re-
sources in a given area; (2) the
consequences of environmental
disasters, e.g. floods and droughts,
8 ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
and taking account of them in
planning; and (3) encouraging
postharvest systems that recycle
wastes and by-products, and
assist regeneration of natural
resources.
Sub-regional strategies
The sub-regional reports and the
SWOT analysis, permitted ready
identification of the most appropriate
strategies for each sub-region:
• East Africa—to support the
development of non-traditional
exports of agricultural produce
and products, including medium-
volume markets (horticulture and
floriculture) and high-value niche
markets.
• West–Central Africa—to support
the continued development of the
traditional commodity chains, and
especially the small-scale food
processing sector, through en-
hancing their capacity to exploit
new markets, and to improve
product quality, technical effi-
ciency and business profitability.
• Southern Africa—to support the
development of commodity
chains for non-traditional exports
and higher-value regional mar-
kets; and to facilitate further
development of the traditional
postharvest sector, including
storage and small-scale process-
ing, for national food markets and
on-farm food security.
Theme areas
Workshop participants identified
several theme areas for inclusion in
the GIPhT program for the African
region—policy; information; com-
modity chains; postharvest technol-
ogy; food quality and safety; and
capacity building—with the following
objectives:
• Policy—to provide information for
the design and harmonisation of
appropriate national and regional
government policies that create
an enabling environment for the
development of postharvest
interventions and that enhance
smallholder farmer livelihoods.
Policies that could be targeted in
this area include those affecting
trade, market access, equitable
distribution of benefits, gender
issues, environment (e.g. wastes,
pollution), credit, infrastructure,
tax arrangements, legal require-
ments, and grades and standards.
• Information—to improve
postharvest information ex-
change/flow within the sub-
Saharan region and internationally,
by complementing and building on
existing mechanisms.
• Commodity chains, market analy-
sis and business development—to
analyse and develop tools for
agriculture and commodity chains
to strengthen business and market
access. The two priorities here are:
(1) identification and development
of specific commodity chains
linked to new, higher-value mar-
kets, with participation by small-
holder farmers (e.g. sesame in
East and southern Africa); and (2)
strengthening of existing, more
traditional commodity chains,
often involving smallholder farmers
in primary postharvest activities
(e.g. cassava (gari) in West
Africa).
• Postharvest technology—(1) to
improve the technical capabilities
of existing small- and medium-
scale processors, in the formal and
informal sectors of the food
processing industry; (2) to under-
take process and product develop-
ment to make for a more diversi-
fied postharvest sector; and (3) to
develop appropriate technologies
for storage and processing of food
commodities in the region.
• Food quality and safety—to
establish and implement quality
and food safety management
systems, including hazard analysis
and critical control point (HACCP),
for the food manufacturing proc-
ess.
• Capacity building—(1) to institu-
tionalise market-oriented strategies
through targeted organisations and
associations (training); and (2) to
develop sub-regional coordination
units that enhance and strengthen
functional partnerships in agro-
enterprise research and develop-
ment (networking).
Conclusions
Two overarching strategies for
developing the postharvest sector
were articulated by the participants of
the GIPhT workshop. The first,
relevant to all three sub-regions and
having both food security and poverty
alleviation goals, targets the existing
postharvest system and traditional
commodities. It involves upgrading
products and processes, and improv-
ing value added and quality, so
allowing the products to enter higher-
value urban and regional markets.
Concluded at foot of page 10.

Agro-industrial development
in Southeast Asia
A griculture is recognised as a
major source of rural employ-
ment and a driver of economic
growth in Southeast Asia. The
entry of many countries in the
region into the World Trade Or-
ganization (WTO) has opened up
new market opportunities for
them, but has also exposed them
to greater competition. Moreover,
on world markets there is a de-
mand by consumers for products
perceived to be of higher quality
than some those being grown and
sold in the region at present.
These changing circumstances
create a need for stronger urban–rural
links to ensure that development in
the region is sustainable. Such
linkages are important to maintain
food production and to halt or reverse
the currently growing income gap
between the rural poor and urban
dwellers.
The Southeast Asian Ministers of
Education Organization Regional
Center for Graduate Study and
Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO
SEARCA) recognises that:
• development needs to be brought
to rural areas for the benefit of
those who live there, but not at the
cost of their cultural heritage and
way of life;
• there is a growing demand for
agricultural products in urban
centres, particularly for commodi-
ties to which value has been
added in terms of consumer
convenience; and
• there are many benefits in linking
small producers with large corpo-
rations in terms of cost-effective-
ness, dispersion of technology, and
more equitable income distribu-
tion.
These issues are discussed by Dr
Nerlita Manalili in a recent SEAMEO
SEARCA* publication.
* Manalili, N.M. 2001. Rural–uban link-
ages, strategic alliances, and quality
assurance: emerging responses to
current agro-industrial challenges. Los
Baños, Laguna, Philippines, Southeast
Asian Ministers of Education Organisa-
tion Regional Center for Graduate Study
and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO
SEARCA), 42p.
ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
The importance of agro-industries
If agricultural development focuses
only on production, failing to provide
the link to value-adding components
of the supply chain, the circum-
stances of the rural poor are unlikely
to change. Manalili identifies agro-
industries as the crucial link between
rural and urban development. How-
ever, devising strategies to develop
agro-industries must take into ac-
count the level of development of an
individual country—in Southeast Asia,
some countries (e.g. Thailand) have
long been market-oriented, while
others (e.g. Lao PDR) are only just
beginning to open up their econo-
mies. Agricultural development also
requires concomitant development of
public infrastructure (such as roads)
and markets to enhance the mobility
of goods and services.
Despite the declining share of
agriculture in total output as second-
ary industry and services expand, the
agribusiness sector in developing
countries is maintaining or increasing
its share of economic output.
Agribusiness plays a crucial role in
agricultural and economic develop-
ment by purchasing surplus crops
and, through its value-adding activi-
ties, creating products that meet the
needs of both rural and urban
populations.
Small- and medium-scale
enterprises (SMEs)
SMEs are at the forefront of the
agribusiness sector—adding value to
domestic raw materials, generating
employment, contributing to the
dispersion of industry ownership,
reducing dependence on imported
agricultural supplies, and adding to
the capacity to earn foreign income.
They produce a wide variety of goods
that include sophisticated products
for export and intermediate inputs for
industries. The location of SMEs in
rural areas creates job opportunities
that help stem migration to urban
centres. They also provide a source
of training for workers and entrepre-
neurs alike.
In the Asia–Pacific region, SMEs
comprise 90% of all enterprises,
contributing 30–60% of the region’s
gross domestic product, and account-
ing for 84% of the employment. In the
Philippines, SMEs account for 99% of
all enterprises and 70% of total
employment, and the majority of
them are agriculture-based.
According to Manalili, SME devel-
opment and promotion should be
accompanied by technical upgrading
and product development aimed at
enhancing efficiency, productivity and
market acceptance. A summary
follows of how she envisages these
objectives can be best achieved.
Rural–urban linkages
Strengthening the links between
rural and urban development is seen
by Manalili as crucial to meeting the
agro-industrial challenge. In the
Association of South-East Asian
Nations (ASEAN), rural–urban
linkage promotion comes in varying
forms and levels. There are three
broad approaches: those solely
anchored in government initiatives,
either singly or on a sub-regional
basis; those that are led by research/
educational institutions working with
industry; and those that are purely
private sector led.
Government initiatives
These usually take the form of
incentive packages and infrastructure
investment. They are aimed at
identifying growth centres and spur
development activities in nearby
areas. Examples in the Philippines
include export processing zones,
regional growth centres, and technol-
ogy parks.
Private sector initiatives
Initiatives led by the private sector to
forge alliances between large corpora-
tions, usually urban-based, and SMEs,
are essential elements for the develop-
ment of a dynamic agribusiness sector
in rural areas. The two types of organi-
sations complement one another and
alliances can benefit both parties (see
below).
Technical assistance
Agribusiness and agro-industries
are new concepts in countries such
as the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic (PDR), even within aca-
demic institutions. Agricultural
education has focused on production
and related technical concerns, and
basic economics. These circum-
stances have led to the instigation of
programs such as the Technical
Assistance on Agricultural Entrepre-
neurship Curriculum Development
Program, initiated by the SEARCA
and jointly funded by SEAMEO and
the Canadian International Develop-
ment Agency.
Continued on page 10.
9
Agro-industrial
development in Southeast
Asia...from page 9
This program aims to enhance
agribusiness competencies through
the National University of Lao PDR
(NUOL). Selected faculty members
will be trained in agribusiness and
curriculum development. These
people will then be in a position to
develop agribusiness courses to be
offered through the university. After
pilot-testing the curriculum for two
semesters and preparing the relevant
teaching materials, NUOL will include
the courses as part of its Bachelor of
Science in Agriculture.
Quality assurance
While food security remains the
primary concern, in countries where
production is adequate, marketing
becomes increasingly important, as
businesses vie for customers to main-
tain and grow their businesses. ‘Quality
assurance’ has become one of the
major objectives of efficient marketing
practices. This can have different
meanings in different contexts, but the
generic definition is that quality is a
combination of characteristics critical in
establishing a product’s consumer
acceptability. In her second study,
Manalili examines whether village-level
marketing, including cooperatives, have
a role to play in the trend toward
quality assurance. She concludes that
that the answer is ‘yes’ and discusses
why and how this can be achieved.
The results of this study were reported
in an article in PH Newsletter No. 57.
Strategic alliances
As large corporations (LCs),
particularly multinational corpora-
tions, become the dominant force in
the industrial sector, SMEs must
devise strategies to enhance their
competencies and seek new types of
arrangements to facilitate their entry
into global markets.
SEARCA recognised that SMEs in
the Philippines need support to
enhance their marketing focus,
particularly to comply with WTO
rules. To this end, Manalili undertook
a study on the extent of strategic
alliances between agri-based SMEs
and large corporations (LCs)—
multinational corporations or large
domestic corporations—in Mindanao,
a southern Philippine island where
many Philippine agribusiness activi-
ties are concentrated.
A ‘strategic alliance’ is an inter-
firm link that can include non-
10
traditional contract agreements (e.g.
joint research and development,
marketing, and manufacturing), long-
term sourcing agreements, shared
distribution services etc.
The results showed that strategic
alliances were primarily used by LCs to
facilitate market entry or sustain
market share. SMEs gained mostly in
the areas of production, processing and
marketing. In some cases, strategic
alliances initiated by LCs have led to
the creation of new SMEs, thus gener-
ating employment for locals.
Although the benefit to LCs of
strategic alliances seems clear, the
benefit to the SME is less obvious.
Manalili’s study found that such
alliances did not have any significant
effect on sales volume, market share,
employment size, asset size, numbers
or products or product improvement.
However, this does not necessarily
mean that such alliances are not
beneficial to SMEs. It appears that
the impact of strategic alliances on
SMEs is mainly on the perceived
attainment of goals through the
acquisition of new skills. A more
complete picture may be gained by
including more appropriate socioeco-
nomic variables such as welfare
enhancement and per capita income.
Concluding remarks
In developing agro-industries in
Southeast Asia, Manalili stresses the
importance of strengthening regional
cooperation. Different countries have
complementary strengths and experi-
ence, and collaborative programs
could be both cost-effective and
engender stronger regional bonds.
MW/EH
Grand plan to lift
postharvest in Africa...from
page 9
This strategy also encompasses
storage of traditional commodities (for
on-farm use, or to take advantage of
higher prices in the off-season).
The other strategy (East and
southern Africa), whose goal is
poverty alleviation, is focused on the
development of novel or non-tradi-
tional export commodities and
products, aimed at both regional and
global markets, and including prod-
ucts with large volumes and those
with niche, but higher unit value
markets.
Many of the theme areas align with
the priorities of the PhAction “Linking
ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter No. 60 (March 2002)
FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE
Joint PhAction–
JIRCAS seminar
T he 2002 meeting of PhAction,
the Global Postharvest Forum,
will be hosted by the Japan Inter-
national Center for Agricultural
Sciences (JIRCAS). The meeting
will be held during 14–17 October
at the JIRCAS headquarters in
Sukuba, in combination with the
9th JIRCAS International Sympo-
sium.
The theme of the symposium will
be “Value addition to agricultural
produce and products”, and presenta-
tions will focus on the need to ad-
dress food security and poverty
alleviation in developing countries by
linking farmers to markets.
Key issues are:
• the steadily rising world population
and the consequent need for
increased food production;
• the depletion of land, water and
other resources on which agricul-
ture and food production rely;
• the drift in population from rural to
urban areas;
• the changing food requirements
and preferences of the expanding
urban populations; and
• falling trade barriers, globalisation
and the concentration of world
food business in the hands of
smaller and smaller numbers of
transnational companies.
Concluded at foot of page 11.
Farmers to Markets” project, hence it
is important that the two initiatives
should develop in concert.
Sources
Ferris, S. and Wheatley, C. 2001. FAO/
GFAR Global Initiative on Post-harvest
Technology, phase 1. Report on the
regional workshop for Africa, held at
Entebbe, Uganda, 17–19 September
2001. On the Internet at:
<www.cgiar.org/foodnet/market/
GFAR%20Initiative.pdf>.
Mazaud, F. 2001. From quantity to
quality: a global initiative to strengthen
the postharvest sector. International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture,
PhAction News No. 4, May. On the
Internet at: <http://www.iita.org/info/
phnews4/nv1.htm>.
MW

CURRENT AWARENESS
NEWS
Dr Liu Yanhua appointed Vice
Minister, MOST, China
Dr Liu Yan Hua, who is a member of
the ACIAR Policy Advisory Council,
and formerly was Director-General,
Department of Rural and Social
Development of the Ministry of Science
and Technology was recently appointed
as Vice Minister of the Ministry of
Science and Technology. Dr Liu
maintains a strong interest in the
importance of postharvest technology
for the development of China. He
recently noted that, in China, around
85% of agriculturalists received training
in production research, when in fact,
more attention needed to be given to
the training of researchers with skills
in postharvest technology, economics
and marketing.
Dr Liu Yanhua with
(L) Chris Brittenden,
ACIAR Manager
North Asia, and
(R) Dr Greg Johnson,
Postharvest
Technology
Program
POSTHARVEST PUBLICATIONS
Grain aeration management
CRC Press, the publishers of “The
Mechanics and Physics of Modern
Grain Aeration Management”, edited by
Shlomo Navarro and Ronald Noyes,
say that the book should be of world-
wide interest to those involved in
production, handling, storage, and
marketing of grain and oilseeds.
The tightening of health and envi-
ronmental regulations by banning
chemical pesticides has generated the
need for alternative technologies to
solve grain storage problems. Aeration
is such an option that can be applied
to stored grain and a wide range of
agricultural commodities to control
insects and maintain quality. “The
Mechanics and Physics of Modern
Grain Aeration Management” demon-
strates the most advanced theoretical
solutions and practical approaches to
aeration of stored grain. It will help
those involved in the handling and
processing of grain to maximise end-
use quality of food commodities and
eliminate the occurrence of toxins,
insects, pesticides, and chemical
residues during storage.
A stand-alone resource, this 647-
page book can be used to design and
manage aeration systems for all types
of grain storage structures in all
regions and climatic conditions
worldwide. Bridging the gap between
the concepts of the design engineer
and the requirements of the
postharvest technologist, it describes
alternative, nonstandard aeration
practices such as “Dryeration”, cross-
flow aeration, closed loop or
recirculation fumigation, and chilled
aeration.
“The Mechanics and Physics of
Modern Grain Aeration Manage-
ment”:
• discusses the scientific and
engineering aspects of aeration;
• provides environmentally sound
methods for commodity protec-
tion, in line with the global trend
to phase out methyl bromide;
• treats alternatives to prevailing
commercial aeration methods and
techniques based on geographi-
cally diverse climatic conditions;
• offers a cross-disciplinary ap-
proach to aeration system design
and management; and
• describes unique, specialised
aeration processes to retain high
grain quality, conserve energy
and enhance drying, and grain
chilling for uniformly cooling of
high-value commodities, regard-
less of weather variations.
For further details on content,
price, and ordering go to: <http://
www.crcpress.com/us/
product2.asp?dept_id=1&sku=1355&
mscssid=>.
Enabling innovation
Boru Douthwaite’s name will be
familiar to many regional postharvest
specialists, particularly those involved
with rice. Boru, now an adoption and
impact specialist at the International
Institute for Tropical Agriculture, has
announced the publication of his book
“Enabling Innovation: a Practical
Guide to Understanding and Fostering
Technological Change”. The book
draws on his experiences as an
agricultural engineer working at the
International Rice Research Institute to
design and introduce a small-farm rice
harvester into Southeast Asia. From
this and other experiences with
postharvest equipment he has devel-
oped an evolutionary model of the
early adoption process in which
innovation emerges out of the adapta-
tions that occur as different
stakeholders agents learn and select
improvements in a process analogous
to natural selection. Boru then evalu-
ates this “learning selection” model
against a range of other technologies
including computer software (Linux,
pioneered initially by one Finn, devel-
oped democratically by lots of others)
versus Windows; wind turbines (how a
bottom-up user led industry in Den-
mark beat a top-down NASA-led one
in the USA); the history of seed
selection and breeding before, and
including the new high-yielding varie-
ties introduced in the green revolution;
and local economic trading systems
(LETS).
The final chapter produces a
practical ten-point plan on how to
launch a participatory, and much
more effective, innovation process.
The plan describes how to motivate
people to join an innovation effort,
how to keep them on board and how
to manage the inevitable conflicts
between competing ideas. The final
chapter also discusses some of the
pitfalls, including how patenting and
intellectual property rights for indi-
vidual profit can kill off a group
effort.
Further details from: Sales, Zed
Books, 7 Cynthia Street, London N1
9JF, UK; fax: (+44) 20 7833 3960;
email: <sales@zedbooks.demon.
co.uk>.
[EH]
Joint PhAction–JIRCAS
seminar...from page 10
The symposium will begin with
keynote addresses, on the role of food
in developing countries—the impor-
tance of products for niche markets
and on quality of produce and products
acceptable to markets—issues of
globalisation, high quality, safety, and
functionality.
These will be followed by presenta-
tions on the status of agriculture and
food industry in various countries and
regions—China, Korea, Thailand,
Vietnam, South America, and Africa—
after which a range of papers will cover
more specialised topics including
quality, food safety, novel foodstuffs,
new energy sources and new industrial
materials derived from agricultural
products.
For further information, contact Dr
Toru Hayashi at <toruha@jircas.
affrc.go.jp>.
11

CURRENT AWARENESS
NEWS
Bob Clements to head Crawford
Fund
Commencing August 2002, Dr Bob
Clements, whose term as Director of
ACIAR is nearing completion, is to be
the new Director of the Crawford Fund.
The Fund, which is an initiative of
Australian Academy of Technological
Sciences and Engineering (ATSE),
supports international research and
development in agriculture and natural
resource management.
Food for the Future: Crawford
Fund conference 2002
The ATSE Crawford Fund’s 2002
annual free development conference
is titled, “Food for the Future: Oppor-
tunities for a Crowded Planet”. It will
be held on Thursday, 8 August 2002
at the New Parliament House
Theatrette, in Canberra. The keynote
speaker is Dr Gordon Conway,
President of the Rockefeller Founda-
tion and the event is likely to be
opened by The Hon. Alexander
Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Each year the Fund’s conference
seeks to highlight an important
aspect of feeding and greening the
world and this year’s event will be
another in the series of highly suc-
cessful, well attended and nationally
reported conferences.
ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter
This newsletter is published quarterly in March, June,
September, and December by the ACIAR Postharvest
Technology Program.
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural
Research was established in June 1982 by an Act of
the Australian Parliament. The Centre encourages
research aimed at identifying agricultural problems in
developing countries and finding solutions to such
problems. It is empowered both to commission
research and to communicate the results of such
research to interested persons and institutions.
AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
Any views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and do not necessarily
concur with the views and opinions of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Articles may
be reproduced providing their source is fully acknowledged.
12
The theme this year is expected to
inform and generate debate on the
benefits and concerns that surround
food production, especially the
breeding technologies and the issues
involved in the development and
marketing of new varieties.
For further information and on-line
registration: <www.crawfordfund.org>.
Science consortium to rebuild
Afghanistan’s agriculture
Scientists from the Aleppo, Syria-
based International Center for Re-
search in the Dry Areas (ICARDA),
one of the world’s leading agricultural
research centres, announced during
February the creation of a global
consortium of research institutes,
relief and development organisations,
universities, and aid agencies to
undertake a multi-million dollar effort
to rebuild Afghanistan’s agriculture.
War plus the region’s worst drought in
at least 40 years have devastated
Afghanistan’s food-production capa-
bilities and depleted critical seed
stocks, leaving the nation heavily
dependent upon food aid from
international donors. Consortium
members say that by harnessing the
best of agricultural research, Afghani-
stan will be able to revive its once-
thriving farming sector and move
toward food self-sufficiency by 2007.
Agriculture is the largest and most
important sector of the economy in
Newsletter Compiler and Editor: Mr E. Highley
Program Manager: Dr G. I. Johnson
ACIAR’s address:
GPO Box 1571
Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Phone: (02) [Int’l 61 2] 6217 0500.
Fax: (02) [Int’l 61 2] 6217 05011.
Editorial email: ed@arawang.com.au
Home Page: http://www.aciar.gov.au
Mailing list enquiries: Arawang Editorial,
GPO Box 661, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Fax: (02) [Int’l 61 2] 6257 7808.
Email: kerry@clarusdesign.com.
ISSN: 10304-8999.
Afghanistan. The Future Harvest
Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in
Afghanistan, could become the
largest-ever seed recovery effort of
its kind. It will work to replenish
damaged seed and irrigation systems
to restore critical farming activities,
both for near-term requirements and
long-term sustainability. The consor-
tium will provide farmers with seeds
to plant for the upcoming spring and
autumn growing seasons and
vaccines to prevent disease in Afghan
livestock.
For the full news release visit the
Future Harvest web site at: <http://
www.futureharvest.org>.
New international food science
and technology training program
The SEAMEO Regional Center for
Graduate Study and Research in
Agriculture (SEARCA) based in Los
Baños, Philippines and the National
Food Science Engineering School –
Food Industries for Developing Coun-
tries (ENSIA–SIARC) of France will
jointly undertake the Asian–European
International Program – Master of
Science in Food Science and Technol-
ogy starting in June 2002.
Aimed at establishing an interna-
tional program in food science and
technology specialising in agro-based
industries, the program targets South-
east Asian nationals as participants.
The degree-granting institution for
this 19-month course is ENSIA while
the course will be conducted at
SEARCA (lectures) and at the Philip-
pine Department of Science and
Technology (laboratory work). The
students may undertake their thesis
research in either Asia or France.
The program has eight academic
modules, namely: 1. advance food
processing, 2. functional and physical
properties of food, 3. food microbiology
and safety, 4. food biotechnology, 5.
advances in tropical fruit processing, 6.
marketing and product development, 7.
industrial feasibility study and firm
creation, and 8. research methodology
and experimental design.
More information can be found at
the ENSIA–SIARC web site at <http://
www.ensia-siarc.agropolis.fr>, from
which those who are interested can
download application and recommen-
dation letter forms.
Should you have further questions,
contact SEARCA at fax: +62 049 536
4105 or email: <nmm@agri.searca.
org>.
EH
Typesetting by Clarus Design, Canberra