Cameroon’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) and the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 16 August 2018, officially inking a partnership to work together on strengthening vegetable seed systems, mobilizing and training smallholders to produce certified onion seed, and increasing the supply of traditional African vegetables in the country.
In 2017, WorldVeg analyzed nutritional traits of 55 traditional vegetable species commonly consumed by the Ami, a Taiwan aboriginal group, before the current/modern food system became dominant over the past 50 years. The Ami traditionally collected edible plants from the wild in eastern Taiwan, a region with diverse plant communities. Phytonutrient values of Ami traditional vegetables were compared with the phytonutrient contents previously measured by our laboratory for 200 species of tropical Asian and African traditional vegetables, and 30 commonly consumed vegetables in Taiwan. The vegetable crops commonly consumed in Taiwan today tend to have less dry matter and high sugar content, reflecting consumer taste preferences. These crops are also lower in nutrients such as protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants—implying that there may be fewer nutrients available from vegetables grown in modern food systems.
Charles Yu-di Yang, age 86, passed away on Monday, March 5, 2018 at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. In 1972, Dr. Yang accepted an offer from the Rockefeller Foundation to be the Senior Pathologist at the Asian Vegetable Research & Development Center (AVRDC). In 1980, he moved to Thailand to lead the AVRDC outreach program there. During his 17 years in Thailand, Charles developed the outreach program literally from the ground up. He got the funding to build the research center and training facilities; hired and managed the staff; oversaw the construction of the buildings; and developed, implemented and directed the training program for nearly 400 scholars from 18 countries around the world.
Tomato is India’s second most important vegetable crop, next to potato. And now ‘Arka Rakshak’, a new F1 fresh market and processing tomato hybrid with resistance to three major tomato diseases, is available for farmers eager to supply India’s growing demand. The variety was developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) by crossing one of their advanced breeding lines with an advanced breeding line sourced from the World Vegetable Center. Tomato leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt and early blight are among the most difficult tomato diseases to manage as there are no chemical treatments available to stop their spread. Building resistance into a variety is the most effective -- and cost-effective -- approach to tomato disease management. ‘Arka Rakshak’ produces medium to large (80-100 g), deep red, very firm fruits with good keeping quality (15-20 days) and transportability. Farmers can expect yields of 90-100 t/ha. WorldVeg provides the important breeding materials partners need to produce vigorous, pest-and disease-resistant varieties with tolerance to heat, drought, flooding and other environmental conditions farmers typically encounter in the field. Congratulations to IIHR!
The World Vegetable Center Board of Directors held its 52nd meeting in conjunction with the 2017 Global R & D Week, 4-8 December 2017 at WorldVeg headquarters in Taiwan. The dual event gave board members the opportunity to interact with staff, engage in meaningful discussions, and provide perspective on the Center's new direction. Board members David Sammons (USA), Dae Geun Oh (Korea), Takashi Hamada (Japan) and Vivencio Mamaril (Philippines) completed their terms. The Center is grateful for their service and thoughtful advice over the years. Incoming members are Myoung Rae Cho, Director General, Department of Horticultural Crop Research, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science Rural Development Administration (Korea); George Culaste, OIC-Director Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture (Philippines); Bonnie McClafferty, Director, Food Value Chain, GAIN (USA); and Shigehiro Nishiumi, Deputy Representative, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (Japan).
Marco Wopereis, WorldVeg Director General, visited the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on 3 October 2017 in Rome, Italy. He gave a presentation on the Center’s new strategic directions to the Program Management Department and met with IFAD president Gilbert F. Houngbo afterward. IFAD and WorldVeg agreed to explore opportunities for strengthened collaboration in Africa and Asia—in particular, but not exclusively, in the area of youth vegetable business hubs, and in general by strengthening links between in-country IFAD representatives and WorldVeg regional centers. WorldVeg technical expertise may be solicited in the project design phase for IFAD loans if such loans focus on the development of the vegetable sector, as already done by the World Bank in Cameroon.
Cotonou, Benin -- The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) signed an agreement today with the Benin Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MFAC) to establish a regional office in the country to serve the horticulture sector in coastal West Africa. The signing took place at MFAC headquarters in Cotonou, where MFAC Secretary General, Ambassador Marc Hermanne Araba signed the agreement with WorldVeg Director General Marco Wopereis. The new office—World Vegetable Center West and Central Africa – Coastal and Humid Regions—is the Center’s fifth regional base worldwide and its third in Africa. It is located on the campus of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Edwin Burnell Oyer, international professor emeritus in vegetable crops, died on 15 November 2016. He was 89 years old. In 1972, Oyer was a founder of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (now the World Vegetable Center) in Taiwan, where he served as deputy director for research until 1974. He then returned to Cornell to direct the International Agriculture Program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), a position he held until 1992.