The purpose of this policy note is to
contribute to an understanding of the factors that combine
to constrain the development of smallholder agriculture in
Swaziland. It seeks to shed light on why, despite being
well-endowed in land and water resources, and despite having
a climate that is generally favorable for the production of
crops and livestock, Swaziland is obliged to import
substantial amounts of food to feed the population. Also,

The specific objective of this policy
note is to derive insights that can contribute to rapid and
sustainable integration of small-scale farmers into the
livestock and horticulture value chains in Swaziland. It
seeks to do this by identifying constraints that may be
contributing to poor performance in the two value chains,
evaluating technological options that could improve
productivity, and identifying priority areas for future

This report was prepared to provide
information and analysis of the Samoan livestock sub-sector
for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries through a
technical assistance assignment financed by the World Bank.
The Word Bank contributed technical assistance support to
the Government of Samoa to help identify measures to
strengthen agriculture sector institutions, to improve the
performance of selected commodities - including in the

The World Bank has provided technical
assistance (TA) support to the Government of Samoa to help
identify measures to strengthen agriculture sector
institutions, to improve the performance of selected
commodities - including livestock, fruits and vegetables and
organic products - and to identify strategic agriculture
infrastructure investments. This report provides information
and analysis on opportunities for further development of

Due to climate change and increasing
food prices, emphasis needs to be placed on addressing water
management as a key determinant for agricultural production
and productivity. However, governments and donors have
tended to pay relatively little attention to this area, and
investments remain low. This report, which is based on
economic and sector work carried out in the Water Anchor of
the World Bank, highlights the importance of improving water

This review's objectives were to
examine the structure and performance of the agricultural
research and extension systems (public and private) at the
central and provincial levels, identify successes as well as
constraints to improving the system s effectiveness for
fostering innovation, and propose options for further policy
and institutional development, drawing on lessons from
international experience. The review focused principally on

The spatial distribution of crops and farming systems in Africa is determined by the duration of the period during which crop and livestock water requirements are met. The length of growing period (LGP) is normally assessed from weather station data—scarce in large parts of Africa—or coarse-resolution rainfall estimates derived from weather satellites. In this study, we analyzed LGP and its variability based on the 1981–2011 GIMMS NDVI3g dataset. We applied a variable threshold method in combination with a searching algorithm to determine start- and end-of-season.

This research report addresses researchers, farmers, decision and policy makers and public and private organizations involved in land and water development in the Karkheh River Basin (KRB) of Iran.

This report on ‘Assessment and Improvement of Wheat and Maize Water Productivity in Lower Karkheh River Basin’ helps researchers and scientists interested in sustainable water development to improve the Water Productivity (WP) of wheat and maize in irrigated lands of the Karkheh dam downstream.

This report presents the outcomes of the
functional review of Romania's agricultural
administration. Given the sectoral and territorial relevance
of its regulatory domain, Romania s Agricultural and Rural
Development Administration is a key administrative body
undergoing this Functional Review. The review will examine
whether the policy goals and objectives of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) and its agencies

Land Investments in Indonesia

In Ethiopia food production lags behind while population growth increase, poor management of Soil and Water, poor agronomic practices and environmental degradation are wide spread. In the study area, agriculture depends on rain water; however rain water is not evenly distributed spatially and temporally. The general objective of the study is to assess agro-ecology, and crop management practices effect on crop water productivity of major crops.