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In this month's New Agriculturist...

As avian flu continues to spread across Europe and Africa, prices for poultry are dropping and consumers in some countries are reluctant to buy poultry and egg products. Backyard producers in many developing countries are losing income, impacting on household food security. But, without financial incentives, stresses FAO, the disease will continue to spread as people hide outbreaks and sell infected poultry. In West Africa, a regional strategy for control is now being planned, and requests have been made to donors to finance an emergency fund, as reported in News.

Disease is an important constraint in improving livestock production but, as demand for livestock products increases, it is only one of a number of factors that prevent small-scale farmers from participating in the livestock revolution. Technologies to allow farmers to make more of their livestock are featured in Focus On.

Increasing production, whilst protecting the environment, is the subject of Points of View, as researchers from around the world give their opinions on conservation agriculture. Similar issues are also addressed in Self-sufficient agriculture by Robert Tripp, reviewed, together with nine other new titles, in In Print. Tripp offers a very timely review of low-external input technologies, asking whether their uptake and impact justify the investment that they are receiving.

The role of agriculture in maintaining economic stability is discussed in Raymond Austrie's Perspective from the Caribbean, and also in the Country Profile of Rwanda, whilst the value of traditional (small millets) and new (vanilla) crops are featured in Developments. Recent developments in Nigeria and Zambia, reported in News, also illustrate the highs and lows facing farmers who strive to earn more from their production. In Nigeria, exports of cassava are on the rise, while for farmers in Zambia, a buoyant kwacha has threatened the viability of export crops that were showing great promise.

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