SEGMENT: GLOBAL ECONOMY

Dr. Edward Runge>LPL Interviews N-Z>LPL Interviews K-Z, Segment 6

SEGMENT: GLOBAL ECONOMY,

duration 14:46
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GLOBAL ECONOMY
Hasn't got started yet in development. One problem is lack of education opportunities. Rural infrastructure is lacking. Eat mostly staple crops like millet, sorghum, or corn, some chickens. Duties between little countries stymies economy to raise taxes. Landlocked areas. Story about Liberian woman and Sierra Leone student. He spent two-week stays as administrative capacity over projects. Taught cropping techniques. Has a Myanmar crop improvement project, progresses faster than Africa. Shade ground early to prevent weeds for corn. Give fertilizers. Last year worked with 5000 farmers, 2.5 acres each. They export corn to China at about $200 income a year per farmer. As of 2000, they were not allowed to see project area. So meet the local managers in China near Burma. Funding cutoff last year. Soils are fertile and hilly. Apply nitrogen and phosphorus and plants grow well. Cookbook approach with imported seeds until they can produce hybrids. Weed control improved but lacking. They are in the hills with ethnic groups. It was fun to see success. Used Baptist preacher cover to get business visa. Villagers wanted photo taken with Borlog. Story about early event about planting process. Animals and fencing problems. Increased yields 3-4 times. They were along the Burma Road, so truck traffic to Mandalay was adequate. Developed co-ops for bulk products. Produces extra crops of 20-50 bushels each, so they combine to make a trip worthwhile. Selling co-ops. Cultural and political conditions.