IFDC Report, Volume 7, No. 4
Abstract
This document provides an overview of the proposals presented to the Board of Directors of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) during their annual meeting at headquarters in October. The meeting was attended by all 12 board members, representing a balanced representation of developed and developing countries with expertise in various disciplines. IFDC's Managing Director, Dr Donald L. McCune, highlighted the organization's long-term goal of establishing regional centers in developing countries to address the problems specific to each region. Pending financing, the Board approved the establishment of centers in Zimbabwe and Indonesia. The Board also endorsed the recommendations made by the Program Review Committee. Progress reports were presented on available technology for transfer to developing countries, focusing on fields such as chemical engineering, research chemistry, and engineering coordination. Additional topics discussed during the meeting included approving the budget proposal for the upcoming year and the importance of fertilizer blending techniques. The document also introduces new members of the Board, Dr Anton Amberger from Germany and Dr Entol Soeparman from Indonesia, who bring valuable expertise in agricultural chemistry and fertilizer project development, respectively. There are insights shared by Mr Miguel Zosa, President and General Manager of the Philippine Phosphate Corporation, who emphasized the significance of fertilizer in addressing food production challenges in developing countries. Mr Zosa stressed the importance of optimizing fertilizer usage through technology and resource allocation and called for increased emphasis on field testing and farmer training.
Description
Keywords
Phosphate fertilizers, Urea