Poor People can think!

*Farmers Turn to Science to Boost Crop Yields
*http://allafrica. com/stories/ printable/ 200801080725. htmlallAfrica.com
NEWS8 January 2008
Posted to the web 8 January 2008By Elizabeth Dickinson
Sabon Gari Ganu late last June, farmers in Sabon Gari Ganu village in northern Nigeria's Katsina state divided their plots of land into 56 rows. Using seeds from 16 African countries, the farmers planted each row with a different variety of millet---some small seeds, some round, some dark and some light. Throughout the rainy season, the farmers watched carefully to see which varieties would grow and which would not.

Five months later, the farmers sat down to vote on which seed varieties they preferred. Women and men were each given ballots, either light or dark blue, respectively. Four seeds were chosen. "Our plan now is that the four chosen will be intensively promoted," explains A. Kabir R. Charanchi, a chief agricultural officer for the Katsina state government who works on the project. "We are now going to bring more seeds for multiplication. "

The morale of the news item:
1. Small business people even local farmers can think. It is good to help to fund the research. We may not have to fund relief efforts!
2. SMEs are looking for better ways of doing their business.
3. They are willing to change if you can convince them it works (powerpoint presentations from HBS or IITA may not be the best. Sit with them.)