Let’s Read !

UNIT 1: Meeting 2-4

I. Read the text carefully

AGRO-INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
Agro-industries are the enterprises, activities and institutions that deliver material
inputs to the farming sector and transform, distribute and otherwise add value to
agricultural and food products targeting an identified market demand. Agro-industries
provide employment in off-farm activities such as processing. Agro-industries also add
value to, and increase demand for, farmers’ products, thereby reducing poverty and food
insecurity and stimulating economic growth.
Many challenges faced by small and medium agro-industries in developing countries
include poor infrastructure such as roads and electricity supplies, lack of inputs such as
packaging, lack of technical expertise, and inadequate policies and weak institutional
support. These challenges reduce the profitability, competiveness and ability of the sector
to fully exploit the market opportunities arising from rapid population growth,
urbanization and changing lifestyles and consumer preferences. Some actions and plans are
proposed by FAO to face these challenges. First, conducting appraisals of constraints and
opportunities in the agrifood subsector, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the policy
and institutional framework to support development of new and improved food products.
Second, developing knowledge products and disseminating information on processing and
preservation technologies and best practices, including in addressing gender
considerations, agrifood sector strategies and PPPs. Third, providing technical guidance
and assistance in developing subsector strategies and the legal, regulatory and operational
frameworks for supporting agricultural PPPs. Fourth, appraising the status, challenges and
successful models of logistics and cold chain systems, and preparing policy guidance on
their development. Fifth, developing technical knowledge and building capacity on value-
added processing and preservation by small and medium enterprises, logistics systems and
cold chains.

1|Page
 FAO have assisted agro-industry development in developing countries through
series of activities. One of the examples of these activities is dairy industry development in
Afghanistan (2005–2014). This project developed and disseminated an integrated
approach to local dairy industry development. It helped establish viable dairy enterprises,
improved family nutrition and food security, and contributed to income and employment
generation, with thousands of participating households obtaining regular cash incomes
from sales of milk and by-products. Women, who are the main beneficiaries, receive 87
percent of this “milk money”, valued at several million dollars over recent years.
Developing the capacity and technical skills of local communities, and establishing
sustainable local enterprises and institutions are best practices for delivering these results.
Another example is processing systems in the rice subsector in sub-Saharan Africa (2012–
present). Appraisals of rice processing systems in eight sub-Saharan African countries, with
regional consultations on the findings led to identification of the main challenges,
opportunities and needs, drafting of recommendations for improvements, and
development of a strategic framework for improving rice processing systems.
Recommendations included developing capacity, enhancing coordination along the rice
supply chain, upgrading technologies and infrastructure, facilitating access to credit,
encouraging private-sector investments in packaging and branding, and using by-products.
Taken and Adapted from www.fao.org/ag/ags

ll. Check whether the statements below are correct or incorrect. Correct the
statements if they are incorrect.
1. Appraisals of constraints and opportunities in the agrifood subsector, public-private
partnerships (PPPs) and the policy and institutional framework are necessary to assist
food products development.
2. Agro-industries exist to provide material inputs to the farming sector and add value to
food products for unidentified market demands.
3. Dissemination on processing and preservation technologies is insignificant for agro-
industry development.
4. Dairy industry development in Afghanistan has resulted in an integrated approach to
local dairy industry development.

2|Page
5. In addition to providing employment agro-industries also increase food insecurity and
stimulate economic growth.
6. Technical guidance and assistance in developing subsector strategies and the legal,
regulatory and operational frameworks are needed to ruin agricultural PPPs.
7. FAO have finished developing a strategic framework for improving rice processing
systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
8. Poor roads and electricity supplies, lack of packaging, and lack of technical expertise are
some challenges faced by small and medium agro-industries in developing countries.
9. Dairy industry development has improved family nutrition and contributed to
unemployment in Afghanistan.
10. The challenges faced by small and medium agro-industries in developing countries
enable them to fully exploit the market opportunities.

lll. Answer the following questions

1. What are the benefits provided by agro-industries?
2. What are the problems encountered by small and medium agro-industries in developing
countries?
3. What are the efforts done by FAO to support development of new and improved food
products?
4. What are the effects of dairy industry development to the people of Afghanistan?
5. What are included in the recommendations for improvement of rice processing systems
in sub-Saharan African countries?

Language Focus

I. Affirmative, Negative, and Interrogative Sentence

Example:
Affirmative (+) Negative (-) Interrogative (?)
Agro-industries deliver Agro-industries do not Do agro-industries deliver
material inputs to the deliver material inputs to material inputs to the

3|Page
 farming sector. the farming sector. farming sector?
The employment is in off- The employment is not in Is the employment in off-
farm activities. off-farm activities. farm activities?

II. Complete the following table

Affirmative (+) Negative (-) Interrogative (?)
Agro-industries add value
to agricultural and food
products.
Challenges are not faced by
small and medium agro-
industries in developing
countries.
Do challenges reduce the
profitability, competiveness
and ability of agro-
industries to fully exploit
the market opportunities?

Actions and plans are not

proposed by FAO to face
agro-industry challenges.
Are FAO conducting
appraisals of constraints
and opportunities in the
agrifood subsector?

Knowledge on value-
added processing and
preservation, logistics

4|Page
 systems and cold chains
were developed by FAO.
FAO have not assisted agro-
industry development in
developing countries.
Did dairy industry
development project in
Afghanistan contribute to
an integrated approach to
local dairy industry
development?
Women are the main
beneficiaries of “milk
money”.
Recommendations did not
include developing capacity,
enhancing coordination
along the rice supply chain,
upgrading technologies and
infrastructure, facilitating
access to credit, encouraging
private-sector investments in
packaging and branding, and
using by-products.

III. Make an affirmative, a negative, and an interrogative sentence from each of the
following “verbs”.

distribute develop increase exploit conduct

establish improve obtain enhance encourage

4|Page
 Write It Out!

The Importance of Patterns

It is natural for us to seek for patterns in everything. They help our brain understand
pieces of information and remember them. Therefore, identifying the pattern of a text may
be essential for reading comprehension. There are four common patterns in which a writer
states his ideas: Listing of related ideas or examples, Sequence, Comparison/Contrast, and Cause-
Effect. In this occassion, we are going to discuss the first pattern, Listing of related ideas or
examples. In this pattern, the writer's main idea is stated in the form of a generalization. This is
followed by a list of supporting details. The above text, “Agro-industry Development”, is a an
example of ths pattern. If you read the text carefully, there are “signal words” (first, second, third,
fourth, fifth) that call your attention. In general, the pattern employs the following signal words:

a few other (s) another first

several many in addition second
numerous a variety besides third
the main for example one last
Etc.

Work in a group and write a one-page-maximum Listing of related ideas or examples

paragraphs.

Speak Up!

Work in pair. Plan a short conversation on a list of your weekday activities, weekend
plans, places to visit, programs to do, etc. Perform the conversation in front of your
friends.

5|Page