184 



STATEMEKT, S. R. Jokosca ?«€« * 



House SnbcomiKcc o" Pnr«»gn Anicnhure " "^ H..ny ^ March 31. 1993 



Paul Mueller Cotaptny, Springfield, MiMOuri 



Babson Brodien, N^>crville, Illinois 



Vogel Popcorn, Morral, Ohio 



Quaker Oats, Chicago, Illinois 



ICI Seeds, Oes Moines, lova 



Kinze ManuiKtunng, Williamsburg. Iowa 



Nature's Way, Ottawa, Kansas 



Oswak Livestock Products, Ottawa, ELaosas 



Nature's Bio, Ottawa, Kansas 



American S07 Products, Fairfield, Iowa 



Sudenga. George, Iowa 

 Generally these firms participated by providing technicians for the training sessions and/or 

 iwTAriaU for the Agribusiness Centers. In addition, three Iowa £armers spent a significant period of 

 time at the Agribusiness Centers ainriffting with the implementation of the U.S. tecbnologiet. Bruce 

 CampbeO and Wilfred Vittoe worked at the Agribusiness Center in Kakhovka, Ukraine, and Tom 

 Duim worked at the Center in Stavropol, Russia. Seven of the agribusineMes that participated in 

 the training and rdated activities associated with the Centers now have developed commercial 

 initiatives in the FSU, eg., joint ventures, in-country sales representatives, sales of equipment, etc 



Recommendatiom 



The experience of operating the Agribusiness Cen t e r s in 1992 and planning for the 1993 dtfort 

 has provided a basis for making the following recommendations for agricultural and food asiittinrr 

 to Russia and the other states of the FSU. 



• Agribusineas Centers offer an opportunity for combining practical training with 

 demonstrations of advanced technologies and managcnvmr methods. Farmers and 

 agribusiness practitioners in aU nations are similar in that they learn most effectively from 

 working directly with new r/rhniqu/s. producu, and equipment. Resources for expanding 

 the number of Agribtisiness Centers and placing them on a on a multi-year funding basis 

 could effectively support the reform of agriculture in the FSU. 



• Agribusineas Centers can complement the development of agricoltural extension and 

 training in Russia and the other New Independent States. Training at the Centers is most 

 efiiective when U.S. and FSU agricultural scientists are involved. This was our experience 

 in 1992. The involvement of FSU scientists encouraged cooperation with farmers and 



