10 PARTICIPANTS NAMED FOR THE IFAJ/DUPONT PIONEER 2017 MASTER CLASS

2016 Master Class participants on farm tour. Photo credit: IFAJ

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) has named 10 outstanding agricultural journalists to participate in the IFAJ/DuPont Pioneer 2017 Master Class. The program will be held in conjunction with IFAJ’s global congress near Pretoria, South Africa, in late March. 

The participants are:

Christopher Bendana –Uganda

Jean Armand Bokally Dande –Cameroon

Podjoley Essonana –Togo

Amadou Jallow –Gambia

Haroon Janjua –Pakistan

Modou S. Joof –Gambia

Juma Juma –Tanzania

Maia Mamulashvili –Georgia

Beene Mujala –Zambia

Kelly Njombo –Zambia

“These 10 outstanding people have already demonstrated their skills as journalists, and they are poised to become leaders in the evolution of agricultural journalism guilds in the years to come,” says Owen Roberts, IFAJ president. “The Master Class program is a recognition of their accomplishments and an opportunity to engage in professional development, leadership training and global networking that will allow them to reach new heights.”

Roberts notes that the Master Class program includes participation in a two-day professional development workshop immediately prior to the IFAJ congress. The program, sponsored by DuPont Pioneer, a developer and supplier of plant genetics to farmers worldwide, emphasizes reporting skills and leadership training. He also thanked the three IFAJ judges – Lena Johanssen, Per Henrik Hansen and Kingsley Kaswende – who had a tough challenge in finalizing the selections from amongst the largest-ever group of Master Class applicants.

“As a global business, we are proud to provide continuing support to the IFAJ’s Master Class Program, which offers agricultural journalists worldwide professional development and knowledge-based skills,” said Tracy Willits, global communications director, DuPont Pioneer.  “Through the high-quality information and communications these journalists share, they can foster understanding that will yield significant benefits to farmers, consumers and others throughout the value chain.”

For more information on IFAJ and the Master Class, visit www.ifaj.org. For more information on DuPont Pioneer, visit www.pioneer.com.