Is the cow hide (Ponmo) safe to eat?

Ponmo – cow hide meat – is a popular food in parts of Nigeria and across West Africa. But nutritionists and scientists in the region warn about the safety and nutritional value of this local delicacy. 

 In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Royal Uche speaks with Abiodun Wahab, program operations officer at the One Health and Development Initiative, about the toxic bacteria found in the meat even after cooking. Sherifah Wakil, associate professor of microbiology at the University of Ibadan, shares findings from her latest research on the contamination of the meat. 

 Obaisi Alaanuloluwa, environmental and social development consultant for the World Bank, explains how ponmo affects the environment. 

Source....SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk

 The Ponmo story. read

 

 more ponmo news: Ponmo and leather industry.

 All you need to know about Ponmo.

ECHBEE FOODS : GARRI KITCHEN TV.

Echbee Foods changing the garri narrative.

 

BEEF: What does your beef customer want?

 

What does your beef customer want? Understanding your beef customer starts with knowing your true buyer, then doing what it takes to meet their needs. 

 Do you know who your customer is? When I ask that question most people get this vision of the end consumer in mind, and possibly the thought of a foreign trade deal tries to slide into their mind as well. 

 The definition of the word customer is: a person or organization that buys goods and/or services from a business. To be direct the person who writes you a check for the cattle you sold is your customer. Unless you direct market the end consumer is not your customer. 

 The way to offer better service to your customer is know your market. What do the buyers willing to spend the most money there want? Figure that out and give it to them. In doing this you cannot cut corners, or pull up short.

 Understanding ‘reputation’ 

 This week I saw a few big strings of reputation cattle sell. The first bunch in this example were weaned thirty plus days. They were all black, vaccinated and on a feed program. These cattle were not the market toppers that day, as one might expect. Two buyers that could have bid them up chose not to. 

 The problem with this bunch is the feed program they are on. It is a good program, to a point. The cattle will eat the stuff, and they will gain. If you start them on it and leave them on it the feed program is awesome. 

The problem is when a customer buys them, and is trying to make money with them, that person will feed them more economically. To be direct, the two times I bought these cattle it was like my back grounding yard became rehab. Not all of them make it out of rehab.

#beef

Future Beef: Global Smart Commodity Group adds live cattle trading to platform

 

Global Smart Commodity Group adds live cattle trading to platform. 

I recently completed an MBA in International Agribusiness and Food Chain Management program where i presented a term paper on technological disruptions in the cattle business in Nigeria. It was an amazing surprise when i came across this article with similar lines of thought as my project. We are set to change the narrative in the cattle trading system in Nigeria, we are changing the paradigm from the farm to the store. 

Lets get into the article without giving out too much information about our project.

 Global Smart Commodity Group adds live cattle trading to platform.

 Global Smart Commodity Group, a multi-asset class commodities exchange, has announced that Salus, the commodities trading platform built on blockchain technology, will begin providing live cattle as a traded commodity. 

 Intended to speed up the commodity trading process, there will be two available types of live cattle offered on the platform: live cattle and feeder cattle. Salus will also provide producers the ability to list identifiers such as weight, sex classification, country of origin, age, breed, genetics and other environmental factors.

 Global Smart Commodity Group, a multi-asset class commodities exchange, has announced that Salus, the commodities trading platform built on blockchain technology, will begin providing live cattle as a traded commodity. Intended to speed up the commodity trading process, there will be two available types of live cattle offered on the platform: live cattle and feeder cattle. Salus will also provide producers the ability to list identifiers such as weight, sex classification, country of origin, age, breed, genetics and other environmental factors. 

"The addition of offering live cattle on Salus is a necessary transition of technology," said Bryce Everett, GSCG's Cattle SME. "People have been searching for this type of option for a while, and they have been looking for a more fair and efficient way to trade cattle. We're very excited about how the outcome will play out." 

 The goal of offering live cattle on the platform will benefit smaller processors, those beyond the big names, giving a global platform to a farmer and rancher, helping to increase profits. 

Each contract of live cattle will be equivalent to 40,000 pounds, or 40 head. Salus was created using blockchain technology. Its Growth Cycle Tracking technology provides users a real time seed-to-delivery monitoring feature which authenticates the commodities' origins and watches over the transaction in each stage of the supply chain.

#blockchain #agribusiness #farming #trading.

Purina fermentation product supports feed efficiency in feedlot cattle.

 

Purina fermentation product supports feed efficiency in feedlot cattle.Feed costs are a constant consideration for cattle feeders. Improving feed efficiency, even by a small margin, can pay big dividends in the long run. “If cattle eat less and gain the same, it’s a nice advantage because you save on the amount you’re feeding. 

5The cattle industry has continually focused on improving feed efficiency through nutrition and genetics,” said Ron Scott, Ph.D., director of beef technical innovation with Purina Animal Nutrition. “Purina EfficienZ fermentation product is designed to help take things a step further.” 

The use of fermented feed is an age-long method to achieve feed efficiency and promote animal health.read 

 The new EfficienZ fermentation product is a non-nutritive feed additive available in select Purina supplements to support feed efficiency and help improve feed conversion in finishing cattle rations by optimizing rumen function.

Read Beef magazine.on side bar.

Rancher sentenced for running $244m ‘ghost cattle’ scam.

 

Rancher sentenced for running $244m ‘ghost cattle’ scam. A cattle rancher in Washington has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for defrauding Tyson Foods and another company out of more than $244 million by charging the victim companies for the purported costs of purchasing and feeding hundreds of thousands of cattle that did not exist. 

 According to court documents, Cody Allen Easterday used his company, Easterday Ranches Inc., to enter into a series of agreements with the companies under which Easterday Ranches agreed to purchase and feed cattle for them. Per the agreements, Tyson and the other company would advance Easterday Ranches the costs of buying and raising the cattle. Once the cattle were slaughtered and sold at market price, Easterday Ranches would repay the costs advanced – plus interest and certain other costs – retaining the difference as profit.( READ BEEF MAGAZINE ON SIDE BAR.)

The leather business summit and expo.

Leather
 #leather institute

The federal government plans to ban Ponmo to promote the leather industry.

THE Federal Government has said it was proposing a legislation to ban the consumption of animal skin, locally known as ponmo, in the country to revive tanneries. 

 Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology, NILEST, Zaria, Muhammad Yakubu said this in Abuja on Sunday. NILEST was set up to promote leather production as provided in the Agricultural Research Institute Act of 1975. 

        The leather business summit and expo.

The institute conducts research the production and products of leather and the utilisation of local tanning materials in the country. Yakubu, who said the litigation was necessary to revive the comatose leather industry in the country, said the habit of eating animal skin, which has no nutritional value, should be stopped to save the industry and boost the nation’s economy. 

 The Director-General added that the institute, in collaboration with stakeholders in the industry, would approach the national assembly and state governments to bring out legislation banning “ponmo” consumption. 

        The leather hub :Leather value chain 

 The tannery project was conceived by the Sanwo-Olu administration in 2020 for the production of leather products, such as shoes, belts, bags and upholsteries. The facility would also offer training opportunities for youths to learn skills in leather manufacturing and earn a living in the value chain. 

The Economic value of the hub is that the entire production process can start and end here in Lagos. Jobs will be generated and businesses will be developed He said that raw leather exported to China and Europe were brought back to Nigeria in finished goods and they were more expensive.

Researchers Are Now Tracking Monkey pox in Wastewater.

 

Researchers Are Now Tracking Monkey pox in Wastewater.The past two years have taught us anything, it’s that testing for viral diseases is complicated. Sometimes, the tests are difficult to get, like in the early days of COVID-19. And even if people have access to testing, they might not feel they need it. 

 People with COVID-19 often don’t have symptoms and may not always know to get tested. And now, with the availability of at-home self-tests, most people test themselves and don’t report the results. With other diseases—such as monkey pox—stigma surrounding the disease and the group most affected can deter access to testing. These limitations hinder health authorities’ ability to learn more about infectious diseases and control their spread. If you can’t detect a problem, you can’t direct resources to help fix it. Wastewater analysis can help skirt some of these issues. 

Scientists have tracked COVID-19 through wastewater since early in the pandemic, and now they’re doing the same for monkey pox. A new program led by researchers at Stanford University, Emory University, and Verily, an Alphabet Inc. company, is monitoring monkey pox cases by analyzing sewage from 41 communities in 10 states.

 So far, they have detected the monkey pox virus in 22 of those sites. As monkey pox case numbers around the country continue to climb, such information is proving valuable as doctors and patients wrestle with testing challenges. “We have now detected monkey pox DNA in sewersheds before any cases were reported in those counties,” says Bradley White, senior staff scientist at Verily. The group is planning to publish their first findings from their monkey pox work in a preprint soon.

HOW NIGERIA CAN PREVENT ITS ANNUAL N3.5 TRILLION POST-HARVEST LOSSES.

 

HOW NIGERIA CAN PREVENT ITS ANNUAL N3.5 TRILLION POST-HARVEST LOSSES.Nigeria has good agricultural potential but is not living up to expectations. The country houses an enormous human capital, most of whom are young, and arable land, with only 41 per cent cultivated yet. From one end, the country’s agricultural prowess and feats are laudable. 

Nigeria is a top global exporter of agricultural production, such as palm oil, sorghum, sesame, cocoa beans, oil, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The Federal Government recently disclosed that the total cost of post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s agriculture industry is N3.5 trillion. 

Yes, a whooping N3.5 trillion. Speaking on behalf of the FG, Mustapha Shehuri, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, “Post-harvest losses is a worrisome situation that threatens Nigeria’s Food Security … In fruits and vegetables, it could be as high as 50 – 60 per cent if poorly managed, unfortunately not much attention is paid to address this problem as it is done for production,” 

 This is too much loss for a country where agriculture is a core contributor to its GDP and has a projected population of 400 million. In that light, there is an urgent need to prevent people from going hungry, support farmers from losing monetary gains, and reduce our dependence on foreign products. 

 These can only be achieved through a couple of actions, the first being to make provisions for good storage facilities. While agricultural products are perishable, their production is usually seasonal, mainly because farmers in this part of the world rely on rain-fed agriculture. But, regardless of the perishable or seasonal nature of produce, the demand for food is not seasonal. In Nigeria, about 47 per cent of farmers have zero access to any storage facilities to shield them from post-harvest loss. The number could rise up to as high as 60 per cent for tubers, fruits and vegetables. 

The provision and revitalization of efficient storage facilities, whether on an industrial or small-scale, is essential in mitigating post-harvest loss.

Monkeypox can persist in household environments, according to CDC study.

 

Monkey pox can persist in household environments, according to CDC study. The zoonotic monkey pox virus (MPXV), which is endemic to Africa, is typically transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or animal or through the inhalation of infected respiratory secretions. 

 Infection with MPXV often leads to the development of lesions with exudates that contain viable virions that can be shed during infection. As compared to other enveloped viruses, MPXV virions are more tightly bound with the fibrin matrices of the scab/crust, thereby allowing for them to persist within the environment for longer periods. 

 A recent study conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases assessed the viability and viral load of MPXV on household objects and surfaces. Samples were collected from frequently used objects in the household of an individual who had been infected with MPXV. 

This sampling was conducted 15 days after the infected individual had left their home to be admitted to the hospital. These samples were then incubated to allow for virus isolation and the detection of viable viruses. Importantly, any potential contamination with bacteria or fungi was prevented by treating all incubated samples with penicillin/streptomycin, amphotericin B, and gentamicin.

Monkey Pox:CDC recommends masking despite evidence that its sexually transmitted.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study Friday suggesting that people wear masks to protect themselves from monkey pox despite growing evidence the virus is transmitted sexually. The CDC’s Friday Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), its internal journal, included research on the spread of monkey pox via contaminated surfaces. 

Researchers in Utah sampled 30 different samples from the home of two monkey pox patients, and found that 21 of the surfaces yielded positive real-time PCR results, but none tested positive for viral cultures. Still, despite the lack of live virus found in the samples, the paper still warns that monkey pox can spread through surface contact. The agency also recommends wearing masks at the bottom of the paper, even though little evidence has emerged that monkey pox is an airborne virus 

 “Monkey pox virus primarily spreads through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact with the rash, scabs, lesions, body fluids, or respiratory secretions of a person with monkey pox; transmission via contaminated objects or surfaces (i.e., fomites) is also possible,” the paper reads. 

 “Persons living in or visiting the home of someone with monkey pox should follow appropriate precautions against indirect exposure and transmission by wearing a well-fitting mask, avoiding touching possibly contaminated surfaces, maintaining appropriate hand hygiene, avoiding sharing eating utensils, clothing, bedding, or towels, and following home disinfection recommendations.”

Halal meat: how to start producing Halal meat

 Halal meat

To start producing Halal meat, you need to embrace these four steps: 1) The premises must be for halal slaughtering alone and all necessary permits regarding abattoir, slaughter lines and waste management must be collected.

LEARN MORE : HALAL FACTS.

Halal management: the ethics / tenets of  the halal slaughtering and halal management principles must be followed strictly.

Standard operating protocols: the slaughtering techniques, animal specification clearly spelled out by the Halal protocol must be clearly written out, pasted on walls and practiced.

Halal certification and standardization: the facility and production lines  must be inspected, processes audited to ensure compliance and then certification is provided.

   To tap into this trillion dollar industry, start a niche business: start an halal meat shop.

1)Start an abattoir that is for Halal slaughtering alone. Get the facility registered and certified and create continuous income by providing your facility for Halal slaughtering at a fee and also providing a base for meat export.

2) Decide the type of animal you want to slaughter: cattle, sheep or goat.

3) Slaughter only healthy animals.

4) Process and package beef with the Halal certification seal and start making money.

The Muslim community is growing and many more countries are adopting the Halal method with certification to tap into the trillion dollar industry.

The Muslim population reached 1.8 billion in 2015 and it is expected to be the world’s fastest growing religious group, increasing by 70% to almost 3 billion people by 2060, according to the forecast made by Pew Research Center. 

Very good news for the halal meat industry, seeing that the main driver for this market is set by the Muslim expenditure on halal meat and related products. 

 In the recent years, lots of European countries have decided to support the cause, considering the high profits coming from Muslim markets, as well as the choice in the internal market of many non-Muslims to eat halal meat for ethical reasons. 

                                   DID YOU KNOW? 

The biggest importer of halal-certified food from the OIC countries is Saudi Arabia, followed on the second spot by Malaysia, while UAE, Indonesia and Egypt occupy the third, the fourth and the fifth position respectively in the top 5 leading halal food importers. Meanwhile, the top 10 biggest exporters of halal meat to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries account for a total trade value of $14.04 billion. 

 Brazil is the largest exporter of halal meat to these countries with a trade value worth $5.19 billion, followed by Australia with $2.36 billion and India with $2.28 billion on the second and third spots respectively. 

Other big exporters are as follows: France ($0.8 billion), China ($0.7 billion), Sudan and South Sudan ($0.63 billion), the Netherlands ($0.59 billion), Spain ($0.56 billion), Somalia ($0.47 billion) and Turkey ($0.46 billion).

       

What is Halal Meat.?

 What is Halal meat?

Halal is Arabic for permissible. Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Koran. The Islamic form of slaughtering animals or poultry, dhabiha, involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. 

 Halal food means food permitted under the Islamic Law and should fulfill the following conditions: Does not consist of or contain anything which is considered to be unlawful according to Islamic Law. Has not been prepared, processed, transported or stored using any appliance or facility that was not free from anything unlawful according to Islamic Law. and its not in the course of preparation, processing, transportation or storage been in contact with food that is unclean.

 The production of this type of meat represents an expanding market share and today is not only a Muslim consumers’ prerogative.This meat must be slaughtered and processed according to halal rules, respecting the Islamic precepts and avoiding any contamination. 

These rules do not involve pork meat because it is considered haram (prohibited). 

 Sources of Halal foods Animals Animals can be divided into two categories: Land animals and Aquatic animals.

     How to start Halal meat business.

 In order to obtain the status of halal meat, all the processing steps must be followed and checked by a recognized certification body that subsequently certifies its compliance with the Halal standards. The sale is allowed exclusively in halal butcher shops, which can only sell certified meat. These are not only halal butcheries, but also large-scale retail brands. All processing, distribution and sale stages are strictly controlled, in order to avoid contamination. 

According to Muslims, Halal slaughtering procedure leads the animal to a total bleeding. This does not cause suffering because the pain center of the brain stops its functions immediately. 

      What is Halal slaughtering? 

 The animal to be slaughtered has to be an animal that is halal.The animal to be slaughtered shall be alive or deemed to be alive at the time of slaughter.Animals to be slaughtered shall be healthy and have been approved by the competent authority.

 The place of slaughter(abattoir) shall be used for the purpose of the slaughter of halal animals only. The place of slaughter of halal animals shall be fully separated from the place of slaughter of non-halal animals to the effect that the halal slaughtered animals shall not be contaminated or come into direct contact with contaminants. 

 Slaughtering lines, tools and utensils shall be used for the purpose of halal slaughter only.Slaughtering knife shall be sharp.Bones nails and teeth shall not be used as slaughtering tools. The slaughterer shall be a Muslim who is mentally sound and fully understands the fundamental rules and conditions related to the slaughter of animals in Islam. 

The knife to be used must be razor sharp; the blade must be straight and smooth, and free from any serration, pits, notches or damage. The length of the blade must be at least four times the width of the neck of the animal to be slaughtered. 

The blade must not flex noticeably whence in use. The act of slaughter must be done with a simple swipe across the neck. The cut should not be any deeper than necessary to sever the carotid artery, jugular vein and windpipe and must not sever the spinal cord. 

The slaughterer must pronounce aloud the Arabic words, Bismillah, AllahuAkbar (in the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest) in a reverential tone, when slaughtering

 

The Halal Meat Market: a Booming Goldmine.

What is Halal meat? 

Halal is Arabic for permissible. Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Koran. The Islamic form of slaughtering animals or poultry, dhabiha, involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. 

 The global halal meat market size is expected to grow at a Compound annual growth rate of 7.8% during the forecast period (2021–2030). Growing consumer awareness about the certification methods that offer varied benefits is anticipated to be a major driving factor boosting the demand for halal-certified products. 

The perception attributed to the methods is important while knowing the choice of customers in consideration with the product they would prefer to buy. 

      

    What is Halal meat? 

 Moreover, there are other driving factors involved that will increase the demand for halal meat in the coming years. Factors such as growing spending of customers to buy food, lifestyle changes, and the ever-growing middle-class populations in developing countries. 

  Top Key Market Drivers: 

The halal meat market is a growing market as people are becoming more aware of the health benefits it provides. More than 50% of non-Muslims are aware of the concept of ‘halal’ that is associated with cleanliness and hygiene. 

Overall 47% of people are aware of the concept. Young people are more aware and woke in terms of understanding different cultural concepts. It was found that 63% of the young population between the age of 18 and 24 thoroughly know the concept. In the halal meat concept, animals are killed according to Islamic Shariah law. 

This law states that the animal should be treated nicely when alive and should be slaughtered by hand. The goal is to minimize the pain for the animal while it is being killed. This method has an advantage in quality, wholesomeness, and edibility. Slaughtering an animal in a kind manner is more humane as compared to slaughtering it with a machine. Thus, this law is anticipated to boost market growth to a great extent. 

Halal meat market and why its booming all over the world.

 WHY BOTHER ABOUT HALAL MEAT? 

1) It is a healthy way to consume meat because you are sure its hygienically processed and all food safety protocols are adopted. 

2) It is a good niche market if you want to join the exporting arm of the meat industry .The importation of meat and poultry products into Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”) nations, and other Islamic countries, is big business. 

 3)The Muslim population reached 1.8 billion in 2015 and it is expected to be the world’s fastest growing religious group, increasing by 70% to almost 3 billion people by 2060, according to the forecast made by Pew Research Center. 

             Read more about Halal.

Very good news for the halal meat industry, seeing that the main driver for this market is set by the Muslim expenditure on halal meat and related products.

WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

 

WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency. The WHO declared monkeypox a global health emergency. 

 The rare designation means the WHO now views the outbreak as a significant enough threat to global health that a coordinated international response is needed. The WHO last issued a global health emergency in January 2020 in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Europe is the epicenter of the outbreak. Right now, men who have sex with men are the community at highest risk. 

The WHO chief said the global risk is moderate, but the threat is high in Europe. Monkeypox is unlikely to disrupt international trade or travel right now, the WHO chief said. 

 The World Health Organization has activated its highest alert level for the growing monkeypox outbreak, declaring the virus a public health emergency of international concern. The rare designation means the WHO now views the outbreak as a significant enough threat to global health that a coordinated international response is needed to prevent the virus from spreading further and potentially escalating into a pandemic.

Toolkit helps identify and respond to monkeypox exposures among health workers.

 

Toolkit helps identify and respond to monkey pox exposures among health workers.Massachusetts General Hospital developed a toolkit that can help identify and respond to potential monkey pox exposures among health care personnel, researchers reported in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 

 The toolkit uses an enhanced version of REDCap, a web-based software platform that supports survey and data collection.

Large monkeypox study identifies new symptoms.

  Smart solutions to help produce more by eliminating guess work from when, what and how to farm. It helps see further in terms of pests, disease control through analytics.

 

In China's Wuhan, cholera-causing bacteria in turtles strikes nerve.

read here

GARC: Rabies surveillance workshop, the one health approach.

 

GARC participating in the "Rabies Surveillance Workshop: One Health Approach towards Rabies elimination in Namibia" workshop. The meeting has been arranged by WOAH, in collaboration with various local stakeholders.

Dr Nehemia Hedimbi (DVS, Namibia) demonstrates the outputs of the RVT tool to the workshop participants. Human and animal health professionals used the GARC surveillance tools to capture information using case studies. The exercise allowed users to experience the tools, but also learn what data the other sectors routinely collect.

#Lagos #rabies # face of rabies control and elimination  Certificate of recognition to #Lagos for contributions to global rabies elimination efforts.     #kick rabies out of #Lagos. #Agege

Garri our national treasure : ‘I Farm Cassava, Sell Garri’ .

  ‘I Farm Cassava, Sell Garri’.

Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has pledged to encourage local production in Rivers State if elected deputy governor in 2023. Dikeh, who is the running mate to the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Rivers, Tonte Ibraye, said she has never failed in any leadership role. 

 

        ‘I Farm Cassava, Sell Garri’ : learn how to start garri business

 Speaking on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, she promised to bring her experience as a farmer to bear if given the opportunity to serve. 

 “First of all, we will invest massively in social security, secondly which is foremost in my heart is the inclusion of women and youth in politics and decision making in the country. Also, encouraging local production to increase export and support the growth of small business 

 “I’m a farmer, I’m a massive farmer of cassava, snails and a lot of things. I do know I didn’t get that from nowhere I got that from my grandma, my grandma is a farmer and she is one of the biggest farmers in Rivers state. 

      Garri business and elections : join now

   

I have a farm in Rivers State and Abuja…I do Garri from Rivers State and I bet you, saying one of the biggest exports is like bragging but the truth is I export real goods.

Bakers’ association urges revitalisation of cassava-bread initiative.

 Bakers’ association urges revitalization of cassava-bread initiative. 

The Association of Masters Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Edo chapter, has called for the revival of cassava-bread initiative to reduce dependency on wheat flour. Agbonze said that the Federal Government needed to put machinery in place to revive the policy on cassava -bread production to reduce the rising cost of bread in the country. 

The cassava-bread story.

 

The garri-bread initiative:  The emergence of the garri-bread, though the advocacy to revitalize the cassava-bread initiative is laudable but there is a method to shorten the production process: instead of processing the cassava to make bread , the use of well processed garri to make bread and other pastries. 

 The introduction of garri bread is a better alternative. Learn how to make money turning garri to delicious bread. 

Garri burger bread.

 Echbee foods an indigenous company is using yellow garri to make bread, biscuit, cookies, cakes ,cereals, finger foods and other wholesome food. 

The garri bread comes in different varieties: the burger , the sardine, the chocolate and peanut. Cassava bread or garri bread? look at the garri burger bread.

How to make millions selling garri :How a local boy became a millionaire selling garri.

 How a local boy became a millionaire selling garri.

The garri millionaire guide.

How to start garri business with 25,000 naira  only .

How to start garri export.

How to package garri for export

HOW TO BOOST AGRIBUSINESS IN NIGERIA.

 

Meat inspection and food safety concerns: open data kit (ODK)that Uganda is using to improve livestock disease surveillance and reporting.

 

Open Data Kit to improve livestock disease surveillance and reporting in Uganda.Surveillance of livestock diseases is key to reduce their harm to livelihoods, development and even humans. Meat inspectors in Uganda are using the Open Data kit (ODK) tool to improve animal disease surveillance and reporting, and sharing their experiences and knowledge with peers. The tool was rolled out at a training workshop held in October 2021 at the Makerere University College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB). 

 The workshop aimed to boost, retool and equip inspectors in routine meat inspection procedures, hands-on skills in meat hygiene and food safety procedures, and knowledge of meat inspection regulations and standards. 

  Ensuring wholesome beef.

 How ODK works .

ODK is an open-source mobile data collection platform that enables users to fill out forms offline and send data to a server when a connection is found. 

 why reforms are necessary.

Once on the server, the data can be viewed, downloaded and acted upon. In the first six weeks following the training, the meat inspectors had uploaded more than 300 reports to the ILRI server.

 Collected data can be used to determine prevalence of diseases, locations and age-group of animals affected, and inform response. 

 Speaking at the review meeting, Annie Cook, a senior scientist at ILRI, commended the inspectors for their interest in improving the reporting of data on disease surveillance at the points of slaughter, saying: 'As pioneers at using the ODK tool in the meat inspection sector, your feedback and input is important in refining the tool so that it is useful and can be used in the future.' 

 Reporting their experiences, the meat inspectors noted that the tool was user-friendly and most did not have major challenges in uploading data. 

 

Why cassava could be a way to keep food costs down.

 

                 Why cassava could be a way to keep food costs down.

There are two main root vegetables in West Africa - cassava and yam. Cassava is available all year round, it is cheap and is known, or to put it correctly, was known as food for the poor. 

         Why cassava could be a way to keep food costs down.

 The other popular one is yam, which Nigerian author Chinua Achebe famously described as "the king of crops". The yam harvest is awaited eagerly. Indeed, special rites are performed before the new yam can be eaten, and we put on our finest clothes to celebrate the vegetable. Cassava is, at best, everyday food and used to be the regular fare of the poor and servants.

 

      Why cassava could be a way to keep food costs down : the global cassava development strategy.

Garri from cassava can replace wheat and can be used for bread.

 I note that President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is urging his people to turn to a diet of cassava as an antidote to the rocketing price of wheat during the current worldwide cost of living crisis. "If there is no bread, eat muwogo [cassava]," he said.

Bread prices to rise in Nigeria: Garri to the rescue

As predicted some months ago,wheat value chain disruptions due to the Russian-Ukraine war has started. In an earlier post, i talked about how the Russian-Ukraine war affects you and analysed the situation as well as suggested or canvassed for the use of garri to replace wheat.

 Garri made from fermentation and frying of cassava has a lot of benefits that promotes wellness and healthy lifestyle. Garri is a fermented food thus promotes gut health, see more here. Garri can be used to make bread and it can serve as a replacement or substitute for wheat. 

          Bread prices rising. Learn how to use garri to make delicious burger bread, coconut bread and more.

  Echbee foods an indigenous company is using yellow garri to make bread, biscuit, cookies, cakes ,cereals, finger foods and other wholesome food. The garri bread comes in different varieties: the burger , the sardine, the chocolate and peanut.

           Why bread prices are rising and how to swap garri with wheat. 

Look at some of our garri bread varieties. 

Garri burger bread.

Garri brown bread.

Garri chocolate bread.
See more garri products here

How to make burger bread with garri.

How to make bread with garri.

This burger bread is made from garri, the yellow garri. 

 

The human cost of rabies.

Vaccinate your dogs, cats and monkeys. When bitten seek medical attention.

MISSION RABIES: ZERO BY 30

 

Rabies: what happens when humans get rabies.

 

RABIES : EXPLAINING IT TO KIDS.

 

Did you know that rabies kills one person every 9 minutes? Did you know that 59,000 people die of rabies worldwide every year? 

Did you know that almost half of the victims are children under 15 years of age? Did you know that vaccinating 70% of dog population in an area breaks the dog-human cycle of rabies,thus eliminating rabies in such areas? 

Did you know that vaccination of your dogs,cats and monkeys is a sure way to eliminate rabies? Did you know that the fastest way to change a paradigm or introduce a concept that targets kids is by gamifying the concept or creating songs that are interactive?

 Did you also know that creating awareness on public health issues can also be accomplished by creating stories, posters, coloring books for kids e.t.c?

 Use this to teach in schools and communities while gamifying rabies for better explanation.

GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR RABIES CONTROL(GARC) : ALL YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT RABIES.

 

GARC's mission is to prevent human deaths from dog-mediated rabies and relieve the burden of rabies in other animal populations, especially dogs. 

 The aim is to eliminate human deaths from dog rabies by 2030, by working with governments; veterinary, public health and educational experts; and communities to facilitate policy change and build capacity to eliminate rabies in areas hardest hit by the disease.

 End Rabies Now (ERN) is a GARC-coordinated communications campaign that aims to galvanize global support and funding to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Education is very important in the zero by 30 campaign, get involved. 

 The End Rabies Now campaign goals are to:

1)Significantly raise the profile of rabies as a global health challenge that demands international attention and active support to save lives. 

2)Support the achievement of a target set out by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) that aims to end the epidemics of neglected tropical diseases by 2030. 

 3) Put rabies elimination on the agenda of foundations, donor governments and international institutions; thereby increasing available financial resources to stimulate action in rabies-endemic countries. 

 4) Gain the commitment of politicians to advocate for and support rabies elimination in endemic countries Create a platform to galvanize civil society groups interested in rabies control to present a united front against rabies.

Rabies: The devastating effect of rabies.

 

Rabies though fatal is 100% preventable. Vaccinate your dogs, cats and monkeys.

 Learn what to do when bitten by a dog.

BLOCK CHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN AGRIBUSINESS.

  

BLOCKCHAIN IN AGRICULTURE – IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES.“Ensuring Efficiency, Trust and Transparency from Farms to Groceries”.

Exploring new techniques to ensure food safety, traceability and transparency in the agribusiness space to promote profitability.

 Even though blockchain technology gained traction because of its role in the financial sector, it has a vast range of applications beyond cryptocurrencies. 

The technology is set to drastically transform many industries, including healthcare, law, real estate, banking, etc. 

 However, one little-explored industry that blockchain has the potential to revolutionize completely is agriculture. More importantly, it has a growing number of issues that we urgently need to solve. Blockchain technology can help the agriculture sector in numerous ways. 

 The Use Cases of Blockchain technology in Agriculture and Benefits of Blockchain in Agriculture.

 Uses Cases of Blockchain technology in Agriculture. 1)Crop and Food Production. 2)Food Supply Chain. 3)Controlling Weather Crisis. 4) Managing Agricultural Finance. 

       

How the agricultural industry can harvest benefits of blockchain technology.

              Blockchain Technology in Agriculture.

 Blockchain, coupled with IoT, is remodeling the food production industry. It is set to make farming a sustainable practice by using a simplified approach to optimize farming resources like: 1)water. 2)labor. 3)fertilizers. continue.

#Blockchain #Blockchain technology in agriculture #tracing #transparency

Most rabies infections in the United States come from bats, CDC says.

 

Most rabies infections in the United States come from bats, CDC says.In the United States, the culprit behind most rabies cases has shifted from dogs to bats. The flying mammals now cause 7 out of 10 US rabies cases, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 Researchers looked at rabies trends in the United States over the span of 80 years, from 1938 to 2018. They found that most infections came from dog bites until 1960, when wildlife species -- specifically bats -- became the primary source for human infection. 

This followed nationwide efforts in the 1950s to mandate pet vaccines and implement leash control laws, the report stated. "Reducing rabies in dogs is a remarkable achievement of the U.S. public health system, but with this deadly disease still present in thousands of wild animals, it's important that Americans are aware of the risk," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in a news release. 

From 1960 to 2018, 125 human rabies were cases reported . From 1960 to 2018, 125 human rabies were cases reported in the United States. Of these, 28% came from contact with dogs outside the United States, where rabies vaccines may not be required or readily available. 

The cases acquired in the United States came from wildlife species, with 70% resulting from bat bites or scratches and the rest due to human contact with raccoons, skunks or foxes. In the United States, most human deaths from rabies occur because people don't seek medical treatment, probably because they are unaware of the animal contact. 

For example, bat bites can be smaller than the top of a pencil eraser, the CDC said. "We've been seeing cases in people in the United States who seem to not really be aware that rabies can be transmitted by wildlife, especially bats," Pieracci said. "A lot of times, bat bites and scratches are very tiny. So a lot of people will try to hold a bat and they don't realize that bat has bitten."

 If you happen to wake up with a bat in your immediate surroundings, you should assume rabies exposure and seek medical care right away, the CDC recommends.

US had 5 rabies deaths last year, highest total in a decade.

 

Five Americans died of rabies last year — the largest number in a decade — and health officials said Thursday that some of the people didn't realize they had been infected or refused life-saving shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on three of the deaths, all stemming from contact with bats. 

CDC officials said the deaths were tragic and could have been prevented. One, an 80-year-old Illinois man, refused to take life-saving shots because of a longstanding fear of vaccines. An Idaho man and a Texas boy did not get shots because of a belief that no bat bite or scratch broke their skin. In all three cases, people “either trivialized the exposure (to bats) or they didn't recognize the severity of rabies,” said Ryan Wallace, a CDC rabies expert who co-authored the report. 

 Two other deaths occurred earlier in 2021. One was a Minnesota man bitten by a bat. He got the shots, but an undiagnosed immune system problem hampered their effectiveness, CDC officials said. The other victim was bitten by a rabid dog while traveling in the Philippines and died in New York after returning to the U.S.

 Rabies is caused by a virus that invades the central nervous system and is usually fatal in animals and humans. It’s most commonly spread through a bite from an infected animal, with most U.S. infections in recent years traced to bat encounters.

U.S. to Ban Dogs From Over 100 Countries Amid Concern Over Spread of Rabies.

 

U.S. to Ban Dogs From Over 100 Countries Amid Concern Over Spread of Rabies. Dogs from more than 100 countries will be banned from being brought into the United States for one year because of heightened concerns over the spread of rabies, federal health officials announced on Monday. 

 The countries targeted by the ban, which will take effect on July 14, are considered to be at high risk for spreading the deadly virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. 

They include the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, China, Russia, Ukraine, India and the Philippines. Officials at the C.D.C. said that the temporary measure was necessary to prevent the reintroduction of a canine rabies virus variant in United States, where the variant has been eliminated since 2007. 

 As many as 100,000 of the one million dogs that are brought into the United States each year could be denied entry, according to the C.D.C., which said that it would make exceptions on a limited basis for owners of service dogs and foreigners moving stateside with their pets.

Nearly Eradicated in Humans, the Guinea Worm Finds New Victims: Dogs.

 

For 30 years, scientists have fought to eliminate a horrifying parasite. Suddenly, it has begun infecting dogs in Chad, threatening to undo decades of progress. Martoussia, the celebrity of the moment in this remote fishing village, pants heavily under the awning where he lies chained. Still, he remains calm and sweet-tempered as the crowd presses in. 

 Children gawk as volunteers in white surgical gloves ease a foot-long Guinea worm from the dog’s leg and American scientists quiz his owner, a fisherman, about how many worms Martoussia has had. The village chief, Moussa Kaye, 87, is asked the last time one of his people had a worm. 

A Guinea worm, which must be pulled an inch or so a day, being extracted from Djalibe, a village dog. Photo credit. Jane Hahn of The New York Times.

“Not since 40 years ago,” he says. In this arid central African country, the long global struggle to eliminate a horrifying human parasite has encountered a serious setback: dogs. They are being infected with Guinea worms, and no one knows how. Scientists are desperate to solve the puzzle. If the answer isn’t found soon, or if the worms begin to spread widely into other species — a handful already have been found in cats and even baboons — then 32 years of work to end the scourge may crumble, said Mark L. Eberhard, a parasitologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 Once a pathogen runs wild in an animal population, there is little chance it can be wiped out. “An animal reservoir is the kiss of death for eradication,” Dr. Eberhard said. It has happened before. In the 1930s, the drive to eradicate yellow fever died when scientists realized monkeys carried the virus. 

 This setback has come just as the decades-long campaign edges tantalizingly close to victory. In 1986, when the Carter Center — the global health philanthropy in Atlanta founded by President Jimmy Carter — launched the eradication drive, an estimated 3.5 million people in 21 countries had worms.

RABIES : WHAT CAN TRAVELERS DO TO PREVENT RABIES.

 

RABIES : WHAT CAN TRAVELERS DO TO PREVENT RABIES. 

 For some travelers, it may make sense to get the rabies vaccine before your trip.The rabies vaccine is three doses. The second dose is given seven days after the first dose. The third shot is given 21 to 28 days after the first dose. 

Even if you are vaccinated against rabies, if you are bitten or scratched by an animal while traveling, you need to seek medical care immediately and get two booster doses of the vaccine. 

 Travelers can protect themselves from rabies by taking the following steps:

 1)Don’t touch dogs, puppies, or other animals. This goes for strays as well as pets. Not all countries

 require pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Even animals that appear healthy can spread rabies.

 2)Supervise children closely, especially around dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, and wildlife.

 3)If you travel with your pet, watch it closely. Do not allow it around other local pets or wild animals.

 4)Avoid bringing new animals home. Dogs and cats may be infected with rabies but not show signs

 until several days or months later. If you do decide to bring an animal with you be aware animal importation regulations. 

 5)If you are traveling to work with animals, bring and wear appropriate protective gear.

 Act quickly if you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other animal :

1)Immediately wash all bites and scratches well. Use plenty of soap and running water. 

 2)Seek medical care immediately, even if you don’t feel sick or the wound does not look serious.

 3)To prevent rabies, start treatment immediately. 

 4)Treatment for rabies includes getting a vaccine after you have been bitten. 

Even if you were vaccinated before your trip, you still need to seek care if you get bitten or scratched by an animal.

I was bitten by a feral dog while overseas. My search for rabies shots was a terrifying ordeal.

 

I was bitten by a feral dog while overseas. My search for rabies shots was a terrifying ordeal. Sharing this story, though quite lengthy but very informative. 

The take aways from the story: 1) Do not make assumptions about bites. 2) wash bite site with soap and water ,clean area with antiseptic solution then seek medical attention immediately. 

 I’d seen the gaunt canine milling around, but feral dogs seemed to congregate on every corner in India, so one more roaming the grounds of Amritsar’s Partition Museum didn’t garner any special attention. By the time I realized the dog was about to bite me, it was too late. 

 At least not until it sunk its incisors into my knee, leaving two bloody puncture marks. It could have been worse, but in a country where rabies kills thousands of people each year, it could have been so much better. 

 According to the World Health Organization, 36 percent of all rabies deaths occur in India. And while any mammal can transmit the rabies virus, 99 percent of all human cases result from contact with an infected dog. And travelers are not immune. 

In 2018, a British man died after contracting rabies after being bitten by an asymptomatic cat in Morocco. This year, a 24-year-old Norwegian woman died after attempting to rescue a puppy in the Philippines that bit her. In 2017, a Virginia woman succumbed to rabies after a dog bite in India. She rescued a puppy during her vacation. 

The dog’s bite proved deadly. Instinctively, after being bitten, I slathered my knee in hand sanitizer as locals in the northwestern India city directed my partner and me to a small lean-to with a faded red cross painted on it.

RABIES: a neglected disease that perpetuates poverty.

 RABIES: a neglected disease that perpetuates poverty.

Rabies is recognized as one of 20 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by the World Health Organization.

Although rabies is found on every continent, except Antarctica and some islands, it is well controlled or even eliminated in most developed countries. Today over 95% of human victims are from Africa and Asia, most from marginalized and impoverished rural communities. 

 Rabies is a preventable disease that overwhelmingly afflicts the poor, both in terms of its death toll and the associated financial burden. Annual economic losses because of the disease are around 8.6 billion US dollars, mostly due to premature deaths, but also because of spending on human vaccines, lost income for victims of animal bites, and other costs. 

 With a survival rate of less than 0.1%, those exposed to the virus face a stark choice: go in search of a series of vaccines and immunoglobulin that prevent the onset of the disease (post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP) or die. In some cases, PEP costs more than the monthly household income, and families are known to either go into debt to pay for PEP, or sell livestock on which they depend for income; both are options that negatively affect families’ future prospects. Rabies can destroy families literally (through death), emotionally, and financially – making it a truly horrific disease.

   Rabies survivor !!!

Rabies: kicking rabies out of our communities.

 Rabies though fatal is 100% preventable. There is a massive campaign to eliminate rabies by 2030, join now . Learn all you need to know about rabies and how to prevent it.

 Get free resources to share here.