China reports another human case of H5N6 bird flu.

 

Another person in mainland China has fallen seriously ill after testing positive for H5N6 bird flu, raising the number of cases so far this year to 17, officials say. The spike in human cases has led to calls for increased surveillance. 

 The latest case is a 51-year-old woman from Nanchang in Jiangxi province who developed symptoms on February 20 after exposure to live domestic poultry, according to the Hong Kong Health Department. She was hospitalized 3 days later and remains in critical condition. Other details about the case were not released by the Chinese government, which often takes a long time to announce new cases. 

 Last week, China reported that a 12-year-old girl and a 79-year-old man died of H5N6 bird flu in early December. Both lived in Liuzhou in the Guangxi region and visited a live poultry market before falling ill. It’s unknown why it took 3.5 months to report the cases. 

 Only 76 people have been infected with H5N6 bird flu since the first confirmed case in 2014, but the vast majority of cases were diagnosed during the past year. At least 17 cases, including five deaths, have been reported so far this year.

Cassava exports, prices jump on surging china demands.

  

Vietnam exported $256 million worth of cassava and cassava products in the first two months of the year, a 77.9 percent year-on-year increase, with China being the biggest market. 

 China accounted for over 95 percent of exports in January, with prices rising by 69 percent year-on-year to $242.2 per ton. 

 According to the Vietnam Cassava Association, a number of local processing factories face a short supply though the harvest season has begun. 

 Local prices are expected to reach record levels by the end of the harvest since most of it would be exported to China at high prices, which have reached $270 FOB at Quy Nhon Port. 

 China has huge demand for cassava as a replacement for corn, whose global prices are surging, to feed pigs.

AGRIBUSINESS : How To Export Nigerian Vegetables To Foreign Countries.

Nigeria vegetable comes in various types they include Amaranthus (Tete) , Tel Fairia, ( Ewedu), Corchorus olitorius ( Ugu) Others are, Ukazi, Ugba, Bitter leaf, etc. Almost all the vegetable in Nigeria can be produced for fresh market in 4-6 weeks after planting. 

It can be produced all the year round depending on the availability of water. Globally, there is a huge demand for Nigeria’s fresh fruits and vegetables and the supply seems short, thus, there is the need for more involvement in agri-food exports from Nigeria. 

 You can export it fresh or dry. To export dry vegetables, you will need to wash before you take it to the machine for drying. You can dry it in a temperature of 42 to 45 degree. After the drying you will sort the bad ones and make sure the one you are sending is free from foreign particles. 

If you are exporting it fresh just make sure you it is free from foreign particles and it is ready for export. The dry vegetable is good for the US and far east while the fresh vegetable is very good for the UK market. 

 Vegetables can be preserved to prolong shelf-life by drying them using solar dryers. This method is safe and easy without loss of nutrients so vegetables get to destination in good condition.Farmers can also dry vegetables to prevent loss due to spoilage when harvest is plenty and demand is low. 

 This farmer uses this method to gather much profits while creating markets throughout the year. Dried vegetables can last for more than eight months without expiring/spoiling.

The inclusion of a solar dryer. into production has increased the shelf-life of vegetables from two days to more than eight months, allowing Kisii County farmer, Jared Otundo, sell his vegetables for longer and in faraway places. continue.

Turning anger to wealth.

How do you turn anger to wealth? What makes you angry is your call to solve a problem, for passion is anger and love combined.

 You need your anger. True learning takes energy, passion, and a burning desire. Anger is a big part of that formula, for passion is anger and love combined.

 You are angry about the shortage of food?

You are angry about pupils stuck up in the house?

You are angry that living in this era of the Covid-19 pandemic is challenging?

 Redirect your anger, find out how to leverage on the crisis to create wealth in agribusiness. Fuel your anger with innovative ideas. Text vet to 35818 and get started.

   #Stay safe, Be wealthy.

Scientists Say Bats Could Be Linked To Coronavirus .

Scientists Say Bats Could Be Linked To Coronavirus As Videos Of Bat Soup Appear Online.Scientists in China have suggested the coronavirus could have originated from fruit bats, while videos of people tucking into bat soup have been shared online. A statement published in the South China Morning Post: "The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats... but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate."The report comes as videos have gone viral showing people tucking into bat soup - considered a delicacy in parts of China. Clips shared online show a bat floating inside a bowl of broth, while another shows a woman eating a bat with a pair of chopsticks. Scientists are still unclear on how the virus has spread, but the report found it has a 'strong binding affinity' to a human protein called ACE2. Scientists say this binding protein has a 'high resemblance to that of SARS'.more

China to complete cassava processing plant in Sept.

China to complete cassava processing plant in Sept. China is to establish a cassava processing plant in Nigeria to promote the market value chain of the tuber. Mr John Wen, Manager in the Marketing Department, Green Agriculture West Africa Limited (GAWAL), said this on the sideline of a training on cassava processing in Abuja. Wen said the project, which would be completed by the end of September, was being implemented by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS). He said that the academy was under the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and was handling the project in collaboration with GAWAL. “CATAS now is establishing a cassava processing mill in Abuja and once this plant is put in place we will process cassava in Nigeria.

Startup : Cassava processing as a lucrative start up venture.

Agribusiness: Cassava processing is a startup that can change your life. Garri and Cassava production – A small business that can change your life! Garri and cassava production in Africa is an impressive business opportunity for the continent, especially West and Central Africa. 

  Cassava is one of the most popular and widely consumed food crops in Africa. Because it is such an important food in the region and an extremely versatile crop, it is commonly referred to as cornerstone of food security in Africa.  

 The competing needs for cassava cut across both human and animal consumption. It is fast becoming a popular raw material in industrial production and is now a preferred material for making biofuels. As Africa’s population and economy continues to grow rapidly, the demand for food staples like cassava has increased. This high demand for various forms of processed cassava is pushing prices to the ceiling. Several small scale cassava farmers are making a fortune and changing their lives through this business. Why is cassava an important food crop for Africa? 

Cassava is highly adaptable to the African tropical climate and soils, and remains very popular for producing excellent harvests even when other crops fail. It is also the most widely available source of carbohydrates and dietary energy in Africa. Processed forms of cassava, especially garri, fufu and tapioca, are very common throughout West Africa. 

Garri is hugely popular in the region as it has traditionally remained cheaper than other carbohydrate sources, especially rice and maize. Garri ( tapioca) is the most widely traded processed cassava product. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of the cassava produced in Africa is processed into garri.

Four-legged chicken in China.

The farmer, Zhu, and his daughter, were so concerned by the discovery that they took the bird to local officials to see if they could shed any light on the creature that offered double the usual number of drumsticks. According the People’s Daily Online, which has published pictures of the bird, the hen was deemed edible, and is not thought to be suffering from any long-term health issues. And all four limbs function, meaning that the chicken can walk and run as well as any other. The four-legged feathered friend, however, while a rarity is not unique. Four-legged chickens have previously been reported in China, as well as in India, the U.S. and Thailand but, more often than not, the additional limbs are nonfunctional. Various theories have been put forward as to why the bird, dubbed “Frankenchicken,” may have hatched with the additional legs, including stress, shock or radioactivity.To date, it is the only four-legged chicken found on Zhu’s 10,000-head poultry farm in Shangdong Province, and it has become somewhat of a local celebrity with visitors lining up to photograph it. But its fame will be fleeting as the father and daughter have said that -- assuming it does not outrun them -- they will eat the bird, as to do otherwise would be a waste.Read more

Manure is Money in the People’s Republic of China .

Livestock farms in Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China, are converting pig waste into clean energy. This is helping to manage an environmental threat, contribute to the national energy grid, and boost the incomes of farmers. Read more

China, Taiwan brace for super typhoon after dozens killed in flooding..

China was bracing for a super typhoon on Thursday after weeks of heavy rain killed dozens and submerged huge swathes of the country in floods. Typhoon Nepartak, which is barrelling towards Taiwan after packing winds of up to 163 mph on Wednesday, is expected to make landfall on the island early on Friday before heading towards China later in the day. The super typhoon is set to add more misery to “an already perilous local flood situation” in China, Xinhua news agency said, as the country grapples with its worst flooding since 1998. A total of 186 people have been killed since last Friday, the China Daily newspaper said, citing authorities. China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said 41 people are missing, almost 50,000 houses collapsed and more than 1.6 million people have been relocated. Taiwan’s defence ministry said they had put 35,000 soldiers on standby for the typhoon, while flights have been cancelled and schools and offices shut. Meanwhile, authorities in the eastern provinces of China were bracing for heavy rain and strong winds, cancelling ferry and train services while fishing boats were being ordered to return to port. The central city of Wuhan has reportedly experienced its heaviest rainfall on record and has been put on red alert by authorities, the highest of China’s four tier weather warning system. Large parts of the city of 10 million people have been cut off and some residents are trapped in their homes. Li Keqiang, China’s Premier, visited Wuhan on Wednesday and called on soldiers to ensure that embankments along the Yangtze River were secured. Neighbourhoods along the 3,900 mile river have been threatened after water levels rose alarmingly. The China Daily said Mr Li, who was wearing a military-style camouflaged raincoat, had told soldiers “the lives of millions of people would be in peril” if the embankments were breached. The flooding had led to alligators escaping from the Crocodile Lake Ecological Resort in Wuhu, Anhui province, on Wednesday. "More than 90 escaped and I don’t know many have been recaptured - but I can’t say all of them,” said an employee, who was surnamed Zuo, on Thursday. “But they are Yangtze alligators, which have a good temper,” he told The Telegraph. “They won’t attack people, intentionally." Contributed by the Telegraph .

Rescue operation to save 6,000 pigs from flooding in China .

A rescue mission to save 6,000 pigs from severe flooding district. Two farmers in Anhui province were photographed breaking down as they looked at their pigs struggling, up to their snouts in water. Their farm lies near the banks of the Yangtze River, which has overflowed after days of heavy rainfall. It appeared that the pigs would become victims of the floods, which have killed more than 100 people and caused severe property damage in communities along the river. According to local media, though, the public outcry led to the pigs being rescued. A local organisation visited the farm and managed to save the pigs, according to Anhui News. Flooding in the river basin has left 112 people dead or missing in recent days, state media said on Tuesday, with more damage feared from a typhoon expected to make landfall within days. Some 16 million people have been affected by heavy rains that have left vast areas under water near the Yangtze, China's longest river, the Beijing News cited the civil affairs ministry as saying. Water levels in Taihu Lake, close to Shanghai, are at their highest level since 1954, it said, adding the area faced a "serious" risk of flooding if a typhoon hit nearby on Friday. Flooding is common during the summer monsoon season in southern China, but rainfall has been particularly heavy this year and many areas have been lashed by torrential rains this week. China's national observatory issued an orange alert for storms across the country's south and east last week - the second highest warning in a four-tiered system. Whole villages were levelled and at least 98 killed in the eastern province of Jiangsu last month after the region was hit by a storm with hurricane-force winds and the worst tornado in half a century. Floods have also hit South Asia this week, with 33 killed in Pakistan and 25 left dead in India after unusually heavy rains. Contributed by the Telegraph

Farms and animals decimated in China flooding.

Severe flooding has decimated a region west of Shanghai, killing as many as 130 people and millions of animals while damaging $5.7 billion worth of crops, Reuters reported. The rain over the past week forced 1.3 million from their homes in Anhui. Aside from the loss of crops, the flooding reportedly killed 7,100 hogs, 215 bulls and 5.14 million fowl, according to the China News Service. The reported death toll varied. The BBC reported more than 180 dead and at least 45 missing. Dozens reportedly died in a mudslide in Guizhou Province. "Our country’s flood control work has entered a critical stage. For the next step, the state authorities will make plans based on the most adverse situation,” the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said in a statement on its website. China's State Television showed images of rescue efforts, damaged areas, and urban areas swamped by water. According to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, rainfall since late-June has destroyed 22,000 houses and forced 726,000 to relocate in provinces including Jiangsu, Hubei, Henan and Sichuan. Water in 43 rivers has exceeded warning levels and authorities have sent workers to patrol the river dykes, said Chen Guiya, an official with the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission. China's meteorological authority renewed its orange alert for heavy rain in the south and southwest of the country on Monday. China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Contributed by Foxnews and Associated press

Pet jerky treats linked to hundreds of dog deaths.

Jerky treats imported from China are still being linked to hundreds of dog deaths, according to the FDA. Between September 2014 and December 2015 the FDA investigated 200 more reports of animals becoming sick after eating the chicken, duck and sweet potato treats imported from China. The number is lower than previous years but investigators still caution owners to be on the lookout for vomiting or other symptoms. Since 2007, the FDA has investigated the illnesses of 6,200 dogs – including more than 1,100 deaths. Culled from WIRC

THE EXPORT POTENTIAL OF SNAIL SHELLS.

The rearing and processing has been highlighted in earlier posts. The new angle to story is the use of the snail shells as decorative pieces and art work that also command export potentials.

 The shells are used in creative artistic works that graced a number of art shops abroad,the unique designs on shells make them masterpiece material.

Vietnam raises bird flu alert as dangerous strain detected

Vietnam raises bird flu alert as dangerous strain detected

CHINA CLONING FACTORY TO PRODUCE A MILLION CATTLE.

In a bid to ensure food security, China has gone the biotech way to provide beef for consumption.The world’s biggest animal “cloning factory” is due to open in China, producing one million calves a year, sniffer dogs and even genetic copies of the family pet. Interest in agricultural biotechnology has been rapidly increasing in China, where farmers are struggling to provide enough beef for the country’s growing middle classes. Prices of the meat are said to have tripled from 2000 to 2013. Mr Xu said his new facility will clone racehorses and a handful of dogs for people with “emotional ties” to their pets, but its main focus was producing cattle. However, he appeared to be more excited about its ability to churn out sniffer dogs. read more here;http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/12013158/China-cloning-factory-to-produce-cattle-racehorses-and-pets.html

GENE THAT MAKES BACTERIA IMMUNE TO LAST RESORT ANTIBIOTICS HAS POTENTIAL TO SPREAD.

A newly identified gene that renders bacteria resistant to polymyxin antibiotics—drugs often used as the last line of defense against infections—has the potential to be shared between different types of bacteria.

The finding raises concern that the transferable gene could make its way into infectious bacteria that are already highly resistant to drugs, thereby creating strains of bacteria immune to every drug in doctors’ arsenal.Researchers fear it could move to new bacteria and create unstoppable superbugs. The gene, dubbed mcr-1, exists on a tiny, circular piece of DNA called a plasmid.

These genetic elements, common among bacteria, are mobile; bacteria can make copies of them and share them with whatever bacteria happens to be nearby. Though scientists have previously discovered genes for polymyxin resistance, those genes were embedded in bacterial genomes, thus were not likely to easily spread.

 Read more;http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/11/gene-that-makes-bacteria-immune-to-last-resort-antibiotic-can-spread/

Resistance to 'Last-Resort' Antibiotic Found in China

CHINA - Scientists in China have found increased levels of resistance to an antimicrobial drug used when other drugs have failed, according to a report in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. The scientists were conducting routine surveillance for antibiotic resistance in E. coli when they found the resistant specimen in a pig. They also found on further investigation that the type of resistance carried can be easily transferred to other bacteria. The resistance gene was found in 15 per cent of E. coli collected from raw meat samples, 21 per cent of samples from animals and 1 per cent of samples from inpatients with infection.The scientists said that urgent global action was needed to fight antimicrobial resistance.Read more ; http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/36184/resistance-to-lastresort-antibiotic-found-in-china/

Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program - Agricultural Marketing Service

Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program - Agricultural Marketing Service

PROCESSING POULTRY FOR PROFIT.

All categories of poultry can be raised and processed for profit. The time of maturation of these birds differ hence the venture could be short term or a long term venture depending on your finances . Whatever the category, processing and packaging as premium chicken still is the best approach as it attracts high market value.