AGRIBUSINESS: Heat stress in pigs and its effect on the gut.

AGRIBUSINESS:    Heat stress in pigs and its effect on the gut. 


 Heat Stress is a physiological response to high environmental temperatures, where the animal is out of its thermo-neutral zone and can no longer effectively regulate its body temperature. Consequently, animal health, well-being and performance are negatively affected.

 

RESEARCH: Eyes of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease( CJD) patients show evidence of prions.

RESEARCH: Eyes of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients show evidence of prions. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder. It affects about one person in every one million per year worldwide; in the United States there are about 350 cases per year. CJD belongs to a family of human and animal diseases known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases. A prion—derived from “protein” and “infectious”—causes CJD in people and TSEs in animals. Spongiform refers to the characteristic appearance of infected brains, which become filled with holes until they resemble sponges when examined under a microscope. CJD is the most common of the known human TSEs. CJD usually appears in later life and runs a rapid course. The typical onset of symptoms occurs at about age 60, and about 70 percent of individuals die within one year. In the early stages of the disease, people may have failing memory, behavioral changes, lack of coordination, and visual disturbances. As the illness progresses, mental deterioration becomes pronounced and involuntary movements, blindness, weakness of extremities, and coma may occur. There are three major categories of CJD. 1)In sporadic (sCJD), the disease appears even though the person has no known risk factors for the disease. This is by far the most common type of CJD and accounts for at least 85 percent of cases. 2)In hereditary CJD, the person may have a family history of the disease and test positive for a genetic mutation associated with CJD. About 10 to 15 percent of cases of CJD in the United States are hereditary. 3) in acquired CJD, the disease is transmitted by exposure to brain or nervous system tissue, usually through certain medical procedures. There is no evidence that CJD is contagious through casual contact with someone who has CJD. Since CJD was first described in 1920, fewer than one percent of cases have been acquired CJD. A type of CJD called variant CJD (or vCJD) can be acquired by eating meat from cattle affected by a disease similar to CJD called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or, commonly, “mad cow” disease. A new study, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine with colleagues at the National Institutes of Health and UC San Francisco, report finding tell-tale evidence of the condition's infectious agent in the eyes of deceased sCJD patients, making the eye a potential source for both early CJD detection and prevention of disease transmission. In the November 20 issue of the journal mBio, co-corresponding author Christina J. Sigurdson, DVM, PhD, professor of pathology at UC San Diego and UC Davis, and colleagues discovered high levels of prions in the eyes of 11 deceased patients, all with confirmed sCJD. Almost half of sCJD patients develop visual disturbances, and its a known fact that the disease can be unknowingly transmitted through corneal graft transplantation.

DISEASE TRANSMISSION AND BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS.

BIOSECURITY.  Following simple but specific protocols everyday to positively influence animal health, food safety and public health.

 What are the basic protocols in biosecurity? READ

 Biosecurity basically entails, prevention of pathogens from entering premises to ensure there is no disease incidence, and curtail spread of diseases in cases of outbreaks.

  Pathogens are disease causing microorganisms that usually have devastating effect on animals, resulting in decreased production and death in severe cases.  Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, fungi and prion.

.  The animal kingdom is riddled with several pathogens that wreck havoc on these animals irrespective of specie.  These pathogens are also of importance to man, especially when these cause zoonotic diseases.

 Zoonotic diseases are spread from animals to man, and sometimes there is a reverse zoonoses where man actually spreads the disease to their animals.

  Route of transmission.  The basic routes are:  Direct contact.  Aerosol.  Oral.  Formites.  Vector borne  Zoonoses.  Reproduction.  Environmental contamination.

  Mode of transmission.  Direct contact ;disease spread by contact with open wounds, mucous membrane of an infected animal or its secretions/tissue fluids.

Disease can also spread through contact with reproductive fluid(blood, urine and saliva) during breeding, or from mother to offspring.

  Aerosol; droplets containing the pathogenic agent travel in air and are inhaled as respiratory droplets by animals

 Oral; ingestion of the pathogenic agent from contaminated feed ,chewing/licking contaminated objects in environment and water.

 Formites; spread of the pathogen through contact with inanimate objects contaminated by infected animals.

Man can act as formites by transferring these pathogens in through soiled boots, gloves or tools.

AGRIBUSINESS: GlobalG.A.P. as a Way to Safer Food and Safer Food as a Way to a Better Business.

AGRIBUSINESS: GlobalG.A.P. as a Way to Safer Food and Safer Food as a Way to a Better Business.

An international study conducted by Unilever reveals that more than a third of consumers (33%) are now choosing to buy from companies they believe are producing in accordance with ecological principles, and the majority of consumers nowadays expect that products they buy fulfill high social, ecological and ethical standards (source: Unilever). 

 When buying, consumers are wondering: 'Is this product good for my family and me? Is this produced in a healthy way? Although the label claims it is organic, is it really? Is it possible for a false statement to be on a label? Is the price I’m paying justified? Although there are already many certificates that seem to guarantee the origin of the product, there is only one which has definitive rules for growers to follow. 

The GLOBALG.A.P. is a food safety standard developed to regulate food production processes from micro to macro level of producing. GLOBALG.A.P. certificate can provide the customer a complete transparency of the food production process, from the farm to its final product.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to revive a new born calf.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to revive a new born calf. Calves are at a relatively high risk of mortality as soon as they are born. When they hit the ground, and their navel cord is severed, they need to obtain oxygen through the lungs. They do this by starting to breath. However sometimes a difficult or prolonged calving can result in trauma or a weak calf, and they need a bit of help kicking it into gear. A newborn calf's nostrils and mouth are covered with mucous which can affect their breathing, and there are multiple ways a farmer can help to clear them. 1) Stimulate the nostrils to make the calf cough or sneeze. If you tickle the calf’s nostrils with something small, soft and clean you can bring about a cough or a sneeze to clear away the mucous. Usually this is done with straw or a gloved fingertip. Be careful though - if it isn’t clean, small enough to enter the nostril or soft enough, it could injure or inflame the nose. 2) Cold stimulation of the calf. Pouring cold water over the head or into the ear of a newborn calf can bring about head shakes and coughing to clear fluid from their throat. This sudden gush of cold water will come as a shock and is a pretty abrupt welcome into the world for a newborn calf . 3) Aspiration: You can inflate the lungs of a newborn calf by aspiration in a few ways. One way is to insert a soft tube into the nostril. Another is by placing a gas mask over the snout of the calf. This practice prompts the calf to snort like the straw method, however is comes with the added benefit of having the added momentum of a lungful of air. AGRIBUSINESS: How to revive a new born calf.

RESEARCH: Dry-cured ham bones -- a source of heart-healthy peptides.

RESEARCH: Dry-cured ham bones -- a source of heart-healthy peptides.Drinking bone broth is a recent diet fad that proponents claim fights inflammation, eases joint pain and promotes gut health. Simmering animal bones in water releases collagen and other proteins into the broth that may have health benefits, although more research is needed to validate these claims. Now, a new study in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has shown that ham bones contain peptides that could have cardioprotective effects. During cooking and digestion, proteins from animal bones can be broken down into smaller pieces, or peptides, that have different properties than the intact protein. For example, some peptides from collagen act as antioxidants or inhibitors of disease-related enzymes. To see if Spanish dry-cured ham bones could be a source of beneficial peptides, Leticia Mora and colleagues ground up the bones and simulated conditions of cooking and human digestion. Then, they examined whether the bone samples could block the activities of several enzymes involved in cardiovascular disease. The researchers found that the bone peptides, most of which were derived from collagen and hemoglobin proteins, inhibited the enzymes even after heating and simulated digestion. In fact, these treatments released additional bioactive peptides, suggesting that the use of ham bones to make broths and stews could have a positive impact on cardiovascular health. RESEARCH: Dry-cured ham bones -- a source of heart-healthy peptides.

RESEARCH : Plants smell different when attacked by exotic herbivores.

RESEARCH : Plants smell different when attacked by exotic herbivores.Plants emit odors in response to herbivory. A new study reveals that the odor bouquet changes depending on the type of enemy that attacks the plant. To the surprise of the researchers involved, native plants emit a special odor bouquet when they are attacked by exotic herbivores.

RESEARCH :HOW PLANTS SMELL.

RESEARCH :HOW PLANTS SMELL.Plants don't need noses to smell. The ability is in their genes. Researchers have discovered the first steps of how information from odor molecules changes gene expression in plants. Manipulating plants' odor detection systems may lead to new ways of influencing plant behavior. Plants detect a class of odor molecules known as volatile organic compounds, which are essential for many plant survival strategies, including attracting birds and bees, deterring pests, and reacting to disease in nearby plants. These compounds also give essential oils their distinctive scents.

AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT: THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE.

AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT: THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE.

 The business angle of agriculture is agribusiness and the skills and tools necessary to ensure success in agriculture is the management of your business components. The success of any business depends on finding a gap and filling it completely.

 This means  you find an opening,a gap, a need that will improve lives of people. The business is also to promote economic growth apart from  satisfying a need /want in your environment .


 Business= finding a need/want/gap = fill it by providing the #product /#service/goods= #reward=#wealth.

This is also true in agriculture,find a gap/supply what is needed and make money.

 The story of ECHBEE FOODS,is not different we found a gap in the cassava/garri value chain and we filled it.

  Echbee Foods  discovered  that children under 5 were prone to malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency due to poor feeding associated with poverty and lack of knowledge of what to  mix to provide a balanced ration.

AGRIBUSINESS: PPR virus poses threat to conservation.

Cassava,cassava and more cassava.

https://veterinarymedicineechbeebolanle-ojuri.blogspot.com/

AGRIBUSINESS: How to Raise Honeybees.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to Raise Honeybees. Honeybees live in complex communities that may contain as many as 100,000 members. The vast majority of these are the unfertile female bees known as workers. And do they work. They run the hive; feed and clean the queen; gather nectar, pollen, and water (nectar gets converted into carbohydrate-rich honey; pollen is used as is for protein-rich "bee bread"); cool or heat the hive, as needed; feed developing larvae; and make the beeswax they use to build all the hive's cells. During the peak of the season, a worker will live only six weeks before she dies from exhaustion. She'll have gathered enough nectar to make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.

AGRIBUSINESS: Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition.

AGRIBUSINESS: Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition.Cocoa can be seen as a dietary supplement to protect human cognition and can counteract different types of cognitive decline. Researchers have examined the available literature for the effects of acute and chronic administration of cocoa flavanols on different cognitive domains. It turns out that cognitive performance was improved by a daily intake of cocoa flavanols. A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands -- a phrase commonly used to justify ones chocolate snacking behavior. A phrase now shown to actually harbor some truth, as the cocoa bean is a rich source of flavanols: a class of natural compounds that has neuroprotective effects. In their recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers examined the available literature for the effects of acute and chronic administration of cocoa flavanols on different cognitive domains. In other words: what happens to your brain up to a few hours after you eat cocoa flavanols, and what happens when you sustain such a cocoa flavanol enriched diet for a prolonged period of time? AGRIBUSINESS: Cocoa and chocolate are not just treats -- they are good for your cognition.

Agribusiness: 'Stressed out' cocoa trees could produce more flavorful chocolate.

Agribusiness: 'Stressed out' cocoa trees could produce more flavorful chocolate. Most people agree that chocolate tastes great, but is there a way to make it taste even better? Perhaps, according to scientists who looked at different conditions that can put a strain on cocoa trees. Reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they say that although the agricultural method used to grow cocoa trees doesn't matter that much, the specific weather conditions do. Cocoa trees grow in hot and humid climates near the equator. Traditionally, these trees are raised together in mixed groves with other types of trees and plants that can cool the air and provide vital shade. The system, called agroforestry, provides a low-stress environment, increases nutrients in the soil and helps maintain ground water levels. But to gain higher yields, growers sometimes plant cocoa trees in solitary, "monocultural," groves, in which the trees are exposed to stressful conditions. In response to the stress, tress produce antioxidants that can potentially counteract the damage, but these compounds also could change the quality characteristics of the beans. Wiebke Niether, Gerhard Gerold and colleagues from FiBL (Switzerland) wanted to find out whether differing growing methods can influence the chemical composition, and potentially the flavor, of cocoa beans.

AGRIBUSINESS: HOW TO PACKAGE FRESH PRODUCE TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS.

AGRIBUSINESS: HOW TO PACKAGE FRESH PRODUCE TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS.

Farmers invest time and care to cultivate and harvest their produce. To attract the consumers, they need to ensure their products stay fresh with a packaging that will please buyers.

 Packaging is the first step towards adding value to fresh produce. Decent packaging sets the tone for what follows; it catches the consumers eye first. If you want to see this at work, visit the fresh market stores and you will notice that many consumers make decisions on what to buy based on packaging. 

A good  number of people buy  fresh produce on most occasions, some make purchases after work, when they are tired and in such a case  they have five to 10-minute stops off at the supermarket on their way home.

 They want to run through few items, get back in the car and get home.  This is where prepacked fresh produce come in handy. With growing competition, farmers should invest time and effort in creating a product that is pleasing to the eye and picks the interest of a busy customer passing by the aisle.

     A good packaging should make the consumer take a second look. Because consumers are in a hurry, the brand name may not be enough to catch his eye. The  Package shape, color and design is another way to add  value to your brand  for better  identification.

  Read more here

AGRIBUSINESS: FARMERS SHARE TOP LESSONS FOR PROFITABLE BUSINESS.

AGRIBUSINESS: FARMERS SHARE TOP LESSONS FOR PROFITABLE BUSINESS.Many people think farming is the easiest way to make money, away from a demanding office job. The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. Farming is actually a school where farmers pick important lessons, some learnt the hard way. All through the year, we spoke to farmers who stood out in different ways. They are people who have excelled in poultry-keeping, livestock-farming, horticulture and even those who have found the trick of value addition on different products. They share the successes, failures, challenges learnt through 2018. Joseph Boit, maize and dairy farmer — Focus on a small unit and perfect it Joseph Boit, who won the BAKE Kenyan Blog award 2015 in Environment and Agriculture category. He tried horticulture on five acres of land but the huge farm was beyond what he could control. At harvest time, we went home empty handed. For years, Boit has perfected the art of maize-farming, a venture that has been passed on in his family for generations. Not long ago, Boit tried a hand in hay farming and allocated 100 acres for the same, reserving only 10 acres for maize. But Boit is always trying new things and last year, he ventured into horticulture. He set aside 5 acres for kales, onions and watermelons and trusted that rain water would supplement a water pan that was adjacent to the farm. But he was in for a rude shock when it failed to rain for a long time and the water pan dried. “I was unable to water the whole five acres and the onions failed to bulb. It was a total loss,” he says. When it finally rained, it was torrents that destroyed the whole crop of watermelons he had on 4 acres. The kales were in bad shape too and could not fetch much on the market. The loss taught him important lesson. “I should have focused on one acre and perfected it. I now understand why most horticulture farmers only do it on small plots that are easy to manage. I have learnt that horticulture is the most rewarding venture which also requires a lot of resources and dedication. It is not like maize farming. It needs proper planning and ensuring that everything is right.” Boit has not given up on horticulture. In fact, he has better plans for next year. “I am planting capsicum and cabbages on one acre next year. I have invested in a 3,000-litre tank near the farm as well as better irrigation system. I have fenced the whole farm because I also have many goats that may be a nuisance to my crops. I also have my market sorted since I have a motorbike and I will do deliveries on my own. I am not trusting middlemen and I will set my own prices. If all goes well, I am looking at Sh500, 000 profit just from horticulture by the end of next year.” continue

AGRIBUSINESS: Feeding 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits is achievable.

AGRIBUSINESS: Feeding 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits is achievable. A study published in the journal Nature, is the first to quantify how food production and consumption affects the planetary boundaries that describe a safe operating space for humanity beyond which Earth's vital systems could become unstable. 

 A global shift towards healthy and more plant-based diets, halving food loss and waste, and improving farming practices and technologies are required to feed 10 billion people sustainably by 2050 Adopting these options reduces the risk of crossing global environmental limits related to climate change, the use of agricultural land, the extraction of freshwater resources, and the pollution of ecosystems through overapplication of fertilizers, according to the researchers. "No single solution is enough to avoid crossing planetary boundaries. 

But when the solutions are implemented together, our research indicates that it may be possible to feed the growing population sustainably," says Dr Marco Springmann of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, who led the study. "Without concerted action, we found that the environmental impacts of the food system could increase by 50-90% by 2050 as a result of population growth and the rise of diets high in fats, sugars and meat. In that case, all planetary boundaries related to food production would be surpassed, some of them by more than twofold."

AGRIBUSINESS: Simple steps to climate-proof farms have big potential upside for tropical farmers.

AGRIBUSINESS: Simple steps to climate-proof farms have big potential upside for tropical farmers.

Climate-smart agriculture boosts yields, mitigates extreme weather impact and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. 

A new study points to profitable opportunities for farmers and the environment. Cacao farmers in Nicaragua lose their crop, the main ingredient for chocolate, to fungal blight and degrading soils. 

Yields drop in Vietnam's rice paddies because of higher temperatures and increased salinity. 

Bean and maize growers in Uganda see their plants die during severe dry spells during what should be the rainy season. 

 The two-punch combination of climate change and poor agricultural land management can be countered with simple measures that keep farms productive and profitable. 

Implementation of these climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices can increase yields, benefit the environment and increase farmer income, according to a new cost-benefit analysis by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) published November 19 in PLOS ONE.

Veterinary Medicine: Dogs set to benefit from simple blood test to spot liver disease.

Veterinary Medicine: Dogs set to benefit from simple blood test to spot liver disease.A new blood test can quickly spots early signs of liver disease in dogs,according to a new study . The test means that fewer dogs will have to undergo invasive liver biopsies. The tests developed by vets quickly spots early signs of liver disease in dogs. The test is based on insights gained from human patients and will help vets identify damage and start treatment early, saving the lives of many dogs. The test which is to be launched worldwide means that fewer dogs will have to undergo invasive liver biopsies, findings by the University of Edinburgh suggest. Diagnosing canine liver disease is challenging and catching early signs of damage is key to its treatment. Current diagnosis is based on biopsies, which are expensive and can lead to complications.