Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV.

Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most widespread disease in the swine industry. In sows, PRRSV causes reproductive problems during gestation, including abnormal litters or abortions. Growing pigs with the disease will have respiratory problems and poor growth. Increased soybean meal concentrations in the diet may help alleviate the effects of PRRSV in infected weanling pigs. PRRSV infected pigs fed high soybean meal concentrations had a more efficient virus elimination compared to PRRSV infected pigs fed the low soybean meal diet. Soybean meal is the primary protein source fed to swine. It also contains isoflavones, compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV.

Nandi farmers using ‘Kangara’ to treat foot and mouth disease.

Nandi farmers using ‘Kangara’ to treat foot and mouth disease.Nandi farmers have devised a new way to control the deadly foot and mouth diseases (FMD) in their livestock by using ‘kangara’, a mixture of molasses and maize flour from which chang’aa, a traditional home-brewed spirit; popular in Kenya is distilled. 

The kangara is fed to cows, goats or sheep with the virus and within four days, the livestock is cured. see

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 4 Key Steps To Detect Rabies In Dogs.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 4 Key Steps To Detect Rabies In Dogs. Step 1. Recognize the first signs, the first stages of the illness usually last a week. During this period the sick dog will present some general symptoms. These signs are: muscle pain, irritability, weakness, agitation, discomfort, photophobia (intolerance to bright lights), loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, inability to swallow normally and cough. Step 2. Look for symptoms of the paralytic form of the disease, this is the most common form of rabies in dogs, and lasts about 3 to 7 days after the first general symptoms. It is called this way because it causes paralysis of some areas of the body of the infected canine, which can start on the hind legs until reaching the facial muscles. Step 3. Look for symptoms of the aggressive form of the disease, this form of rabies also lasts about a week, and happens when the dog has symptoms of aggression and irritation. This type of rabies in dogs often causes a change in behavior. VETERINARY MEDICINE: 4 Key Steps To Detect Rabies In Dogs. It will make them act abnormally, and the foam in the mouth so characteristic of this condition makes them look even more dangerous. Although many think that this is the only form of the disease, it is not, and is much less common. The signs that will help you detect this furious form are excessive salivation with the appearance of foam, hydrophobia or panic to the water, aggression for no apparent reason, uncontrollable desire to bite things and people, restlessness, loss of appetite, irritability, playful attitude that changes Drastically to an aggressive one with just a caress or some other sign of affection. Step 4. Look for any open wounds or any bite marks on your pet's body: usually this disease is transmitted through saliva, which can reach the body of the can through a direct bite or other underlying injury. Contagion is usually carried out when an uninfected dog is bitten or scratched by one that is in the aggressive form of the disease. In very rare cases the virus travels through the air or stays in contaminated objects until it reaches the mucous membranes of its victim. These symptoms will progressively worsen, which greatly increases the risk of death and contagion to other animals and humans. Also, keep in mind that children are primarily affected by the bite of a rabid dog, because they are the least able to defend themselves both physically and biologically.

How to use data to ensure food security.

                    How to use data to ensure food security. 

    The use of data in agriculture cannot be overemphasized as its been proven that data could help promote food security.

 New data-driven solutions in agriculture and nutrition are increasingly being seen as a way to tackle the estimated population explosion. It is estimated that the population of the world is expected to double and the increase will definitely result in more food production.

 The Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative seeks to support global efforts to make agricultural and nutritional relevant data available, accessible, and usable worldwide.

This initiative is a welcome development on the global scale but this model can be used at a local level to class farmers,collate data and map out strategies to boost food security.

     This initiative of using a data revolution to drive innovation in agriculture and ultimately achieve food security will mean improved livelihoods for farmers, especially those in the developing world, and the ability for more people to feed themselves.

 This is where telecommunication comes into play, the higher the number of farmers that are connected on a network/platform ,the more data is generated and information disseminated easily.

Turning Food Wastes to Cheaper Alternatives For Animal Feed.

Food losses and waste converted to animal feed to ensure food security and reduce cost of production. Food waste that are longer suitable for human consumption,off the shelf food can be converted to animal feed however, feed safety should be maintained at all costs. 

 Globally, food waste is rising to 50 percent as developing nations struggle with spoilage while developed nations simply toss edible food away. The crux of the matter actually is that by 2050 there will be about 9 billion people to feed,thus pushing for more food production. 

These waste can be converted to animal feed with the aim to reduce cost of production and boost food security. Foodstuffs become unsuitable for human consumption for different reasons such as production errors leading to broken or intermediate foodstuffs or surpluses caused by logistical challenges of daily delivery, surpluses caused by discontinuation of a food product line, expired products or damaged products in transit.

 Foodstuffs like biscuits, chocolates, pastry, cakes and bread are valuable ingredients for animal diets ,these are sourced from manufacturers and processed as animal feed. The important point to note is that waste from animal products and catering centers are not included in this type of production to ensure food safety. The main ingredients are carbohydrates,sugars with certain vitamins,thus forming a major portion of the feed which translates to low cost of production. 

 The processed feed are easily digestible, making the needed nutrients available easily to the animals which results in weight gain. There is efficient feed conversion ratio making animals reach market size fast. The type of waste will depend on the animal you intend to feed ,but basically pigs,cattle,goats benefit. 

The high cost of feed has also pushed farmers to the extreme,thus implementing new feeding methods. A farmer recently shifted to candy,chocolate and cookies for his dairy cattle and has recorded increase in weight, milk production and healthy animals. read

Early exposure to pets can reduce allergy and obesity.

A new study by University of Alberta has shown that early exposure to pets can reduce allergy and obesity by altering gut bacteria in immune-boosting ways. This new study has showed that babies from families with pets of which 70% were dogs showed higher levels of two types of microbes associated with lower risks of allergic disease and obesity. The theory is that exposure to dirt and bacteria early in life from the dog's fur or from its paws can create early immunity.The study shed more light by understanding the connection and identifying that exposure to pets in the womb or up to three months after birth increases the abundance of two bacteria, Ruminococcus and Oscillospira, which have been linked with reduced childhood allergies and obesity, respectively. The numbers of the two bacteria were increased twofold when there was a pet in the house, meaning that the pet exposure was shown to affect the gut microbiome indirectly -from dog to mother to unborn baby -- during pregnancy as well as during the first three months of the baby's life. In other words, even if the dog had been given away for adoption just before the woman gave birth, the healthy microbiome exchange could still take place.

HOW TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTORS TO AGRICULTURE WITH AGROTOURISM.

  Agrotourism involves any agriculturally-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch thereby promoting the country and attracting investors.

Agrotourism setup usually involves a large expanse of land with various animals in cages or free flying birds in various zones, plants and other as ethics are used to beautify the place but most importantly a natural environment is created.

 Agrotourism can be a major source of foreign investment with planning and organisation of our zoos,animal resorts and conservation spots.

Agrotourism is a form of tourism that is considered as a growing industry in many parts of the world and its a style of vacation that normally takes place on a farm, ranch,zoo or animal resort.

Agrotourism can be real or virtual depending on your clientele and purpose ,see how to use virtual reality in agrotourism. Read ; I bet you will love to have a mini park,that is a leisure spot and your personal A.T.M. Welcome to our park; visit

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 25 Amazing Veterinary Breakthroughs in the Last 10 Years.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 25 Amazing Veterinary Breakthroughs in the Last 10 Years. As medicinal breakthroughs in human health are made, so too do the advances of veterinary medicine,from surgeries to the latest advancements in therapies. The list below says it all; 1) Stem Cell Therapy Not just a point of conversation and debate for human medicine, it is available in veterinary medicine as well. Its goal is to stimulate and activate dormant stem cells ensuring maximum uptake achieving best possible results. It is offered by many practices, including Medivet. 2) Cancer Vaccine In this aspect, veterinary medicine seems leaps ahead of human. This vaccine is intended for melanoma, or a type of skin cancer. Since dogs spend most of their time exposed to the sun without any kind of sunscreen, they can be susceptible to melanoma. 3)Laser Surgery Not just for corrective eye surgery in humans anymore. Concentrated light sources can be used in spays and neuters, declaws, ear surgery, and many more. continue

RESEARCH : Fish communicate with one another using urine.

RESEARCH : Fish communicate with one another using urine. A paper published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology by a team of researchers has shown that at least one species of fish communicates with others of its kind using chemicals in its urine. The researchers inserted a partition in the middle of a fish tank that prevented fish on either side from interacting physically with one another. In some scenarios, the barrier had tiny holes to allow water to pass between the sides, while in others it did not. RESEARCH : Fish communicate with one another using urine. Also, some barriers were opaque and others were transparent. In addition, the researchers injected the fish with a blue dye that allowed them to see and measure urine being expelled by the fish once in the tank. The researchers measured how much urine was expelled under a variety of situations—in which only one fish was in the tank; in which there were two but they could not see each other; in which there were two and they could see each other but were or were not able to communicate via urine through the barrier—the team also used a variety of fish sizes and noted fish behavior throughout each test. The researchers looked at their results and noted that when two fish saw one another in the tank, they raised their fins and approached each other in an aggressive manner, and both emitted more urine than when they were not able to see another fish. They found that only when the urine was allowed to move through the barrier was there a noticeable change in behavior of the fish—in such cases, the smaller fish generally reduced its aggressiveness, yielding to the larger one. The researchers also noted that when the urine was not able to pass through the barrier and the fish were able to see one another, both emitted more urine than in any other scenario, apparently aware that their message was not getting through.

VETERINARY MEDICINE : Dogs 'prefer reggae and soft rock' to other music genres.

VETERINARY MEDICINE : Dogs 'prefer reggae and soft rock' to other music genres. A new research has shown that dogs 'prefer reggae and soft rock' to other music genres. The Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow have published a paper which suggests music affects dogs' behavior. Researchers played a variety of music to dogs at a rehoming centre in Dumbarton and assessed physiological and behavioral changes. Prof Neil Evans said the most positive behavior changes were seen when the dogs were played reggae and soft rock. VETERINARY MEDICINE : Dogs 'prefer reggae and soft rock' to other music genres. All though these genres stood out, he said the study suggested each dog had its own music tastes. Prof Evans said: "Overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences." The dogs were played five different genres of music: soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae and classical.The study suggested that dogs spent "significantly more time lying and significantly less time standing" when music was played, regardless of genre. By measuring the dogs' heart rate, researchers said they showed a decrease in stress levels when played music - particularly when it was soft rock or reggae. PhD student Amy Bowman said: "We were keen to explore the effect playing different genres of music had. VETERINARY MEDICINE : Dogs 'prefer reggae and soft rock' to other music genres. "It was clear that the physiological and behavioral changes observed were maintained during the trial when the dogs were exposed to a variety of music." The Scottish SPCA said it would now be investing in sound systems for all its kennels. The Scottish SPCA said it would now be investing in sound systems for all its kennels. Gilly Mendes Ferreira, of the SSPCA said "At present both our Glasgow and Edinburgh centres are able to pipe music into their kennels. "In the future every centre will be able to offer our four-footed friends a canine-approved playlist, with the view to extending this research to other species in our care." source

VETERINARY MEDICINE: Chocolate toxicity in dogs.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: Chocolate toxicity in dogs. Chocolates are harmful or rather toxic to dogs. The level of toxicity depends on the type of chocolate and quantity consumed,the rule of thumb is the darker the chocolate the higher the rate of toxicity. VETERINARY MEDICINE: Chocolate toxicity in dogs. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is a stimulant similar to caffeine. Theobromine also found in tea has negative effects on the heart, kidneys and nervous system. When level of toxicity is high as in very severe cases the heart rhythm can be stimulated enough to cause the heart to stop. Theobromine also cause seizures and induce comas. Signs of chocolate toxicity include ;1)vomiting. 2)diarrhoea. 3)trembling/shaking 4) fever 5)tachycardia 6)rapid breathing. When next you decide to give your dog a treat,stay away from chocolate. Read labels and avoid food with theobromine,caffeine and cocoa.

World rabies day in Lagos.

The world rabies day celebrated on the 28/September every year, this year's celebration was marked with public lectures, free vaccination exercises and awareness campaign around the state. The event this year was different because of the collaboration with medical officers from hospitals and primary health centers ,school children and youth corp members. 

 The participation of various local government officials,environmental health workers and various local council development areas,emphasized the importance of awareness campaign from bottom up. The day marked with lectures by some veterinarians and medical officers and free vaccination is shown in pics below;

AGRIBUSINESS: Urban agriculture and food security.

AGRIBUSINESS: Urban agriculture and food security. Urban agriculture is simply the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities. The most striking feature of urban agriculture that sets it apart from from rural agriculture, is that it is integrated into the urban economic and ecological system. Urban agriculture can be aptly termed city farming or city agriculture. Urban agriculture usually takes place in locations within the cities that is intra-urban or around the city termed peri-urban areas. The capacity /intensity of activities depends on space. as the venture can be practiced within living quarters such as on a on-plot of land or on land away from the residence (off-plot), on land owned or leased and on public space such as parks, conservation areas, along roads,,sidewalks streams ,alleys or semi-public land like schools, and hospitals. AGRIBUSINESS: Urban agriculture and food security. Urban agriculture includes agricultural activities as well as related processing and marketing activities and affiliated agribusiness ventures. Read here The ever growing population has brought with it a demand for more food to ensure food security.The rapid urbanization has put pressure on the land as more structures for houses,companies and stores are competing for available land ,thus urban agriculture is the key to ensure food security. By 2020 the developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America will be home to some 75% of all urban dwellers, and to eight of the anticipated nine mega-cities with populations in excess of 20 million. It is expected that by 2020, 85% of the poor in Latin America, and about 40-45% of the poor in Africa and Asia will be concentrated in towns and cities. Urban agriculture may improve both food intake by providing improved access to a cheap source of proteins and the quality of the food may improve as families involved in urban farming eat more fresh vegetables than other families.The contribution of urban agriculture to food security and healthy nutrition is an important asset to urbanization. Urban farmers produce substantial amounts of food for urban consumers aside from producting for their own consumption needs, large amounts of food are also produced for other categories of the population for sale. According to UNDP 1996; FAO 1999 , 200 million urban residents provide food for the market and 800 million urban dwellers are actively engaged in urban agriculture in one way or another. The international development research center(1998) shows that urban agriculture to a large extent complements rural agriculture and increases the efficiency of the national food system because it provides products that rural agriculture cannot supply easily such as perishable products, that require rapid delivery upon harvest. Food that can substitute for food imports and can release rural lands for export production of commodities are also added advantage of urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is as an important strategy for poverty alleviation and social integration as the participants in the project may feel enriched by the possibility of working constructively, building their community, working together and in addition producing food and other products for consumption and for sale. This is the case of former convicts that have returned to their communities to practice urban agriculture and keep youths out of drugs. see Benefits of urban agriculture is not limited to food security but encompasses the environment,as its eco-friendly.Farmers use wastewater for irrigating their farms when they lack access to other sources of water or because of its high price. The use of fresh (untreated) wastewater has the additional advantage for urban farmers because it contains a lot of nutrients. Technologies such as hydroponics , drip irrigation, zero farming substantially reduce water needs and health risks and are of value in the urban environment and can be found in many cities. Urban agriculture impact the green effect and cleaning of the city by turning derelict open spaces into green zones and maintaining buffer and reserve zones free of housing, with positive impacts on the micro-climate.

VETERINARY MEDICINE:Bloat in dogs.

VETERINARY MEDICINE:Bloat in dogs. BLOAT, including how to recognize it, and what you can do at home. is it better to bandage a wound or leave it open?the answer will surprise you.

AGRO-VETERINARY: Mobile veterinary clinics in rural areas .

In India ,according to (The Hindu )the State Government has decided to introduce mobile veterinary clinics in districts very soon to improve animal healthcare in rural areas. Nearly 100 such mobile clinics are expected to start functioning with at least one clinic for every assembly constituency. The decision was taken at a review meeting held here on Monday. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Talasani Srinivas Yadav. It was further decided to upgrade veterinary polyclinics as district level veterinary hospitals. Officials informed the Minister that a total of 2,142 veterinary dispensaries/hospitals are functioning in the State. Principal Secretary (AH) Suresh Chanda, Secretary (Finance) Navin Mittal, Director (AH) D. Venkateshwarlu, Managing Director of Telangana State Dairy Development Cooperative Federation (TSDDCF) K. Nirmala, Registrar of Veterinary University Kondal Reddy and others attended the meeting. The Minister wanted the officials to improve milk procurement from the existing 5 lakh litres a day to 6 lakh litres by the year-end along with popularising the milk and milk-products of TSDDCF – Vijaya Dairy Telangana by improving the market share and opening more stalls across the State. Officials stated that about 3.85 lakh litres milk was being sold every day in Hyderabad itself and another 50,000 litres in districts now. The Minister directed the officials to implement ‘Sunandini’ programme, under which cattle feed would be provided at 50 per cent subsidy, properly. He also told them to procure fodder for scarcity period of February-June every year in advance. This move by the Indian government can be adopted in other countries especially developing countries with large numbers of livestock to increase access of rural farmers to veterinary services. It is common knowledge that most communities in developing nations cant access veterinary care,thus leaving their animals at risk of various diseases and even health implications for the owners in cases of zoonotic diseases. When veterinary services are accessible by providing mobile services,by engaging more veterinary officers and training livestock hands in these communities will not only keep diseases at bay but also increase production in terms of capacity and quality of livestock. Employment opportunities will also be created as more hands will be needed to go to various communities,this coupled with upgrading of clinics,provision of drugs and vaccine will revamp the agricultural sector as more products such as eggs,beef,chicken,milk e.t.c will be readily available.

Egg powder (Powdered eggs.#eggs in a sachet.)

Egg powder is your delicious and your choice when you need to prepare an egg recipe fast .The egg powder contains all the nutrients eggs offer plus one extra factor,its handy.

The egg powder comes in 3 variants; the whole egg powder,egg-white powder and egg-yolk powder.

    This is how to use the powder You can serve with any food you desire.Its easy, convenient and very affordable.

AGRIBUSINESS: HOW TO START AQUARIUM BUSINESS AND MAKE MONEY.

AGRIBUSINESS: HOW TO START AQUARIUM BUSINESS AND MAKE MONEY. Learn all about how to take the ocean to your home

E_FUN ZONE

Welcome,relax and have fun. #fun #zone

via GIPHY

AGRIBUSINESS: The role of water hyacinth in industrialization and the sustainable development goals.

AGRIBUSINESS: The role of water hyacinth in industrialization and the sustainable development goals. . The water hyacinth an invasive water plant has great potential for industrialization. The plant is not found on all water bodies in the world,but the nations that have this gift can actually power industrialization in other nations. Water hyacinth has so many uses and benefits,but i want to round up the values here stating how the benefits can go round and achieve sustainable development goals; The water hyacinth can produce clean cheap energy by means of bio gas,this can in-turn be a power source for generating cheap energy that can run industries making the cost of production less and produce easy access to cheaper goods. When power generation is cheap, manufacturing is cheaper,more goods are produced and more people are employed. The energy generated is termed clean energy because the degrees of pollution from emissions is minimal .The energy can be used to power animal houses,thus producing cheap heating source especially in piggery and poultry farms. The production of cheap energy will give rise to various industries and economic growth of participating countries.One of the goal is partnership to achieve the desired outcome of development, this can come in form of training,supply of equipment to harvest and process the hyacinth. The bio-digesters could be provided as technical support,mainly from the developed countries to the developing nation. AGRIBUSINESS: The role of water hyacinth in industrialization and the sustainable development goals. The processing of the water hyacinth can be broadened as most of the products can be exchanged for foreign currency.The climate is better for it as all the products are eco-friendly. The water plant though invasive,an aggressive approach in terms of processing and uses can make the plant an asset.

Research: how bananas prevent blindness.

Research: how bananas prevent blindness. Researchers have found that bananas have carotenoid ; a compound that turn fruits and vegetables red, orange or yellow and are converted into vitamin A.This is an important precursors for eye health and its produced in the liver. Bananas are ideal food for young children and families for many regions of the world, because of their sweetness, texture, portion size, familiarity, availability, convenience, versatility and cost. According to a research, it show that foods containing high levels of carotenoids also protect against chronic disease, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The study showed that banana rich in provitamin A carotenoids may offer a potential food source for alleviating vitamin A deficiency -- important for sight. To combat vitamin A deficiency, researchers have been investigating methods to boost carotenoids in bananas. Cara L. Mortimer and other researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Australia studied two banana varieties to find out why they make very different amounts of carotenoids. They found that the pale yellow, low-carotenoid cavendish variety produces more of an enzyme that breaks down carotenoids. In addition, another variety stashes its carotenoids in microscopic sacs during ripening, shifting the chemical equilibrium in the fruit so it can make even higher levels of these substances. The findings, published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, can someday help in the development of banana varieties with enhanced health benefits. read more http://www.theweekendleader.com/Headlines/6833/a-banana-a-day-may-keep-blindness-away-.html