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.

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Agribusiness : How to turn your tomato business to a money farm.

Agribusiness : How to turn your tomato business to a money farm. Tomatoes are healthy fruits with massive health benefits as they are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties, which is responsible for the deep red color of tomatoes. Fresh raw tomatoes are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins, tomatoes are also low in calories as 100 grams of tomatoes have around 18 calories. Agribusiness : How to turn your tomato business to a money farm. Tomatoes can be processed to paste,puree and ketchup alongside other products. The tomato market is large and a lot needs to be done to prevent the losses currently experienced from farm to market. Investors in the chain can actually tap into value addition in the form of processing the fruit into other products that are also equally beneficial in terms of health and wealth. Tomato business. Tomatoes can be used fresh and raw or processed into other products to prolong shelf-life and increase profit. Here are a few tips for a startup in tomato business. Tomato ketchup : this is by far the most common form of processing,with various brands adding specific ingredients to make their products unique.Ketchup is commonly used with snacks and ready-to-eat foods,the chicken and chips delicacy is not complete without it. Agribusiness : How to turn your tomato business to a money farm. Tomato paste: this is easy and most convenient for working mums, the tomatoes are cut up and processed into ready to use paste. There is another value addition with the tomato paste,it could actually be blended with pepper and some salt to produce a tomapep product. This is a handy ingredient for homes,eateries,school cafeterias and definitely a travel companion when camping out. How to make tomato ketchup;

Biosecurity threats on the farm.

Bio security threats could be internal or external causes,take a look at the table and learn which threats your farm is vulnerable to and how to be safe. Read more

Be a watermelon farmer and be a millionaire.

Amos Morori 38, went into watermelon farming, a venture that has brought boundless fortune, making him the only millionaire in his village. He says going into farming was a priceless decision. “I settled for watermelons because they do extremely well in Kerio Valley. The fruit is high-yielding, matures fast and has a huge market,” he says. His record fruit so far weighs 25 kilos. Raring to go and armed with Sh40,000 after persuading his father to sell a few heads of cattle to enable him start the venture, Morori started growing the fruit on their farm along the banks of River Kerio. He first cultivated an acre before up-scaling the farm to 10 acres. Read here

START UP @ BANANA / PLANTAIN PRODUCTION.

The health benefits of bananas/ plantain can not be overemphasized and this love can be turned to a business venture ,which is equally rewarding. Bananas/ plantain can be packaged raw and fresh or processed and packaged for sale. The business of frying and packaging plantain as snack is another topic entirely that will be discussed later. A recent interview with a farmer with plantain/banana plantation shed some more light on the planting and nurturing of the fruit.There are various species that can be cultivated, that starts fruiting at about 5 months and new varieties are also available courtesy of bio crops which fruit earlier , grow bigger and tastes better. Thinking of starting a plantation? consider this; The soil type should be virgin with added advantage if it has river-silt deposits. The soil does not have too be too deep,because banana /plantain crops are shallow rooted.The best soil type is loamy drained to 4-6 feet deep is recommended, heavy clay soils are unsuitable. The variety/specie depends on choice of the farmer as well as target market,the new improved varieties and imported varieties have been used extensively in the field. Land preparation entails,clearing the land and fell any tree on site; line and stake out so that the plantation will not be haphazard. Dig holes that should be at least 1 .5 x 1.5 x 1.5.,and note the heavier the soil the larger the planting hole. Planting usually done by rhizomes or sword suckers.The planting with rhizomes entails,using the fleshy underground part of the plant usually taken from large suckers that have not fruited.These are dug,suckers removed just above the rhizomes and all roots trimmed off. The layer rhizomes may be cut into 2 pieces each for planting one foot deep.This method gives greater yields. Bananas/plantains are sensitive to water shortage,thus keep water available to roots frequently. Application of fertilizer is important for the plantation,although the natural fertility is fully utilized but bananas grow better when sulphate of ammonia applied as top dressing during rains. Remove weeds after planting and cut smaller branches of the felled trees to give the young crops a chance to grow.Its advisable to avoid deep cultivation,which damages the shallow roots.When plants are full grown they will shade the ground and prevent growth of more weeds. Cut branches at maturity and sell-off. The number of suckers determines the yield and quality.The ideal situation is to start with one sucker and when its about half height,start a second sucker.When the second sucker is half-height,start the third and continue. If market is far from farm such as across borders or across states, cut the bunches at maturity before it ripens and store for transport to market. The bunches can be hung up from farm barn roof and then smoked to get uniform ripening. The bananas can also be stored at 68-70 F at humidity of 85%. The bunches can also be put in a pit in the ground and covered with banana leaves and leave for 3 days. plantain lover # banana love # entrepreneur # plantain chips # banana pudding.

DISEASE PREVENTION IN POULTRY FARMS.

Bio security is a set of protocols that are simple but specific that positively influence animal health,public health and ensure food safety.

 Personal hygiene plays a vital role in disease prevention; the use of protective clothing and shoes is a major way to stay safe and keep flock clean. The protective clothing could be disposable or re use-able and the level protection required will depend on the case at hand.

   The normal protective clothing for every day farm use include, the overalls,gloves and boots.The level of protection becomes more sophisticated in outbreak cases, where disposable protective clothing are worn with  the use of nose guards/respirators.

. The use of protective clothing and boots is complemented  with hand washing and disinfection. The clothes and boots are to be washed ,and disinfected after every use.

 HAND WASHING: this can be achieved with soap and disinfectants.The wash bowls should be placed at key points in the farm,and washing should be done before you enter farm and handle birds.

Alcohol swipes also come in handy after washing, these can be used to ensure the hands are clean and germ free.

 Foot dip: vats filled with disinfectant and placed at entrance of farms. The disinfectants should be changed at regular intervals.

HOW TO MANAGE A SICK HORSE ON THE FARM.

The simple rule of isolating sick animals on farm will help prevent spread of infectious agents.The method of isolation include the following; 1) house horse in a seperate stall. 2) use dedicated feeder,waterer,tools for the sick horse. 3) cordon off the area from healthy horses. 4)Attend to sick horse last,where possible dedicate a worker to tend to that horse. 5)Wash your hands see more here http://www.thehorse.com/articles/27906/biosecurity-for-hospitals-and-horse-farms?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=in-depth&utm_campaign=09-18-2015