HYDROPONICS AND FOOD SECURITY.

Benefits of hydroponics. 1) There is no need for soil means more food can be grown on less land,this is ideal for a growing, urbanizing global population. 2) Yields can be up to 10 times more than from open field agriculture. 3) The water used can be recycled. 4) Farms can be anywhere, from skyscrapers to shipping containers. 5)Pollution from pesticides and herbicides can be prevented. 6)Local production reduces food miles and transportation costs. , A tech firm Fujitsu , at its Aizu Wakamatsu factory in central Japan is applying cloud-based data analytic s to the production of low-potassium lettuce and spinach.The operation takes place in a dust-free "clean-room" formerly used for semiconductor production. Fujitsu's cloud platform - Akisai - stores and analyses data from lots of sensors in the greenhouses, and enables heating units, ventilation fans and other equipment to be operated remotely."In terms of quality, we have applied the same industrial perspective from semiconductor manufacturing to vegetable cultivation," a Fujitsu spokesman tells the BBC. "Having a control structure that keeps product specifications - the weight and nutrient constituent-parts of lettuce - within a defined range, makes for effective high added-value vegetable production." The company sells the lettuce it produces to hospitals, supermarkets, and hotels - as well as online - and says its cloud service is collecting valuable data that is leading to improved quality and higher yields. Fujitsu's insights and efficiency improvements could also encourage more producers to enter the market and "lead to an increase in younger generations getting into agriculture", the spokesman adds. Story credit;BBC news.

FEEDING BROILERS FOR PROFIT.

The feeding cost in broiler production accounts for over 70% the cost of production,hence proper feeding and management technique will ensure success in the venture.The feed efficiency also refers to feed conversion ratio is the amount of feed consumed by broiler to produce a unit of flesh.The feed efficiency of broiler is 2:1, that is for every 2kg of feed consumed a kg of flesh is expected.The lower the feed conversion ratio the better the feed efficiency. FACTORS AFFECTING FEED CONVERSION RATIO. 1) The broiler breeds are bred basically for meat,and the male broilers grow faster than the females.The males utilize the feed properly hence its better to raise males separate from females to save cost. 2)The females given same feed dont grow at same rate,their feed utilization is poor. 3)The age is another factor, after 8weeks the feed conversion ratio becomes poor.The birds consume more feed and they dont grow at expected rate,thus increasing production cost. 4)Nutrition; a balanced ration will stimulate growth,if essential nutrients are missing the feed becomes incomplete.The broiler diet consists of broiler starter which is 24% protein and 3000kcal energy and the finisher has 20% protein and 3200 kcal.If your feed is improperly mixed,the essential nutrients will not be available for growth and development. Feed that excludes certain nutrients will not ensure growth, and feed with excess salt will not ensure any growth and development. 5) Health of the flock; diseases affect growth and development of the birds.Diseases that affects the intestinal lining will result in mal absorption of feed,thus stunting growth.Disease causing nonabsorption/malabsorption of feed should be prevented. Common diseases that result in mal absorption such as coccidiosis,enteritis,toxicosis,worms and nutritional deficiency. These diseases are prevented by strict bio security protocols,vaccinations and medications and vitamin supplements. When all protocols are adhered to then,the venture will be very successful.

INVESTING IN POULTRY VALUE CHAIN.

Production overview of the poultry-value chain. The value chain encompasses the following poultry species; cockerel, layers , turkeys and broilers. The emphasis of this project is on intensive broiler production because of the rapid return on investment. The advantages of this venture are as follows; 1) Production span is 42-days. 2) Low capital investment. 3) Large market. 4) High turn-over of investment. The broiler production is a profitable venture that is not labour intensive; also the cost of medication is limited because of the length of production. This is also an added advantage as it will further reduce overhead costs and the benefits of this venture are tapped faster than in other poultry species. The processing aspect will involve machines that work at high capacity to process birds in large numbers within a short time. The venture will also promote partnership with other producers, who can use the facility at a fee. This will also be another point of wealth generation, as the cost of the machines will be recovered within a short time. Investors in this value-chain have the rapid return on investment as an advantage because financial institutions have short-term loans that will benefit them.