USDA detains contaminated chicken

USDA detains contaminated chicken

Chinese officials convicted of pig subsidy fraud

Chinese officials convicted of pig subsidy fraud

Livestock virus hits Ontario for first time

Livestock virus hits Ontario for first time

US looks to Africa for export opportunity

US looks to Africa for export opportunity

Getting active and intelligent with food packaging and safety

Getting active and intelligent with food packaging and safety

PIG ABATTOIR.

The abattoir should be situated in well drained area with a good gradient to allow easy run off of waste. The abattoir should be easily accessible with good roads, electricity and close proximity to market.A generator is a necessity in the abattoir,with good supply of portable water. The abattoir should be fitted with overhead rails which have water hose and sprinklers to wash carcass at every slaughtering stage.The walls are tilled to allow easy cleaning and disinfection, the floor is made of cement or concrete so that its easy to wash and disinfect. Raising pigs for profit can be more profitable if a mini abattoir or slaughter house is incorporated in the production chain. A very simple procedure with the use of pulleys/ levers can be used to slaughter pigs in an hygienic way with minimal exposure to contamination. The skin of the pig is not removed as this is eaten along with the meat, with the skin intact much of the meat is not exposed. The hair on the skin is removed by scalding in hot tanks which is at a temp of 60-62°c. The simple sketch shows how the slaughtering is carried out, at the end of the slaughtering process, the carcass are passed on to the processing room, where the cut parts are packed into clean bags for sale.

Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank

Burbank and biotechnology.

Sir Burbank is famous for his numerous new plant varieties he produced by crossing different strains and specie. He is publicly acclaimed for his spineless cacti varieties. The work of Burbank is based mostly on Darwin's theory that in every plant/animal there are variations.He reasoned that genes are selected randomly during breeding,but that in the DNA of plants/animals there are many variations and combination. Burbank worked on various species and produced numerous new species that were bigger, juicy and very colorful.The work on genes,species is now more advanced now with BIOTECHNOLOGY.. The various techniques applied in biotechnology makes selection of desirable traits very easy and the recombination into another specie to produce a new variant.The use of biotechnology is indeed the key to food security.The production of new variant of plants/animals that are resistant to diseases,pest and harsh environment resulting in better variants.This new variants grows rapidly,are bigger and more juicy.These new variants mature fast thus shortening harvest time and are usually large in size commanding high market value.This indeed is a world of possibilities,creating new strains and breeds to feed the ever increasing population. Biotechnology is vital to food security and sustainability.

Biotech crops modify the face of agriculture - CNBC Africa

Biotech crops modify the face of agriculture - CNBC Africa

Agric financing for chicken abattoir.

Farmers just like any other business,may need to lean on a financial arm for support at a point in time.Many farmers dont know the opportunities they have to access these facilities, or how to access them and grow. Farming is a lucrative venture duly supported by government,financial giants,cooperative bodies and micro finance schemes. Agricultural loans are of various types , can be accessed at various levels and have different amounts as per the size of the project.These loans can be accessed corporately or as individuals,depending on amount involved,most of these loans can only be accessed when the farm has an insurance cover. Agricultural loans and agricultural insurance are intertwined,you cannot do one without the other; before you try to access the loan make sure you are insured.The basic requirement for the loan are as follows; 1) application form. 2) farm records; showing productivity and profitability. 3) Registration record/licence of farm. 4) account details. The banks that give out such loans include bank of agriculture, and first bank ,they also require you have an account with them that is operational. To secure an agric loan from a micro finance bank is easy and readily available; see the process Facility range: N50,000 (minimum) to N500,000 (maximum) Methodology: Individual, group and corporate Duration: 1-12 months Grace period: 30-60 days Prospective clients must be practicing farmers with verifiable evidence of existing farm investments. Benefits: No collateral Provides capital for farming activities Flexible repayment structure Low interest rates.

Promoting economic growth with phones.

Information is vital to growth of any economy.The rate at which information is generated,disseminated and utilized is rapidly changing how businesses are run thus imparting the economy.

   Information communication technology has changed the playing field in various strata of the economy,with the advent of mobile phones,internet ,apps, and cloud services.

 Telecommunication has been utilized to collect data,analyze data,process the data and disseminate this as information to individuals and corporations. This facilitates  perfect operations in these fields resulting in economic development.


 The possibilities of telecommunication as a growth driver of the economy is endless..The world itself is a global village, making communication and transfer of documents across continents at the speed of a click.

      The role of telecommunication as a force for economic change are as follows:

 1) Education: this gives access to books,articles,journals learning aids and teaching aids. Telecommunication also facilitates obtaining degrees online,by provision of online universities and self-help courses,which open up individuals to wealth of information and advanced technology which they can apply to their various fields.

 2) Health: this gives access to unique health care facilities,interaction with experts all over the world and exposure to latest medical procedures and diagnostic tools.

This is so very useful in the rural areas where they can access a medical personnel by simply making a call,joining in conference calls and also telemedicine

. 3) Agriculture: this allows forum discussion, dissemination of real live updates on weather,price, improved seeds, insurance, pest control and animal management.

There are several programs that transfer information through info graphics,animation or videos educating farmers so that they cut losses and expand the business.

 4) Time management: with telecommunication every aspect of production is simplified making work fast and easy.  Every information can be easily accessed, and quickly disseminated,thus saving time and over head cost.

 The role of telecommunication as a growth driver for the economy is made possible and workable because of the mobile phone,one in every 3 people has a phone even in rural communities,there is an access to pay phone points.

 Telecommunication is a game changer in the business world and especially the agricultural sector where so many innovations and strategies are springing up to ensure food security. One of such programs is the phone -a-farmer initiative® . This concept  aims to boost the agricultural value chains in various sectors.

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.

BROILERS: PROCESSING AND BY-PRODUCTS.

The 42-day rapid return on investment in broiler production makes it a lucrative business.The beauty of the venture is that no part of the birds is a waste,all by-products is a money-spinner. 

 The processing of the birds are done in processing plants which come in various capacities depending on your type of venture.

The birds are processed in the following sections; Stunning, the birds are stunned before slaughtering to prevent blood in the meat,thus tainting the meat.

 Slaughtering: this is done using the slaughtering cone, the birds are placed in cones and slaughtered. 

 Scalding tank: birds placed in scalding tank operated at proper temperature to prevent cooking the birds. 

   

 De-feathering; the feathers are removed in the defeathering machine,that ensures the birds are clean . \

Evisceration; the visceral removed, also the head/ neck is removed. Washing; the birds are passed to the washing section where they are hosed down with clean water. The birds are then sent to packaging unit. 

 The packaging unit is the last phase of processing,the birds are packed using clean transparent bags and these are sent to chillers for onward supply to supermarket. Investors in this venture can make more money by processing other birds from other farms at a price,this will also reduce over head cost.

The investor can position himself as a producer/ processor in an area bringing more opportunities to that zone.

This can also be another empowerment opportunity for young school leavers,who can easily raise broilers and process in this plant and sell as premium chicken . The investor can also work with other farmers ,who will sell to him and he will process and sell as premium chicken thus increasing his finances without increasing his cost of production.

 Broiler waste can also be collected and processed to produce bio-gas and also electricity.The waste is channeled to a digester fed with anaerobic bacteria to give bio-gas for cooking and also energy.This can be transferred to grid which can power the poultry farm and save overhead by reducing electricity bill. 

 The feathers are collected in a vat,washed and dyed.These are then used as fashion accessories, pillow stuffing's,table decor,office decor and writing materials. 

The blood collected can be processed and included into feed of animals.

Breeding pigs for profit.

Pigs   are mono gastric animals usually bred for commercial purposes. The raising of pigs is for reproduction, fattening and sale. Pigs properly managed and housed in a clean environment reproduce at a fast rate and bring about good return on investment.
 
                                       Breeds of pigs.
   There are various breeds of pigs available such as land race,large white,Duroc and Hampshire. The indigenous breeds available have been crossed over time with exotic breeds such that some of their traits are passed down.

   The cross with indigenous breeds ensures that the pigs are hardy and are stable in this environment. Pigs must be chosen for high productivity, sexual soundness, rapid growth,good mothering ability and excellent health and breeding soundness.

                                         Selection of stock. 
 When setting up a farm, your stock must be chosen from proven sources with excellent health and breeding records.
 Boars, to be chosen must be from a sow with high reproductive capacity at least 8 -10 piglets/litter. The boar must be active with 10-12 rudimentary teat. The boar must be from a disease-free stock, with no record of lameness .
 The boar must have well developed feet with uniform curve at the back and must be long in length. The boar must be selected from stock with well developed sex organs.
 The boar must be at least 8 months to be suitable for service.

                                                           Gilts. 
 These are virgin females, they must be selected from fast growing weaners. The gilts must have good body conformation, strong legs and feet. The gilts are selected from sows with good mothering abilities and high farrowing rate of 9-11 piglets/litter.
 The gilts must not have any defects such as inverted teats,or fat deposited at the base of their teats. 

                                                          Housing.
 A piece of land of about 120×60 ft can house about 400 full grown pigs.    The land should be fenced to keep out predators.
There must be a borehole to supply water on the farm . The pens are solid structures with dwarf walls that have metal gates,the floors are cemented but roughened to prevent falling of pigs. Houses should have in built feeding troughs and feeding troughs.

                                                               Feeding.
 Pigs are to be fed a balanced ration for optimal growth, development and reproduction. The ration should not be fatty to prevent the pigs from depositing fat to produce fatty pork instead of lean meat. Feed can be sourced locally or commercial feed can be purchased. Feed ingredients are as follows,maize,p.k.c, wheat bran, brewers waste,full fat soya,vegetables, fishmeal, with salt and minerals.

                                                             Breeding. 
Boars are put to work at about 9 months of age when they are sexually matured. Gilts are mated at about 8 months, the gilts are growing and also feeding their fetuses, thus the nutrition must be such to cater for the growth and development of the fetuses, the gilts are flushed 3 weeks to the mating by increasing feed intake.
     When the gilt is on heat and ready for mating stands to pressure and allows the boar.The mating is down twice at 24hr interval.The gestation period is113 days,the sow is moved to farrowing pen 2 days to expected delivery. The farrowing house must be warm and have extra floor covering to prevent damage to knees and feet of piglets.

The piglets are exposed to colostrum immediately after birth.The sow milk does not contain enough iron so iron injection must be given to the the piglets.

                                                    Management of piglets. 

They should be started on creep feed at about 9 days, this is high in protein and stimulates rapid growth. The piglets have 2 teeth on the upper and lower jaw, that have needle points that can damage the udder, this must be clipped
   .Boars that are to be fattened must be castrated to remove the smell taint from the pork when sold.Tail tip is cut to prevent tail biting..  Deworming and antibiotic treatment are given at stipulated times.

BROILER PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING.

The raising of broilers for profit is no new venture, but not many people know the rapid turn over potential in this venture. Broilers are birds raised for meat, they grow rapidly and have good feed conversion ratio.The beauty of this venture is that the birds mature at a fast rate within a short time span of 8 to 10 weeks, and the farmer gets to make a steady income every 8/10 weeks. The fast food industry major in the use of broilers for most of the dishes they serve ,because of the taste , the quality of the breast meat and the size . The broiler can also be processed and hygienically packed as premium birds and sold in stores and retail outlets. The raising of the broiler starts from the day old, which must be from a good hatchery as the type of breed purchased has a lot to do with the outcome of the venture. The main purpose of the broiler production is to produce birds with good breast muscle, that reach market size at the appropriate time and have high return on investment. The Cobb broiler chicks will give good breast meat, have good feed conversion ration, reach a weight of 2.24kg in 42 days, mortality rate is 2- 4% and the feed intake is about 4-4.2 kg, the average weight in the first week is about 160gm . The cobb broiler will give a high return on investment. The management of the day old chicks include the brooding stage, the birds are kept warm using a source of heat that is monitored, the temperature of the house should be monitored , feed and water should be available for the chicks, a brooder guard should be available to keep them near the heat source and their must be shavings on the floor , there must be extra lightening for the birds so as to access feed which promotes growth in broilers. The birds are fed on broiler starter from 0-5 weeks. The growing/finishing stage the birds are fed with the broiler finisher from 6 weeks to slaughter when they reach market weight.The health status of the birds are important if they are to perform optimally,thus vaccinations, vitamins, antibiotics and worming are important. The birds must have access to good quality feed, and clean water always. The production is a continuous one so the flock should be replaced as soon as they reach market size. The Cobb broiler breed is more than just appearance, its efficient feed conversion is a plus in this era where feed costs are high and also its well suited for hotter temperatures.

Biogas from human waste - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki

Biogas from human waste - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki

AGRO-VETERINARY : Animal identification and treatment strategies with microchips .

 Animal identification and treatment strategies with microchips The animal world is undergoing a positive turn around,it called microchip in pets. What? Micro chip in pets, is about identification and registration such that animals can easily be traced and monitored.

 The microchip allows the information of the animals to be stored in a database for proper record purposes. The microchip implant is fixed on the left arm region of pets, it is placed just below the skin,while in livestock,the implant is in form of tags ,this is usually placed on the ears. These implants can then be identified using scanners. 

 The microchip implants play an important role in animal. The uses of the implants are enormous and they include 1) identification of pedigree . 

            2) tracking of animals into and out of a country.

            3)finding lost pets. 

            4) easy verification of pedigree of animals and ownership.

            5 )to prevent dog theft. 

            6) planning health protocol for animals. 

 The identification of livestock and pets is of paramount importance if any health preventive strategies are to be formulated and enforced. The identification process will provide adequate data which will depict, the specie, the number,sex and location, this simple data will make disease monitoring easy and also facilitate rapid response in case of disease outbreak. 

 Disease surveillance and disease preventive/treatment protocol will be easy and budgetary allocation will be accurate. Budgetary allocation is key in planning of preventive protocols,so if data is not available, no meaningful strategy can be implemented.

MONEY AND ENERGY FROM POULTRY.

The poultry industry is a viable sector ensuring food security and contributing to the GDP of the economy. The revenue generated from this industry has been harnessed to drive growth and development but better management practices can actually increase the figures and provide more by- products that will further propel growth. The waste produced by the birds is a threat to the environment because of improper disposal and utilization of millions of tons of manure and litter soiled droppings produced daily. The waste generated by poultry is a problem to farmers as the high nitrogen content of the waste releases ammonia fumes in the air making environment unbearable, hence most poultry farmers are at a loss at how to manage the waste. Poultry waste normally is used as fertilizer for vegetable farm but it must be stored for about a period of 6 months before it can be used,the use of poultry waste to make bio-gas is a much better way. Chicken waste can be used to produce eco-friendly bio-gas which will provide energy in form of heat,gas(methane) for cooking and electricity and the digested slurry is disposed as treated fertilizer which has better market value. The use of the chicken manure to make gas requires specialized digester: the chicken manure is a peculiar waste to use to generate bio--gas because of the high nitrogen content ,but technology has found a way around it . The use of a specialized pre-treatment technology makes the anaerobic digestion easy, and the gas generated can be used to power homes and business across the country. The use of waste to generate electricity in the world today has various advantages to the individuals,nation and the environment. The waste generated in the poultry industry, the livestock farms,agricultural waste,food waste and human waste can be channeled into a bio-gas plant to produce methane,heat and electricity. The power generation in most countries need to be upgraded to serve the populace better,drive industrial growth and maintain a safe environment.The millions of tons of chicken droppings/litter can be channeled and put in a bio-gas plant to generate electricity. Waste of poultry has before now been a menace to the society because of improper management and disposal,but with the introduction of a pre-treatment technology that treats the waste before its passed to the anaerobic digester,for breakdown to produce the desired products. The use of chicken waste to generate power will reduce cost of production in the manufacturing industry,which will translate to lowered overhead cost,lower prices of products and more profit for manufacturers.

AGRIBUSINESS: E-WALLET IN AGRICULTURE.

Information is vital to growth of any economy.The rate at which information is generated,disseminated and utilized is rapidly changing how businesses are run thus imparting the economy. Information communication technology has changed the playing field in various strata of the economy,with the advent of mobile phones,internet ,apps, and cloud services.

E-WALLET IN AGRICULTURE. Telecommunication has been utilized to collect data,analyze data,process the data and disseminate this as information to individuals and corporations thus ensuring perfect operations in these fields resulting in economic development. 

 The possibilities of telecommunication as a growth driver of the economy is endless.The world itself is a global village, making communication,transfer of documents across continents at the speed of a click.

The role of telecommunication as a force for economic change are as follows; 

 1) Education; this gives access to books,articles,journals learning aids and teaching aids.Telecommunication also facilitates obtaining degrees online,by provision of online universities and self-help courses,which open up individuals to wealth of information and advanced technology which they can apply to their various fields.E-WALLET IN AGRICULTURE. 

 2) health, this gives access to unique health care facilities,interaction with experts all over the world and exposure to latest medical procedures and diagnostic tools. This is so very useful in the rural areas where they can access a medical personnel by simply making a call,joining in conference calls and also . 3) AGRICULTURE; this allows forum discussion, dissemination of real live updates on weather,price, improved seeds, insurance, pest control and animal management.There are several program mes that transfer information through info graphics,animation or videos educating farmers so that they cut losses and expand the business.

 4) Time management; with telecommunication every aspect of production is simplified making work fast and easy.Every information can be easily accessed, and quickly disseminated,thus saving time and over head cost. 

E-WALLET The role of telecommunication as a growth driver for the economy is made possible and workable because of the mobile phone,one in every 2 people has a phone even in rural communities,there is an access to pay phone points. Telecommunication is a game changer in the business world and especially the agriculture sector where so many innovations and strategies are springing up to ensure food security; one of such programme is the phone -a-farmer initiative® to boost the agricultural value chain in various sections.

  E-WALLET IN AGRICULTURE. The company employs the use of data to profile information relevant to each farmer and as such render quality information that saves moneys and boost the revenue of the farmer.

The success of the project is hinged on the large number of farmers with a phone and on dedicated network that gives real time information through SMS or MMS. The initiative includes all sectors of agriculture value chain, processing and packaging. 

 The aim of initiative is to get all real time farmers down to grassroots where majority of farming is operational. E-WALLET IN AGRICULTURE. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO!!! NIGERIA. .

India to Triple Number of Farmers Using Mobile Phones to Get Weather and Market Data | CCAFS: CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

India to Triple Number of Farmers Using Mobile Phones to Get Weather and Market Data | CCAFS: CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

I-CONNECT-AGRICULTURE®.

Telecommunication as a tool for global food security. Farmers,producers,vets,animal health specialists.Banks,insurance companies, network providers are all important to every aspect of the agricultural value chain.... join the train. sign up and expand your borders. I-PHONE-FARMERS-INITIATIVE®....bringing benefits of agric to your door step.

Women as drivers of positive change

Women as drivers of positive change

Women as drivers of positive change

Women as drivers of positive change https://youtu.be/ony2GHjYEro

Engendering bigger impact: making the other half count

Engendering bigger impact: making the other half count

Mobile phones helping farmers make better decisions

Mobile phones helping farmers make better decisions The use of phones are enormous with various add-ons everyday,the use of various apps just expands the scope of use dramatically. Farmers are getting real time information on animal health and production. Join the train: text vet to 35818 .

 Read more

DATAMATICS IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE.

DATAMATICS IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE.

  Data simply refers to processed information that is useful and accessible at any given time.

Information that are analyzed to produce data could come in various forms such as  names, dates of birth, age, weight,location, blood group,occupation e.t.c.

Information can be generated from profiles,phone records,history and hobbies.These can then be sorted, analyzed,categorized and the resultant data used to proffer solutions in desperate cases,like war-torn areas, places affected by diseases.

 The data generated from information on phone usage in communities in Africa has help the world food program to fashion out how to get supplies to hungry communities.

This is done by accessing how much is spent on calls,how often they recharge and the number within a particular radius that has access to phones.This has been a major method to support hungry families.

Telecommunications as a driver for agribusiness growth in Nigeria..

Information is vital to growth of any economy.     The rate at which information is generated, disseminated and utilized is rapidly changing how businesses are run thus imparting the economy.

Information communication technology has changed the playing field in various strata of the economy,with the advent of mobile phones,internet ,apps, and cloud services.

  Telecommunications has been utilized to collect data,analyze data,process the data and disseminate this as information to individuals and corporations thus ensuring perfect operations in these fields resulting in economic development.

 The possibilities of telecommunications as a growth driver of the economy is endless.The world itself is a global village, making communication,transfer of documents across continents at the speed of a click.

      The role of telecommunications as a driver for economic growth are as follows:

 1) Education: this gives access to books,articles,journals learning aids and teaching aids.Telecommunication also facilitates obtaining degrees online,by provision of online universities and self-help courses,which open up individuals to wealth of information and advanced technology which they can apply to their various fields.

 2) Health:this gives access to unique health care facilities,interaction with experts all over the world and exposure to latest medical procedures and diagnostic tools. This is so very useful in the rural areas where they can access a medical personnel by simply making a call,joining in conference calls and also telemedicine.

3) Agriculture; this allows forum discussion, dissemination of real live updates on weather,price, improved seeds, insurance, pest control and animal management.There are several program mes that transfer information through info graphics,animation or videos educating farmers so that they cut losses and expand the business.

 4) Time management; with telecommunications every aspect of production is simplified making work fast and easy.Every information can be easily accessed, and quickly disseminated,thus saving time and over head cost.

 The role of telecommunication as a growth driver for the economy is made possible and workable because of the mobile phone,one in every 2 people has a phone even in rural communities,there is an access to pay phone points.

 Telecommunications is a game changer in the business world and especially the agriculture sector where so many innovations and strategies are springing up to ensure food security; one of such programme is the phone -a-farmer initiative® to boost the agricultural value chain in various sections.

The company employs the use of data to profile information relevant to each farmer and as such render quality information that saves moneys and boost the revenue of the farmer.

The success of the project is hinged on the large number of farmers with a phone and on dedicated network that gives real time information through SMS or MMS. The initiative includes all sectors of agriculture value chain, processing and packaging.

 The aim of initiative is to get all real time farmers down to grassroots where majority of farming is operational. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO!!! NIGERIA. .

BIOTECHNOLOGY USES IN AGRICULTURE.

Biotechnology making better crops and livestock by careful selection of traits to increase yield,produce disease and pest resistance and drought resistance products. This entails a collection of specific technique to improve plant and animals. Genetic modification/genetic improvement/genetic engineering; refers to the process where there is transfer of useful characteristics into plants and animals. This process allows transfer of specific traits to plants or animals to produce improved and better versions.Crops improved with genetic modification aid farmers to increase productivity by reducing crop damage from weeds,diseases and insects. Molecular markers; the use in agriculture involves the use of DNA of a plant/animal that posses desirable trait,even when not visible.This has resulted in breeding that are more specific and ensure better products. This process has been used by the international institute of tropical agriculture to produce cow pea resistant to bruchid, disease resistant white yam and cassava resistant to cassava mosaic disease. Molecular markers is useful to identify undesirable genes that can be eliminated in future generation. Molecular diagnosis are methods to detect genes/gene products that are very precise and specific.Molecular diagnosis are used in agriculture to accurately diagnose crops and livestock diseases.The application in agriculture is vaccine production,these vaccines are cheaper,better and safer.They are stable at room temperature,hence refrigeration is not necessary making it very acceptable in remote villages. In the Philippines, biotechnology has been used to develop an improved vaccine to protect cattle and water buffalo against hemorrhagic septicemia. Tissue culture; this is the regeneration of plants in laboratory from disease-free plant part.This technique allows for the reproduction of disease free planting material for crops.This method has been used to produce improved crops such as pineapples,bananas,pawpaws and avocados. This tissue culture has also been used in food production especially cheese making,,also in animal husbandry where a sheep(dolly) was produced from mammary cells. The potential of biotechnology is explosive and can solve food scarcity issues and environmental pollution and food poisoning from use of pesticides.The process of biotechnology have produced crops that have been engineered to produce their own Bt protein(bacillus thuringiensis) a soil bacterium that contains a protein that is toxic to a wide range of insects but not harmful to animals and humans.

GENETICS AND FOOD SECURITY.

I have always been fascinated about genes ,mapping,cloning and isolation. The fact that you can completely erase certain traits from a line and add desired traits to a line simply blows my mind.

 The fact that new strains,varieties and offspring's can actually be produced by gene manipulation is just awesome and its even more interesting as i believe this holds the key to food security.

 Every living form; plants,animals and even micro organisms have codes called genes, which are information about what that living form.These genes represent traits about that living form that cannot be easily recognized by looking at the organism.

Welcome to genetic engineering!!!. The work on genes dates back to sir Mendel; who explained how traits can be transferred and also what traits to expect in selective breeding both in plants and animals.This method was adopted to produce desired progeny.

 The work has progressed over the years with enormous technological development....resulting in biotechnology in agriculture.

 Agriculture has evolved over the years with many innovations to solve pressing issues such as food scarcity, diseases, environmental factors (such as flood,drought and arid region ),food preservation and lower yields.

These issues have been identified as major causes of lack of food security thus various solutions have been proffered typically biotechnology; which is the use of genetically engineered strains of plants and animals to produce better strains with higher yield and enhanced flavors.

 Farmers have been improving plants and animals through selection and breeding desirable traits.Bio technology enhances breeders ability to make improvement in crops and livestock,this is achieved through various techniques used to improve plants and animals.

Bio technology use gene modification,genetic improvement and genetic engineering

.Crops improved with transferred traits referred to as genetic improvement have been developed to aid farmers to increase productivity . 

Biotechnology holds the key to food security with higher yield and better products.

FOOD SECURITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.

Food security basically exists when all people in a country/community at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a productive and healthy life style.

 The education /awareness of people as to how to combine various crops to produced balanced meals and the availability of resources to procure these crops is a vital point in food security. The agricultural aspect is rightly divided into crops and animal production.The processing,packaging and preservation of these products ensure food security.

The development of various strategies ensure that supply of food are continuous with plenty in reserve and much more to export.The various strategies can be utilized to ensure food security in the various agricultural chain. 

 1) The education of the women play a vital role in food security since they are involved in various stages of production,the importance of family planning and other health related issues are paramount.

The careful planning of family,will limit the number of mouths to feed,thus reducing the risk of death associated with multiple pregnancies. 

Women should be educated about reproductive issues,money making ventures and the impact of food on economic growth.

 2) introduction of bio crops, which are better varieties and strains of common seeds that they are used to, this will shorten harvest time and produce higher yield of crops. 

 3) The use of composting as a means of waste management, which results in good quality fertilizer 

. 4) The waste management can be further utilized to produce electricity which will save overhead cost. 5) irrigation in arid regions is also another strategy, where rain water ,waste water can be collected,treated and plowed back to the farm to aid production.

 6)newer and better animal strains can be synchronized and bred resulting in large litter sizes,bigger sized animals. 

 7) biotechnology using aeroponics/hydroponics is a major route to ensure food security. v

FOOD SECURITY.

Food security refers to the availability of nutritious food to citizen of a country or community.The rate of population explosion has threatened food security in most African countries, with the rate of increase in population not commensurate to food availability. Climatic changes and global warming are also factors threatening food security. Food security is one of the millennium development goals adopted by various countries to eradicate poverty.The food security is discussed on 4 points; 1) Availability...there must be a constant source/supply of food. 2) Accessibility...people must have resources to purchase the food.The people must have a source of livelihood,or a means of exchange to purchase the food. 3)Utilization..there must be the knowledge of basic food handling, preparations and food combination to ensure that food is nutritious. 4)Stability..the ability to access and utilize the food that results in stable and a sustainable life style. The process to ensure food security is multidimensional with women playing major roles in the production,processing and marketing of products. The challenges of food security differs among countries with each zone tackling issues from diseases,processing,prolonged drought,poor seedlings, and land issues. Food security is tackled now by incorporating new agricultural methods to produce,preserve and distribute these crops.Education of farmers is the major key to ensure food security, the introduction of new strains that are resistant to diseases, that mature faster and produce higher harvest. The road to food security is mashed in biotechnology, both in animal husbandry and crop production.When newer strains are produced,more harvest is expected over a short period of time.

FUNDING AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS.

Farmers just like any other business,may need to lean on a financial arm for support at a point in time.Many farmers dont know the opportunities they have to access these facilities, or how to access them and grow. Farming is a lucrative venture duly supported by government,financial giants,cooperative bodies and micro finance schemes. Agricultural loans are of various types , can be accessed at various levels and have different amounts as per the size of the project.These loans can be accessed corporately or as individuals,depending on amount involved,most of these loans can only be accessed when the farm has an insurance cover. Agricultural loans and agricultural insurance are intertwined,you cannot do one without the other; before you try to access the loan make sure you are insured.The basic requirement for the loan are as follows; 1) application form. 2) farm records; showing productivity and profitability. 3) Registration record/licence of farm. 4) account details. The banks that give out such loans include bank of agriculture, and first bank ,they also require you have an account with them that is operational.

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Food in a column # biotechnology.

Seeds can be cultivated in nutrient media instead of soil, and this is done in a controlled environment this system is referred to as hydroponics /aeroponics depending on the conditions of growth.This system enables farming even in your room or balcony or any small space that can house the system you want to adopt. Technology bringing change in its track; who could have imagined farming without soil or land? can you imagine planting tomatoes or vegetables or even yam in a column -like stand or table? Welcome to the world of BIOTECH; feeding the world with ease. The world today is faced with population explosion; the growth of the population is not at the same rate as food production and processing leaving most developing countries on poverty threshold and food scarcity. The world now is looking at strategies for food security and sustainability to eliminate hunger and eradicate poverty. Biotechnology has actually shown great potential to achieve food security in the agricultural sector where it has been used to develop plant strains that are resistant to pests and diseases. Biotechnology has also been employed to improve food processing,nutritional value better flavor and productivity of plants,vegetables and other food crops. Agric biotechnology is the use of scientific techniques to modify and improve crops by selective breeding,better species of crops are cultivated that are resistant to various diseases.The biotech method of cultivation enhances production,producing crops that are bigger,better and mature early. In the world today where urban farming is practiced space has always been a constraint, but with the biotech technology, space is not a problem. The nutrient media are used for growth,and the crops are grown in columns, walkways and boxes, making cultivation easy.