Agriculture; improved bananas turns farmer to millionaire.

Agriculture has evolved over the years with improved techniques,seed improvement,genetic modification, biotechnology and precision farming. The advantages of these new techniques include new breed and strains, production within a short time with limited capability ,cost reduction through reduction of labor force and most importantly higher profit. The discovery of planting improved seeds and tissue culture tubers have turned many farmers to millionaires.The production of bananas from tissue cultured tubers is one of such agricultural feats that have added value to banana farming and also more money in the hands of farmers. 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. continue Mary Kiptoo from Sambalat who has diversified into tissue-culture bananas under furrow irrigation as an additional source of money and food.“Banana farming requires low capital and is less labour intensive unlike maize or even vegetables,” she explained, noting that farmers in the region share some of the tissue-culture banana tubers for planting. The mother four has about 1,000 banana tubers in her two acres, which she cultivates alongside finger millet, sorghum and cassava for subsistence use.The bananas grow uniformly and mature within eight months thus facilitating easy harvesting and marketing earning farmers a lot of money. Millionaire

Earn millions from banana fiber business.

Fabric from bananas, from the stalk of a banana plant has been utilized by cultures in Japan,Africa and Southeast Asia The technology is fast spreading to various countries because of the profitability of venture,that attracts foreign and local customers .Fiber extraction is followed by boiling the strips in an alkaline solution to soften and separate them. The boiling and washing the strips is followed by the skins and fibers separated from one another,then the fibers are joined The threads are then ready for spinning, during which they must be kept wet in order to prevent snapping or breaking. Dyeing and weaving the yarns are the final parts of the process, producing a high quality material that can be used for various applications. The fineness of the fiber determines the thickness of the yarn, as finer yarn is used for clothing, medium grade yarn is used for table cloths, curtains and cushion covers, while thicker, coarser yarn is used for basket weaving, floor mats and bags. Japanese have been processing banana fibers for nearly 900years and have perfected the art of creating banana cloth. The finest fibers of the banana stalk are reserved for kimono dresses and kamishimo, a formal garment worn by the samurai. Nepalese artisans have also been creating beautiful and lavish rugs out of banana fibers, as their moisture-wicking properties make them the ideal floor coverings for tropical climates. Alongside these traditional uses, banana fibers are also used for interior purposes such as cushion covers, curtains, tablecloths, bags and even paper and journals. This has also created a wealthy income to a Mr Patrick Gatare, an entrepreneur from Kirinyaga County was crowned the overall winner and bagged Ksh2 million cash prize. National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) recognized the 50-year-old for his Banana Fibre production initiative that has seen the community make mats, hand woven bags (Kiondos) and wall hangings, which have a robust market both locally and internationally, uplifting lives of the Kirinyaga residents.Read

Money making opportunity in banana fibers and landmine victims in Uganda.

Landmine victims have formed a co-op to create rope from banana fiber.Kasese District, in western Uganda, is especially ripe with the fruit. It is also an area of the country with a difficult history. Many of the workers lost limbs after landmines were planted in this part of Uganda. The explosives were mainly deployed by rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces during a 20-year insurgency against President Museveni. That conflict ended in 2005, but the scars of war haven't gone away. Many of these workers turned to this trade after losing their ability to farm the mountainous area they come from. On the fertile farmlands of Uganda's Kasese district, miles and miles of lush banana plantations dot the green landscape. This is one of the biggest banana growing areas in the east-central African country, where most people make a living through subsistence farming. The nutrient-rich fruit is not the only source of income for farmers in the region. After harvesting the crop, locals also extract banana fiber from the trunk of the plant. This can be used for a whole range of products -- from household goods and handicrafts to bags and textiles.The products attract a lot of money as decorators,interior designers e.t.c patronize them. Taking advantage of the abundance of the natural product, a group of landmine victims have formed a co-operative association to make rope out of banana fiber and sell it for a profit. After using water to soften the leaves, the members of the Kasese Landmine Survivors Association split them into small pieces depending on the color and the thickness of the rope they want to make. Once the banana fibers are weaved together, the co-op sells it to various clients in bulk. Read more

AGRIBUSINESS :Making money from banana fibers.

AGRIBUSINESS :Making money from banana fibers. Banana is one of the most important fruit crops in the world.Banana production is a tropical, herbaceous and perennial crop and belongs to the Musaceae family, which produces one huge flower cluster and then dies Bananas are a nutritious bundle,though not many people understand the healthy code that this fruit offers.There are so many reasons to go ballistic on bananas, here are a few. 1) Rich in Potassium. Potassium is a vital nutrient because it helps to regulate blood pressure, this helps to keep the heart functioning correctly.Bones also need potassium as it helps to reduce calcium excretion, which help to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and help to keep bones strong even in old age . 2). High in Fiber. Fiber is a natural digestive aid that helps to keep the digestive tract healthy by ensuring healthy and regular bowel movements. The fiber in bananas also help relieve the symptoms of heartburn. 3). Treatment of stomach ulcers.Bananas may be able to help protect you against stomach ulcers, or help to treat existing ones. This is due to certain compounds in bananas creating a thick protective barrier in the stomach that can help defend against the damaging effects of excess Hydrochloric acid. Bananas also contain protease-inhibitors that can help to eliminate a specific bacteria in the stomach that is found to cause ulcers to develop. 4). Rich in Many Other Nutrients such as Vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium and manganese. see more AGRIBUSINESS :Making money from banana fibers. Banana plant or plantain plant not only gives the delicious fruit but it also provides textile fiber, the banana fiber. Banana fiber is natural fiber. Natural fibers present important advantages such as low density, appropriate stiffness and mechanical properties and high disposability and renewability. Moreover, they are recyclable and biodegradable. There has been lot of research on use of natural fibers in reinforcements. Banana fiber, a ligno-cellulosic fiber, obtained from the pseudo-stem of banana plant (Musa sepientum), is a bast fiber with relatively good mechanical properties Banana fiber has its own physical and chemical characteristics and many other properties that make it a fine quality fiber. Appearance of banana fiber is similar to that of bamboo fiber and ramie fiber, but its fineness and spin-ability is better than the two. The chemical composition of banana fiber is cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The properties are 1) It is highly strong fiber.2)It has smaller elongation. 3) It has somewhat shiny appearance depending upon the extraction & spinning process.4) It is light weight.5) It has strong moisture absorption quality. It absorbs as well as releases moisture very fast.6)it is bio- degradable and has no negative effect on environment and thus can be categorized as eco-friendly fiber.7) Its average fineness is 2400Nm. 8) It can be spun through almost all the methods of spinning including ring spinning, open-end spinning, bast fiber spinning, and semi-worsted spinning among othe The fiber extraction is done with The various uses of banana fibers ; Read more

How to start a profitable egg supply and distribution business.

Starting an egg distribution business,could be a full time or part-time business. Starting an egg business is easy and profitable and you can start today. The first phase is to identify your customers,then find a reputable source,that will provide high quality eggs and at reasonable price. Eggs are of various sizes and grades,and its better to have a mix of large,small and medium to cater for different clients. The ideal place will be to register with a farm, and sort out arrangements about frequency of collection and delivery. Eggs can also be collected at egg depots for further distribution to retailers and consumers. The targeted clients will determine your entry point to the business, you can be a big time player or small to medium player . You don't need a lot of money to start the business, its a low capital startup that you can venture into with 30,000,and expand your capital base as you progress.The key to success is marketing,vecause if you cant network you cant sell. The challenge is not money or the products{eggs} your ability to do great networking. I was amazed to find out that the demand for egg is huge. H Farm owners and bulk distributors, prefer having 30 customers who buys from them regularly than having 3 or 5 major buyers. The logic is with about 30 customers , at least 15 will be available on every sales day,thus creating a steady income. Major egg suppliers comes from outside Lagos. The bulk of eggs consumed in Lagos comes from Ogun, Ondo and Oyo. The farms in Lagos are attached to notable merchants, but smart business people prefer to get their supply outside Lagos because its cheaper. When you factor in cost of fuel, stress and unnecessary roadblocks,sourcing in your locality makes better business sense. Egg crates are important for the success of your business, plastic,paper or decorative seal- able crates are some of the options. The crates could be small or big depending on your egg sizes.While purchasing your egg crates, make arrangements for both the large size and small sizes. If you are transporting it over along distance, the use of big crates are advisable, because with big crates,the eggs will have space and you will experience lesser damages. When delivering eggs to retailers use the small ones,because when you use the big crates for delivery, the eggs look very small but with a small crate, small eggs look big. Starting with egg distribution and supply depends on how big or small you want to start,as you are your own boss you set the pace. You can decide to be a retailer, a wholesaler and you can combine the two. The key to profit is to set a goal,determine how many crates you want to sell in a week and at what level,may be wholesale or retail. 100 crates @850 = 85,000. when sold per crate @900 =90,000 naira. A profit of 5,000 naira. The same 100 crates sold on retail basis yields 1,200 naira/crate which is a total profit of 120,000 naira only. The difference is enormous and potential huge as you get this amount of profit even with wholesales with the right niche.The margin could even be much higher depending on your source. Superstores,shops, schools,eateries are a few of the places you can supply to and make money. Join our league of distributors and make money today. See

Money making opportunity in koi fish farming.

Koi literally means ("brocaded carp"), are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi aquariums or water gardens. Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and pattern of scales. Some of the major colors are white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream. The most popular category of koi is the Gosanke, which is made up of the Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku, and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The common carp is a hardy fish, and koi retain that durability. Koi are cold-water fish, but benefit from being kept in the 15–25 °C (59–77 °F) range, and do not react well to long, cold, winter temperatures because their immune systems are very weak below 10 °C. Koi ponds usually have a metre or more of depth in areas of the world that become warm during the summer, whereas in areas that have harsher winters, ponds generally have a minimum of 1.5 m (5 ft). Specific pond construction has been evolved by koi keepers intent on raising show-quality koi. The bright colors of koi put them at a severe disadvantage against predators; as they are easily spotted and preyed upon. Koi are very hardy. With proper care, they resist many of the parasites that affect more sensitive tropical fish species, such as Trichodina, Epistylis, Ich and other ciliated protozoans. Two of the biggest health concerns among koi breeders are the koi herpes virus (KHV) and rhabdovirus carpio, which causes spring viraemia of carp (SVC). No treatment exists for either disease. The koi fish farming is a money-making venture as the fish can grow to 3 feet long,as they can grow 2 to 6 inches a year.The koi with the right body confirmation increase their prices and hence raise profit of farmer. Koi can survive extreme winter conditions by being dormant at the bottom of the pond where water temperature is warmest.The key to their survival is to put a hole in the ice so that oxygen can enter and carbon dioxde exits. The biggest threat to koi survival is water conditions as the fish cannot tolerate ammonia levels. The pond must have a functional filter to remove waste produced otherwise you find them dead,belly-up in the pond. The koi fish excrete ammonia through their gills and in their waste,a pond without a filter to process the ammonia will eventually lead to ammonia buildup leading to pollution of the water and death of fish. Fish must eat at least twice a day and are fed ready-made pellets. They also require at least 47 percent protein in their diet to ensure proper growth. The fish attract a high percentage of profit as the niche of clients are very rich,but also they require care to reproduce and thrive. A farmer is making money breeding and selling ornamental fish ,see how

Five-Year-Old Boy Becomes First Child in Pakistan to Receive a 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand.

In Pakistan, that moment came with the launch of Xplorer 3D, the first 3D printer manufacturer in the country, whose self-named printer began increasing the awareness and popularity of 3D printing in the region. Now, Xplorer 3D has become a facilitator for another first in Pakistan. Along with their authorized retailer Viscous.co and 3D printed prosthetics provider Bioniks, the company was able to help a young boy become the first child in the country to receive a 3D printed hand. Five-year-old Mir Bayyaan Baloch was born without his right hand, but thanks to the determination of his father and the support of those dedicated to improving lives through 3D printing, he now has the ability to do everything other children his age can do. When Bayyaan’s father, Mir Umer Baloch, began researching affordable prosthetics for his son online, one of the resources he came across was Team UnLimbited, aka Drew Murray and Stephen Davies of Britain. The two e-NABLE volunteers are the designers of the Unlimbited Arm, an elbow-driven prosthetic for individuals with a functional elbow and partial forearm but no wrist or hand. The design has become a popular option for children with missing arms, and it was a perfect option for Bayyaan, whose forearm stops right above where the wrist would be. Mir Umer Baloch reached out to Bioniks, who took on Bayyaan’s case as a special project. With an Xplorer 3D printer at NED University of Engineering and Technology, they carefully designed and printed an UnLimbited Arm in bright orange and yellow. It took some work and adjustment to fit the device to the boy’s small arm, but finally Bayyaan has a functional, comfortably fitting arm that he can use to grasp and hold objects, as well as shake hands and give high fives, which he seems visibly excited about. Read