New 3-D model could improve treatment of TB, other diseases.

A team of researchers and engineers has created a 3-D model that they say can improve the study and treatment of tuberculosis and other infections. The team at the University of Southampton and University College London, United Kingdom, has conducted studies on how the new model can be used to observe human cellular response to TB infection. Researchers say it will also compensate for shortcomings in traditional 2-D models. This model will help speed up the process of finding treatments and vaccines for human tuberculosis, an infection that kills 1.8 million people per year. The team used a 3-D model to integrate engineering and biological approaches with clinical specimens to create an entirely new system of studying infection. By way of electrostatic encapsulation, the team created microspheres containing human cells, which were then infected with TB bacteria. The 3-D approach creates conditions — including the presence of an extracellular matrix — that are more like those existing in the human lung compared with the 2-D cultures on plastic, researchers said. The new model also allows up to 3 weeks of experimentation, which is more than four times the window provided by the old method.

Agribusiness : Gender-smart agriculture by involving more women.

The global population is projected to rise more than 9 billion by 2050 and the demand for food expected to jump sharply, the need for addressing the challenges of food security assumes greater urgency now. 

 There is also a growing need to adopt stronger measures to reduce the gender gap and more women should be included to bridge the gulf. 

 Investing in Women in various Agribusiness Value Chains, will increase productivity and efficiency in the agriculture sector by closing economic and social gaps between women and men throughout the value chain, from farm to retail and beyond. 

The solution to address two of the most pressing challenges of food security and gender disparity—isn’t difficult as it only involves women inclusion. 

 Women comprise over 40 percent of the agricultural labor force worldwide and play a major role in agriculture but they face a variety of constraints, such as limited access to agricultural inputs, technologies, finance, and networks. 

 There is an increasing number of companies now that recognizes that investing in women can help increase companies’ bottom lines—while helping improve the lives of people in rural areas. 

 Agribusiness companies need support in identifying where and how they can close gender gaps in their value chain. 

 In West African cocoa farms, for instance, women are responsible for drying cocoa beans, a crucial step in the processing of cocoa that determines the quality of the final product. 

To stabilize supply and formalize women’s contributions, chocolate producer Nestlé mapped the roles of women farmers in their supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire. 

 Women are a strong consumer base as they are involved in buying and selling ,thus recognizing women as a customer base can result in market opportunities for agribusiness companies. 

  Food-processing companies have already taken the lead in targeting the women’s market and building on consumers’ interest in gender-smart solutions. 

 Successful gender programs, can be aimed at closing the gap between women and men, so both can benefit. 

Companies such as chocolate producer Mondelēz International partnered with IFC to identify the roles that women and men play in the cocoa sector and evaluate their contribution at various stages of the cocoa production process.

 Gender diagnostics can allow companies to evaluate gaps and define opportunities for women and men engaged in the agricultural production process and adjust companies’ gender programs accordingly. 

 Gender-smart investments are part of the solution to address global challenges, as they can strengthen value chains, support global food supply, and improve livelihoods—with benefits accruing to both farmers and companies

.

Nigeria removes 20% import tax for Dutch greenhouse technology.

Nigerian officials have announced that the country will remove its 20 percent import tax on Dutch greenhouse equipment to boost the domestic tomato production and attract more investment into the Nigerian tomato and horticultural industries. Nigeria wants to boost the use of greenhouse equipment to establish year round production schemes and provide a structural solution against the devastating tuta absoluta outbreaks. continue

The use of high-resolution satellites to measure African farm yields.

Stanford researchers have developed a new way to estimate crop yields from space, using high-res photos snapped by a new wave of compact satellites. This approach is detailed in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could be used to estimate agricultural productivity and test intervention strategies in poor regions of the world where data are currently extremely scarce. Improved agricultural productivity is one of the main ways to reduce hunger and improve livelihoods in poor parts of the world and to improve agricultural productivity, measurement is important. The team focused on an area in Western Kenya where there are a lot of smallholder farmers that grow maize, or corn, on small, half-acre or one-acre lots. They combined the imagery with computer-based crop models to make accurate predictions, just based on the imagery alone they deduced the actual productivity on the field.

Business person or farmer? which label is yours.

Agribusiness is the business arm of your agricultural practice,but the way you play the role affects your profit. This is the key to making money in your agriventure,define who you are,what you represent and what you aim to achieve. 

 Agribusiness person or farmer which label is yours? . Identify yourself as a businessperson, not a farmer. A farmer grows fruits, vegetables, and grains and tends cattle, goats, chickens, and bees with a short-term sales outlook while a businessperson is someone who understands that these productive assets are cultivated, reared, and turned into quality consumer products that generate regular income. 

The key words here are productive assets, quality products and regular income. Assess your strengths and build on them. Ask yourself are you flexible to change; how amenable you are to using new methods. Can you utilize the space you have in a more productive way? 

Are you using organic manure from your own cows to fertilize your crops? Are you diversifying your product lines to establish different revenue streams? There is strength in numbers, get out of your small space and join others who are building the future. Always associate with people who know more than you do and listen to what they say. Often your neighbors will know more about what is happening than you do.

 Ask others at church what is happening with irrigation systems, or disease prevention or crop rotation patterns; who is building processing plants that will ease the movement of raw materials into finished products. 

Always ask, how can I be involved in what is happening that will make a difference in my productive capacity? Understand the risks of farming and learn how to manage them. If unpredictable pricing is a risk, diversify into more stable product lines. If climate change is destabilizing your seasonal production or reducing quality outputs, reach out to agribusiness specialists to learn how to manage these risks. 

Understand how research changes the dynamics of success in the field. This is the single largest issue confronting you now and everyone needs to be involved in finding solutions. 

 Become your own brand manager. Does your farm have a name? Can the consumer differentiate your products from others? Can you get your story in the local newspaper? Manage your farm like a product and trust your instincts when doing anything. continue

Process cashew nuts and make $1.4billion from cashew exports.

Nigeria is the fourth largest producer of cashew in Africa and the sixth in the world with an output of 160,000 metric tons per year. A production which is expected to reach 500,000 metric tons by 2020. The main export destinations for the crop are Europe, India and the United States. Nigeria’s inability to process cashew nuts in significant quantities for export resulted in the loss of $1.4 billion in 2016. Data from the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) showed that the country exported a total of 160,000 metic tons of cashew valued at $300 million in 2016. The cashew industry is a massive industry that is waiting to be tapped,processing is where the money is but only a small fraction is processed for export. A ton of processed cashew, is sold for $12,000 while a ton of raw cashew is $1,200. Investment opportunities abound in the cashew processing.which will not only be a source of foreign exchange but also a point of creating jobs at various levels.The higher the quantity of cashew nuts processed,the higher the income/revenue generated. Processing can be on large scale or small scale,but the equipment required for production are the same. These are the necessary equipment: 1)Steam Boiler. 2) Cooking vats. 3)Semi-automated Peeling Machine. 4)Multi-color Cashew Kernel Sorting Machine. 5)Husk Winnowing Machine. 6)Steam Pipeline. 7)Hot oven 8) Hand Operated Cutting Machine. 9)Cashew Peeling Machine. 10) cashew filling machine. 11)Pieces separator. 12) Weighing scale. 13) Sealing Machine.14)plastic, buckets, crates, bowls 14) Generator Set.

Bird flu kills 11,000 poultry in one week in Plateau .

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has reported that the resurgence of Bird flu in Plateau state killed over 11,000 birds, last week. According to PAN’s chairman in the state, John Dasar, six farms had so far been affected and no fewer than 11,000 birds were gotten rid of. Dasar attributed the fast spread of the disease to failure by farmers to report the outbreak of the disease. “Farmers in Plateau state are really going through tough times because of the resurgence of bird flu in the last one week. In one week, six poultry farms were depopulated. The main concern here is that most farmers don’t report the outbreak, they prefer to sell their birds to marketers rather than wait for government’s compensation that will never come. So, all we do is when we get wind of an outbreak in any farm, we alert government’s officials to take immediate action,” he said. The chairman, however, urged poultry farmers to report any outbreak in their farms to the appropriate authorities so as to prevent any further spread of the disease in the state.Source