15,000 farmers to benefit from Dangote’s rice project in Sokoto.

15,000 farmers to benefit from Dangote’s rice project in Sokoto. Aliko Dangote, the Chairman, Dangote Group of Companies, says 15, 000 farmers would benefit from the first phase of his rice growing and processing project located in Goronyo town in Sokoto State. 15,000 farmers to benefit from Dangote’s rice project in Sokoto. Mr. Dangote said this on Wednesday when he addressed journalists at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto. Mr. Dangote said: “In the first phase, we are targeting 15,000 farmers and as time goes on, we will keep on increasing the number of beneficiaries as the project progresses. continue

10m Nigerians to taste Indomie free.

10m Nigerians to taste Indomie free. Indomie Instant Noodles has revealed its intention to reach 10 million Nigerians in this year’s annual sampling exercise. It said in a statement that the programme will see millions of consumers taste the noodles for free across the country. Speaking on the free sampling programme for the year, Brand Manager, Indomie Instant Noodles, Mr. Amber Yadav said: “Indomie is using this exercise to remind consumers of how quality taste like. We know things are hard at the moment but people should always remember that there is no price tag that can justify inferiority.” He revealed that the sampling exercise will include all variants of the noodles and this will be carried out in all geo-political zones in the country with special focus on Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna, Owerri and Enugu among others.more

ATOPIC DERMATITIS.

ATOPIC DERMATITIS.The arsenal of treatment options for dogs with atopic dermatitis is expanding. It includes corticosteroids, which have been around the longest, as well as Cytopoint, which gained FDA approval at the end of 2016. It is extremely important to note that not all drugs are created equal, and you should not use the same treatment option for each patient. This article reviews the major systemic drugs for atopic dermatitis used in everyday practice. Corticosteroids have been used for decades and have withstood the test of time. Corticosteroids are non-specific in their mechanism of action, since corticosteroid receptors are in every cell. Side effects of corticosteroids are well known. They can be great at decreasing the inflammation associated with atopic dermatitis, but long-term treatment is not recommended. I use them regularly for short courses to battle flare ups in patients that were well-controlled otherwise. My steroid of choice is commonly Temaril-P due to the anti-inflammatory effects, while using less than half the amount of steroids in an anti-inflammatory dose. The side effects can be less significant with Temaril-P. Atopica is the veterinary microemulsified formulation of cyclosporine, which has been available for about 16 years. Atopica mainly affects T cells. The most significant side effect observed is gastrointestinal, with up to 40 percent of patients experiencing this side effect in some studies. I advise owners to give it with a meal instead of on an empty stomach, which brings the prevalence of gastrointestinal upset among my patients to about 5 percent. continue

Rabbits: Good As Pets, Good For Business.

Rabbits: Good As Pets, Good For Business. Breeding rabbits is steadily gaining popularity for several reasons. For instance, rabbits can be brought up in whatever type of environment, whether it is a city, suburb or country, and they easily fit into most family set up. A rabbit makes for a low-maintenance, friendly family pet and is a fine size creature for kids as well as adults to take care. Additionally, it does not cost a lot of money to get rolling with rabbits — this project would suit most family budgets. While proper gear adds to the success of raising rabbits, it is more significant for your gear to be functional instead of being fancy. more

High livestock prices not stopping upgrades as abattoir targets overseas markets.

High livestock prices not stopping upgrades as abattoir targets overseas markets. High livestock prices are forcing down the number of animals being processed by abattoirs. In Victoria's north-west, one facility is reporting a 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the number of sheep and cattle it is processing. 

 Woodward Foods produces many of the livestock it slaughters — sometimes half the animals going through a facility originate from the family business's farms. But with high prices for livestock, keeping up the supply is a challenge. Despite the downturn, the business's Swan Hill Abattoirs is working to upgrade its facility and undertaking what it describes as a cultural change in its workforce. 

 General manager Mick Bird said the facility had undergone a rebrand and was selling meat into domestic and overseas markets, promoting the company's paddock to plate story. He said current conditions were a challenge, but branching into foreign markets such as the United Arab Emirates, USA and China should enable the business to keep improving. more

Canada offers beef irradiation as another tool for food safety.

The government of Canada’s announcement this week of changes to its food and drug regulations to permit irradiation of ground beef was not a surprise. It was a long time coming, though, with industry having requested the change in 1998. Canada has already approved radiation to treat potatoes, onions, wheat, flour, spices and seasoning preparations. The United States has permitted the irradiation of fresh and frozen ground beef since 1999. More than 60 countries permit irradiation of various foods to kill pathogens and/or pests. Health Canada published the new regulations on Wednesday. Canadian officials said the government views the technology as another tool for use by the beef industry in improving food safety. Irradiation is not intended to replace existing food safety practices for handling, storage and sanitation. It’s purpose is to complement those practices. Irradiation reduces levels of harmful bacteria, such as E, coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as preventing premature spoilage, and extending shelf life. It does so by exposing food to energy with ionizing radiation. Health Canada found that ground beef subjected to irradiation retains its nutritional values, taste, texture and appearance. Irradiated foods must carry a both a written description and the Radura symbol. If not packaged, Canada requires the information be made available at the point of sale. continue

Dogs Help Researchers Unlock Genetic Links to Human Disease.

Dogs and people may suffer from similar psychiatric and neurological diseases, from canine compulsive disorder (thought to be similar to human obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) to canine cognitive dysfunction (similar to human dementia). Researchers are hoping that by analyzing doggy DNA, they may uncover genetic links to these conditions that could help shed light on both canine and human variations of disease. The project, called Darwin’s Dogs, is currently gathering data from thousands of dogs. Owners answer detailed questionnaires and send in a saliva sample, which will be used to collect the dog’s DNA. The researchers then plan to analyze the DNA samples and compare each dog’s genetics to its behaviors. Dogs have played a role in the discovery of genes linked to human diseases like epilepsy, narcolepsy and OCD. OCD in dogs (known as canine compulsive disorder), for instance, can manifest as repetitive tail chasing or licking an area of the body so obsessively that it causes a wound (although obsessive licking may also be caused by gastrointestinal disorders) more