Grazing reserves essential to boost milk production.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh says the Federal Government is working toward setting up grazing reserves across the country to curb incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers. Ogbeh, who spoke at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, said he was called all sorts of names for suggesting the importation of grass for the creation of reserves, which would solve the conflict and boost milk production in the country. He explained that there were grazing reserves in the country before and the cows were then properly fed and taken care of. The minister showcased Brazil ,“Brazil took grass from Africa 25 years ago and now, they are exporting same grass to Saudi Arabia. The minister explained that when he was newly appointed, he suggested grass planting by importing grass but was called all sorts of names. He stressed that it was impossible to have grazing reserves without grass. He explained that Saudi Arabia had the largest dairy farm in the world with about 135,000 cows in one farm. The cows are very comfortable housed in an air-conditioned environment. The cows produce milk in large quantities, which is now imported into the country. He noted that we need to improve our dairy industry, by placing cattle in conducive environment so that a cow can produce 25 to 40 liters of milk per day. more

Cross-border e-commerce considered a growth rocket for sub-Saharan Africa retailers.

Thinking of a new business venture? then take advantage of the exchange rate and delve into export business. The thirst for local products has increased considerably due to fall in Naira, pushing more consumers to home grown products. There are a crop of business people that are savvy and have turned the problem to a big-time solution for exporting local products to earn forex and many are using the services of DHL. The delivery service expert has cashed in on this opportunity by providing a DHL hub in Lagos to facilitate easy freighting of cargo. Agricultural products are enjoying the spotlight with more people using this service to grow there brands and expand there capital base. DHL Express, the world’s leading international express services provider, has published research highlighting the significant growth opportunity for retailers and manufacturers with an international online product offering.The report – The 21st Century Spice Trade: A Guide to the Cross-Border E-Commerce Opportunity. Cross-border shipping is actually simple and retailers in sub-Saharan Africa are perfectly positioned to take advantage of international opportunities. More

Global harvests strong but hunger persists amid chronic conflict zones.

Global food supply conditions are robust, but access to food has been dramatically reduced in areas suffering civil conflicts, while drought conditions are worsening food security across swathes of East Africa, according to the new edition of FAO's Crop Prospects and Food Situation report. Some 37 countries require external assistance for food, 28 of them in Africa as a result of lingering effects of last year's El Niño-triggered droughts on harvests in 2016. Yet, while agricultural production is expected to rebound in southern Africa, protracted fighting and unrest is increasing the ranks of the displaced and hungry in other parts of the world. Famine has been formally declared in South Sudan and the food security situation is of grave concern in northern Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. “This is an unprecedented situation. Never before have we been faced with 4 threats of famine in multiple countries simultaneously,” said FAO Assistant Director-General Kostas Stamoulis, head of the Economic and Social Development department. “It demands swift action which should consist of immediate food assistance but also livelihood support to ensure that such situations are not repeated.” In South Sudan, 100,000 people were facing famine in Leer and Mayendit Counties, part of former Unity State, while there was an "elevated risk" that similar conditions existed in two nearby counties. Overall, about 4.9 million people across the country were classified as facing crisis, emergency or famine. That number is projected to increase to 5.5 million, or almost half the country's population, at the peak of the lean season in July. In northern Nigeria, 8.1 million people are facing acute food insecurity conditions and require urgent life-saving response and livelihood protection. That comes despite the above-average cereal harvest in 2016 and reflects the disruption caused by conflict as well as the sharp depreciation of the Naira. source

Northeastern Nigeria conflict intensifies Lake Chad Basin hunger crisis.

7.1 million people are now severely food insecure across Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. . Among them are 515 000 children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition - a condition which, if untreated, can lead to permanent damage to a child's development and even death. Violence related to the armed group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria has spilled over to parts of neighboring countries in the Lake Chad Basin - specifically, Cameroon's Far North, western Chad and southeastern Niger - with devastating effects on food security and livelihoods. With the Lake Chad Basin approaching a critical period in the agricultural calendar, FAO is urgently calling for $30 million in immediate emergency support to help farming families in the four countries get ready to plant in the upcoming May planting season and prevent them from slipping into long-term dependency on food aid. Violence has driven millions across the four countries from their homes and hampered access to agricultural lands and assets, creating massive humanitarian needs in an area already struggling with food insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation. Host communities, in particular, have been struggling for several years now to feed the displaced as well as their own. more

How to use backscatter radio for soil sensor network.

The ever growing population and climate change has put pressure on food producers to come up with strategies to feed the populace using smart means so as not to disrupt the ecosystem. The internet of things has delved into agriculture,thus making it easy to monitor agricultural activities with sensors, radio frequency identification, drones and robots. The use of various gadgets to facilitate increased productivity has pushed technology into the agricultural land to ensure food security. One of such innovative method is the use of backscatter radio for soil sensor, the Soil Moisture Scatter Radio Networking with Low Power by Spyridon-Nektarios Daskalakis. The soil sensor switches half of an etched PCB bowtie antenna in and out of a circuit at a frequency proportional to soil moisture. A carrier signal from a separate transmitter is reflected off the alternately loaded and unloaded antenna, picking up subcarriers with a frequency proportional to soil moisture.

ICRA : Building agribusiness relations for sustainable profit .

Over the years, ICRA experienced that many business support services (BSS) face difficulties in offering services that have long-lasting impact. Most training events seem to have limited results and do not lead to the desired sustainable income increases and profitable businesses for their clients. As a result, BSS find it hard to attract new clients and projects. They need to invest a lot of time in search for new funding rather than in supporting small-scale producers and processors and doing the work they love and do best. Successful business support services not only assure that smallholder farmers and agri-entrepreneurs make substantial and sustainable profit, they also assist them in doing it more efficiently. Donors, business and governmental organizations line up to work with such successful service provides. ICRA is providing an opportunity to practical tips on how to secure a stable flow of income for your support services. more

Banaba Leaf Extract: A Natural Diabetes Remedy.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million children and adults in the US have diabetes. That's 8.3% of the population and represents a 14-fold increase since 1960. This high growth has led to a growing number of pharmaceutical drugs attempting to treat the problem -- and with those drugs, a host of dangerous side effects, such as increased risk of heart failure. It's no wonder people are looking for safer, and possibly more effective, natural alternatives. Fortunately, there just might be a powerful natural alternative with banaba leaf extract. Banaba leaf, not to be confused with “banana” leaf, has been used for thousands of years in India and the Philippines to naturally treat diabetes and low blood sugar levels. It turns out these cultures were onto something -- banaba leaf and blood sugar control go hand in hand. The blood sugar regulating properties of corosolic acid, the active ingredient in banaba leaf, have been demonstrated in cell culture, animal, and human studies. In isolated cells, for example, it is known to stimulate glucose uptake. In fact, some studies have shown that it can help lower blood sugar within sixty minutes. It has also been shown to help correct leptin problems and food cravings that are typically found in overweight individuals who have elevated blood sugar. continue