Catfish lifts driver from poverty.

Catfish lifts driver from poverty. As a driver, Francis Mwangi could not make enough to sustain himself and his family, who depended on him. Even his own father ran away from their home in Mathari, Nyeri County, when he could not repay debts that had accrued in the family. Then Mwangi attended a training programme for farmers about fish farming and he decided to give it a try. He decided to risk by depositing Sh65,000 with the fisheries company and had a pond dug to accommodate his first batch of catfish. He says neighbours would laugh at him, wondering how he could just give away money. To the naysayers’ dismay, after five and a half months, the first harvest earned Mwangi Sh300,000, which shocked even the locals. Each kilo of fish is sold for Sh200 and some of the fish grow to as heavy as three kilogrammes. more

Adjusting sow nutrition in key stages of transition.

Adjusting sow nutrition in key stages of transition.New research and the development of an advanced nutritional programme have confirmed that improved sow nutrition at key stages in the breeding cycle will help improve birth weights and piglet vitality. Larger litter sizes challenge piglet livability,as more piglets can result in longer and more difficult farrowing for the sow and less litter uniformity. Small piglets in particular are more at risk of pre-weaning mortality. Improving sow nutrition around parturition, in the transition phase from gestation to lactation, can have a significant impact on piglet livability. The research programme has led to the development of Livelle Transition feeding strategy. This breakthrough in sow nutrition can help the sow in supporting larger litters, from birth to weaning. more

Plant voice.

Plant voice is a monitoring and control system which helps you realize the optimum greenhouse climate and irrigation strategy, based on plant needs. All data is presented at a glance via a customized visualization. The PlantVoice program, that is developed for the iSii process computer, focusses on the three plant balances: the energy, water, and assimilates balance. These balances are the center of each plant growth model. PlantVoice allows you to keep your plants ‘in balance’, and therefore enables the plant to grow optimally and you achieve optimum production and quality. With PlantVoice, you adjust the irrigation cycle to the plants’ needs and you realize the ideal . more

Green tea consumption can lower rice-induced diabetes risk in women: Japanese study

Green tea consumption can lower rice-induced diabetes risk in women: Japanese study: New research from Japan has shown that drinking green tea can reduce the risk of diabetes caused by rice consumption among women.

Low levels of carotenoids linked to Parkinson’s disease risk and progression: RCT

Low levels of carotenoids linked to Parkinson’s disease risk and progression: RCT: Low levels of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene contributed to increased risk and progression of Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports.

Chondroitin sulfate as good as widely used anti-inflammatory drug for knee osteoarthritis: Study

Chondroitin sulfate as good as widely used anti-inflammatory drug for knee osteoarthritis: Study: High quality chondroitin sulfate supplementation is as good as a widely prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of painful knee osteoarthritis, new research reveals.

The pros and cons of commercial farming models in Africa.

The pros and cons of commercial farming models in Africa.Colonialism brought large-scale farming to Africa, promising modernisation and jobs – but often dispossessing people and exploiting workers. Now, after several decades of independence, and with investor interest growing, African governments are once again promoting large plantations and estates. But the new corporate interest in African agriculture has been criticized as a “land grab”. Small-scale farmers, on family land, are still the mainstay of African farming, producing 90% of its food. Their future is increasingly uncertain as the large-scale colonial model returns. To make way for big farms, local people have lost their land. Promises of jobs and other benefits have been slow to materialize, if at all. The search is on for alternatives to big plantations and estates that can bring in private investment without dispossessing local people – and preferably also support people’s livelihoods by creating jobs and strengthening local economies. Two possible models stand out. Contract farming is often touted as an “inclusive business model” that links smallholders into commercial value chains. In these arrangements, smallholder farmers produce cash crops on their own land, as ‘outgrowers’, on contract to agroprocessing companies. see Then there is growth in a new class of “middle farmers”. These are often educated business people and civil servants who are investing money earned elsewhere into medium-scale commercial farms which they own and operate themselves. more