REDUCING WASTE IN FRUIT PRODUCTION.

REDUCING WASTE IN FRUIT PRODUCTION.Kenyan farmers and businesses are improving the mango value chain through sustainable post-harvest handling practices and technologies.According to government estimates, as much as 50 percent of Kenya’s harvested fruit goes to waste. Post-harvest loss means a significant loss of income for smallholder farmers like John Musomba, who grows mango on a 2-acre farm in Nziu, Kenya. Even when his trees are healthy and producing succulent green mangoes, the value of his precious harvest can plummet for a variety of reasons. Fruit flies and other pests – on the rise in Kenya due to climate change – can destroy a large part of the harvest. Bruised fruit that hits the ground when harvested incorrectly or gets damaged through poor transportation will not sell well. And heat can be a great enemy for John’s fruit, leading to rapid deterioration after harvest. TechnoServe and the Rockefeller Initiative have teamed up on the YieldWise Initiative to mitigate these factors and improve incomes for mango farmers in four regions of Kenya.more

BUILDING HEALTHIER BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH FOOD FORTIFICATION.

BUILDING HEALTHIER BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH FOOD FORTIFICATION.Food processing businesses are working to end hunger by increasing their capacity to provide quality, nutritious fortified foods for local communities. In Eastern and Southern Africa, 25 million – or 40 percent – of children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition. Adequate nutrition is vital to children’s health and cognitive and physical development, and food fortification is a scalable, cost-effective method to increase communities’ access to nutrients. Yet many small and growing local processors have difficulties producing high-quality, affordable and nutritious products due to a lack of technical and business knowledge and investment. Solutions for African Food Enterprises (SAFE) is a partnership between TechnoServe, Partners in Food Solutions and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which aims to expand the availability of affordable and nutritious foods by increasing the competitiveness of the food processing sectors in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania. Between launch in 2012 and completion in 2017, SAFE benefited more than 1,000 food processors, who source from more than 973,000 smallholder farmers. more

The learning curve.

The learning curve.Learning is the minimum requirement for success.Every industry is constantly growing; tactics are always changing, the amount of data to analyze is expanding, and competition is getting more fierce. This means that your knowledge must also continually increase to keep up. Your ability to expand your mind and strive for lifelong learning is critical to your success. By dedicating yourself to learning, you can get ahead in every aspect of your life. All it takes is commitment. There are three kinds of learning that you can acquire to help you become a student of life: 1. Maintenance Learning This kind of learning keeps you up-to-date within your field. Many people think that reading an occasional book and keeping current with blogs and newsletters is the equivalent of adding to their education. Maintenance learning is the same as checking the stock market reports each day to find out the sales prices of various stocks and securities. This information does not add to your knowledge of the companies, the market, or the investment potential of a particular stock, but it keeps you up to speed. Doing this type of learning is similar to light physical exercise. It won’t increase your level of fitness, but it will keep you in shape. 2. Growth Learning This kind of learning adds knowledge and skills to your repertoire that you did not have that enables you to do things that you could not do previously. We're blessed to live in a time with so many innovative thought leaders, so incredible continuous learning material is never too far out of reach. You can find this information by doing a quick search online and discovering podcasts, blogs, books, online courses, etc. that can give you great ideas. 3. Shock Learning This kind of learning contradicts or reverses a piece of knowledge or understanding that you already have. It can be extremely valuable if you act upon it. The “shock” can give you insights that can enable you to either take advantage of a major change in the marketplace or guard against a serious reversal. Unfortunately, most people are creatures of habit. When something happens that is completely unexpected, they choose to ignore it in favor of the old information with which they are comfortable. Don’t be afraid of change. Always change and adapt. more

Free financial training.(Brain-A-Thon)

Free financial training.(Brain-A-Thon). Thanks to proven research from universities like Harvard, Yale, UCLA, and practical real-world evidence - we now know your brain can be “trained” to help you succeed faster and easier than ever before. John Assaraf, New York Times Best Selling Author and founder of NeuroGym, has gathered 7 of the world’s top brain science and success experts to show you exactly how it’s done…John’s hosting a free, LIVE online event where you’ll discover the latest research and evidence that you can use to: Transform your life for the better.Increase your wealth. Improve your mental state and overall happiness.And more... The ALL NEW 6th Annual LIVE Brain-A-Thon is taking place Saturday! Your Invitation: 6th Annual Brain-A-Thon When: Saturday, October 7, 2017 Time: Starts at 12:00 p.m. Eastern | 9:00 a.m. Pacific Where: Your Desktop or Laptop Computer .Register

CDC: Outbreak bacteria traced to Petland is antibiotic resistant.

CDC: Outbreak bacteria traced to Petland is antibiotic resistant. With the victim count having jumped 40 percent in the past three weeks, the CDC has nothing but bad news to report today on a multi-state 

Campylobacter outbreak traced to Petland puppies — the outbreak strains are antibiotic resistant. Since its initial outbreak announcement on Sept. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received lab confirmation of 16 more victims across five new states.

 That brings the outbreak totals to 55 people in a dozen states, with a fourth of them requiring hospitalization. No deaths have been reported. “Clinical samples from people and puppies sickened in this outbreak appear to be resistant to commonly recommended, first-line antibiotics. 

This means infections with the outbreak strain may not respond well to oral antibiotics usually prescribed to treat Campylobacter infections,” according to the outbreak update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. continue

Insecticide poisoning: 7 more die in three days in Yavatmal.

Insecticide poisoning: 7 more die in three days in Yavatmal.Seven more farmers have died in the past three days owing to improper spraying of ‘Profex Super’ insecticide on cotton plantations in Yavatmal district, taking the toll to 15. Kishor Tiwari, chief of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission, said over 600 cases of insecticide infection have been reported in Yavatmal district. He blamed indiscriminate use of wrong combinations of insecticides, and direct and continuous exposure to toxic substances owing to lack of protective gear for the death of farmers and farm workers over the past one week. see

'Medicine for women being given to cows'.

'Medicine for women being given to cows' Are medicines meant for women in labour being given to cows? That's what health minister KR Ramesh Kumar claimed at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences on Monday, but health department officials told TOI the minister's statement was based on a case filed by the deputy drugs controller, Belagavi in 2010. "Two months ago, a gynaecologist in Hassan said some medicines required for women in labour were not available even after indenting for them. We checked and learnt that the medicines meant for women were given to cows to yield more milk," the minister said at an immunization event in Belagavi. more