Water hyacinth provides good substrate for mushroom farming.

Water hyacinth provides good substrate for mushroom farming.While the Lake Victoria hyacinth is driving fishermen out of business, Siaya County farmer, Naftali Oseka has converted the stubborn weed into the a substrate for mushroom production. The farmer, who lives along the shore of this biggest fresh water lake in Africa, learnt that dry hyacinth can support mushroom farming, replacing the need for expensive bagasse and sometimes seldom sawdust and sugarcane leaves. Instead of struggling to make ends meet with the fishing, he resorted to “befriend the enemy weed” as an alternative source of income.Mushrooms do not grow directly on the soil. They require a medium, substrate, which seats between them and the soil. Most farmers use saw dusts, bagasse, rice, wheat, millet and bean straws as substrates. However, dry hyacinth is a good mushroom substrate when mixed with other trash from organic farm waste.

Kisumu Entrepreneur Producing Paper from Water Hyacinth.

Kisumu Entrepreneur Producing Paper from Water Hyacinth.A Kisumu based entrepreneur is taking advantage of Kenya’s ban on plastic bags to produce Eco-friendly paper bags from water hyacinth menace in Lake Victoria. Michael Otieno, the founder of Takawiri Craft Enterprises turned the problem into a business opportunity. He has been using the weed and re-cycled waste paper to make business cards, book covers, and envelopes since 2011. In 2016 he started making gift bags which he sells together with the rest of the items to maintain sustainable livelihood.

FMARD, LASG sensitise farmers on quality control of agro products.

FMARD, LASG sensitise farmers on quality control of agro products. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), continued its nationwide advocacy/sensitisation programme on agricultural quality control and standardisation for South-West states, today at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. In collaboration with the Lagos State Government (LASG), the ministry said the aim of the programme was to inculcate the Culture of Quality in the agro sector for all stakeholders. The programme has been successfully hosted by the government of Kano State for North-West, Benue State for North-Central and Enugu State for South-East. Delivering the opening address as the chief host, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Lagos State, Hon. Oluwatoyin Suarau, expressed delight on the programme, describing it as very crucial to achieving the standard requirement of agro produce meant for export.

Monkey pox: C/River strengthens surveillance in border communities.

Monkey pox: C/River strengthens surveillance in border communities.Cross River Government on Sunday said it had strengthened its surveillance team in border communities and all the local governments of the state as Monkey pox outbreak hits some states in South-South. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, disclosed this in an interview in Calabar. “Cross River is not far from other states in the South-South that have witnessed the outbreak, we are working round the clock to prevent the disease in the state.

‘Access to financial support by rural women ’ll help local markets’.

‘Access to financial support by rural women ’ll help local markets’How do you empower women entrepreneurs and what inspired this? The focus is to empower women to fund their business with 5000 per head to start a business for rural woman. How to save and give them financial tips while chipping in things on violence. Rural women die in domestic violence. Empowering them will save them from domestic violence.

Experts call for enhanced food security.

Experts call for enhanced food security.Nutrition experts have urged Nigerians to invest in food security to enhance healthy lifestyle and human development. They spoke at a workshop held in Lagos by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Postharvest Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN) said women and children in Africa were under fed due to poor investment. The CEO/Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) Mrs. Gloria Elemo said Nigeria would feed its citizenry adequately, if the private and public sector ensure food security. She said food and nutrition security would ensure that vital ingredients for healthy living were sustained, noting that efforts should not be spared to preserved perishable foods for growth.

Pet food mix-ins: adding fresh foods to dog, cat food.

Pet food mix-ins: adding fresh foods to dog, cat food. As more consumers aim for customization of their pets’ food, human foods are merging with pet food options.Packaged Facts surveyed dog and cat owners about their use of pet food toppers, mix-ins or gravies/sauces. Clearly, a varying combination of palatability, pampering, nutritional, customization and coaxing issues are front-of-mind for many pet food purchasers, given that 28 percent of dog owners and 22 percent of cat owners use commercial pet food toppers, mix-ins or gravy/sauce products, and 32 percent of dog owners and 18 percent of cat owners mix human foods or food products in with their commercial pet food. When it comes to human food, the range of mix-ins that pet owners turn to is almost as broad and chaotic as American cuisine and eating patterns. This range includes breakfast foods (biscuits, donuts, pancakes, muesli, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs), sandwich classics (ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly), fast-food fare and condiments (French fries, hamburgers, hot dogs and KFC fried chicken, along with ketchup, mustard and even hot sauce) and hot meal standards (beef stew, macaroni and cheese, meat and potatoes, meatloaf). International foods and ingredients also get a nod (Belgian cheese, curry, mango, papaya, salsa), as do the related realms of culinary trends (hummus, legumes, olive oil, salami, sweet potato, yogurt) and trendy human market health food ingredients (coconut oil, turmeric).