FEED THE FUTURE : the pumpkin business.

FEED THE FUTURE : the pumpkin business. Fatuma is the managing director of Byeffe Foods Company Limited, a food processing company in Uganda, using pumpkin as their raw material. Byeffe’s products include nutritious pumpkin mixed with soy, millet, and rice flour for porridge. Children love the porridge, and it’s giving them a vital nutrition boost. This is especially important for vulnerable households that have children who suffer from malnutrition. It puts a smile on my face to see that my products are enabling more young children in communities in Uganda to grow up healthy and strong. In addition to making affordable, nutritious food for the children in my country, Byeffe is helping young people to tap into the potential of agriculture for employment and growth. We are creating on- and off-farm jobs for thousands of youth just like me. We are also teaching young Ugandans in these communities entrepreneurial skills that can enable and empower them to start their own businesses. In agriculture, there are so many opportunities that young people can tap into, and I want to help them realize that our time is now, and the place is in the agriculture sector. It’s been two years since she started the company, and in that time, has provided more accessible and nutritious food options to communities across Uganda, created a variety of agricultural jobs that generate income for families, and empowered more people like me, especially young women, to create their own path in the agriculture industry.This is all thanks to a very vital crop -- pumpkin. As the business grew, she needed access to a larger supply of fresh pumpkins so Feed the Future helped mobilize more than 1,200 young farmers. These farmers are not only earning more by selling their harvest to Byffe Foods, but also extending the reach and offer of the company's nutrient-rich products to more consumers. FEED THE FUTURE : the pumpkin business.

Aerial yams turns farmer to millionaire.

In the heart of Kiriani in Mathioya constituency, Murang’a County, there is a small farm that has become the talk of the village. The farm measuring 100m by 50m belongs to Simon Ngure, and hosts aerial yams, which are also known as aerial potato. The plant is a semi-wild food that grows on vines climbing onto poles and trees. The bulb is eaten on peeling off the hard back after cooking. The plant’s heart-shaped leaves with slender twinning vines spread tenaciously on posts Ngure has erected. Some yams hang loosely on the vines, which Ngure, 49, stretches his hands and harvests. “The leaves and vines of the crop are currently dry, which means it’s harvest time.” Ngure says he went for them to carve a niche for himself. He is introducing farmers to the aerial yams, which according to him have turned his life for the better and helped him put his children through school. “I switched from coffee to the yams after seeing their potential some three years ago. A friend in Nyeri introduced them to me.” It was the start of his flourishing aerial yam business, which is gaining popularity among farmers. He planted the single yam and in six months harvested 15 yams. However, he did not sell the tubers and instead stored them for planting. “I replanted and expanded the farm and six months later made some good harvests. However, because the yam was not common in the market, I lacked a ready market making me explore other avenues.” To plant the crop, he places the seeds in a dark room to break dormancy. This allows the yam to sprout and ensures that the crop germinates after planting.“Unless it sprouts before you plant, the seeds may rot in the ground and fail to germinate.” Once he has the seeds, he tills the land, makes one-feet deep holes a meter apart, adds animal manure and mixes well with the soil. He then erects poles at the base of the plant to provide support for the vines and then plants. Since he went for the crop three years ago, his fortunes have changed. He hopes to expand his business through value addition as the yams can be milled and the flour used to cook ugali and porridge among other foods. The facts about the aerial yam :the aerial yam is also known as aerial potato, potato yam, aerial yam or air yam and is believed to be native to tropical Africa, Asia and Australia. According to experts, the tubers of edible varieties often have a bitter taste, which can be removed by boiling. They can then be prepared in the same way as other yams, potatoes, and sweet potatoes

Indigenous coy produces fertiliser from neem tree.

An indigenous company based in Kebbi State has produced organic neem fertilizer for optimum crop production. They are produced from the neem tree. The product was showcased at the just concluded National Agricultural show in Nasarawa State. The company also produces neem seed cake for animal feed, neem seeds, neem oil and biopesticides for prevention and control of insect pests. Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Musa Karaye, confirmed that the fertiliser boosts crop yield and that the nutrients stayed in the soil for a longer period. A breakdown of the soil analysis of the organic fertilizer confirmed that it contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese and copper, including organic carbon and organic matter. In addition, he said the company has been registered under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) programme of the Federal Government and supplies interested farmers with the new products.

UNICEF partners Imo RUWASA on hand washing .

UNICEF partners Imo RUWASA on hand washing . Wife of Imo State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, has appealed to people of the state, particularly women and children, to imbibe the habit of washing their hands, so as to prevent infections. Mrs. Okorocha, made the plea in a remark to commemorate the Global Hand Washing Day in Owerri, organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in collaboration with Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASA. “I commend UNICEF for partnering with RUWASA in ensuring the success of this yearly exercise. I appeal to the citizenry, particularly women and children, to form the habit of constantly washing their hands, to prevent infections,” Mrs. Okorocha pleaded. UNICEF

Climate change: Nigeria uses bottle brick technology.

Climate change: Nigeria uses bottle brick technology. Nigeria, millions of plastic bottles are discarded blocking waterways.The term using what we have to get what we need applies to the innovative use of plastic bottles. Reduce,reuse and recycle is a method of stemming effects of climate change and the use of these waste bottles to provide affordable housing is a novel idea.

Plastic Bottles Light Up Kenya's Slums.

Plastic Bottles Light Up Kenya's Slums.

How to turn plastic bottles to solar bulbs.

How to turn plastic bottles to solar bulbs.