Nigeria Reforming Grain Storage Methods.

Nigeria Reforming Grain Storage Methods.Farmers in the country have been introduced to sophisticated non-chemical crop storage bags to preserve grains.The incidence of cases of food poisoning due to chemical storage of grains in Nigeria would now become a thing of the past as farmers in the country have been introduced to sophisticated nonchemical crops storage bags to preserve grains. The technology known as Purdue Improved Crop Storage, PICS, bags has put an end to occurrence of wrong application of chemicals in storage of grains, resulting in food poising like "killer beans" and other chemical related preserving method, which have caused a lot of death and harms to many people in the country

DIY, SMALL and PROFITABLE MUSHROOM FARM!

The success story of papaya farming.

The success story of papaya farming.

Farm security: crucial tips to improve safety.

Farm security: crucial tips to improve safety.In South Africa, being a farmer is more than twice as dangerous as being a police officer, and a farmer or farmworker is almost four times more likely to be murdered than the average South African. Henk Boshoff, who lives on a farm near Standerton, Mpumalanga, and his partner Mark Wilson, who works from the Strand in the Western Cape, are partners in a security company, Community Assets Tactical Security (CATS). They advise farmers on how to approach farm and community security, and put them in contact with those who can implement security infrastructure at the best prices.The area in which Henk lives was known for high crime rates, but after the community organised itself, this rate dropped drastically. “Farmers and farming communities are soft targets. They must become hard targets. To achieve this, the entire community must be involved,” he stresses.

Understanding the role of the boar in breeding.

Understanding the role of the boar in breeding.Novice pig farmers should start with highly marketable and popular breeds such as the Landrace or Large White. Good quality boars can rapidly improve the standard of piglets if you do not have the best females. If boars have any problems in terms of their health, fertility, living conditions or genetic traits, you can end up with genetically weak offspring, sows that fail to conceive, or other problems. These, in turn, can reduce your profitability. When buying a young boar, ask for a specimen that has grown at an above-average rate, has converted food into muscle rather than fat at a good feed-to-growth ratio, and has no physical or other imperfections, such as extreme aggression. There are other breeds such as the Duroc – red pigs some breeders use to add more desirable ‘meat traits’ and growth rates to their operation – but this form of breeding is best left to experienced farmers. A good boar should reach about 90kg at around 140 days old. Not more than about 3kg of good pig feed should be used for each kilogram of weight gained from when the pig weighs 30kg until it reaches 90kg: this indicates a good feed-to-weight gain ratio. Remember, too, that proper deworming, hygienic living conditions, including well-ventilated housing, vaccination, and access to clean, cool water are all important factors affecting good growth rates.

The many rewards of game farming in the Karoo.

The many rewards of game farming in the Karoo. Game animals have brought a new dimension to farm life in the arid Karoo. While doomsayers view the falling prices of game, notably that of colour variants, as proof that the long-predicted bubble has burst, game ranchers who cashed in on the boom believe the industry has so many facets that further growth is guaranteed. However, in the midst of this debate, there are farmers who are unsure about price movements in the future. Some have already invested heavily in high-value game. Others are still considering the idea of switching from livestock, or bringing game farming into their production plans. In extensive livestock regions, the main motivation for this would be to make a livestock enterprise more sustainable under unpredictable, low-rainfall conditions. But, while financial considerations are crucial when making such decisions, there is more to game farming than money, as any visit to a game ranch will show.

Economic & ecological benefits of hunting in Namibia.

Economic & ecological benefits of hunting in Namibia.In Namibia, hunting is a vital part of conservation and contributes to the economic sustainability of mixed farming operations, private game farms, and more importantly, communal conservancies. Why is hunting a good conservation strategy for Namibia? Hunting in Namibia is well regulated, conservation- and sustainability-based, and enshrined in the Constitution. We adhere to the laws, but also to ethical hunting principles, as we diligently follow the rules of fair chase and truly believe in them.The Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Namibia [MET] supports hunting. Why were the communal conservancies established? Local inhabitants were driven from their land into barren ‘reserves’ by the South African government, which applied apartheid principles to make way for South African farmers. In the northern Kunene region, Namibians and their livestock were forced to compete with wildlife for land. The first community conservation efforts in Namibia began here. The idea was to place wildlife in the hands of the very people, the local communities, accused of poaching by the government. How do they work? In communal conservancies, rural residents on communal land have the same rights to wildlife as private farmers, enabling them to diversify their income streams by operating tourism and trophy hunting businesses.