Solar-powered dairy farm.

A farmer in Kenya is reaping massive benefits from solar-enhanced dairy-farming. His venture is an example of how the country is transitioning to the realization of the 7th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that credits assurance of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. In order to boost production, Willy Kirwa, a dairy farmer located in Eldoret (Western region of Kenya in the Rift Valley) invested $40,000 USD in a modern state-of-the art solar power system on his 50-acre farm to help in lighting and processing of milk. He has over time installed 30 solar panels with different capacity outputs (100 watts and 200 watts). Even though the installation cost was expensive, it has been confirmed that the project is lucrative and cheaper in the long-run. It is worth it because of the lack of monthly power overheads encountered using mains-grid electricity. The farm needed a comfortable environment with enough lighting to boost his milk-production which currently stands at 600 liters per day, hence the need for the technology. Large scale milk production also needs processing machinery akin to solar powered milk cooling machine. The dairy farmer has installed a solar power system at his farm most specifically to power the milk cooling machine and light the cattle shed for milking. He has a milk-cooling facility that is directly connected to solar power source by power cables. #solar Inside the cattle pen, some power bulbs are visible which are turned on whenever there is need for more light. He preferred using solar energy to other energy-sources because it is natural and cheaper to manage as compared to grid electricity that needs a lot of money to install in addition to the high monthly bills, given his large-scale milk production. The dairy farmer also opted to employ solar energy because he has many dairy cattle and the milk production is high. He had to acquire milk-processing machinery, which includes a milk cooling machine. He preferred to put up solar-energy to run the machine because it is easy to handle and maintain, which is also cheap. #dairy The photovoltaic solar panels are connected in a way that they are easily hit directly by the sun, converting the sun’s rays into electricity. Solar panels on his roof are directly connected to power storage solar batteries with power inverters that convert the direct current (DC) power generated by solar panels to alternating current (AC) that is used on the grid. The power serves many other auxiliary purposes as it also lights cattle sheds that are turned on during milking very early in the morning and late in the evening after the sun has set. Apart from lighting the cattle shed, the renewable energy is also used in lighting his main house. This is just an example of the ancillary benefits of cheaper and cost-effective renewable-energy. He also prefers lighting during milking in order to boost milk production in the sense that the strong light attracts flies that could suck cows during the milking process, which would make them restless. The light also gives the cattle a warm and friendly environment, making them relaxed. The farmer also plans to expand the solar plant for other domestic use. more

Mercury levels in cat, dog food may depend on fish species

Mercury levels in cat, dog food may depend on fish species: The mercury concentrations in more than 100 dog and cat foods were measured by scientists. Some foods had levels above those considered safe for other animals.

Suya, Isi- ewu, Kilisi, cause premature death .

Suya, Isi- ewu, Kilisi, cause premature death accordiing to the Health Minister.The Minister of health, Prof Isaac Adewole has said Suya, Isi- ewu, Kilisi and others are contributing to the cause of premature deaths in the country. He disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the First Annual Black Tie Gala event organised by the Tristate Heart Foundation (THF) noting that the unhealthy diet of Nigerians often lead to hypertension, which is the leading cardiovascular disease in Nigeria, resulting to stroke if untreated. Adewole, noted that 1 in every 5 Nigerians is hypertensive and at risk of premature death. He said, “Sadly, there is widespread low consumption of proteins, fruits and vegetables and increasing patronage of fast food outlets by the population,” “There is also large promotion of sweetened products such as carbonated drinks, pastries, candies and other refined sugars, while excessive intake of salt is promoted by food additives such as monosodium glutamate common in delicacies such as suya, kilisi, isi-ewu, ngwo-ngwo, among others.” He advised Nigerians to give up eating some of their favorite traditional meat-based meals for the sake of their health with emphasis on Suya, Isi ewu, Ngwo Ngwo, Kilisi and others. more

Equine intelligence.

Horses are quite smart,watch how this equine pick out the correct picture.Watch now

Mini Horse Can Trot Again Because He Has A Brand-New Hoof.

Mini Horse Can Trot Again Because He Has A Brand-New Hoof.Things are finally look up again for this miniature horse named Shine — and he's got the moves to prove it. A few months back, Shine was nearly killed in a suspected dog attack while at home on his farm in Colorado. Although he did manage to survive initially, his rear leg was so badly injured it wasn't clear at first if he would make it in the long run. A local veterinarian was able to stabilize Shine and bandage him up, allowing him to maintain some mobility — but his road to recovery was far from over.After weeks passed and the mini horse's leg showed no signs of healing, his owners sought help

Aliko Dangote :Tapping the gold in tomato business.

Aliko Dangote :Tapping the gold in tomato business. Agriculture is the way out of recession and definitely the future of work. The drive to ensure food security is the in road to agribusiness ventures and investment opportunities in agriculture. The wave of investments in agricultural sector is not limited to farmers and youths even billionaires are trying to increase their wealth by venturing into agribusiness. Aliko Dangote — Africa’s richest man —has ventured into the tomato business by opening a $20 million processing facility in Kano state, northern Nigeria. The goal is to compete for a share of lucrative tomato paste market, which currently depends on imports from China. The new tomato processing plant, built by Swiss-based Syngenta, has the capacity to produce up to 400,000 tons of tomato paste every year for the Nigerian market. The plant is working with a network of over 50,000 smallholder tomato farmers in Northern Nigeria,he will buy off their products at a competitive price,better than that obtained in open market.The step towards cutting waste from post harvest losses is a laudable effort but more investors are needed to cut off imports completely but promote exports instead.

Value addition to tomatoes.

Tomatoes are healthy fruits with massive health benefits as they are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties, which is responsible for the deep red color of tomatoes. Food rich in lycopene will give antioxidant and is often associated with boosting our immune system by removing free radicals from our bodies thus decreasing the risk of stroke, lowering our bad cholesterol levels and preventing artery hardening. Tomatoes contain Zeaxanthin,a flavonoid that helps eyes stay healthy and with vitamin A that is found in tomatoes as well will take a good care of eyes if this fruit is eaten regularly. Fresh raw tomatoes are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins, tomatoes are also low in calories as 100 grams of tomatoes have around 18 calories. Tomatoes can be processed to paste,puree and ketchup alongside other products. The tomato market is large and a lot needs to be done to prevent the losses currently experienced from farm to market. Investors in the chain can actually tap into value addition in the form of processing the fruit into other products that are also equally beneficial in terms of health and wealth. Tomato value addition; 1) Tomato juice: I remember this product in my school days, it was always available especially during parties,but it gradually disappeared thanks to sugar flavored drinks. The juice is actually a healthy beverage with a good taste and aroma and a high vitamin content not forgetting the antioxidant effect on our cell. A high quality tomato juice contains 0.4 percent citric acid, 0.5 percent salt and 0.1 percent sugar. 2)Tomato ketchup : this is by far the most common form of processing,with various brands adding specific ingredients to make their products unique.Ketchup is commonly used with snacks and ready-to-eat foods,the chicken and chips delicacy is not complete without it. 3)Tomato paste: this is easy and most convenient for working mums, the tomatoes are cut up and processed into ready to use paste. There is another value addition with the tomato paste,it could actually be blended with pepper and some salt to produce a tomapep product. This is a handy ingredient for homes,eateries,school cafeterias and definitely a travel companion when camping out. 4)Tomato powder: tomatoes can also be dehydrated and grounded into fine powders that can be packaged in cans and sachets. 5)Tomatoes :can also be preserved and processed as dehydrated tomatoes. Tomatoes can be dehydrated and stored for further processing into powder or stored and used as dried tomato slices. Value addition to the tomato fruit cannot be fully explored as so many products can be derived from the tomato,what is required is the plan to cut the losses from site of production to market and then fresh produce to consumers. Investors in this value addition can actually site factories within the cluster of production,or better still farmers could even engage in this value addition by using dehydrators to save the excess tomatoes ,which will now be ready raw material for tomato processing plants. The funny side of tomatoes; see