Australia’s pork farmers face faeces ‘issue’

Australia’s pork farmers face faeces ‘issue’: Free-range pig farmers in Australia face an emerging issue of pig feed becoming contaminated by duck muck, according to a livestock veterinarian.

EU to launch robotic pizza delivery

EU to launch robotic pizza delivery: Domino’s Pizza Enterprises will use robots to deliver pizzas to customers living near to selected stores across Germany and the Netherlands in a new robotics project aiming to hit the ground running.

Nutrients essential for healthy ears in dogs.

Antioxidants are crucial for the effectiveness of the immune system, and they will aid circulatory and nerve health especially in the of the ears. Improve your dog's diet with antioxidants such as vitamins A and E, Coenzyme Q-10. Zinc quickens the immune response, vitamin C is needed for proper immune function and Vitamin B complex is essential for healing which has been shown in humans that it reduces ear pressure. Potassium helps maintain nervous system health and nerve impulse transmission. Herbs have also been linked to ear health,you can spice your dogs food with Moringa,thyme and ginger extracts. The use of coconut oil in diet or as ear drop also promotes ear health.

Heat detection aids in cows.

Heat detection aids can help identify bulling cows and this is particularly important for herds using AI. Identifying cows on heat can be difficult, as the average heat only lasts nine hours and most ‘standing’ activity occurs in the hours of darkness. It is therefore necessary to use heat detection aids to identify cows that need to be drafted and served. 1. Tail Paint One of the cheapest methods of identifying cows in heat is through the use of a thin strip of paint applied to the top of the cow’s tail. If the cow is mounted, a clear sign of oestrus, the thin strip of paint will be rubbed off. This will allow the cow to be separated from the main herd and served. Tell Tail, manufactured by FIL, is the most common type of tail paint used on Irish farms and is available in a number of colours including red, green, blue and yellow. To get the full benefits from the product, the company has developed the following guidelines: Paint all cows with red paint three weeks after calving. If rubbed, this indicates when the cow has started to cycle again. If the cow has not come into heat after calving you can take remedial action. Paint all cows with green paint immediately prior to commencing your AI programme. Rubbed paint identifies the cows coming into heat on a daily basis. Paint each cow with blue paint as soon as she has been AI’d. This will tell you if she has held to the service. Paint all cows with yellow when pregnancy is confirmed. 2) Developed in the US, Kamars have grown in popularity on Irish farms in recent years. Kamars sit between the cow’s hip bones and are said to be an “accurate and cost effective” method of identifying standing heats in cows. The product alerts farmers to the presence of bulling cows by a changing colour – from white to red. These heat detection aids are pressure sensitive and include a built-in timing mechanism, which is designed to be activated by standing heat behaviour. This mechanism helps distinguish between true standing heats and false mounting activity, as the detector requires approximately three seconds of mounting activity before it changes colour. 3)Scratch Cards These cards can either come with a self-adhesive back or may require the use of glue to apply them to the base of the cow’s tail. When mounting activity occurs, the scratch card is rubbed and changes colour to indicate that the cow may need to served. continue

ABU releases new maize variety with enhanced Vitamin A.

Institute for Agricultural Research at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria(ABU) has released three new varieties of maize, one of enriched with Vitamin A. The new varieties have potential for high yield and they were tagged SAMMAZ 49, SAMMAZ 50 and SAMMAZ 51. “SAMMAZ 49 and 50 are hybrids with orange colours respectively,” said Ibrahim Abubakar, executive director of the institute, at its review and planning meeting. “SAMMAZ 49 is pro-vitamin ‘A’ hybrid and yields up to 7.8 tonnes per hectare. “SAMMAZ 50 is drought and striga tolerant with yields of 9.3 tonnes per hectare, while the third variety SAMMAZ 51 is open pollinated. more

How to reduce cost of irrigation farming.

Nigeria has huge potentials for irrigation with dam projects spread all over the country. However, most of the dams the ones that government have invested on are either abandoned for years or are less than 50% utilized. Irrigation farming is one of the methods to ensure a nation can produce food all year round thereby doubling the amount of food produced and ensuring foodsecurity. 

The other methods to ensure all year farming is the hydroponics and aeroponics systems,these use minimal land,less water and zero pesticides. 

The incorporation of these methods on a broad scale will boost production of food and feed for livestock.Read also this The high cost of irrigation equipment, ineffective and wasteful irrigation techniques have made efficient irrigation difficult for many farmers across sub-Saharan Africa. Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar, Director, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, who is also an irrigation expert, shared his thoughts on how to cut cost

FADAMA III provides N2.8m solar borehole for Niger community.

FADAMA III provides N2.8m solar borehole for Niger community.The FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) in Niger has provided solar borehole worth N2.8 million for Kasakoguin community in Wushishi Local Government Area, Aliyu Kutigi, the State Project Coordinator says. Kutigi made this known in Minna on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). continue