Russian Agriculture: The Importance of Biotechnology.

Russian Agriculture: The Importance of Biotechnology.This year Russia collected a record grain harvest. A total of 132 million tons of grain were harvested this season. As the experts note, that’s going to be the best result for 100 years, and in fact, for the entire history of the country. In recent years, there has been a real grain boom. In the past season, Russian agriculture companies managed to harvest 120 million tons of grain. Although in 2015 the harvest did not exceed more than 104 million tons. However, bumper crops have a downside. The thing is that giant harvests require a large amount of infrastructure: grain storage facilities, machinery for sowing operations, transport and logistics support. And Russia faces some lack of such infrastructure.

Dangote feels Nigeria should focus on agriculture.

Dangote feels Nigeria should focus on agriculture.In an interview granted on the sidelines of the Alaghodaro investment summit recently organized by the Edo State Government, billionaire industrialist, Aliko Dangote revealed why he has intensified his group’s investments in the agricultural sector. Food security is an important aspect of this administration’s national security agenda. any person involved in smuggling of food items is a threat to our national security and will therefore be dealt with accordingly.Keying into an a sector supported by the government, gives the Dangote Group access to grants and subsidies. Essential in doing business in a harsh climate like Nigeria. In addition to creating jobs, investing in agriculture reduces Nigeria’s reliance on foreign food imports which act as a drain on the nation’s foreign reserves. Interventions in rice farming have led to a drop in rice imports in the country. Dangote feels Nigeria should focus on agriculture.

How to feed your pigs for less.

Feed accounts for 65-85% of the cost of commercial pig production. The more a farmer knows about their pigs' feed need, the better he can meet this need efficiently. . The use of none conventional and cheap pig feed ingredients that are available in Africa e.g.Banana, Plantain, Pawpaw, sweet potatoes, coco-yam makes a difference in the profit margin.

Domestic pigs are acting as potential sources of sleeping sickness in sub-Saharan Africa.

Domestic pigs are acting as potential sources of sleeping sickness in sub-Saharan Africa.Many of the domestic pigs kept by subsistence farmers across sub-Saharan Africa are carrying the cause of fatal human diesease human African Trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, millions of people rely on subsistence farming to survive. Pig keeping is becoming more popular, as they can be maintained in a free-roaming, zero input system requiring little investment of time or money. However the increase in pig farming is also increasing the risk of human infection with a number of pathogens, including the causative agent of acute human African trypanosomiasis (HAT); Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. T. rhodesiense is a vector borne disease that occurs in discrete foci across East Africa and is transmitted by the tsetse fly. T. b. rhodesiense infection in pigs is usually asymptomatic. As a result they can often tolerate infection for most of their lives, and without clinical signs, the animals will not be treated. In contrast the course of infection in humans is very different; T. b. rhodesiense is a rapidly fatal infection, with death ensuing in as little as six months after becoming infected.

Hero rats sniff (and snuff) out landmines and TB.

Hero rats sniff (and snuff) out landmines and TB. Traditionally, you wouldn't gift someone a rat -- not someone you like, anyway. And even if a gift-wrapped rodent was in the cards, you'd likely shy away from the giant African pouched rat, which -- as the name suggests -- is rather large (think cat-sized). Tanzania-based NGO Apopo, however, thinks rats make excellent gifts. So much so that they've launched an adopt-a-rat program, which allows participants to sponsor the animal. "It's great for the giving season. It also works on Valentine's Day. Many people love to give their love, er, a rat," says Bart Weetjens, Apopo's founder. Weetjens' rodents have many talents. Mostly, though, they are highly trained to sniff out land mines and detect tuberculosis -- two scourges that have had a tremendously negative impact across the African continent.And his rats are fast. A single rat can clear 200 square feet in an hour (done manually, the same area would take 50 hours to clear). A TB-detection rat can evaluate 50 samples in eight minutes (almost a day's work for a lab technician

Anti-malaria soap could save thousands of lives in rural areas.

The past decade has led to some amazing progress in the fight against malaria, especially in Africa. But despite this, the mosquito-borne disease remains a threat. Experts now believe creative ideas are needed to eradicate malaria for good. In Burkina Faso one student has come up with a soap that repels mosquitoes.

Pigs Against Malaria.

                                Pigs Against Malaria.

Mosquito vector-borne diseases are serious global health threats. Malaria alone claims the lives of about 600,000 people annually. With such high death tolls, controlling vectors and the pathogens that they carry is of critical importance.

 Ivermectin is a broad spectrum antiparasitic medication that can be used both internally and topically for the treatment of myriad parasites, including filarial worms, gastrointestinal parasites, and scabies. And, as it turns out, ivermectin can even kill mosquitoes.

 Scientists have shown that having humans in an entire village take ivermectin can disrupt transmission of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.