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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Dec 30, 2017 20:16:47 GMT 1
Pressing the honey is more work, but takes less time.
Scrape open the combs, break them into pieces and tie them up in a clean cloth (cheese cloth, sheet pillow case). Knead the combs in the cloth press the honey through the cloth. You can wring out the cloth (you need two people for this, or one person and a fixed point), but it is faster to work with wooden press. There are various press constructions.
Pour the honey through the clean cloth or sieve into a pot or maturing vessel and leave it to stand for few days. Any remaining wax particles and pollen grains will float to the top skim these off.
Then pour the honey into a storage jar (airtight). If you want to be able to fill small pots and jars easily, use a container with a tap.
Centrifuging the honey
The advantage of centrifuging is that you can extract the honey very quickly and that you can use the combs again.
Requirements
Centrifugal honey extractor
Uncapping knives or forks
One or two basins, 15cm deep made of aluminum, tin, galvanized iron or plastic, in which a few uncapped frames can stand.
An uncapping tray
A honey strainer or nylon stocking
Cheese cloth and a vessel
Process
Uncap the combs before centrifuging the frames. It a knife (pre-heated if necessary) cut away the cell caps in one movement. It is best to uncap over an uncapping tray with a wooden bar on which the frame rests.
You can leave the wax caps to drain. If you later melt the wax caps you will obtain first grade wax.
The centrifugal honey extractor consists of a cylindrical kettle in which a cage turns on an axle. The cage is made of a frame covered with strong wire. A modern centrifugal honey extractor can extract 2,3,4,6 or 8 frames at the same time.
The cage in which the frame are placed is turned by means of a handle with gears. The honey is thrown out of the cells against the inside walls of the kettle.
There is a tap at the bottom of the kettle. Beneath this tap place the honey sieve or the nylon stocking through which the honey runs into a bucket or straight into the vessel.
Turn in the direction of the bottom bar (as the cells face the top bar). First turn the handle slowly then position the frames in reverse and turn the handle until the cells on this side on the combs are completely empty. The empty combs are put into a super and given back to the colony so that they can lick the cells clean.
Leave the honey in the maturing vessel for a few days so that air bubbles and wax particles can float to the top. Skim these off and pour the honey into air tight pots or container.
Store the honey in glass jars or plastic buckets with well-sealing lids or in metal containers which have been coated on the inside with a layer of liquid paraffin or plastic, or which have been treated with acid-resistant varnish.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Aug 6, 2017 20:31:02 GMT 1
Pressing the honey is more work, but can take less time.
Scrape open the combs, break them into pieces and tie them up in a clean cloth (cheese cloth, sheet pillow case). Knead the combs in the cloth and press the honey through the cloth. You can wring out the cloth (you need two people for this, or one person and a fix point), but it is faster to work with wooden press. There are various press constructions.
Pour the honey through the clean cloth or sieve into a pot or maturing vessel and leave it to stand for few days. Any remaining wax particles and pollen grains will float to the top-skim these off.
Then pour the honey into a clean storage gar (airtight). If you want to be able to fill small pots and jars easily use a container with a tap.
Centrifuging The Honey
The advantage of centrifuging is that you can extract the honey very quickly and that you can use the combs again.
Requirements:
Centrifugal honey extractor, uncapping knives or forks, one or two basins (15 cm deep made of aluminum, tin, galvanized iron or plastic) in which a few uncapped frames can stand, an uncapping tray, a honey strainer or nylon stocking and cheese cloth and a vessel.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jul 1, 2017 18:33:58 GMT 1
Honey consists of mostly (±80%) of sugars that are readily absorbed by the body (glucose and fructose). The water content is between 17% and 20%. It also has small amounts of other substances required by the body such as minerals, vitamins, proteins and amino acids.
Generally, honey is useful to man in so many ways.
It can be used as sweetener for food and drink.
It can be used as medicine for preventing and curing several diseases.
It is used as industrial raw materials in cosmetic industry, tobacco
industry and brewery.
It has a high economic value and is therefore a good trade commodity.
The following are some specific uses for which honey is known for.
Honey Contains Essential Minerals for the Body
Honey contains several numbers of minerals required by the body such as calcium, aluminum, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and sodium.
Abdominal Pain after Baby Delivery
Two tablespoonful of honey should be taken two times a day for at least a month.
Germ Destroyer
Honey is a potential destroyer of germs. It destroys germs or bacteria because of its acidic nature and its sugar content.
Tuberculosis
Mix 35cl bottle of pure honey with grinded one bulb of garlic and two bitter cola with one medium size ginger together thoroughly and take two spoon-full three times a day.
Good for Children
The addition of honey in children's diet makes children grow faster, remain healthier and weighing heavier.
Food Sweetener
For good health, honey should be used to replace sugar in our diet. One or two tablespoonful or more to taste in pap, oats, tea, custard, cornflakes, gari, cereals, cooked beans etc promote good health of the body.
Menstrual Pain
Take two tablespoonful of pure natural honey three times daily, two to three days before menstruation begins.
Chronic Cough
Mix one part of lemon or lime with two parts of pure honey and lick freely.
Surgical Dressing
Natural honey is used for post surgical dressing, dressing of wounds, stubborn sores and fire burns.
Headaches
Take three spoonful of pure honey at the onset of headache and another two spoonful after thirty minutes.
Infertility Problems
Royal jelly (made of honey) could be used to correct infertility problems in human beings.
Stomach Ulcer
Regular consumption of pure honey mixed with aloe Vera (about two spoonful) twice daily is very effective in reducing the pain in ulcer patient and aids fast healing.
Sprain (Overstraining Of Joint or Muscle)
Use pure honey to massage the affected part four times daily.
Cosmetic Industry
Honey is used as an ingredient in many lotions, hand creams, facial masks and cleansers, shampoos, soaps and hair conditioners.
Asthma
Grind two bitter kolas and a bulb of garlic together, mix in 350ml bottle of honey and take it one tablespoonful thrice daily.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jun 30, 2017 20:11:44 GMT 1
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jun 10, 2017 21:23:19 GMT 1
Beehives are hollow containers that can be closed and are purposely made to house bees.
Queen Excluder
A queen excluder is a zinc or plastic sheet with openings of a certain width, which allows the worker bees to pass, but not the queen. This enables you to obtain honeycomb with little pollen in it, but absolutely no brood (because the queen cannot lay eggs in them).
Foundation Sheet
The foundation sheet consists of a sheet of beeswax (2-3mm thick) into which a cell pattern has been pressed. The bees build up the cell wall on this pattern. The use of foundation sheets promotes the construction of a regular comb; provided they are made of pure beeswax and the right ceil size is pressed.
Foundation sheets can be ordered from beekeeping cooperatives or from the Department of Apiculture, of the Ministry of Agriculture or Forestry. Foundation sheets are commonly used in frame and hive beekeeping, but are not compulsory.
Smoker
Smoke is a means of driving the bees away. The bees go to the honey and fill themselves, which makes them less defensive. If you need to inspect a lot of colonies, it is advisable always to use a smoker. Cow dung, maize cobs, coconut fibers, rags or cardboard can be used as smoker fuel.
Cover Sheet
To prevent too many bees from leaving the hive when you are inspecting the combs and to partly protect the colony from robber bees, you should place a wet cotton cloth over the opened hive. Some beekeeper finds it easier to use two cloths so that the frames on either side of the frame, which is being removed, remain covered. You can also use several pieces of hard board.
Bee Hat
A bee hat serves to protect the head and neck from bee strings. The hat is made of very thick cotton into which sewn a window (25*25000) of fine black mesh or black fly screening. To ensure good ventilation use as much gauze in the hat as possible.
The veil of the bee hat falls unto the shoulders and is tucked into the shirts or overalls. You should use black mesh or gauze for the window, as it is very difficult to see well through light colored gauze.
Overalls
It is best to wear white overalls with a zip fastener. If you are working with defensive bees, the sleeves and the trouser legs must be tied around the wrists and ankles with elastic, rope or sticking tape. Wear high shoes or boots.
Gloves
An extension piece 20cm long with elastic in the ends is sewn onto the ends of the gloves. The gloves should always be regularly cleaned with a brush and water as then smell of the strings in the gloves will stimulate aggressive behavior in the bees.
Note: the use of a bee hat, overall, high shoes and gloves are essential when working with some African bees.
Bee Brush
To sweep the bees from the combs, you can use a small, oblong brush, a strong feather or the whole wing of a bird.
Hive Tool
This is use to loosen the cover, the honey super(s) and the top bars which have been glued together by the bees. A piece of hard metal crowbar like bent at one end and sharp at the other end will do. You can also use a screwdriver.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jun 8, 2017 19:41:47 GMT 1
A devastating fire will knock back a young beekeeper’s developing operation in North Canterbury by at least two years.James Malcolm’s Natural New Zealand Honey factory at Okuku, near Rangiora, has been badly damaged in a fire which broke out about lunchtime on May 23. Fuelled by melting beeswax and paraffin, plastic and wooden honey frames and wooden honey boxes, the inferno took firefighters well into the night to control. One end of the main building is destroyed and smoke and water damage permeates the rest. Malcolm, aged in his 20s, has built the operation for 10 years; he ironically describes the disaster as “the icing on the cake” of his worst season ever because of a poor summer. He says the fire started in a paraffin dipper used to treat and disinfect wooden honey frames by coating them in molten paraffin wax. “For whatever reason a spark has come out of it, or something, [causing] wood and paraffin wax beside it on a pallet to catch fire.” It happened when the five staff then on site were away at lunch. “The fire was away and unstoppable,” says Malcolm. “They grabbed every fire extinguisher they could find onsite and pretty much gave it to it. But though they got it down, it would flare up again.” The fire is a massive setback, he says, because it destroyed 8500 honey boxes in storage for the winter, each one filled with plastic or wooden honey frames, and even those frames not burned had lost the beeswax combs, which melted away. Though insurance should cover new boxes and frames, the bees themselves will have to replace the combs. “The bees have to eat 7kg of honey to make 1kg of beeswax. So you can imagine for every box that’s brand new in the field, we’re going to be back 7kg. The bees have to eat that so our honey production for the next couple of years is going to be between 20% and 40% down regardless of how big the crop is, because all the honey is going to be in foundation.” Malcolm says the young business had just turned a corner after years of building up its plant and equipment. “Now we have to start again. That equates to the best part of 65 tonnes of honey that’s going to have to be consumed by the bees – meaning there will be no income – for them to draw out and make all that wax.” Media reports said incorrectly that Malcolm had lost thousands of bees in the fire. Populated hives are brought back to winter on farms in the Okuku area, but not in the shed itself. Two days after the fire the site was a hive of activity, albeit not the hive Malcolm would have wanted. Diggers and forklifts were clearing out the site and an electrician was restoring power for the pumps and for the queen bee breeding shed, which stands a few metres separate from the main shed and is undamaged. Smoke still swirled around, however, with damaged frames being burned in a nearby fire pit to prevent them attracting the bees. “We have to burn all the frames to get rid of them or the bees will just hang around,” says Malcolm. “Anything that looks like it might be salvageable is covered in fire-retardant foam and powder, and toxic smoke. They’re food-grade boxes so you’ve got to be careful what you do with them.” Malcolm says he has “a couple of strategies” to speed the recovery, such as feeding more sugar in spring, but it will all cost money. Source: www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/item/12018-firery-setback-for-young-canterbury-beekeeper
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on May 28, 2017 15:18:16 GMT 1
THE SWARM
A few bees from the swarm cluster called the scout bees, fly out to look for a new home. If they have discovered and approved of your hive, the position of the hive is communicated to the bees of the swarm cluster by means of the bee dance. If there are no other attractive homes, the swarm will fly to your hive.
BAIT HIVES
A beekeeper can put small boxes or hives around the area in order to collect swarms. Such hives are called bait hives. The inside of bait is smeared with honey, wax, propolis and herbs like balm or lemon grass to attract swarms.
Once a bait hive has attracted a swarm, then the swarm can be transferred into another hive. The workers begin to build new combs or repair and clean any existing combs.
If it is a swarm with a laying queen, the first eggs will be laid within a few days. If the swarm has a virgin queen, she will first have to make the mating flights.
The Development of The Bee
The eggs hatch after three days.
The Larvae Stage
The larvae stage last for about 5days. During this period, the nurse bees provide the larvae in the open cells regularly with small quantities of food.
Sealed or Capped Brood
After this, the bees close the brood cell with a porous wax capping. This is called sealed or capped brood. The larvae inside spin a cocoon, expels its excreta and then becomes a pre-pupa and pupa. The capped phase of the worker brood lasts about 12days.
Then the bee, which has developed from the pupa, eats away the wax capping and appears on the comb. The newly emerged light-grey bees are easy to recognize.
The drones take the longest to develop. The open brood stage lasts about 7days and the capped brood stage about 15days.
The young queens, however, are ready to emerge within 7days. It is important for the beekeeper to know that after a hive has lost its queen, he can expect the birth of a young queen about 12-13 days.
The Development of A Colony
If the queen is in good condition and the forage conditions, are favorable (presence of many flowering plants and good weather) the brood nest especially of a large colony expands rapidly.
The queen usually begins to lay eggs on the comb and continues egg laying on the combs left and right of this comb.
As soon as the capped brood in the centre emerges the cells are cleaned by the youngest bees and the queen again lays eggs in these cells. The combs bordering on the left and the right of the brood nest are sometimes filled mainly with pollen. This pollen is eaten by the young bees.
The cells that become empty are either again filled with pollen or the queen lays eggs in them. Honey is stored in the cells around the pollen ring especially above the brood and pollen cells and in increasing quantities in the combs to the left and right of the central comb of the brood nest.
Swarming
Before a colony has reached its maximum size, it can in the presence of the old queen, raise new queens and the colony can split itself into groups with one queen each. The propagation of a bee colony is therefore called social reproduction.
Such a separate group of bees with one (or more) queen(s) is called a swarm. The event of a swarm leaving the colony is called swarming. This is the normal way for bee's colonies to increase in number and disperse in the area. It is not known exactly which factors trigger the preparation for swarming. An important cause might be too little space in the brood nest, thus limiting the number of eggs a queen can lay.
Preparation for swarming starts with the building of "swarm cups". These are short bowl-shaped cells, which have their openings facing downwards. These swarm cups are usually found at the bottom. edge, but also at the front and back edges of the combs.
The queen lays eggs in a number of these swarm cups. After the eggs hatch the nurse bees deposit food in these cups and from this moment on the cups are elongated to become swarm cells. Much more brood food is deposited in queen cell than in a worker cell, and the composition of the food is different (royal jelly). The reason for this fertilized egg produces a queen and not a worker is apparently the result of the amount and composition of the food offered to the larvae.
From the moment the queen has laid eggs in the first swarm cup, the workers offer less food to the queen. The behavior of the workers towards the queen alters radically as soon as the first swarm cells have been capped.
The old queen is forced to leave the hive and a part of colony leaves with her. At this moment, the colony is swarming and thousands of bees will circle in the air. A swarm usually looks for a resting place in the close environment of the hive. If the scout bees find a suitable nesting site, the swarm moves to this place, if not, the swarm leave to another area. About one week after the departure of the first swarm (with the old queen) the first young queens emerge.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on May 7, 2017 17:51:17 GMT 1
Bee keeping is a worthwhile, profitable and interesting practice that can easily be adopted by man because of its numerous benefits and advantages, which include the following:
Pollination
The greatest value of bee keeping lies in the fact that bees pollinate agricultural and horticultural plants. When a bee has found the flowers of certain kind of plant she will encourage her hive-mates to use this source. The bees will visit these flowers as long as food (pollen and nectar) is available. This flower expectancy makes bees exceptionally valuable to plants which need to be cross-pollinated. If there are enough bee colonies in the area at the flowering time the plants will give a higher yields and the quality of fruits will also be improved.
Easy Acquisition of Involved Skill
The fundamental skill involved in bee keeping is easy to acquire.
Employment Opportunities
Bee keeping generates a lot of employment opportunities.
Suitable Food
Honey consists mostly of sugars that are readily absorbed by the body. It is therefore an extremely suitable food for children, sick people and those who perform manual labor.
Imported and Expensive Materials
Bee keeping does not need imported and expensive materials. Hives can be constructed
locally and cheaply too. Bees can be stocked at no cost.
No Competition with Other Crops and Livestock
Bee keeping does not compete with any other agricultural crops and livestock. This is because it is only the bees that collect and utilize the resources of nectar and pollen that they thrive on.
Bee Wax
Bee wax which is the by-product of beekeeping practice is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, candles, foundation sheets (for hives), medicines, polishes etc. And there is a good and stable market for bees wax.
Food Supply by the Beekeeper:
Bees do not primarily depend on the food supply provided by the keeper especially where the keeper does not over exploit them during the harvest
period. Bees collect their food requirements - nectar, pollen, propolis and water themselves as long as they have freedom.
Neither Age nor Gender Specific:
It can be practiced by males and females of all age groups.
Pollen Production
With a simple trap at the flight entrance of the hive, you can harvest the pollen collected by the bees. Bees gather an average of 100 to 200g per colony per day; 30 to 50kg per year. However you should collect a part of this pollen accumulation so that you do not seriously inhibit the development of the colony.
Little Land Space Requirement
Bee - keeping do not require extensive land space thus making it possible for peasant, landless, rural dweller to also practice it.
Propolis
Propolis is a resin that bees collect from plants and they use it to close small holes or clefts in the hive wall. The market trend for propolis is increasing and it has some therapeutic and antibiotic characteristics.
Good for Part Time Job
Bee keeping can also be practiced as a part time job or hobby since one does not need to attend to the bees daily.
Many Uses of Honey
Honey is used for a variety of things-as drugs and in medicines such as expectorants, as beverage and sweeteners for those who abstain from sugar consumption. It is used to preserve the living and the dead, eaten in various forms by the living and used to embalm the dead.
Unlimited Market
There is unlimited market within the country and abroad for processed honey.
Ideal Conditions
In Nigeria, we have the most ideal conditions for bee keeping either as hobby or as commercial venture. There are abundant flowers, fantastic weather, two high seasons (when you can harvest honey) and Nigeria is free from every known malady of bee keeping worldwide.
Money Spinner
The African honeybee is a potentially money spinner. Apiary or beekeeping is cost effective, less demanding of land space and time. It is adaptable to our local environment. An investor could start with #60,000 with the possibility of earning about #3million annually.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Apr 26, 2017 4:59:59 GMT 1
"IN AGRICULTURE, YOU NEED TO USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO GET WHAT YOU WANT"
Ismail AbdulAzeez is the Chief Executive Officer of The Thy Global Investment Limited. It is an agriculture empowerment training centre located in Ewupe, Ota, Ogun State. He is also an exporter, trainer, farmer and motivator. In this chat with journalist, he talked about investing in small scale agribusiness in Nigeria, stressing the need for potential agropreneurs to personally fund their businesses before seeking loans.
Can you tell us what The Thy Global Investment Limited is all about?
The Thy Global Investment Limited is a place where we empower people who are interested in small and large scale agribusiness and subsequent exportation of commodities.. We teach them the practical aspect of agriculture and the business side of it.
How do you train people interested in small scale agribusiness?
We tell people if they want to really strike it big in agriculture, they need to start looking at the business part of it. We all can't be farmers; there are other crucial roles in the value chain with lots of opportunities like logistics, processing, packaging, marketing, and so on. For instance, some people don't like things that crawl like snail, worms, etc. So such people might not be able to produce something that warrants direct involvement with them. Basically, you should know your preference. Do you intend going into agribusiness full-time or part-time? Have you conducted your SWOT analysis to help you decide on your course of action? All these have to be considered. By and large, agribusiness is superb.
Most people interested in agribusiness and export business tend to have issues with funding, how do they tackle this challenge?
I am of the school of thought that you start with what you have. After discovering you have passion for agribusiness and exportation, the next step is to seek information and gain knowledge that will guide you on the proper course of action. Then you need to start small. What you do is to start with your own funds, and then you can expand with loans.
Funding has always been an issue in the sector. If you are waiting for a loan or fund from somewhere to start your business, you will have to wait for long time. So you need to use what you have to get what you want.
Small scale agribusiness owners complain of lack of mechanized farming in Nigeria, what are your thoughts on this?
In most local government area, they have less than 20 tractors. These are not enough when you consider large scale farming, which requires the availability of machines to help increase productivity. Farming on one hectare of land will not be enough to feed lots of people. If you want to talk about farming for commercial purposes, you start from 10 hectares and above and you can't use cutlass for that. We don't even have the basic equipments needed for land preparation and clearing. But some private people are bringing in these things which are helping a little.
This is an area agropreneurs can key into; they can invest in machinery and lease them out, that is why I said the value chain is massive. It is a pity that the government is not really looking at this. In some local governments, they don't even have one tractor to plough or harrow, so you can imagine the challenges farmers are facing.
Still on mechanized farming, since the government is not really looking at it, what can be done to address the issue?
It is the private sector that can really help us in this country but how will they when the environment is not conducive. When you have a government whose policies are all over the place, it becomes difficult for people from the private sector to adequately invest in agriculture.
With the paradigm shift ongoing in the agriculture sector, many have clamored for increased youth participation. But are the youths receptive to agriculture?
Well a lot of people are actually showing interest. In fact every weekend here at The Thy Global Investment, we always have people who come to take our programs. When they come for training, we scale them based on their reasons for coming from their request, because their practical programs may includes accommodation, training centre activities, and practical work in the farm.
What I do is to teach them the in-depth knowledge of agribusiness, exportation, etc, that it is not all about farming. For instance, I tell them others can do the tilling and operations, while they focus on how to make a return of money and how to add value. Essentially, youths interested in agribusiness must understand how the sector works so they can have a sense of direction.
How well has government policies helped agribusiness and how can it be improved?
Do we even have policies in place that supports agricultural development in Nigeria? The major thing that sends away potential investors is somersaulting policies. Last year, we got different information concerning the ban of rice through the road border. For those who want to invest, this development would inevitably discourage them.
Presently the body language of the federal government is a bit positive towards agriculture, that is why most people are going into agribusiness, but government needs to create concrete policies for the sector to thrive. If investors see that the environment is conducive for business, they would readily come in to invest.
So far what challenges have you encountered as an exporter of major commodities and Farmer?
The major challenge is the exchange rate. If the exchange rate is unstable, it becomes very difficult to plan your export or import business.
So if am considering an acre of plantation, what returns am I likely to get based on my customer base and what will be the benchmark?
Okay let's say we are buying 1 kg at N100, for one acre depending on your terrain, and you are planting 800 suckers. Now a sucker after producing a bunch will provide let's say 10kg, multiplied by N100, this gives you N1000. Multiply that by 800 suckers or trees of plantain and you will have N800,000. Now when you factor in the inputs and the cost of the land used; you can't recover that much in a year. But if the land is given to you by the government at a subsidized amount of money, compared to someone buying an acre; if you have a water system that makes irrigation possible at a reduced rate, then you are likely to make good returns. As a result, the cost of production is reduced. The environment for those working on government lands, all things being equal is conducive than for some of us working on "omo onile" land. Another funny thing is after toiling and struggling, we also have to compete with produce coming from other African countries. When you go to some of our malls, you will see plantains coming from Tanzania, and other countries and ours are not on display. The role of government is like a father, it needs to create a conducive environment for its children to grow. I am not asking for good roads, or electricity because it is like a dream that will never come true (smiles). All I ask is after all the stress I go through to have my farm produce available for the market, I don't want to start competing with someone that is getting grants or loans from another country in my own.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Apr 17, 2017 10:00:50 GMT 1
One of the agreements reached at the "'world Economic Forum annual meetings held in Davos recently, was the need for governments across the world to take agriculture seriously to ensure sustainable supply of food for the growing population in the world.
Majority of poor people in the world reside in rural areas, and depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood. For instance, In Africa, over 80 per cent farmers are smallholders and they produce 70 per cent of the continent's food. Developing the sector's potential through technology to increase productivity and incomes for smallholder crop production systems will be the basis to achieving global food security in the coming years as traditional methods of farming continually proves insufficient to meet increased demand for food
The internet today plays an important role in our daily life. It does not only make our tasks easier but also saves a lot of time. A United Nations report reveals that 55 percent of the world's people remain offline and are unable to take advantage of the enormous economic and social benefits the internet can offer. Also, majority of smallholder farmers live in remote areas, where good, fast internet connectivity reaches less than 30 percent of the population.
Increased internet connectivity will help farmers access vital information on how to operate more efficiently , equipment purchases, ensure high crop yields, soil mapping, plant health and effective farm animal management.
Mobile devices and platforms
In this 21st century, it is quite clear that cash payment schemes have become archaic. Mobile payments to farmers can be economically viable for value chains with expected and high volume transactional activity. Through mobile devices and platforms, farmers would have greater safety and security because they would no longer have to carry large amounts of cash after marketing their harvest.
More so, majority of smallholder farmers especially those in the rural areas are illiterates
Who are unaccustomed to the numerous forms required to open bank accounts, which oftentimes are not close to them. When these farmers are properly trained on how to make effective use of mobile financial services, it would serve their entire financial needs including expenses for agricultural inputs which would later lead to high productivity.
Electricity
According to the World Bank, about 1.3 billion people live without reliable power sources globally, most especially in Africa and Asia. This translates to 600 million people - representing 70 percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa, who are without electricity, which is critical in powering water supplies, telecommunication services amongst others. Electricity is central to the broader development of agriculture anywhere in the world. Without stable electricity, it is unlikely for the agricultural sector to experience significant developmentwith constant electricity supply, smallholder farmers can run cleaner irrigation systems, use processing machines improved efficiencies in land preparation, planting and harvesting. All these would massively increase their yields and income.
Unique identifiers (UID)
This is a numeric or alphanumeric string that is associated with a single entity within a given system.
UIDs are already in use in developed countries and it plays a vital role in the lives of people. For example, when you log on to Amazon, the site recognizes you and your previous purchases. Unique identifiers, along with satellite imaging technology, would enable relevant agricultural agencies to collect data about farmers; where they live, how much land they cultivate, what they grow, what inputs they use, how much they yield, etc.
For instance, the eWallet system in Nigeria has enabled the government to identify and deliver input subsidies directly to farmers based on personal and biometric information provided by small holder farmers.
For unique identifiers to improve farmers' lives in Nigeria, data systems must be able to guarantee that data remains anonymous for the privacy and security of individuals. And with
Nutrient availability and soon.
if smallholder farmers adopt the use of geospatial analysis, it would enable them generate up-to-date aerial and satellite photographs of their farm during different periods of the year or seasons. with this information, the farmer is able to determine the productivity of different management zones. at
This is a farming concept that utilizes geographical information to determine field variability in order to ensure optimal use of inputs and maximize the output from a farm. large tracts of land usually have spatial variations of soil types, moisture content, and the same time, the growth and yield patterns of different zones within the farm can also be identified. although some of these technologies are still relatively new and may be alien to smallholder farmers in Nigeria, it is therefore imperative for government, and relevant agencies to ensure they are not left behind in this global trend. This is necessary, as digital infrastructure is crucial for smallholder farmers to enable them access technologies that empowers them to make decisions about their farms and businesses.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jan 30, 2017 22:36:07 GMT 1
Since 2003, the World Bank group has been working together with governments, insurers, reinsurers, financial institutions, agricultural input suppliers and others to support more than 40 countries so as they can benefit from index insurance.
Sometimes called parametric insurance, index insurance is based on the premise that a verifiable index that measures temperature, precipitation and/or crop yield can cover very large numbers of small farmers in a given region, without the need for expensive and time-consuming claims procedures.
The World Bank Group index insurance facility (GIIF) is a response to the risk associated with climate change, and the continuing need to increase food security through support and insurance products for small-holder farmers, particularly in the developing world.
The inaugural GIIF annual conference, organized by the world bank group in Paris more24 months before the December 2015 COP21 summit in the French capital, drew together stakeholders to discuss progress and investigate future trends.
One of the speakers at the GIIF conference was benjamin Njogu, who heads business Analytics at Acre Africa (formerly the kilimo salama weather index insurance programme).
A former employee at safaricom ltd, the leading Kenyan telecom business that pioneered the M-pesa financial service initiative, Nigeria joined acre African bring his extensive experience in interative mobile technology and micro-insurance product design. But Nigeria’s contribution to East Africa index insurance industry is just one side of the technological picture, the other is the advances made in climate monitoring by satellite. A good number of projects and initiatives have since taken place to assist African meteological community meet national and regional objectives in terms of severe weather warnings, water and agriculture management, and mitigation of the effects of natural hazards and climate change.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jan 14, 2017 13:04:25 GMT 1
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jan 14, 2017 13:00:17 GMT 1
Nigerians enter 2017 today with high expectations, resolutions and top targets. No one contemplates repeating the mistakes and missteps of 2016, which was full of confusion and indecision. The out-gone year was, perhaps, the most challenging period in the history of Nigerian businesses because it was characterised by policy flip-flops and poor market cohesion. In spite of 2016 challenges, one word stands tall in 2017: Opportunity. This year, like other years gone by, presents a number of opportunities as well as challenges. Some businesses are bound to struggle while others will thrive. Some might die while many would still be birthed. However, Nigerians are encouraged to tap into a number of opportunities that abound locally. Importation is highly discouraged this year owing to the persisting dollar crunch and the possibility that the present administration will put more policies in place to discourage dollar outflows and import. Donald Todrin, CEO of Second Wind Consultants, a debt workout and turnaround consultant firm in the United States, said in a period of recession many people, especially business owners, are bound to panic. “But there’s an alternative to joblessness. We should tackle and be confrontational with change, because change itself is an opportunity for development. Now you have the choice to take advantage of change or allow yourself to be buried by it,” Todrin said. In its characteristic manner, therefore, we at The Thy Online Publication has sought out the following considered profitable businesses anyone can do in year 2017 Piggry, bee - keeping, grass-cutter, yoghurt production, snail, cashew processing, exportation of exportable agricultural commodities and Charcoal.Yoghurt production First on the list of what Nigerians can do this year is yoghurt production. Yoghurt production is a neglected area, but statistics show that 98 percent of Nigeria’s dairy needs, including milk, are imported into Nigeria. According to an expert, a dairy maker, only 2 percent of the country’s dairy needs are met by local companies. Official data show that $1 million worth of milk is imported into the country every day. With dollar scarcity and roadblocks to importation in the country, yoghurt production is a sure bet. Yoghurt is a healthy source of milk, and capacity to produce a low-sugar brand for the aged and diabetic as well as a moderately sugar type for other classes is an advantage. Cashew processing Next on the list is cashew processing. If you do not have a cashew farm, get one. However, you can liaise with a cashew farmer who will supply you with raw cashew nuts for onward processing. Export of cashew is now one big business, as Vietnam, world largest cashew exporter, is currently experiencing its worst drought in a century. Cashew sells like cakes in the United States, India, Spain and many parts of Europe. Apart from helping to maintain a healthy heart and bones, cashew also helps in weight loss. Cashew nuts are used in producing chemicals, paints, varnishes, insecticides and fungicides, electrical conductress, and several types of oil. Cashew exporters in Nigeria made $250 million in 2015 and $300 million in 2016, according to Tola Faseru, president, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), who disclosed this to journalists at the Annual Cashew Logistics meeting held in Lagos recently. Piggery Another business to watch in 2017 is piggery. Experts believe Nigerians are not tapping into the opportunity in this area because of ignorance and poor perception about pigs. Apart from a breeding ground, which should be large enough, it is easy to start a piggery with N500,000 to N1 million. To start a piggery, you need healthy piglets, standard pens, quality feed and three to six workers, depending on the number of piglets available. The biggest thing about pigs is that they reproduce in large numbers. Pigs can go between N15,000 and N40,000 depending on their size and weight, and one pig can easily reproduce up to 15 to 20 piglets. This is its biggest advantage. Secondly, pigs can survive in any environment. Pigs are in high demand in China, Japan, India, Mexico, Canada and many parts of Asia. In 2015, United States exported pork (pig meat) worth $4 billion; Germany $4 billion; Spain $3 billion, among others. Adhesive production Apart from pork, Nigeria is still waiting for someone that will produce adhesives used by leather shoe and bag manufacturers. Aba, located in Abia State, has between 50,000 and 100,000 shoe, bag and trunk makers. This does not include hundreds of thousands of shoe-makers in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and Onitsha. Many of these shoe-makers run to China to buy adhesives because there is yet no known company that produces good adhesives to satisfy them right now. Incidentally, research shows that adhesives can be produced from cassava (starch), which Nigeria happens to be the world’s biggest producer. Chinese adhesives are not good enough when compared with Dutch, Spanish or Italian, shoe-makers told THE THY ONLINE. Currently, these shoe-makers cannot even find dollars to import these adhesives, showing that there is a huge potential for someone producing adhesives in the country.
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