Diseases Wreak Havoc in Cassava Fields in Africa

NAIROBI, KENYA – In Africa, demand for the cassava plant has grown significantly over the years. The continent produces 60 percent of the crop in the world. But the crop is drastically declining in East and Central Africa due to diseases that reduce production.

More than 160 million people in east, central and southern Africa depend on cassava as a stable food and a source of income.

Production of the crop has significantly dropped due to the cassava mosaic and cassava brown streak diseases.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], the brown streak disease is worse since it affects the root of the crop. These two diseases are creating havoc in Africas agricultural lands.

Improvements necessary

The acting head of the FAO in eastern and central Africa, Luca Alinovi, said the agency has invested to improve the situation in the African fields, but it is not getting better.

Doing right or wrong on cassava has a huge impact on the food security of the people in this region, has such a relevance in our daily lives that we tend to forget it because it appeared in a kind of technical discussion. And I want to bring to your attention that, although it is a technical issue it requires knowledge and requires research, said Alinovi.

The head of the European Union Rural Development and Agriculture program in Kenya, Dominique Davoux, said that over the years the cassava diseases have evolved, and there is need to invest in research to fight the diseases.

We supported the cassava initially, there has been [a] stop in the support, the research slugged [lagged] behind, and the disease reinvented itself [and] propagated again. We have to re-address the issue, said Davoux.

The FAO says a minimum of $100 million is needed to support clean farm production, disease surveillance and research, and market and micro-finance development across the cassava production chain.

Experts warn failure to do so means the cassava disease likely will reach Nigeria, the biggest producer of cassava in Africa.

Safety Institution And Recommendations For Improving The Agriculture Industry

Stan G. Daberkow and Conrad F. Fritsch, American Journal of Agricultural Economics Vol. 61

Safety Education Institutions

Several organizations ostensibly give birth to improved the level of plow safety via their safety education programs. Such protection programs rely on voluntary compliance with suggested safety practices. Repetitive warnings and edifying safety remarks are designed to keep plow operators constantly aware of farmstead hazards, as a consequence lowering the peril of injury. The federal government’s role in the sphere of agricultural safety education has been primarily through the U.S. Branch of farming via the lean-to Service. The Land-Grant University method has besides contributed to this education effort. Lone notable nongovernment nonprofit agency associated with plow safety and safety in the sphere of broad-spectrum is the state Safety ruling body (NSC). This band develops edifying in a row and presents seminars in support of safety specialists employed with secretive industry and state lean-to Services.

Lone can scrutinize the edifying safety expenditures of the federal and state agencies having the status of a safety in a row accumulation, synthesis, and distribution method. In the sphere of this context, the agricultural industry’s facility to secu.A propos safety in a row subsidized by the in the public domain sector seems somewhat unique. A amount of economists give birth to suggested with the aim of the “proper” role of government in the sphere of the area of administrative center safety ought to be present restricted to safety seek (survey hazard analysis of risks) and in a row dispersal (Goldberg). Workers, employers and self-employed farmers as a consequence are able to benefit the obtainable in a row to determine their optimum level of safety consumption. Workers might respond by demanding peril premiums in the sphere of their wages seeking other employment, opting in support of greater self-protection through diligent composition behavior or else a combination of both. Employers and self-employed farmers are as well induced to amendment their administrative center ecosystem or else amendment their composition routine.

Safety Recommendations

“As a means of adjudicating matters of personal and property rights, the adversary process has major advantages. But it is a poor replacement for making highly complex economic policy. We should compare an imperfect market with an imperfect regulatory scheme, not with some ideal and omniscient abstraction” (Schultz, p. 61). In the sphere of all models (market, judicial, insurance and regulatory) the final consequence is supposedly with the aim of folks who demand goods and services from industries in the sphere of which employment is risky have to give in support of the expenditure of employee injuries and diseases which are by-products of the production process. Perceptibly, coal miners, policemen, farmers and firemen command persist to be present demanded despite the top than usual risks of injury and disease. The crucial question becomes whether the in the public domain certificate programs of Worker’s Compensation, and OSHA and, to various area the prudent method, can allocate safety wealth so having the status of to move us closer to the socially optimal level of administrative center safety.

Recommendation 1

A complete journal of obtainable agricultural administrative center safety statistics ought to be present undertaken. This journal ought to include an assessment of availability of data right in support of determining causal factors contributing to accident occurrences and succeed recommendations in support of a unified data center. The focus ought to be present partial to work-related accidents. Factors heartwarming the identification of composition accidents, such having the status of the dual ecosystem of farms having the status of seats of composition and seats of recreation, require detailed identification.

Recommendation 2

Persist to evaluate the effectiveness of the in the public domain provision of administrative center safety in a row. Farming is unique in the sphere of with the aim of the in the public domain sector financially ropes a amount of activities designed to enlighten plow workers and farmers roughly plow safety. The marketplace sort suggests with the aim of the well-informed employee command benefit awareness of appointment risks to assess the good looks of his capability composition ecosystem and to advance composition behavior with the aim of would lessen the probability of job-related accidents or else diseases. Questions to which this seek is directed include: Can the release of safety services in the sphere of farming be present improved? Does the provision of in the public domain safety in a row by the lean-to Service provide the the largest part cost efficient method of dipping plow accidents? How of great consequence and cost-effective is in a row from secretive sector sources such having the status of insurance companies or else the NSC?

Recommendation 3

A complete evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of the current bit by bit attitude to agricultural administrative center safety is a prerequisite in support of forming a basis in support of on the rise a supplementary integrative method of safety institutions. The current safety method has evolved somewhat chaotically in excess of clock. Data on benefit of the prudent method by plow workers or else employers is partial, and therefore its role having the status of a deterrent to administrative center accidents or else diseases is unknown. Coverage of the agricultural sector under Worker’s Compensation is still not complete in the sphere of precise states. Furthermore, the association concerning experience rating of agricultural employers and plow injury duty appears weak. Produce liability possibly will give birth to been a reason in the sphere of humanizing the safety design of plow equipment but the association concerning the two is nebulous. OSHA industry values in the sphere of farming organize not cover self-employed plow operators and now exempt employers with fewer than ten workers. As a consequence the values attitude to administrative center safety possibly will give birth to slight influence on the agricultural injury rate. The question becomes, to what area organize both of these institutions influence on the level of agricultural safety by acceptable social expenditure.

Is Composting The Future Of Landfill Diversion

As there’s pressure from society regarding organic waste collection and the production of greenhouse gases mixed with targets of landfill diversion, a few are really trying to observe the manner in which they’ll attain their objectives. Generally, composting tasks are the greatest fix for creating landfill diversion initiatives, yet unless a local composting place exists already for getting the organic waste, not many can pay to construct a new place. A composting project takes a long time from idea to implementation. Before you can make an intelligent decision there are many things you should know.

Along with the beginning costs of a composting operation, earning community acceptance is critical. If locals complain about the smell, noise, more vermin, traffic, and fire risk, the task may be over prior to ever getting out of the committee.
Expenses include transportation, new procedure implementation, collection, quality control, consultation, tests, and more. After operating for a year, most find themselves over-budget.

It is another story in the Memphis area. A new in-vessel vertical composting unit has been designed by Agra Cycle. (VCU for short) named the Vee-Stack. While primarily operating within the UK and Australia, VCU’s has an over 30 years global presence, and is known for its extremely high composting standards. They have found ways to make the manufacturing process less expensive than those made overseas.
The Vee-Stack will help corporations and municipalities meet landfill diversion goals, provide greenhouse gas reduction, organic waste composting, and sustainable recycling and agricultural processes that provide carbon credits.Public Relations is where the key is. The PR for an environmentally sound, sustainable recycling project are enormous and timely. Composting is a bi-partisan activity which everyone can lend support to; and, it creates a better sense of community awareness. Those citizens who come forward without any motivations for improving the soil and cleaning the environment creates pride.

According to Agra-Cycle, “There are two keys to operational success using a Vee-Stack. The first is with the organic waste processing: there must be a balanced proportion of carbon and nitrogen. Then the pH values must be adjusted, followed by precise moisture control, and finally loading into the Vee-Stack. Agra-Cycle takes care of a big headache for the customer.

The second part happens with the normal draft induction process. Air enters the Vee-Stack from the bottom which greatly enhances the composting process in the chamber. If you know what a chimney fire is then you get a good concept of how the Vee-Stack operates. When thermal patterns increase in the stack, microbes which do well at greater temps become alive. In most cases this is referred to as the Stoichomatic range. For traditional composting techniques, these thermal ranges pose a fire threat and must be avoided no matter what, yet with in vessel building these temperatures are harnessed for process promotion. The fear of fire is eliminated from this process due to the high moisture content. The microbes eat all the smelly gases and hydrogen sulfides that create problems with other methods of composting. The machine basically functions as it’s personal bio filtration system. The Vee Stack is totally self contained; and, it even gathers and recycles leechate back into the system so that it can be composted, also.

Sustainable recycling involving local companies and communities, to prevent landfills, that is our goal. The Vee Stack can be custom made according to what you need and the size requirements. We also watch over, upkeep, manage the Vee Stack and take away the finished substance. Process your organic wastes consistently and for much less than you are currently paying for disposal by using the specialized knowledge and experience provided by Agra-Cycle.About ten tons of organic waste per day can be processed by continuous use of Vee Stack. The effects increase with the addition of more units. Depending on the organic waste used, the process can take between 14-21 days to complete.
Along with the said advantages, the cost incurred in getting rid of waste comes down by about 25%. Now this is how we define sustainable. Agra-Cycles is the sole proprietor of this technology and they are very committed to the mission of implementing sustainable recycling project in their home state of Tennessee, not as a preference but as a priority. Based in Tennessee, non-profit corporation Agra-Cycle promotes agriculture which can be sustained as well as providing resources of an educational nature. Every contribution is completely tax deductible. Please contact your tax professional for the most up to date tax laws.
Copyright 2010 Greg Traver

Why Portable Air Conditioning Hire for Agriculture is Essential

Portable air conditioning for hire is not only an essential option for hotels, pubs and clubs, leisure centres and gyms, but also in the agriculture industry. Read on to find out why portable air conditioning is essential for the agriculture industry.

Article body: Portable air conditioning for hire is not only an essential option for hotels, pubs and clubs, leisure centres and gyms, but also in the agriculture industry. Why? Because without the option of hiring portable air conditioning units and chilling units (-chillers’), many arable farmers and dairy producers would simply go out of business.

What consumers expect Customers can be demanding at the best of times, but never more so than when it comes to food. They want fresh, good quality produce that not only tastes good, but is also reasonably priced and always available when they desire it (seasonal factors notwithstanding, of course).

So what does all this mean for people working in farming and agriculture? And how does hired portable air conditioning play a crucial role in keeping arable farmers and dairy producers in business, and their customers satisfied?

The potato storage process The British are renowned for loving their potatoes (mashed, boiled, roasted, baked, fried-), but there is much more to successfully growing, picking and taking to market a healthy potato crop than one would think (be that a small crop, or one that is grown in fields consisting of hundreds or even thousands of acres, and is managed by a major arable farming company).

The potato storage process must be managed expertly, or the potato crop will be ruined, meaning the arable farmer may well also be. Unless potatoes are stored in a temperature-controlled, well-ventilated environment, then the lot could fall victim to fungal disease, as well as viral and bacterial agents. Storing potatoes at temperatures near 4C / 39F is usually best.

Hiring portable air conditioners is the -perfect insurance’ By hiring the right cooling equipment (portable air conditioners and chillers) and placing the units in the right locations in a potato storage facility (or indeed, a facility used for the storage of other -cornerstone’ vegetables grown on arable farms) the terrifying prospect of losing an entire crop to the aforementioned threats can be removed.

Protecting dairy produce Portable air conditioning and chiller units for hire are no less effective when it comes to protecting dairy produce. Fully cured Cheddar, for example, is a hard, natural cheese that is hugely popular not only across the UK, but also worldwide. The export market is a multimillion pound one, in fact; so imagine how catastrophic it would be for a dairy farmer to lose most or even all of his stock, simply because the existing cooling system failed overnight, or, by some oversight, the system was set at the wrong temperature – a mistake that was only discovered when it was too late.

High quality Stilton is also -not just a cheese’. It is a very valuable commodity, as are most speciality cheeses. A large dairy company can produce tonnes of it (and other dairy foods/products) annually; however some of the biggest producers fail to place enough importance upon having a contingency plan in place, should their built-in cooling system let them down, and all their dairy produce is rendered inedible before it even makes it to the maturing room.

Being prepared is the key Of course, the vast majority of arable farmers and dairy producers take steps to protect their produce from harm, but the smartest ones also have a contingency plan in place, should the unthinkable happen: a cool storage system failure suddenly occurs, and before the crop(s) can be saved, the -rot’ has already set in, and thousands of pounds’ worth of produce is inedible and worthless (sometimes in just as a few hours). The hiring of portable air conditioning units and chillers provides the best solution, a genuine safeguard against every arable farmer and dairy producer’s worst nightmare becoming a reality.

As well as being the ideal emergency back-up option, portable air conditioning units for hire for agriculture applications can be:

– Used immediately; – Easily stored; – Hired on a short contract basis, and then returned. (This is ideal when it comes to getting extra air conditioning and cooling systems in place in, say, the run up to Christmas, when food production is significantly increased to meet massive consumer demand) – The perfect -stop gap’ between the removal of an existing (fixed) air conditioning system, and the installation of a new one at an arable farm or a dairy farm; – Added to an existing air conditioning solution when extra air conditioning is required.

Food for thought indeed. Article submitted by Steve Reeve, Sales Director at Andrews Sykes. Andrews Sykes is the UK’s largest specialist air conditioning hire company, with over 25 years’ experience. The company serves virtually all industry sectors including agriculture and farming using machinery sourced from the world’s top manufacturers.

e-Services – Governance

tv.eletsonline.com

Please be the part of our Upcoming Event FIPS

Elets – A platform for disseminating creative ideas on ICT

Elets Technomedia is a technology media and research company that focuses on ICT in government, education, healthcare, agriculture and rural development sectors. Our mandate is to provide effective information on latest development in different ICT tools, techniques and their applications across our verticals through premier print publications, online portals and premier events, seminars, conferences and summits. Elets has created a name for itself as a technology media and research vendor of choice.

Strategies

To strengthen and facilitate knowledge sharing platforms engaging with partners across the globe through International conferences to provide cross-cultural grounding to stakeholders and participants To provide stakeholders with a platform to share models of best practice, knowledge and experience on a range of issues in the domain of ICT in Governance, Education, Health, security, Urban and Rural Development To mobilise the communities towards creating a digitally informed knowledge society based on shared understanding

Elets Focus Areas

Elets provides an unmatched versatility for working with multiple partners and consultants to mutually share knowledge. With a vision to provide effective information on latest development in different ICT tools, techniques and their applications across various verticals with focused reference to governance, education and health, we

a) bring niche monthly publications;

b) provide knowledge exchange fora and

c) conduct research projects, primarily through Events & Conferences.