Zambia Agribusiness Society

Growers have many reasons for transitioning from conventional to organic practices, but irrespective of why they want to go natural, planning is important. Mid-Atlantic Women in Agriculture presented a recent webinar at the subject presented by way of Neith Little, a city agriculture Extension agent with University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore City place of business. Little based totally her presentation on “Organic Production and Certification,” a bankruptcy from the Maryland Beginning Farmer Guidebook, which she co-wrote. Little mentioned that in some manner, it is natural rising with the concept. It’s simply about swapping out standard methods and inputs in with natural ones. But she maintains there’s a lot more to it. “Organic farming is a system where you try to build a healthy soil and healthy agroecosystem,” she stated. That’s because wholesome soil helps combat off pests and disease. She explained that higher organic content within the soil helps increase soil c

To fulfil the food demand for a growing population, we have to find out different ways of food production. The rabbit known as “ micro-livestock ” can be a great source of food production. This is a great opportunity for rabbit farming, and commercial production can be a great source of income and employment. Rabbits need small place for living and less food for surviving. Rabbit meat contains high ratio of protein, energy, calcium and vitamin than any other types of animal meat. The amount of cholesterol, fat and sodium is also less than other meat. Their meat is very testy, nutritious and easily digestible for all aged people. And there are no religious taboos for consuming rabbit meat. Rabbits grow very fast and the female rabbit produce 2 to 8 kids every time. They can consume very low quality food and turn this foods to high quality meat, skin or fibre. Raising rabbits can be a great income source to the unemployed, educated people and landless farmers. So commercial rabbit

When you grow your own fruits and vegetables, you get all the fun of gardening plus the garden-to-table goodness and nutrition that only comes with home-grown harvests. The following eight easy-to-grow edibles show just how simple growing and enjoying your own fruits and vegetables can be: 1. Bell Peppers Bell peppers start out green, but they mature to red, orange, yellow, purple and even chocolate brown. Bell peppers start out green, but they mature to red, orange, yellow, purple and even chocolate brown. Pick them early and they'll still colour up, but they won't get any sweeter. Learn all about growing your own bell peppers at home. 2. Blackberries and Raspberries Caneberries, such as blackberries and raspberries, provide tasty fruits for you and your family, and provide treats for birds and butterflies. Caneberries, such as blackberries and raspberries, provide tasty fruits for you and your family, and provide treats for birds and butterflies. Pruning is import

Just like all other agro businesses, poultry business will fail when the right things are not done. Some of the mistakes made when raising poultry could lead to disaster such as the loss of all or almost all of your birds. These could result in a significant loss for the poultry farmer. If you ask any poultry farmer, they will likely give you a list of things they would have done differently in their poultry business. Every poultry farmer has made mistakes at one time or another including me too, some of them affect your birds a bit, but others can lead to your birds being seriously injured, or even death. However, every mistake or mismanagement in poultry farming should be avoided completely to ensure maximum profit for your birds. Mistake #1: Lack of proper hygiene This is obviously not new to you but you may not understand the principles behind proper hygiene in a poultry farm. Proper hygiene in a poultry farm is not limited to the health or welfare of the chickens, it encompass

1. Treating Animal Agriculture as a Lifestyle or a Hobby not a Business Most farmers treat agriculture as a hobby not realizing how much money they are losing year in, year out through this expensive hobby that can be profitable. For example, animal feed is expensive and if livestock businesses are registered as businesses, farmers could get their VAT back. 2. Starting the Livestock Business with no Business Plan Farmers make the mistake of starting livestock businesses without a business plan. It is important to know what the business looks like on paper. Livestock business operational plans, involve consultation with Animal scientists who are experts in animal production and livestock feeds and feeding. Farmers must understand the science of feeding and breeding in order to make profits in livestock business. 3. Poor or non-existing Accounting With bad numbers or no numbers you are flying blind. As a farmpreneur you need to know the cost of production and the difference b

According to Llewellyn Angus, while visual appraisal remains important, it is impossible to judge an animal’s genetic make-up by its appearance. When selecting an animal, use all available EBV data based on genetic value only, then inspect the animal for visible attributes. Respected show judge and Simbra and Simmentaler breeder Llewellyn Angus has received many awards for his animals and his contribution to the industry. Here he shares his 12 fundamental principles of accurate performance testing and the use of estimated breeding values. Breeding beef cattle for greater efficiency and sustained profit is both a science and an art. But there are some basic principles of performance testing, as well as estimated breeding values (EBVs) and their use, that any beef cattle producer can implement to improve his or her herd. Some of these principles are discussed below. 1. The bigger the group of animals to test the better When weaning animals, weigh them all, including those being culle

Wheat is the most important grain crop and a staple food for more than one-third of the world population. The major area of the wheat in Pakistan lies in Punjab followed by Sindh. However, the yield per hectare is slightly higher in Sindh as compared to Punjab. It ranks first as a cereal crop in the country being followed up by rice only in acreage and production. Wheat crop is subjected to several diseases, which are responsible for reducing its overall production to a great extent because wheat plants in all stages of growth and all-natural environments are subject to various mechanical, environmental, physiologic and biological stresses that interfere with their normal growth and development. Weather, toxicants, pollutants, insects, viruses, fungi, nematodes, bacteria and weeds are primary hazards to wheat production. The actual number of wheat diseases is unknown, nearly 200 have been reported. Over 100 infectious diseases caused by pathogens and with weeds are parasitic and tran