Agriculture Investors in Africa

Posted by admin on February 5th, 2012

A stable agricultural industry ensures a country of food security. No nation can effectively grow with a stable agricultural base while harboring a nation of “hungry people”, as these hungry people can do nothing what-so-ever towards helping develop their country. Most countries depend upon agricultural products and related industries for their major source of income.

Aside from the crops and animals that are produced by the farmers who make up a country agricultural sector the agricultural field represents the main source of employment within most countries. Most of the modern farms and agriculture-related industries make good use of today’s modern equipment as well as the principles of science and technology.

The country’s farmers who can utilize the modern technologies involved with farming can assure a good production of their products which benefits their country as a whole.

The Importance of Agriculture

The global race for food and resources has lead to a positive shift in perceptions regarding African agriculture projects. Key areas of investment include agriculture engineering, fruit and vegetable, dairy and fish farming industry.

Some measures for improving the African agricultural system are dwarf plantations, natural insecticides, better seeds, less water crops.

Read More »

Sustainable Agriculture Improvement And Ict

Posted by admin on February 4th, 2012

Online Agriculture Schools offer programs of study in animal care, crop management, and turfgrass sciences. Online Agriculture degree programs are sometimes completely available through online sources.

Some Online Agriculture studies enable students to complete studies for a bachelor degree in Agriculture through online studies.

Agriculture Online

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ICT

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ICT

;ICTs play a key role in improving the availability of agricultural production and market information in developing countries.

Convergence of ICT with agricultural development

ICT helps the extension system in re-orienting itself towards the overall agricultural development of small production systems.

  • Economic development of agricultural producers;
  • Community development;
  • Research and education;
  • Small and medium enterprises development; and
  • Media networks.

 

; Some agricultural development services that can be provided in the developing world, using ICT, are:

  • Online services for information, education and training, monitoring and consultation, diagnosis and monitoring, and transaction and processing;
  • The facilitation of interaction among researchers, extension (knowledge) workers, and farmers;
  • Question-and-answer services where experts respond to queries on specialized subjects ICT services to block- and district-level developmental officials for greater efficiency in delivering services for overall agricultural development;
  • Provision of early warning systems about disease/ pest problems, information regarding rural development programmes and crop insurances, postharvest technology, etc.;
  • Facilitation of land records and online registration services;
  • Improved marketing of milk and milk products;
  • Services providing information to farmers regarding farm business and management;
  • Tele-education for farmers;
  • Websites established by agricultural research institutes, making the latest information available to extension (knowledge) workers and obtaining their feedback.

 

Future Perspectives in ICT

Internet for sustainable rural economic development

; The public sector’s role is to lead by creating government-to-citizen services and by promoting the creation of critical agricultural information services.

E-Agriculture Services

; ICT-based agricultural development services focus on enhancing the skills and knowledge of smallholder farmers and enabling smallholder value chains to improve their competitiveness and flourish. Service value chain analysis determines the financial viability of the ICT services and identifies the ecosystem partners who are willing to invest and deliver those services.

  • Knowledge delivery, including access to information, e-learning, and advisory services
  • Farm planning to help create efficiencies in agribusiness operations
  • Supply chain planning to reduce cost and create visibility for logistics
  • Financial services that give greater access to capital and help reduce the cost of financial transactions
  • Community services that enable rural citizens to access basic healthcare, education, and e-government services
  • Efforts should be made to incorporate ICT in all endeavors related to agricultural development.
  • The organizations and departments concerned with agricultural development need to realize the potential of ICT for the speedy dissemination of information to farmers.

 

Also, since small and marginal farmers are using ICT services, more emphasis should be given to providing information relevant to their farming systems.

  • It is recommended that, in drought-prone and less endowed areas, future ICT initiatives provide information services such as facilitation of access to land records, question-and-answer services, information on rural development programmes, weather forecasting, marketing information, best package of practices for dry land agriculture, information on crop insurance and post- harvest technology.
  • ICT services should provide early warning of disease and pest problems, question-and-answer services, information on cropping systems and planning, best and latest packages of practices for commercial crops, weather forecasting, soil testing and sampling, post-harvest technology, input prices/ availability, farm business information and crop insurance.
  • Meera, S.N. (2002) A Critical analysis of information technology in agricultural development: Impact and implications. pdf

 

“Technology and Innovation in Marketing”, Allied Publishers, New Delhi

  • World Bank, IDA, 2008.
Read More »

Shoppers Can Expect to Face Food Price Rises in 2011 Says the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

Posted by admin on February 4th, 2012

Farmers with little or no land were given land of their own, significantly arousing their enthusiasm for production. Overall in Mao’s period, China’s agriculture developed slowly, with some golden times such as 1953-57 when the yearly gross output increased by 4.5% on average.

Under Mao, the conceptual role of agriculture was imperative. Contracting land out to farmers altered the distribution form of land and mobilized the farmers’ enthusiasm for production.

The economic and political role of agriculture in contemporary China -

Food security. In an extremely large and populated country like China, the concept of food security is fundamentally important. At present still, the farmers of China are the largest, yet under-represented group, which holds the keys to stability in China.

Employment tool. GDP share. The reforms in the early 1980s initially increased the relatively share of the agricultural sector.

What are the main obstacles to the agricultural sector in China than?

Technology.

Accordingly, China is seeking technology transfer in the agricultural sector, formed by joint ventures with international collaborators.

Limited investment from government. Most sectors in China enjoy an enormous inflow of FDI, which particularly helped in 2 dimensions – technology transfer and capital availability.

In conclusion, the agricultural sector in China, unlike other sectors in the Chinese economy, is still rather under developed, and requires a substantial boost from both the local and the international community.

The Economic Role Of Agriculture In China

According to the latest predictions from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) food prices will rise in 2011 thanks to a combination of price volatility, climate change and crop diseases combined with poor harvests in 2010 with the possibility of a food crisis particularly in parts of Africa and Asia.

In addition, the FAO says, climate change and the competition between food and biofuel production means that grain crops particularly command higher prices as biofuel rather than as food.

Read More »

New Green Techniques in Agriculture

Posted by admin on February 3rd, 2012

Earn AG Degrees With Vocational Agriculture Training

Degree programs in agriculture provide hands-on instruction and training in modern methods of agribusiness.

To obtain an associate degree in agriculture or horticulture (sometimes shortened to AG degrees), students can elect to get started by enrolling in a vocational school or community college. Graduates will find gainful employment in farming, ranching, crop management operations, dairy management, farm management, production management, and other related fields.

You can find schools offering training in agriculture on today.

Earn AG Degrees With Vocational Agriculture Training

Regenerative Agriculture;

Regenerative agriculture, the latest of new techniques in agriculture does all that and more.

The Theory on Regenerative Agriculture;

The farmers observed that the native Australian grasses (C4) grew only in warm season whereas the Australian winter cereals (C3) grew only in the winter season. Effectively, new techniques in agriculture were being created.;

Normally, preparation of land for agriculture involved the removal of all existing vegetation from the land to be cultivated. Conventional logic indicated that the oat crop would not survive but not only did it survive, it flourished and new techniques in agriculture locally called the ‘Cluff and Seis pasture cropping technique’ were born.

Envirosafe Solutions supports developments and adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

Read More »

Profession Opportunities and Challenges in the Agriculture Biotechnology Sector

Posted by admin on February 2nd, 2012

Agriculture Job Descriptions

The agriculture sector is very popular for offering job opportunities to a large number of people. So if you are also looking for agriculture jobs, then quickly have a look at the various agriculture jobs that are available today.

You can join these colleges and universities as an Agriculture Research Scientist or an Agriculture Development Officer. Some other jobs in the agriculture sector include the following:

• Agricultural Laborers: They are people who work in farms and are responsible for preparing the soil, planting seeds, farming or lumbering, applying proper fertilizers and pesticides, and harvesting the crops. So just go through these job openings and get your dream agriculture job today!

Agriculture Job Descriptions

The increased demand for food will call on agriculture, specifically, to act as the biggest source of industry. Scope of the Agri-Biotech Industry With increased R;D efforts in the , the scope of agriculture-based biotech work has become tremendous. Agriculture biotechnologists’ roles are multifarious. Career Options for Agri-Biotechnologists The field of agriculture-based biotechnology is evolving each day, offering numerous career options. Other Career Options Several other career openings are available for agri-business graduates.

Read More »
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Powered by WordPress