Biotechnology: The advent of molecular pharming

The National Biotechnology Policy unveiled in 2005 is already in place. The implementation of the policy is anchored by the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (MBC). Based on their latest information, many companies have now been accorded the Bionexus Status.

Bionexus companies have to fulfil MBC's many technical and commercial criteria. With the Bionexus status, the companies are eligible for the many incentives offered under the policy, including tax breaks and some attractive research and development grants.

The focus now is on three sectors, agricultural, pharmaceutical and industrial.

In the pharmaceutical sector, there has been a growing interest in producing vaccines from plants. This is what is termed as molecular farming. Essentially it involves producing new compounds from plants through genetic engineering. The new compounds can include pharmaceutical products such as medical drugs, vaccines or antibodies.
In the European Union, genetically engineering the tobacco plant to produce vaccines has already advanced to the commercial phase. Tobacco is among the easiest plant to genetically transform.

What is needed is only to do some research to develop an economically high-yielding transformed tobacco plant designed to produce vaccines for the regional market. And this is not difficult.

In the EU, molecular pharming through tobacco is already on the verge of commercial reality. The target vaccine, of course, differs.

Fama Optimistic About Gulf Markets And Beyond

The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) is upbeat about the opportunities available in the Gulf region and beyond to market Malaysia's a wide array of fruits and agro-based products.

Fama northern regional director Mohamed Ariffin Awang, who is leading the agency's team at Gulfood 2009 exhibition here, said this was based on discussions with two new importers that took place ahead of the Feb 23-26 event, billed as the region's largest trade exhibition for food, drinks, food service and hospitality equipment.

"They've expressed their readiness to import several containers of fresh fruits every week as well as processed agro-based products from Malaysia.

"And what we're excited about is that one of them distributes to outlets in about 80 countries. So it looks very promising," Mohamed Ariffin told Bernama.

Fama is a marketing agency established under the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry. It was set up as a statutory body in 1965.

ADB grants DR Congo $8 mln in aid to agricultural production

The African Development Bank (ADB) has granted 8 million U.S. dollars to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in support of the central African country's agricultural production.

ADB official Korsaga A. Frederic unveiled the funding on Saturday in Kinshasa, after an inspection tour of N'sele, 40 km away from the capital city.

Frederic, who is heading a 12-member team on a three-day visit to DR Congo, said part of the money will be used to import fertilizers for agricultural production.

N'sele is an agro-industrial community known for poultry and pig farms and the production of ananas and tomato.

Micronutrient deficiencies have reached alarming proportions in India.

Rahul Mirchandani

Indian farming has to readjust its priorities. We, as a nation, are trying to adopt advanced farming practices that include use of genetically engineered seeds, micro-irrigation, greenhouse cultivation, hydroponics, integrated pest management, computer-based modelling to track disease and pest incidence, mechanisation and the like. However, very few of our farmers have addressed the first step — feeding the crop correctly!

As a result, we spend on practices that are great in themselves, but work sub-optimally because of the imbalanced nutrition that our crops suffer from. This imbalanced nutrition not only constricts the energy levels of our crops but also acts as a barrier in improving productivity levels. No matter how great a seed is, unless it is nourished in its infancy and at appropriate stages with all the 16 nutrients required, it will never achieve the productivity levels that it is designed to achieve.

Similarly, one may deploy an integrated pest management solution, but there is also a risk that by doing so, harmful plant protection chemicals may find their way into the food chain and the ecosystem. In addition, this can increase the cost of cultivation and, in turn, the indebtedness of farmers as these solutions are almost always sourced on credit. Alternatively, balancing nutrition to plants and crops will certainly improve resistance that will keep pests at bay, as medicine is always more expensive than food. The need for application of harmful chemicals will reduce with proper crop nutrition.

The problem in India is that farmers have limited access to information and awareness is restricted and, at times, skewed in nature. There is an overuse of primary fertilisers such as nitrogen (for example, urea), phosphorus (DAP) and potash (SOP), three of the 16 nutrients required by plants. Studies have shown that though the usage of these nutrients have risen sharply in recent years, land area under cultivation and yields have remained static and at times even declined.

This points to a wasteful use of these elements that are subsidised by the government. Farmers find these fertilisers inexpensive and demand grows each year, though there is no apparent reason for usage levels to rise.

The Government is expected to have a fertiliser subsidy bill of Rs 1-lakh crore – much of which can be curbed and perennial shortages of these fertilisers reduced if the usage is made more rational and efficient. Trials have shown that similar yields can be achieved by halving of traditional fertiliser dosage in certain areas and on certain crops.
Micronutrient deficiency

Imbalanced crop nutrition is worsened with overuse of the three major nutrients and under-use or ignoring of the micronutrients (zinc, iron, copper, manganese, boron, molybdenum) and three secondary nutrients (sulphur, calcium and magnesium).

Typically, in a balanced crop nutrition programme, the usage of micronutrients should be four per cent of the quantity used of the major fertilisers. In India, the estimate of this usage ratio is as low as 0.87 per cent, showing a tremendous under-use of the micronutrients. Each of these micronutrients has a critical, unique role in crop physiology, productivity and in the plant's growth cycle. They are called 'micro' only because they are needed in much smaller quantities, but they cannot be replaced or their importance undermined.

Micronutrient deficiencies have reached alarming proportions in India and the extent of the problem is evident from the results of a massive soil testing effort conducted by the Indian Institute of Soil Science . Close to 2.5 lakh soil samples were tested for micronutrient levels across 18 States and zinc deficiency was observed in almost one of every two samples tested. Boron deficiency was observed in every third sample tested. These deficiencies also changed from State to State, showing a need for companies to design customised formulations of micronutrients for each geography based on these observations.
Cost savings

By addressing these micronutrient deficiencies, as has been achieved by progressive farmers in several States, pockets of excellence have emerged, showcasing productivity benefits of balanced crop nutrition. Trials across agricultural universities have assessed an economic benefit cost ratio of as high as 6:1 by the use of chelated (specially designed chemically inert, water soluble complex forms) micronutrients and about 2.5:1 by the use of inorganic (sulphate forms) micronutrients.

Yields have also risen by an average 35 per cent when chelated micronutrients were used. The cost savings to farmers have been as a result of reducing the over-application of traditional major fertilisers, reduction in labour costs by using sprayable nutrients rather than soil applied fertilisers and reduction in the need for expensive pesticides because of better plant resistance to diseases and pest attacks. Reduced residue levels also made the products more 'exportable', improved keeping quality and shelf-life of the crops and thus, increased farm gate realisations.
Health impact

The deficiency of micronutrients is also having a ripple effect and impacting human health, as these nutrient-starved cereals, fruits and vegetables are consumed by us.

According to a World Heath Organisation report listing the top-20 risks to human life, iron deficiency was ranked as the ninth major risk and zinc deficiency, the eleventh.

The invisible effects of trace element or micronutrient deficiencies are taking a toll on children's IQ, causing physical weakness and fatigue, lifestyle diseases and making the working population less productive. In India, 22,000 maternal deaths were reported due to anaemia (iron deficiency). And, 6.6 million children were born mentally impaired due to iodine deficiency.

Zinc plays a major role in the functioning of the human immune system, reproductive physiology, dark vision adaptation and insulin storage. It is an anti-oxidant and its deficiency directly promotes oxidative stress. Zinc deficiency causes stunted growth in children.

In fact, the extent of the problem becomes apparent when one considers the World Health Organisation report that attributes eight lakh deaths worldwide due to zinc deficiency. Worldwide, zinc deficiency is responsible for approximately 16 per cent of lower respiratory tract infections, 18 per cent of malaria and 10 per cent of diarrhoeal disease.

Similarly, deficiencies of other micronutrients such as copper can cause malnutrition in infants, magnesium (low birth weight of children and maternal mortality), calcium (osteoporosis and weak bones), manganese (cartilage disorders), boron (affects hormone metabolism).

Correcting trace element or micronutrient imbalance will not only improve farm economics and agricultural productivity but also help in providing nutritive food to people. This will help in safer pregnancies, healthier mothers and children, better school performance, improved work capacity, greater productivity and increased economic growth. It is time to make efforts to ensure that "balanced crop nutrition is made a national imperative".

(The author is Executive Director, Aries Agro Ltd and National Vice-Chairman – Confederation of Indian Industry's Young Indians. )

Engineer breathes life into longan trees

This is a of story of courage and consistency for me.

This guy Nguyen Van VuiVui's altruistic venture has changed lives of many poor farmers in the central province of Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. Vui is showing them how to cure the weary trees so they can return to their former fecundity.

The longan fruit is amber with a sweet-tasting pulp. The Hung Yen longan are a familiar sight across Viet Nam. Sadly though, the longan trees have not stood strong against their enemies, time and weather.

Engineer Nguyen Van Vui from the Viet Nam Seeds Centre, said the longan trees have not been replenishing themselves and their seeds are now old.

Vui was a farmer in the Bac Ninh Province before he became an agricultural engineer, so he understands much about farming.

Vui explained how 99 per cent of the longan trees are pollinated by insects and wind, and the crop is almost entirely dependent on the weather.

Ten years ago, when farmers in Bac Ninh Province's Thuan Thanh District collectively decided to chop down their longan trees, they thought they would benefit more from using the wood for fire and the land for growing vegetables.

At that time, farmers had a hard time tending longan trees in Hung Yen. Productivity was low and competition was high. A wave of Imported longan trees from China and Thailand brought heavy losses to the farmers.

Vui sympathised with farmers and decided to take action. He began to plant the grafting shoots of newer longans from Hung Yen Province and Ha Noi into older trees. He first tried it out on a famous old tree in his own garden in Bac Ninh Province.

To his surprise, a new tree sprang from his clever combination, giving more fruits than single trees, with better taste and thicker pulps.

Vui owns 2.7 sao (about 1,000sq.m) of longan garden. Before the change, he generally pulled in about VND1 million in profit, now he gets VND18 million.

Vui is now carrying out a project with others to spread grafting practice across the country.

in the last five years, Vui has grafted about 2,000 trees in Thuan Thanh, Que Vo, Gia Binh (Bac Ninh), Lai Cach, Cam Giang (Hai Duong), as well as Hung Yen, Hoa Binh and Ha Noi.

According to initial data from Ngu Thai Commune, Thuan Thanh District, 280 households are applying Vui's method and are reporting harvests as big as 40 tonnes, generating hundreds of millions in profit.

Farmer, Nguyen Thi Chi, in Bui Xa Village, Ngu Thai Commune has about two hundred 40 or 50-year-old Hung Yen longan trees. She considered chopping the trees down before she heard about Vui's method. She's glad she didn't now.

Thanks to his method, Chi did well last year. "One of my trees produced about 200kg of the fruit," she gushed.

"Other farmers regretted chopping the trees, I was much luckier than them," she said.

Vui is doing big business in the central province of Thanh Hoa where farmers in Bim Son Town have asked him to graft 6ha of longan.

The deal between Vui and the farmers is pretty decent. Vui helps the farmers with grafting. He doesn't take any payment from the farmers until they begin to make money from selling the fruit.

According to Vui, there are thousands of hectares of longan in Thanh Hoa but none of them are producing to their true potential.

Killing the birds and the cows

Talking about poultry business heard that African farmers are turning away from poultry because of the high investments and low returns. Another piece of bad news is that H5 avian influenza virus, probably low-pathogenic, has surfaced on a turkey farm in southern British Columbia, Canada. According to the news item the authorities were preparing to cull upto 60,000 turkeys. The birds are killed by sealing the barns and flooding them with carbon dioxide. Then the carcasses are mixed with organic material in the barn to raise the temperature as high as 50°C during decomposition and this way the virus is also killed.

I don’t know if this is funny or to be taken seriously, but Germans, I read lately, have been advised to eat less meat if they want to preserve the planet. Reasons given to act to irrationally were that meat farming was the most energy intensive. Also the methane gas emitted by cattle and the nitrous oxide produced by their dung is harmful to the environment. (We don’t mind if your car guzzles gas by the gazillion and emits harmful gases in the atmosphere, but the cows should not be allowed to crap or kill them!!!). Also cattle drink a lot of water. Hmmm they studied that did they??

Also just heard of a new (at least for me) international fair for farm animals zootechnia for Greece and Balkans (zoo … shouldn’t it be farmtechnia or something like that!!)

Meet new friends

Meeting old friends was yesterday. Met a new guy today. A friend of a friend say. Guess what the subject was... agriculture naturally. He kept repeating not to get into goat farming. Made my head spin, but can not blame him I suppose since I was introduced as someone who wanted to do goat farming. whew.

He kept urging to buy my own land instead of experimenting with someone else's. But did tell me some nice places where I could buy land cheap and the tricks to acquire it.

At the same time listed the different stuff one could do once the land was bought. For e.g. plant different trees including the ones with different cycles so that one could have a harvest throughout the year. Then there was of course the goat farming. And poultry farming and ostrich farming and buffalo farming and exotic bird farming and the list went on and on mostly livestock. Weird for a guy who did not want me to get into goat farming. Got some news to share too, but in the next blog.

Meet old friends

Well, went to see this guy. Friend of dad. Shifted from the area long ago but comes visiting once in a while and has regular phone contact. Nice guy. Earned a lot of money through hard work I am told. It may be true his brothers are still not well to do and I do remember somethings about my childhood when he used to live nearby. Anyway, the purpose of meeting him was to learn a few things about farming, since he has agricultural land in the village. Or native place as people around here refer to it.

Well he went on and on about how he acquired the land and has taken care of it. Nothing much. However, one thing that he kept repeating was that water or the supply of it was very important. The government in a bid to encourage agriculture was doing its bit in educating farmers about what to plant and how to plant it. But has not done much about the lack of water in many villages throughout India. Although was happy to learn many private biggies were now taking interest in the farmers produce which also meant giving the poor farmers a fighting chance to earn a better livelihood.

Also with this blog I am making a fundamental change. Now instead of copy pasting news articles I will be writing about it in my own words and the same time thinking aloud what I understood. Will be a good exercise for me. Hope it helps you too.

Goat industry embraces biosecurity

Goat security anyone?? Well read on, it's nice to have some... this is Down Under... Cheers

Goat trading between states will become easier with the introduction of a National Goat Health Statement, according to Goat Industry Council of Australia's president Steve Roots.

Mr Roots said the statement has been developed by the industry to bring a "new level of assurance for producers involved with the trading of goats".

"There is always a risk involved when buying and selling goats and this statement will eliminate some of that risk for producers as it will be an important part of the transaction as it provides the health status of the goats they intend to trade," Mr Roots said.

"This statement will take effect from 1 February 2009 and introduces new measures for minimising the spread of disease from farm to farm or even state to state."

Sleep it off in a silo B&B

Another utility for your farm...

Located in the rolling hills of Willamette Valley about 32 miles from Portland, this 82-acre farm is a working enterprise with its own farm-made goat cheese and a menagerie of other farm animals in residence. Guests stay in a striking setting: Three shiny metal farm silos converted into luxury rooms with views of the farm. 

Abbey Road Farm is in a rural area of Carlton, but don't think there's not life in the beautiful boonies. This is Oregon wine country, and some of the state's _ no, the nation's _ best wineries are a short distance away. Across the street is a Trappist abbey, Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose bookstore sells the monks' own fruitcake. To the southwest, in McMinnville, is the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, home to Howard Hughes' giant "Spruce Goose" flying boat. Fifty miles to the west you'll reach the Pacific Ocean.

‘Food outsourcing is a $5-billion opportunity for India’

Ahmedabad, India: The food outsourcing business from India has an opportunity of $5 billion as of today, said Mr Piruz Khambatta, Chairman & Managing Director, Rasna Pvt Ltd, at Amaethon — the fifth edition of the Agri-Business Summit of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

But it is still untapped potential, said Mr Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industry. “Only six per cent of the total amount of food produced in the country is processed. This has led to an annual loss of Rs 33,000 crore in the agricultural sector through perishable commodities,” said Mr Kumar. He said this was the single biggest reason why agriculture was becoming unviable for the farmers and they are diversifying to other sectors.

Mr Khambatta said there were several fruit and vegetable varieties in India such as the sweet lime or mosambi, which can be promoted and exported as an exotic fruit, but was not explored.

Food covered in film

January 13 marked the DVD release of Our Daily Bread, an award-winning, head-spinning, at times stomach-churning glimpse at the mechanics of industrial food processing. Director Nikolaus Geyrhalter doesn’t editorialize, but lets the images speak for themselves. For 90 minutes, Our Daily Bread simply shows of vast machines and bored human operators raising produce and harvesting livestock. You’d think Our Daily Bread would be as exciting as watching vegetables ripen, but it’s a weirdly engrossing experience. There’s always something happening in Geyrhalter’s artfully arranged shots.

Click  headline for more ...

Melamine in baby food sold in United States

Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, November 27, 2008; A02Public health groups, consumer advocates and members of Congress blasted the Food and Drug Administration yesterday for failing to act after discovering trace amounts of the industrial chemical melamine in baby formula sold in the United States.

"This FDA, the Bush administration, instead of protecting the public health, is protecting industry," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FDA budget. In an interview, DeLauro said she wants the agency to disclose its findings and to develop a plan to remove melamine from formula. "We're talking about babies, about the most vulnerable. This really makes me angry.

"The FDA found melamine and cyanuric acid, a related chemical, in samples of baby formula made by major U.S. manufacturers. Melamine can cause kidney and bladder stones and, in worst cases, kidney failure and death. If melamine and cyanuric acid combine, they can form round yellow crystals that can also damage kidneys and destroy renal function.

Food companies work to ensure safety from salmonella

As the list of food suspected of salmonella contamination continues to grow, food safety experts recounting a similar outbreak two years ago are asking why some lessons from the past have not been universally learned.

In February 2007, the industry giant ConAgra Foods of Omaha, Neb., recalled thousands of jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter because tests revealed salmonella contamination. The product had been shipped to all 50 states and 60 foreign countries. The bacterial problem was traced to a ConAgra peanut-processing plant in Sylvester, Ga.

In response, ConAgra remodeled the entire plant, separating the areas for raw peanuts from finished peanut butter and paste, which must remain sterile. With the source so difficult to trace, that was the safest way to assure it didn't happen again, experts said. No ConAgra products are named in the current outbreak.

Food Processors Ahoy... Read more click headline...

BPC Comments on Chicken Welfare TV Programme

UK - The British Poultry Council (BPC) has responded to the TV programme, due to be shown tonight, under the title Chickens, Hugh and Tesco Too.

The British Poultry Council has commented as follows on on the content of Chickens, Hugh and Tesco too ahead of its transmission on Channel 4 on Monday 26 January:

We and our members have worked with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and his TV company during the last two years and it has been interesting to see his level of familiarity and understanding develop to the extent that he has moved away from advocating only organic and free-range farming to supporting Freedom Food indoor chicken production.

In the year preceding this 'round up' programme, we have seen spikes in demand for free-range and growth in the differentiation of indoor systems. As predicted, these changes came back into the gradually increasing trend we were seeing before the 'Chicken Out' campaign. We would expect to see this trend continue into 2009 in some of these categories.

to read more click headline...

Success for OFW poultry business

In 1988 the wife of seaman Jerly Peyra started an egg production business in their hometown of Baao, Camarines Sur, using his dollar remittances as starting capital for the J. Peyra Poultry Farm.

Josie ran the business with Jerly, even though he was overseas. Their initial investment covered 100 ready-to-lay-birds, nipa housing, and two helpers.

Josie initially had a hard time, lacking basic knowledge in poultry production. But she observed in nearby poultries, attended seminars, and obtained tips from her veterinarian friends.

In 1992, Jerly came home and managed the business, which was doing well. He invested all his savings in the business so that they could go full blast in their operation, even though it had problems like stiff competition, financial constraints and poultry diseases.

The couple prioritized research and development, upgraded their facilities and improved their working area, production methods and productivity. Today, after 20 years of operations, the J. Peyra Poultry Farm is considered a leader in the industry. The business now has more than 200,000 birds and 44 poultry houses, two warehouses, a feed mill, an office building, and a sales office with egg graders and classifiers.

Their market also expanded, from vendors, stall-owners and bakeries in Bicol, to Manila and about 50 percent of the Visayas market.

Fuel only one production cost, say farmers

... and that is in Victoria, Australia...

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is concerned at suggestions that a drop in diesel prices could see supermarkets slashing the shelf price of fruit and vegetables by up to 15pc.

VFF Horticulture Group president Peter Cochrane said Victorian farmers have limited control over the price they receive for their produce, and while ‘industry experts’ have predicted that prices will fall, this cannot be at the farmers’ expense.

"Fuel is only one component of the cost of production. Prices paid to farmers did not increase in line with the increases in fuel prices and there is no reason for farm gate prices to now fall in line with fuel prices," Peter Cochrane said.

While the cost of transport from farm to market may be stabilising, the price of fruit and vegetables is primarily determined by the supply and demand situation of any given product in the market place, not whether or not the price of fuel comes down by a few cents.

click headline to read more...

Innovations needed in agricultural sector

MANGALORE: Animal husbandry, poultry farming and fishing should be popularized among farmers to help them achieve economic empowerment, suggested K P Sucharitha Shetty, president, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat. 

Inaugurating a training programme on animal husbandry for the farmers here recently, Shetty said development in its real sense is possible only through empowering the agriculture sector that provides livelihood to highest number of families in the country. 

Referring to the state of agriculture and animal husbandry in the region, he said the main reason for this is lack of innovations in the sector. "Agriculture, the backbone of India's economy, can generate good employment opportunities provided innovative methods are introduced like in other sectors," he said. 

Broiler Quail Farming

Hey!!! Found a good blog about quail farming .... check it out...

Farm Site 

Growing of quails does not require a large area. This is an advantage because of the small size of the quails as compared to chickens. Nevertheless the growing requirement is identical to chicken rearing. Farm site should follow laws and bylaws of the state. As an example, in Johor, a license is required to rear quails as provided in The Animal Industries Enactment Act. 

In selecting suitable farm site, it is advisable the area should be away from domestic houses and other poultry farms. The area should be free from flood with transportation facilities for the movement of goods. Hilly and undulating areas are also suitable but incur high cost in land works. Areas with good ventilation must be considered. 

Read full: http://kebunwarisan.blogspot.com/2009/01/broiler-quail-farming.html

Rochester conference covers all the angles of organic farming

Organic seed production. The environmental impact of gas drilling on area farms and forests. Pioneering organic wheat production to supply bakeries and food retailers across the Northeast. How to keep a family milk cow.

These were some of the workshop topics that drew nearly 1,000 attendees from across the state this weekend to the Riverside Convention Center for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York's 27th Annual Conference, titled Meals Without Wheels: Revitalizing our Local Organic Foodshed.

NOFA-NY is a nonprofit educational organization made up of farmers, consumers and gardeners that promotes organic, regional and sustainable food systems. Its subsidiary company, NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC, is the largest organic certifying agency in the state.

Read more: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090125/NEWS01/901250350/1002/NEWS

Seeds planted for local produce service

Here is an innovative way to promote produce without middlemen at the same time ensuring consumers know where their produce comes from ...

Residents in Seneca County can know the farmer who is growing their food by participating in a program known as Community Supported Agriculture.

Sister Rita Wienken manages such a farm business, known as Seeds of Hope, at Saint Francis in Tiffin. Riehm Farms in Old Fort also operates a C.S.A. Seeds of Hope and Riehm Farms are coming together to present an informational program on C.S.A.'s 7 p.m. Tuesday at Tiffin-Seneca Public Library.

C.S.A. links local farmers in the program directly to families or individuals. Individuals make a commitment and pre-purchase a number of weeks of produce.

The Seeds of Hope farm offers 22 weeks of produce that come directly from local farmers. Wienken said what is received depends in what is in season, but each delivery on average contains what a family of four would consume in a week.

"This is a way to see where their food comes from and a way for the farmer to have an established market," Wienken said. "You can get to know the farmer and how he grows food."

She said farmers in the program farm either certified organic or use sustainable agricultural methods, which integrate environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.

To purchase a full non-working share costs $450.

Read more: http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/512067.html?nav=5005

Local firm wins state tourism award

Ann Dougherty spends a great deal of time promoting Learn Great Foods, a national touring company that teaches people the link between sustainable farming, great cooking, and the environment. Her efforts have tripled the size of the business since its inception five years ago.

Dougherty is the president of the company, which was recently named the "Outstanding Agritourism Company of the Year" by the Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois.
Learn Great Foods has a center located in Mount Carroll which covers northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and Iowa. There are also locations in Michigan and new centers are about to open in Missouri.

An important part of the Learn Great Foods mission is to educate consumers on where our food comes from and how it is grown.

During its tours, guests get an up-close look at the operations of sustainable and organic farms and have a chance to ask local farmers and vintners questions about anything from growing techniques to ecological issues. Tour destinations include organic beef and dairy farms, fruit and vegetable farms, wineries, creameries and local coffee roasters.

Read More: http://www.journalstandard.com/news/business/x716054654/Local-firm-wins-state-tourism-award

Area under horticulture increases

Chandigarh, India: The area under horticulture crops in Haryana has increased to about 5.01 per cent of the total cropped area of the State.

While stating this here on Friday a spokesman of the Horticulture Department said that 38,479 hectares of land had been brought under fruit cultivation till December, 2008 against a target of 40,410 hectares of land for the year 2008-09. As much as 1,66,530 tonnes of fruits had been produced against a production target of 2,75,000 tonnes.

He said that as much as 2,10,480 hectares of area was brought under vegetable cultivation till December 2008 against a target of 2,85,000 hectares of land for the current financial year. Similarly, 4248 hectares of arable land was brought under flower cultivation and medicinal plants were grown over an area of 909 hectares against a target of 6000 hectares and 3500 hectares respectively.

Australia-MLA Halal accredited brand.

HALAL BRAND.

The global expansion of the MLA's Halal Brand, is an important step towards expanding markets for Australian red meat, according to Ian Ross the Middle East regional manager for the MLA.

Ross said "with 28% of the worlds population being Moslem and with most of these people living in countries with growing economies, its vital the Australian red meat industry positions itself in the best possible way to supply these important markets".The world has over 2 billion Moslems and the market for Halal products, exceeds US$500 billion.

The major problems in getting Moslem nations to take meat, as opposed to live animals are two fold, one they prefer fresh meat and secondly mistrust of the Halal slaughter procedures, in countries such as Australia and the South American countries.The Australian MLA brand for certified Halal meat, goes a long way towards removing half of the problem.

In Argentina, the Council of Mosques organizes all the Halal slaughter, through a private company, that provides the service at the meat plants www.halalcatering.com.ar .

Palermo Buenos Aires, boasts the largest Mosque in the whole of the America's north and south.

W.Va. farmers aim at growing Muslim market

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — In a room where farmers in camouflage baseball caps and John Deere jackets mix with women in head scarves, Larry Gardner is scolding himself for forgetting Ramadan last year.

After 30 years raising lambs, the Waverly farmer is learning something new about the business. There's a growing demand in West Virginia for sheep and goats from Muslim residents tired of traveling hundreds of miles for meats prepared in accordance with their faith's dietary requirements.

At the same time, West Virginia's farmers are eager for new customers.

Putting these two constituencies in the same room at South Charleston's Islamic Center was largely the work of Almeshia Brown, an agriculture and natural resources specialist at West Virginia State University Extension Service, who is also a Muslim.

Tired of using the Internet to buy groceries, Brown saw the seminar as a chance to supply a growing ethnic market and bring new customers to state farmers.

Read full article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4khkr2cJaZVTbbTIRjiGPuAsZkgD95SVMB00

test mail

Just trying this out for the first time.... Hey everybody be cool... looking forward to sharing some cool farm stuff.