Agriculture 'still the best bet' in cutting African poverty levels

Despite the increased focus on new areas such as technology that are fuelling Africa's rapid growth, agriculture remains the best bet to pull millions out of poverty, a new report has found.

Africa's growth needs would be better served by focusing on food staples, the International Food Policy Research Institute says.

The report is based on case studies of 10 African countries that sought to determine how agriculture could better contribute to poverty reduction and improved food security.

The study found that agriculture-led growth has the greatest impact on reducing absolute poverty, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where the majority are farmers.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) puts the number of those directly involved in agriculture on the continent at 61 per cent.

Given that most of these are subsistence farmers, encouraging the growing of staple crops such maize, bananas and rice could go a long way in eliminating poverty, it said.

According to the institute, while export crops such as coffee and tea may have higher value than food crops and other staples such as livestock products, they do generate economic growth as effectively.

Tanzania’s livestock sector for example contributes around 12 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. The vast majority of the livestock, about 99 per cent, belongs to small owners, with a full third of the poor owning livestock.

In contrast, big farms and ranches in the country constitute only around one per cent of total livestock ownership, according to FAO data. Focusing on Tanzania’s livestock sector would therefore contribute greatly to reducing the country’s poverty levels, while at the same time stimulating sustainable economic growth, the study noted.

More cost effective

The same can be said of Mozambique’s roots and all staple foods in Zambia and Nigeria. According to the report, in Rwanda, growth driven by maize or pulses is 30-60 per cent more effective at reducing poverty than growth driven by export crops.

There is also good news for Africa’s agricultural policy makers. Investment in staples may be more cost effective in driving growth when compared to investment in non-agricultural sectors.

When quantified, returns achieved from non-agricultural growth (weighed in contribution to total GDP) would have to be significantly higher than those from agricultural growth in order to have better effectiveness at poverty reduction.

African nations should thus look into investing public resources in those agricultural sub-sectors with strong linkages to the poor, and to the overall economy.

Further examples are adduced: in Africa, 40 per cent of all root and tuber crops are produced by Nigeria, which is also the largest cassava producer in the world, with nearly 90 per cent of its production being for domestic consumption.

Cassava farming therefore plays a huge role in the lives of the country's mostly poor farmers and in the overall economy. As such, promoting growth in the root and tuber sub-sector could go a longer way in providing long term solutions to rural poverty.

Despite underscoring the importance of agricultural growth in eliminating poverty in Africa, the report also notes that increased growth in other non-agricultural sectors is necessary for faster urban development.

Original Article Here

MANAGEMENT of PANAMA DISEASE (Fusarium Wilt) in BANANA

By R. Thangavelu and M.M. Mustaffa

National Research Centre for Banana, Trichirapalli, India:

Fungus can be controlled by Other Friendly Fungus;

- Several reports indicate that Trichoderma species can effectively suppress Fusarium wilt pathogens.

- Several studies have investigated the ability of P. fluorescens to suppress Fusarium wilt disease of banana.

- Banana plantlets inoculated with KY-21 showed significantly reduced development of disease as compared to the control.

- Inoculation Banana plants with non-pathogenic Fusarium oxysporium.

Banana Village

‘Banana Village’ to promote intensive cultivation and conservation: Kerala-India..........

KOCHI: Welfare Services Ernakulam, the social services wing of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, will establish a ‘Banana Village’ — to be developed as a resource centre for conservation, research, promotion of intensive cultivation and value addition in bananas, of which there are an estimated 280 varieties in Kerala.

According to Fr. Paul Moonjely, director of Welfare Services, though there are hundreds of varieties, hardly 10 are widely cultivated.

The ‘Banana Village’ programme will look to conserve these varieties and spread their cultivation, he said.

The programme involves 1,000 farmers in the first phase.

About five acres of land at Parambayam, near Mookkannoor is being readied for the programme. It will be a full-fledged programme in a year’s time.

He said that according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates, about 20 per cent of banana production in the world is in India. However, India accounts for just one per cent of the world export of bananas.

The ‘Banana Village’ will have a training centre, tissue culture laboratory and demonstration gardens. The programme will also involve farmers on a larger scale as it progresses.

Development of farmers’ field schools to spread scientific cultivation of bananas is another aim of the programme.

With a view to exporting the produce, the new venture will be totally organic in nature, said Fr. Moonjely.

Export of bananas and value addition will give the farmers attractive remuneration in the long run, he said.

Bringing the farmers into the marketing chain will ensure that they get the right prices for their produce.

The initiative will sensitise farmers to food security issues too and help them improve productivity through development of disease resistant varieties and improving the management skills of the farmers.

Dissemination of information and formation of clusters of banana farmers are the other aims of the programme.

Banana grower uses cane waste to cut fertiliser use

By Hadi Laghari 

A Queensland banana grower says he's halved his fertiliser usage by recycling cane waste. Peter Inderbitzen, managing director of Swiss Farms in Lakeland, north of Cooktown, turns cane waste and chicken manure into about 1000 tonnes of compost every two weeks.

He's using the compost to improve his banana plants and also spread on his broadacre cropping land. However, Mr Inderbitzen says although he's very pleased with his yields, compost isn't a cheap alternative to conventional fertilisers."It's twice as dear as putting on fertiliser. The sustainability of making compost is very hard because the cost is double, so we've got to get around that."

The manipulations in banana harvest timings

New thread to Banana "Thatta" Sindh

By Hadi Laghari

Today, banana growers from Thatta Sindh..........has reported that I have lost my 8 acres due to this problem in my banana plantation & this problem has now being shifting to neighboring banana fields........Initially preliminary lab tests suggested that it was Erwinia "a bacteria" but now it seems that it is much more than Erwinia perhaps a fusarium if it is then I think it is much bigger threat

than BBTVD.....

I have planned to go & visit the site & prepare the samples to be sent to following...........for fusarium it's free..........

Dr Gert HJ Kema (Netherlands)

Senior Scientist Pathogen Genetics

Wageningen UR, Plant Sciences Group, Plant Research International Secretary European Federation for Plant Pathology

Biological Control Against Banana Black Aphid

Back in 2003 then again in 2005, I tried these two well known insects widely used in biological control systems "Chrysopa & ladybird beetle"......I found them Efficient aphid killers in the control conditions but in the banana field it hasn't worked properly, biological control system can be efficient in other crops where viral diseases are not an issue due to some reasons that i encountered. First for raring ladybird bettles naturally i planted Egyptian clover & mustard in the winter...because in these two crops you may found millions of ladybird beetles. I then collected & released them in banana & also on bermuda & barn yard grasses where banana black aphid is also found. And for chrysopa i used the egg cards from lab. 

First, I faced population dynamics problem in the field for both insects target & being released 

Second, winged aphids & extremely higher wind velocity
Third, if single BBTVD infested plants is present in the field and single black aphid (rate of multiplication is extremely high even they don't require mating) is there no one can save that field from disease
Fourth, rate of roguing & proper diseased plants disposal
Fifth, Presence of black aphids on barnyard & bermunda grass and these two grasses are everywhere throughout farm
Sixth, neighboring banana bunchy top infested fields, black aphid population & their overall management system "some do nothing"
Seventh, Microclimate, mode of attack, banana morphological characteristic all counts on effective biological control system.

So in conclusion: when you advise growers do keep in mind field conditions.............especially where viral diseases are present & their transmission with certain insects.....100% insect control is required...

 By Hadi Laghari

How to Incorporate Fruits into your Daily Diet

Every time a new week/month begins, we remind ourselves that we'll incorporate more and more fruits in our everyday diet. But it only takes 3-4 servings for us to realise how disinterested we really are in them. Add to this, the delicious fruits are not the staple ones. Most fruits like grapefruits, lychees, dark grapes and strawberries aren't as easy to get as the same-old, boring apple, oranges and bananas. So how does one get the recommended three to four daily servings of fruits in his daily diet? The trick lies in somehow tricking your taste buds (actually, your mind) into eating and enjoying more fruits every day. Here's how you can do that: Insert Fruits in your Breakfast Add at least one whole fruit to your breakfast. If you take eggs and toast in breakfast, then add a fruit like papaya or banana to a smoothie, with some yogurt. If you eat cereal, then add a fruit like apple to the bowl. So irrespective of the type of breakfast you take, you must include fruits in it.

a quick fruit smoothie on the side, or a quick addition of fruit chunks, will go a long way in improving your daily diet and will help in curbing your mid-noon hunger pangs. Mid-noon Snack Bring a whole fruit or a bowl of chopped fruit to work with you. You can munch on it while working so that it doesn't affect your work in the office. Now what if you don't really like munching fruits? Just sprinkle some chaat masala or oregano with some chilli flakes and see how much you like them. Early Evening Snack It's 4 in the afternoon and your body (it's actually the mind most of the times) is craving for some sugar and carbs. Beat the post noon blues, by gorging on some delicious fruit snacks. Go for fruit salads topped with a hint of honey and nuts, or add a thin layer of healthy cheese or paneer to a fruit like muskmelon to make it interesting.

Oranges taste great with some chilli and salt ground with coriander and cumin. Adding condiments to fruits will up the taste and you won't mind eating them. Way better than the calorie-rich burger in your office café. Late Evening Snack Once you get into them, you won't mind a fourth helping of fruits in a day. In fact, you'll love it.

Chances are that by now, you can be craving for some flavour-rich snack. Pause before you turn towards the same old samosas, pakoras or fries. Enjoy a citrus fruit like an orange or grapefruit. And wait, you can also add also add some chopped fruits to a bowl of chilled yogurt flavoured with your favourite spices.

Then there's also the good ol' fruit chaat. So these are some of the ways in which you can cajole yourself into consuming more fruits. And once you develop a thing for them, which we're sure you will, you won't like missing them even for a single day. This will do good to your health in two ways: it'll rid you from the junk food you inevitably consume every time you feel hungry and second, fruits are anyway beneficial for your health. From your side also, explore different ways to make fruit intake interesting, and within just a week or two, you will notice weight and inch loss. (MensXP.com) Also read:

How to Get a Physique like Ajay Devgn had in Singham and Things to Keep in Mind while Taking Calcium Supplements

 Courtesy Agrihunt

Banana production Recipe

Banana production Recipe discussed with Dr. William David Turner of University of Western Australia.........after extensive research is now working extremely good @ AAF...........Banana in the desert like sub-tropics of Sindh..........Still we have 1.5 years to go but in half time it did wonders............Project Title is "integrated banana nutrient management" in the desert like sub-tropics of Sindh...........varieties are Tissue cultured G-9 and Cavendish Dwarf............

By Hadi Laghari

Banana fruit nutrition facts

Go for banana fruit, nature's own energy rich food that comes in a safety envelope! Fresh, delicious bananas are available year around and are very cheap. Botanically, the fruit belongs to the family of Musaceae. Commercially, it is one of the widely cultivated crops in the tropical and subtropical zones.

Scientific name: Musa acuminata colla.

Banana is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from underground rhizome. It flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid low-lying farmlands. The whole plant is a false stem (pseudostem) consisting of broad leaves and their petioles overlapping around each other in a circular fashion standing up to 2 to 6 meters tall from the ground surface depending upon the cultivar types. At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to flower (inflorescence) that is carried up on a long smooth un-branched stem through the centre of the pseudo-stem emerging out at the top in the centre of the leaf cluster. The flower subsequently develops to hanging bunch consisting of 3 to 20 hands (tiers), each with at least 5-10 fingers (fruits) in each hand (tier). Banana plant or plantain bears hanging clusters of fruits as bunch. Fruits are arranged in tiers, with 6-20 fruits in each tier.

There are several cultivars of banana grown with different size (4”-9”inch), color (yellow to brown), weight (70-150g) and taste. Structurally, fruit has a protective outer skin and delicious, sweet and tart, creamy white color edible flesh inside.

Plantains are other cultivars types, more often used as cooking bananas. They are closely related to the familiar fruit banana or dessert banana. Plantains are used as a staple diet in Thailand, Laos, and other Southeast Asian as well as in many parts of tropical African and Caribbean regions.

Health benefits of banana fruit

• Banana fruit is rich in calories, but very low in fats. The fruit contains good amounts of health benefiting anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
• Banana pulp is composed of soft, easily digestible flesh with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly; thus, for these qualities, bananas are being used by athletes to get instant energy and as supplement food in the treatment plan for underweight children.
• The fruit contains good amount of soluble dietary fiber (7% of DRA per 100 g) that helps normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation problems.
• It contains many health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, beta and alpha carotenes in small amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
• It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), provides about 28% of daily-recommended allowance. Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has beneficial role in the treatment of neuritis, anemia, and decreasing homocystine (one of the causative factor for coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels in the body.
• The fruit is also good source of vitamin-C (about 8.7 mg per 100g). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.
• Fresh bananas provide adequate levels of minerals like copper, magnesium, and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has cardiac-protective role as well.  Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
• Fresh banana is a very rich source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 358 mg potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium.

Selection and storage

• Once ripened, bananas are very fragile and start decaying in short time. In the field, bananas are usually harvested while they are green as it is easy to transport when the fruits are raw and firm.
• In order to ripen, they are usually subjected to ethylene or kept in close proximity with other ripened fruits. In the stores, choose banana fruits based on when you want to use them; greener ones last for more days, while yellow and brown-spotted bananas should be eaten in a few days.
• Ready to eat bananas should be quite firm, bright yellow in color and emanate rich fragrance, and the skin should be peeled off easily. Ripened, fresh bananas are nutritionally enriched and sweeter in taste.
• Avoid mushy or damaged bananas, as they are un-appealing.

Preparation and Serving methods

• Bananas comes with nature gifted protective outer layer of skin, therefore are less likely contaminated by germs and dust.
• Just remove the peel and enjoy!
• Banana fruit sections are a great addition to the fruit salads.
• Fresh "banana-milkshake" with sugar syrup is a delicious drink.
• Bananas have also been used in the making of fruit jams.
• Banana fritters can be served with ice cream as well.
• Banana chips are a snack produced from dehydrated or fried banana or plantain slices.
• Mash ripe banana fruits and add to cakes, casseroles, muffins, bread pudding etc.
• Plantain is raw unripe banana that is used as vegetable in recipes.

Safety profile

Banana fruits are sometimes known to cause skin and systemic allergic reactions. In "oral allergy syndrome" which causes itching and swelling in the mouth or throat within hours after ingestion and is related to birch tree and other pollen allergies.

The other type of reaction is related to latex allergies and causes urticaria and potentially serious gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. 

Original Article Here

Rwanda: Agriculture Expo Focuses On Agro-Processing

BY ERIC DIDIER KARINGANIRE

The 7th agriculture expo was officially opened on Tuesday in Mulindi by Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi under the theme "Accelerating agriculture transformation by promoting agro-processing technologies."

The 2012 agriculture show brings together 140 exhibitors from nine countries namely Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, India, China and Rwanda. The exhibition features a wide range of innovations in the agriculture sector such as irrigation and mechanization, agro- processing and modern livestock among others.

Francois Kanimba, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, noted that there has been an increase of participants over the years since the annual fair started in 2003 because it has been very useful in the transfer of knowledge and experience.

Different agricultural products on the ground bear testimony to the big efforts made over the years to transform the sector. For instance, a bunch of a banana can today weigh over 170 kg simply due to better management of plantations and trees.

However, Prime Minister Habumuremyi challenged all concerned to put more efforts in agro-processing to add value and spur economic growth.

"It doesn't make sense to see local factories lacking raw materials and importing them at a very high cost, while farmers decry the lack of buyers for their products," the Prime Minister told the participants. "There is a need to make both sides complement each other. This is the basis of the national development."

The solution, Habumuremyi noted, is for businesspeople to invest in the sector. "If it has been possible in other countries, why can't it be possible in Rwanda?" he asked.

The Prime Minister also urged farmers to take advantage of financial services that are dedicated to supporting small and medium enterprises such as the Rural Investment Fund (RIF) dedicated to transforming rural areas and the Business Development Fund (BDF) providing SMEs with collateral to obtain loans from commercial banks.

Original Article Here

No Ban On PH Bananas

By MARVYN N. BENANING

MANILA, Philippines — The acceptance by China of at least 30 containers of Philippine bananas has given some relief to small and big growers in Mindanao.

For the team of Filipino experts led by director Dr. Clarito Barron of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), it means redemption for the top fruit export to China, which earned more than $366 million in revenues in that market last year.

The Philippines supplies practically 83 percent of bananas in the Chinese market.

Barron and two experts flew to China on Sunday upon the instruction of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to tackle the banana infestation issue with Beijing authorities and the release of the 30 containers means progress had been made.

Late last week, agriculture assistant secretary Salvador Salacup announced that China did not ban Philippine bananas but subjected the same to 100 percent inspection.

The technical director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 11, Norlito Agduyeng, also held meetings with small and big banana growers to strengthen the monitoring of all bananas exported to China to ensure that they are free from pests.

Agduyeng acted quickly to dispel reports that Filipino exporters are not working hard enough to ensure that their fruits are free from insects and diseases considered by China to be invasive.

He said it may be necessary to put bar codes on bananas packaged for export to determine where the fruits came, the time they were packed and who shipped them out.

This requirement, Agduyeng stressed, could be implemented easily for the big growers but assistance may be needed by the small growers.

Agduyeng said banana growers have also reduced infestation by the black sigatoka fungus and are working hard to contain the more serious invasive virus that causes Fusarium wilt, particularly the deadly Tropical Race 4 strain.

Alcala has also been battling for value adding for bananas, a fruit that has enjoyed big demand overseas.

Original Article Here

Department of Agriculture team off to China over fruit shipments

By Louella Desiderio

MANILA, Philippines - A team from the Department of Agriculture (DA) will be meeting with Chinese authorities this week to discuss measures being undertaken to ensure that exported fruits comply with quarantine protocol amid China’s tighter restrictions on fruit shipments from the Philippines.

“We will be going there this week to show them that we follow quarantine protocol for our fruit exports,” Bureau of Plant Industry director Clarito Barron said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Barron said that the DA decided in a meeting last week to send a team to China after it imposed tighter regulations by requiring full inspection of Philippine fruit shipments.

China tightened requirements for the entry of fruits after it claimed that it found pests in bananas coming from the Philippines.

Barron said the pests, which Chinese authorities claimed were found on Philippine banana exports, are those that usually affect coconuts.

He said Chinese authorities now require a 100 percent inspection of fruit shipments from the Philippines by opening packages and conducting tests on samples.

Prior to this, Chinese quarantine officials just check the phytosanitary clearance issued by quarantine officials here for the products.

A phytosanitary clearance is issued by the country of origin of the commodity to indicate that such commodity meets import requirements.

Barron said that in order to assure Chinese authorities that the quarantine protocol is being followed here, they will provide a list of accredited growers and packing facilities of fruits.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala yesterday said that the team will also be in China to conduct the inspection with Chinese quarantine officials of fruit shipments coming from the Philippines.

“We will also be inviting them to visit the country so that they can check how the quarantine protocol is implemented,” he said.

He said quarantine officials here in the country have also been instructed to closely inspect containers of fruits to be exported overseas before these are given clearance.

Barron said the Philippines is working to assure Chinese authorities of the quality of fruits being shipped out of the country as China is a major market of banana exports.

China, he said, also purchases pineapples and papaya from the Philippines.

In the event that China would decide not to buy fruits from the Philippines, Barron said the DA will look at existing markets like Iran, Korea, Japan and Europe.

Philippine banana growers and exporters said earlier that they have lost at least P1.44 billion since China imposed tighter restrictions more than two months ago.

China’s restriction on Philippine fruit exports has become controversial amid the ongoing standoff at Scarborough shoal.

 Original Article Here

Virus attack on Banana (urdu)