Make Sound Investments

No analysis of investment choices is fool-proof. But a few hours spent with an Excel spreadsheet might allow you to sleep better at night before signing a contract for a five-,  six- or seven-figure deal.
     “Major investments demand due diligence,” says Allan Gray, an agricultural economist and Director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University. There two key questions to ask:
     • Does the investment earn a profit above all costs?
• Will the investment cash flow?
“You need to keep these questions separate because you don’t want to buy an asset [that is not profitable] even if you have a sweetheart financing deal,” says Gray.
The key is determining if the return on the asset is greater than the return you could get by investing in some other asset or financial instrument. And it’s critical to consider the time value of money. The sooner you get the return, the better.
The way to do that analysis is to calculate the net present value (NPV) of the asset over its useful life. NPV brings all the value generated by the asset over its lifetime back to the present.
This method of analysis (known as discounted cash flow) takes future cash flow and reduces it by the amount that would have been earned as interest over time. Think of it as compound interest in reverse.
If the NPV of the asset is less than zero, your farm’s equity value falls and you are worse off. If it is positive, your equity increases and you are better off.
There are six steps to NPV analysis. Fortunately, Gray has developed a spreadsheet that allows you to plug in numbers such as asset values, interest rates, revenue and costs to help you calculate an asset’s NPV.
Step 1. Compute the Discount Rate. The discount rate is the cost of capital, or the minimum rate of return you require for your farm. Setting it too low is bad because you will accept too many low-performing assets and your business will stagnate. Set it too high and you won’t accept any assets because none can perform to that high level.
Because interest is tax deductible, you also need to know your marginal tax rates for both federal and state income taxes. These should be applied to both the cost of borrowed funds and the equity the business puts into the purchase of the asset.
For example, the after-tax cost of money borrowed at 7% is actually 4.6% if your combined Federal/state marginal tax rate is 35%. The after-tax cost of equity with a target rate of return of 10% is 6.5% based on that same marginal tax return.
If your business’ long-term desired debt to asset goal is 30:70, your discount rate used in the NPV analysis would be 5.9%.

Step 2. Calculate the NPV of cash outlay. Say, for example, you are evaluating investing in two robotic milkers with a combined purchase price of $420,000 with  no additional working capital required. The NPV cash outlay is simply $420,000.

Step 3. Calculate annual net cash flow. You’ll need to do a cash flow for each year of productive life of the robotic milkers, calculating cash revenues (including unpaid labor) and subtracting cash expenses and taxes.
For the robotic milkers, these would include changes in milk production, quality premiums, replacement cattle costs, feed costs,  labor and other costs. In the final year, add back in the salvage value to the robotic milkers.

Step 4. Calculate the present value of the net cash flow. This is done by simply adding up the discounted annual net cash flow, which Gray’s spreadsheet does for you.

Step 5. Compute the NPV. Simply take the sum of the net present value calculated in Step Four and subtract the present value of the cash outlay from Step Two. In his example, Gray calculated a net cash flow for the two robotic milkers of $616,894. Subtracting the $420,000 cash outlay shows a positive NPV of $196,894.

Steph 6. Accept or reject the asset. With a positive NPV of nearly $200,000, it would appear to be a no-brainer in purchasing the two robots.
But Gray says the analysis is only as good as the assumptions that go into it. So you should do sensitivity analysis to test those assumptions:
• What if you don’t get as much of a milk production increase as expected?
• How sensitive is the analysis to milk prices and premiums?
• What if you have start-up problems and delays?
• What if feed or other costs jump?
• And will it cash flow if these problems arise?

In the end, all investments have risk, and regardless of the method used to analyze them, assumptions are necessary, says Gray.
“Use a method of analysis that forces you to document your assumptions. Well-documented assumptions can then become your roadmap to making your investment as successful as possible,” he says.
Constant monitoring is needed if you decide to move forward with the investment. “If the investment is not performing as expected, go back to your assumptions and make sure you are meeting your benchmarks,” says Gray.

 

New Tech Sheds Light on the Future of Food​

The challenges of growing enough food to feed the world have grown more severe in the 21st century. We need to feed more people with limited agricultural land and resources. We need to make better use of land, light and logistics for an increasingly urban population. And we need to incorporate zero-waste and low-energy technologies into the task of food production. What can achieve the intensification of food supply we require, but in a way that is also sustainable and less harmful to the environment?
There is an urgent need to develop new methods for sustainable food production. This includes a greater emphasis on urban agriculture such as vertical farming which, properly designed and planned, could provide the sustainable means to improve food supply we need. Ideally, urban agriculture fits neatly alongside or within existing buildings in a self-contained and sustainable manner without competing for resources. Such urban plots can be at ground level or on rooftops. They can use greenhouses in order to take advantage of the sun’s energy, or grow indoors with the help of artificial lights.

Herbal Healer: What is corchorus?

Also known as jute—when its fibers are used for cloth—and Jew’s mallow—when its nutritious leaves are eaten as a vegetable—corchorus has been raised for food and medicine for countless centuries in its native Africa, as well as in India and parts of southern Asia. Cleopatra’s legendary beauty and allure could have come, in part, from using corchorus, as it overflows with nutrients that endow radiant health. This herb enjoys much favor in Japan, where its leaves have carved out a niche of their own on the shelves of health stores.What does it do-being carminative in action, i.e., preventing or expelling gas in the stomach and intestines, the tender young cor chorus leaves make a good addition to salads. The older leaves are treated as potherbs and cooked to be eaten with other vegetables. Like okra, these older leaves become mucilaginous when cooked, giving it an edge over many other vegetables when a sticky sauce or a gummy thickening agent for soups and stews is called for. Nutritionally, the leaves offer an appreciable amount of vitamin C, beta-carotene (pre-vitamin A), calcium and iron. The fiber helps keep the intestines running smoothly. Fiber also helps in the prevention of certain cancers. Eaten in Egypt since the era of the pharaohs, corchorus is the centerpiece of that country’s national dish. The coarser fiber obtained from the stems is used to make sackcloth and paper, while the olitoriside extracted from the plant provides the injections that come to the aid of heart patients.

About the herb

Standing 6 to 12 feet tall, this erect annual herb begins to show off its dainty, five-petaled yellow flowers during August. Copper colored seeds appear during October to produce the next generation of corchorus plants. Adaptable and quick growing, corchorus thrives in warm climates worldwide.

Recommended dosage

Some specialty stores carry frozen or dried corchorus. An infusion or tea is useful as a tonic and to restore strength. Used in cases of chronic cystitis, corchorus is also the herb of choice when dealing with milder ailments that require a mild laxative, a digestive aid or a natural cough suppressant.

How to Eat a Grapefruit

Grapefruits are a delicious fruit in the citrus family. They are sometimes a bit tangy, but a sprinkle of sugar will help make them sweeter. The grapefruit is very healthy eaten as a snack or as part of your breakfast. You can eat it any way you want: peeled or cut in halves, eighths, or quarters. Read below for several different methods of eating a grapefruit, as well as some great, healthy recipe ideas.
Method 1

Eat a Grapefruit in the Rind

1. 
   1
   If you haven't tried grapefruit before, be cautious when eating it. You could be allergic.
2. 
   2
   Pick out a nice grapefruit at the store. Grapefruits should be hard, but not too hard. Grapefruits don't ripen much once they are picked, so choose wisely.
3. 
   3
   Wash the grapefruit.
4. 
   4
   Cut the grapefruit.
5. 
   5
   Sprinkle it with sugar or salt if desired.
6. 
   6
   Insert a spoon (ideally one which is serrated at the tip) in the grapefruit and take out a chunk. Take a bite, avoiding the bitter, hard-to-chew "walls" separating the grapefruit's segments.
7. 
   7
   Repeat until you're all done.
8. 
   8
   Dispose of the peel in an environmentally friendly way such as composting.
9. 
   9
   Use an alternative method. If this method if too messy for you or you dislike the amount of rind you encounter, use the method below or try segmenting the grapefruit.

Method 2

Eat a Grapefruit in Sections

1. 
   1
   Using a small knife, cut the grapefruit in half.
2. 
   2
   Cut each half into wedges. Cut each half in half again and repeat until standard wedges are produced.
3. 
   3
   Cut along the rind to remove just the fruit.
4. 
   4
   Cut the wedge in half and remove the center pips.
5. 
   5
   Enjoy your grapefruit!

Method 3

Eat a Grapefruit in Recipes

1. 
   1
   Eat it on salad. Grapefruit goes great on salad. Cut up pieces using the method above and mix with arugula (or the salad of your choice), feta cheese, walnuts and a small amount of vinaigrette for a healthy and delicious meal.
2. 
   2
   Grill grapefruit. You can easily grill grapefruit to caramelize the natural sugars and bring out the flavor. Either cut it in half and grill it face-side down for 5 minutes or cut it into circular slices and grill 2 minutes (or until it appears done). Top with honey for a healthy grill treat.
3. 
   3
   Turn it into salsa. If you like orange or mango salsa, give grapefruit salsa a try. Dice the fruit and mix with lime, caramelized onions, diced jalapeno, and diced avocado. You can put this on crackers, use it to top salmon, a salad, or anywhere else you'd normally use salsa.
4. 
   4
   Juice it. You can juice the grapefruit and use it in a variety of ways. Replace the lime to produce grapefruit margaritas. Drink it straight or with a little water for a tart summer treat. Pour it over chicken and pan-sear for a twist on lemon-chicken. 
    
   Source:  http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-a-Grapefruit

Effects of Fish Meal Substitution with Poultry By-product Meal on Juvenile Nile Tilapia

The global production of tilapia drastically increased from 124 thousand metric tons (Mt) in 1997 to 2.5 million Mt in 2010. This trend suggests that there will be even greater increases in the future. Among the cichlid species, it is the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) that has dominated in different culture system. The tilapia market has expanded from a subsistence level to meet the protein needs of the middle class because of the year-round supply, delicious flavour and reasonable price of that fish . Golbal tilapia production was recorded 3.500.000 metric tons in 2011, 3.8000.000 metric ton in 2012,4.850.000 metric ton in 2014 and by 2015, world production tilapia is forecast to reach 4.6-5.0 million metric ton .
Traditionally, fish meal has provided a major part of protein sources in formulated feeds because of its suitable protein quality. Science the recent scarcity and uncertain consistency of supply encourage its replacement by alternative protein sources that are of high quality, but less expensive has been investigated in many fish species. The limitations on the world's food supply provide additional motivation [5,6]. Therefore, numerous studies have undertaken to examine the effects of replacing fish meal by another source of protein such as animal by-product or plant-based protein in diets that can be fed to tilapia .
Animal by-products such as meat meal, bone meal and poultry by-product meal have considerable potential as feed ingredients in fish production system and comparatively less expensive than fish meal . These animal protein ingredients are good sources of amino acids with high protein content, total digestible dry matter and energy similar to fish meal . Therefore, poultry by-product meal is considered a probable replacement for fish meal . Many studies have also shown that animal protein ingredients can be useful for fish feed formulation and they are comparatively much less expensive than fish meal .
Some studies have shown that poultry by-product meal cannot replace more than 50% of fish meal in fish diets , but other studies have shown that with the recent improvement of the quality of poultry by-product meal it could replace 75% or 100% of fish meal without significant decrease in fish growth .
The present study aims to evaluate the effects of use poultry byproduct meal as a alternative protein source to replace fish meal on growth performance, nutrient utilization, digestibility coefficient and some blood constituents of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared in cement tanks.
Materials and Methods
Fish culture and experimental diets
The present study was conducted using the research facilities of the experimental station at Shakshouk, Fayoum Governorate, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF). The system contained two water pumps and upstream sandy filter units at a point between the water source and tanks. Each pump was drowning the water from the lake Qaroun to collection cement pond and forced it through storage units and then to the rearing tanks in open system. Physicochemical characteristics of water tanks were examined every week, (Table 1) according to APHA .
The fry of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) used in the present study were obtained after brood stock hatching in the station. The fry were acclimatized for two weeks in rearing tanks and fed on prepared powder diet contain 30% crude protein, formulated from the same ingredients use in the growth trial. Juvenile tilapia with an initial average weight of 1.5 ± 0.05 g were randomly distributed and stocked at 100 juvenile per tank in 12 cement tanks, each with a water volume of (2 m3) and the treatments were performed in triplicates. The diets were given at 3% of live body weight (BW) and offered in two equal portions at 10.00 a.m and 16.00 p.m. The experiment lasted 120 days after start.
Four isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain an average of 30.11 ± 0.07% crude protein for meeting the recommended nutritional requirements of tilapia . The ingredients were obtained from Zoocontrol fish Co at 6 October city, Egypt. Ingredients, diets formulation and chemical composition analysis are presented in Tables 2 and 3. The first diet was formulated without poultry by-product meal and considered as a control diet (PM0), Diets 2 (PM50), 3 (PM75) and 4 (PM100) were formulated to be comprised with partial and total inclusion levels of 50, 75 and 100% poultry by-product meal, respectively. All diets were processed into dry sinking pellet form, using California pelleting machine with 1 mm diameter.

source: http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/2185/effects-of-fish-meal-substitution-with-poultry-byproduct-meal-on-juvenile-nile-tilapia/

Joint action from ASEAN, other rice-growing countries, key to managing looming food crisis

The world may be confronted with a global food crisis similar to the 2007-08 crisis as a result of the current El Niño episode. It is imperative that tight cooperation be secured among the biggest rice-producing and -consuming nations to stem or manage the crisis should such emerge.
This warning was released by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in a press conference held yesterday at the institute’s headquarters south of Manila.
Drought from the current El Niño episode has resulted in lower harvests and irregular planting across several rice-producing countries. Combined with lower stocks in some key countries, emerging patterns in regional and global grain supply threaten the repeat of the painful rice price crisis in 2007

Regional cooperation is crucial
The 2007-08 price crisis led the ASEAN to put together the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and an accompanying strategic action plan. Beyond this framework and plan, however, much more needs to be done.
“Regional cooperation is essential to manage a food crisis,” said Matthew Morell, IRRI director general, in a communication he sent to the secretaries general of the ASEAN member countries last week, calling for joint action to forestall the impending crisis.
For maximum impact, cooperation would have to involve not only ASEAN member countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) but also China, Japan, and South Korea (ASEAN+3) and India—among which are the world’s biggest producers and consumers of rice. Collectively, 90% of the world’s rice is produced in Asia.
IRRI is the resource for the region
IRRI sparked the Green Revolution in Asia, which saved the region from famine in the 1960s to the 70s, through its sturdy high-yielding rice varieties. More recently, climate-smart (i.e., tolerant of submergence, drought, salinity, and other environmental stresses) rice varieties have made unproductive areas in India and Bangladesh, as well as parts of Southeast Asia, bloom and are now being touted to have ushered in a second Green Revolution. (See A bigger rice bowl.) 
Working with hundreds of partners across the world, IRRI has developed and offers its improved and resilient rice varieties, crop management technologies, and expertise to rice-growing countries. Upon request of the governments of some of these countries, IRRI had helped develop national rice sector strategies, providing policy advice and technical assistance.
“The way to handle another crisis is for the ASEAN+3 and India to come together as a region with shared concerns and interests, and take advantage of IRRI as a regional and neutral resource,” said Bruce Tolentino, deputy director general for communication and partnerships at IRRI.
IRRI’s call for action also includes an appeal for serious investment in rice research, which has borne the brunt of decreasing support in agriculture globally. Rice research has historically been supported mainly by Western donor countries, and to a much lesser degree by rice-growing countries. IRRI seeks to push this dynamic to a more appropriate balance, that is, for the biggest rice stakeholders to invest the most in the research.
The Philippines, eighth largest producer of rice in the world in 2015 and one of the most at-risk countries from climate change, has risen to the challenge and is now IRRI’s fourth biggest donor. Other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Indonesia, are also now ramping up investment in rice research, and moving toward helping finance the science that benefits their own countries.
_________________________

Photo of the week

Transplanting rice in Cambodia, October 2015, by Gene Hellert.


source: foodTank.com

     

Diversification: Traders, Farmers Lament Poor Funding Of Agriculture

BY DONATUS NADI

Following the growing need for the diversification of the nation’s economy owing to the crash in global oil price, Nigerian traders and small scale producers have joined forces to solicit governments at all level to improve funding of agriculture.
Making the appeal in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Friday, at a one-day capacity building workshop, the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) and Association of Small Scale Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) said the budgetary provisions made for agriculture is grossly inadequate to yield the desired result of diversifying the economic base of the nation away from overreliance of oil.
Mr. Ken Ukaoha, who lamented that budgets lack connection with small scale farmers, noted decried that government must improve on its capacity for the implementation of budgetary provisions.
He call for more openness and inclusiveness in the formulation and implementation of agricultural policies, noting that budget is not an exclusive right of government.
Mr. Ukaoha who lauded Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura’s 2016 budgetary allocation to the agric sector based on actual needs, called on government to honor its commitment to the Maputo Declaration which prescribes 10 per cent of budgetary allocation to agriculture.
In order to address the seeming structural segregation of women who form the bulk of rural farming population, he advocated for a special bias for women, youths and other vulnerable groups in agricultural allocation.
In his submission, the national coordinator of ASSAPIN, Adu Charles, called on government to come forth with an articulate blueprint for harnessing the potentials of the agricultural sector rather than haphazard approach devoid of specifics on what the country intends to achieve.
Mr. Charles called on government to seize the opportunity created by the plummet in global price of oil to develop the agric sector which alone guarantees collective prosperity and wealth creation for Nigerians given the saturation in search of elusive white-collar jobs.

source: http://leadership.ng/news/518896/diversification-traders-farmers-lament-poor-funding-agriculture

Kebbi Govt. Commences Aerial Spray Against Quelea Birds

‎ By NAN

The Kebbi Government has commenced aerial spray of farm lands against quelea birds in Bagudo Local Government Area of the state.
The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Samaila Yombe, who led officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture to Bagudo on Monday, said the government would spend N58 million to conduct the exercise.
Yombe said the first phase of the exercise would cover Argungu, Bagudo, Zuru, Koko/Besse, Shanga and Dandi Local Government Areas.
He added that the aerial spray would subsequently be undertaken in the remaining 15 local government areas of the state, especially where large scale dry season farming would take place.
He explained that the aim was to prevent the quelea birds and other insects from destroying crops, and to improve yields.
The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Lawal Shehu, called on youths to embrace dry season farming to become self-employed and prosperous.
He commended the Federal Government’s new focus on agriculture, saying that it would enhance food security and the livelihood of rural dwellers.(NAN)

source: http://leadership.ng/news/519247/kebbi-govt-commences-aerial-spray-quelea-birds

Nigeria Approaches Netherlands For Bumper Food Production

The Head of the Netherlands Representation in Lagos, Mr Michel Deelen, on Monday said that the Nigerian Government
had approached his home government for assistance in boosting its food production.
Deelen, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the Minister of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had recently invited the Netherlands representative in Nigeria for a discussion on the issue.
The Envoy, who lauded the minister’s initiative, expressed his government’s readiness to share its knowledge in agricultural development and expertise with Nigerian farmers in the years ahead.
“The Netherlands, as the world knows, is the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products.
“And we have always focused on agricultural development with Nigeria, because we have the expertise in agricultural development.
“We recently met with the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who had asked us to assist Nigeria in field dairy
production, seed production and other logistics,’’ he said.
Deelen said that his government was looking at the possibility of assisting Nigerian farmers in upgrading their milk production systems.
The Dutch official said that some experts from the Netherlands had been invited to come and look at the prospects of assisting Nigerian
farmers in milk and fish production.
Deelen said that a Dutch company had recently opened a fish production factory in Ibadan, adding that more of such companies had
also indicated interest in coming to Nigeria.
“We are really ready to assist the smaller Nigerian dairy farmers, as well as the bigger farmers in the production of healthy and quality
dairy products for Nigerians.
“We also looking at the possibility of cross-breeding Nigerian cows with Dutch cows, to boost their milk production capacities,’’ he
added. (NAN)

source: http://leadership.ng/news/519284/nigeria-approaches-netherlands-bumper-food-production

Group Canvasses Return To Agriculture For Industrialisation Of Funtua Community

 

 

A non-governmental organisation, Funtua Consultative Forum (FCF) in Katsina State, has called for a return to agriculture in order to revive the comatose industries in Funtua town and its environs even as it also noted that government’s initiatives on poverty alleviation, agriculture and revitalisation of industries must target deserving beneficiaries and should not be for political patronage.
The calls were contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the group’s Board of Trustees (BoT) chairperson, Dr. Barakat Abubakar; chairman, Shamsuddeen Sani Babajo; and Secretary-General, Jamilu Ahmed Amah, after a two-day summit tagged Funtua Business Summit with a theme “Reviving agriculture And industries As Panacea For Job Creation” organised by FCF in collaboration with other stakeholders.
The event, which held between Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, 2016, was attended by Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari represented by the deputy governor Mannir Yakubu, and the State Commissioner of Commerce, Industries and Tourism, among about 200 participants in attendance from the academia, media, NGOs, entrepreneurs, traders’ associations, Banks, and other relevant stakeholders such as business tycoons, traditional rulers and policymakers.
According to the organizers, the objective of the Summit was to brainstorm on how best to revive industries in the town and revert back to agriculture for sustainable development of Funtua and environs, adding that the town’s potentials, if properly harnessed, were enough to sustain the whole of Katsina state.
“It was recommended that government’s initiatives on poverty reduction, agriculture and industries must geared towards real entrepreneurs. Therefore, politicians should not be allowed to hijack implementation.
“State and Local Governments must provide an enabling environment for the sustenance and development of agriculture and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“It is recommended that a Community Radio station be established to mobilize people on issues of agriculture, industries and other developmental programmes.
“In conclusion, the Summit unanimously agreed that if the issues raised are strictly followed and adopted, Funtua community will in near future be industrialised,” the communiqué said among other recommendations.

source: http://leadership.ng/news/519010/group-canvasses-return-agriculture-industrialisation-funtua-community

Man Ki Baat: Use technology, water conservation: PM to farmers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for use of technology and water conservation to increase agricultural productivity as he listed out various pro-farmer initiatives of his government.
"The government is planning to make five lakh new ponds through MGNREGA. These will be our assets to conserve rain water which will help the farmers to irrigate their land in view of deficit monsoon," Modi said in the 18th edition of his monthly radio address 'Man Ki Baat'.
Asking people to find news ways to conserve water, the prime minister said the ponds should be kept clean so that "more and more water can be conserved".
He also requested farmers to download and use Kisan Suvidha App, which will provide all the information regarding agriculture and new technologies to improve the farm productivity.
"You will be amazed to know that we are presenting a Kisan Facility App for our farmers as part of Digital India campaign. If you download it in your mobile, information related to weather forecast, latest aggro-medicines and other developments in the fields will be on your finger tips. You will have better knowledge of crop prices and position of farm-markets," Modi said, insisting the mobile application will connect the farmers directly with the agricultural scientists.
"It is a myth that such a facility can only be used by urban people and youth," he said, asking farmers to file a complaint to him if they find any difficulty in the mobile application.
He also urged farmers to use lesser fertilisers as "their overdose is ruining the soil of its fertility and bringing hazards to the countrymen".
Referring to the World Health Day (April 7), Modi called for eradicating diabetes from the country and asked people to do Yoga and physical exercise to fight the disease.
"Please defeat diabetes this time. India was home to around 6.5 Crore diabetics in 2014. The disease brings many other problems with it and it was responsible for more than three percent deaths in our country," Modi said.
Mentioning the government's steps to deal with rising cases of tuberculosis, he said people should not delay going for check-ups if they find out any symptom of the disease.
"There are more than 13,000 microscopy centers and four lakh DOTS providers in the country who grant medicines free of cost," Modi said.
Admitting that India is lagging behind in tourism sector compared to the world, Modi asked countryman to give thrust to tourism. He insisted on the need to attract more tourists to India by making the country's tourists destinations more attractive.
He said tourism has great potential for generating employment for millions of the youth of the country. Calling for collective efforts in this direction, Modi said the governments, NGOs and society can play a pivotal role to further develop tourism sector.
The prime minister also lauded the efforts of Western Coalfields Limited Nagpur for developing eco-friendly mine tourism circuit.

source: http://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/agriculture/use-technology-water-conservation-pm-to-farmers/story/230569.html

TOMATOES IN OUR DIET

Reasons Why You Should Be Eating More Tomatoes

 1. Tomatoes are good for your skin.

Tomatoes contain a high level of lycopene, which is a substance that is used in some of the more pricy facial cleansers that are available for purchase over-the-counter.
If you want to try tomatoes for skin care, you need to start with about eight to twelve tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes and then place the skin on your face with inside of the tomato touching your skin.
Leave the tomatoes on your face for a minimum of ten minutes, then wash. Your face will feel clean and shiny. Some redness may occur, but should fade with time.

2. Tomatoes help prevent several types of cancer.

A number of studies have been conducted that indicate that the high levels of lycopene in tomatoes works to reduce your chances of developing prostate, colorectal and stomach cancer.
Lycopene is a natural antioxidant that works effectively to slow the growth of cancerous cells. Cooked tomatoes produce even more lycopene, so go ahead and cook up a batch of your mom’s famous tomato soup.

3. Tomatoes help maintain strong bones.

Tomatoes contain a considerable amount of calcium and Vitamin K. Both of these nutrients are essential in strengthening and performing minor repairs on the bones as well as the bone tissue.

4. Tomatoes help repair damage caused by smoking.

No, eating tomatoes is not the most recent fad to help you quit smoking. However, tomatoes can reduce the amount of damaged done to your body by smoking cigarettes.
Tomatoes contain coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid that work to protect the body from carcinogens that are produced from cigarette smoke.

5. Tomatoes provide essential antioxidants.

Tomatoes contain a great deal of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. This is primarily because these vitamins and beta-carotene work as antioxidants to neutralize harmful free radicals in the blood.
Free radicals in the blood stream are dangerous because it may lead to cell damage. Remember, the redder the tomato you eat is, the more beta-carotene it contains. In addition, you also want to keep in mind that cooking destroys the Vitamin C, so for these benefits, the tomatoes need to be eaten raw.

6. Tomatoes are good for your heart.

Because of the Vitamin B and potassium in tomatoes, they are effective in reducing cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure. Therefore, by including tomatoes in your regular balanced diet you can effectively prevent heart attacks, strokes as well as many other heart related problems that may threaten your life.

7. Tomatoes are good for your hair.

The Vitamin A in tomatoes works perfectly to keep your hair shiny and strong. In addition, it also does wonders for your eyes, skin, bones and teeth.

8. Tomatoes are good for your kidneys.

Adding tomatoes without seeds to your diet has been proven in some studies to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

9. Tomatoes are good for your eyes.

The Vitamin A found in tomatoes is fantastic for improving your vision. In addition, eating tomatoes is one of the best foods to eat to prevent the development of night blindness.