Cassava production in Nigeria

Cassava processing in Obudu, southern Nigeria

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) production is vital to the economy of Nigeria as the country is the world's largest producer of the commodity. The crop is produced in 24 of the country's 36 states. In 1999, Nigeria produced 33 million tonnes, while a decade later, it produced approximately 45 million tonnes, which is almost 19% of production in the world. The average yield per hectare is 10.6 tonnes.
In Nigeria, cassava production is well-developed as an organized agricultural crop. It has well-established multiplication and processing techniques for food products and cattle feed. There are more than 40 cassava varieties in use. Cassava is processed in many processing centres and fabricating enterprises set up in the country.

Production

Casava (Manihot esculenta) roots

Peeled casava

In Nigeria, cassava production is well-developed as an organized agricultural crop. It has well-established multiplication and processing techniques for food products and cattle feed. There are more than 40 cassava varieties in use. Though the crop is produced in 24 of the country's 36 states, cassava production dominates the southern part of the country, both in terms of area covered and number of farmers growing the crop. Planting occurs during four planting seasons in the various geo-ecological zones. The major states of Nigeria which produce cassava are Anambra, Delta, Edo, Benue, Cross River, Imo, Oyo, and Rivers, and to a lesser extent Kwara and Ondo.^[3]
In 1999, Nigeria produced 33 million tonnes, while a decade later, it produced approximately 45 million tonnes, which is almost 19% of production in the world. As of 2000, the average yield per hectare was 10.6 tonnes.
Cassava is grown throughout the year, making it preferable to the seasonal crops of yam, beans or peas. It displays an exceptional ability to adapt to climate change, with a tolerance to low soil fertility, resistance to drought conditions, pests and diseases, and suitability to store its roots for long periods underground even after they mature. Use of fertilizers is limited, and it is also grown on fallow lands.Harvesting of the roots after planting varies from 6 months to 3 years.
The land holding for farming in Nigeria is between 0.5–2.5 hectares (1.2–6.2 acres), with about 90% of producers being small-scale farms. In order to increase production, several varieties of cassava have been developed which are pest resistant; production in the country is hampered with problems with green mite, the cassava mealybug, and the variegated grasshopper. Diseases affecting cassava crop are mosaic disease, bacterial blight, anthracnose, and root rot.

Uses

Cassava, which is rich in starch in the form of carbohydrate, has multiple uses. It is consumed in many processed forms, in the industry and also as livestock feed. Roots or leaves are made into flours. Flours are of three types, yellow garri, white garri, or intermediate colour, with yellow garri considered the best product in Nigeria. Its other products are as dry extraction of starch, glue or adhesives, modified starch in pharmaceutical as dextrines, as processing inputs, as industrial starch for drilling, and processed foods

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/