It is said that 'knowledge is the bedrock of existence'. As such, this blog serves to freely inform the general public about the importance of agriculture. The blog also serves to educate people on the different products that could be used on plants and animals to boost their growth and minimise loss and mortality.
Anna McConnell meets groundbreaking female farmers in four different states: April Hemmes, a self-proclaimed big-time operator (BTO) of corn and soybeans in Hampton, Iowa; Cameo Van Horn who farms 863 acres of corn and soybeans near Danube, Minnesota; Debbie Lyons-Blythe who heads up a 500-head Angus cattle ranch in White City, Kansas; and Paula Karlock, a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer in Momence, Illinois.
“Water.” That was the first word that probably came to mind for many attending The Colusa Farm Show this week. While rainfall has been scarce across California in recent years, there’s been no shortage of it this winter.
Drought-busting heavy rains this week in fact made it hard to find parking in the swamped lots surrounding the Colusa fairgrounds. Parts of the show ground were a muddy mess. Some roads to town were closed due to flooding. The spillway for a nearby dam that holds precious water for the state and protects the Sacramento Valley from flooding had been damaged overnight.
“Water.” That was the quick reply from John Kimura, a Yuba City farmer, when asked about the top issue on his mind these days. He thought a minute, and added, “Water and regulations.” His brother, Gary, in fact, had just had a chat with the California Highway Patrol at their show booth about the state’s new regulations, including those for tie-downs on trucks and trailers.
Kimura Brothers
“Water is the big issue,” echoed Lisa Humphreys, manager of the Glenn County Farm Bureau.
She explained the state’s new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, another challenge for farmers.
Water is a big word in California these days for many reasons.
While there is plenty of water in northern California now, thirsty southern California is demanding more of the north state flows that are used for irrigating crops around Colusa — rice and orchards, mainly. Last year, due to the lingering drought, some farmers were unable to receive their usual surface water supplies. On top of everything else, the recent, heavy rains threaten to damage orchards as the trees come out of dormancy.
“GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL”
But water worries aside, farmers attending the Colusa show came mostly to look at equipment and socialize. Mud puddles and occasional heavy rain were no deterrent.
The Colusa Show, the largest ag show in northern California, and in its 52nd year, is called the “granddaddy of them all” on the West Coast. It’s a must-see for northern California farmers but draws attendees from out of state as well. Bill Coleman and Rick Rice, for example, had journeyed more than 400 miles from Oregon to eye the new machinery. Coleman, a filbert grower, was taking a close look at nut-harvesting equipment that allows a two-person operation.
The Colusa event is a showcase of an area that is a leader in the state’s rice, nut, and fruit production. Sunsweet Growers in nearby Yuba City is the world’s largest handler of dried fruits, including prunes, apricots, mangos, and more.
“There are a lot of positive things happening here,” said Farm Bureau’s Humphreys. Specific industries are doing well. Almond and walnut prices are strong, if not record high. And, hey, after the drought, it’s good to see it raining.”
AMONG THE TOPICS SURFACING AT THE SHOW THIS WEEK:
Solar has a sunny outlook.
“A few years ago, farmers didn’t want to be the first guy in line to buy solar equipment,” said Dean Swanson, a representative of Sunworks. The solar company has seen business nearly triple over the last three years. Solar adoption is helped by the fact that a 30% tax credit has been extended to 2019, Swanson said. For farmers and other businesses, the payback is three-and-a-half to four years. Solar panel prices, moreover, are at “rock bottom” right now. There are 1,200 solar panel manufacturers around the world, he said. “It’s a good time to buy. Anything with a meter on it can use solar.”
Help wanted!
Nationwide, there are two jobs available in agriculture for every new job seeker. In California, there are four jobs open, said Miranda Driver, CalAgJobs, an organization that works to connect farm businesses with employees. CalAgJobs deals mainly with plant science positions. But the need for skilled workers exists at all levels, she said. “Everyone who talks with us says they can’t find workers to pick peaches or work in the fields and orchards. Finding reliable labor has become very difficult,” Driver said. Thus, immigration policy is a “pretty intense subject” in rural California, she said. Farm Bureau is pushing the new administration not only to focus on border enforcement but also to help develop a legal agricultural workforce in the state.
Drones on the rise.
One of the more popular presentations at the show Tuesday was expected to be on the use of drones in California agriculture. Scott Gregory, a remote sensing expert at Ag One Solutions, discussed using drones for mapping and remote sensing. Interest is high, but many farmers still are waiting to see the practical applications pan out, said Jim Bianchin, Vertical Sciences, Inc., a company providing data collection via drones. Farmers are starting to use drones to identify problem areas in their fields, Bianchin said. They can also use the technology to create drainage plans or identify irrigation issues, he said.
John Ray, Thomas Manufacturing
Organic ag adoption.
More and more farmers are lining up to buy organic fertilizer these days, said Jeff Delaguerra, a representation of True Organic Products. The fertilizers, both powder and liquid, are made from meat and bone meals, as well as fish wastes. Some 13% of growers in the Central Valley now are organic, more than double the number of a few years ago, he said. “In the Central Valley, if you’re not organic, you’re sustainable,” he said. “Farmers are increasingly becoming environmentally conscious.”
Going nuts at harvest.
“This area is a great environment for the nut industry,” said John Ray of Thomas Manufacturing, which makes equipment for the nut and orchard industries. “The growers have really been successful in continuing to improve their yields.” The result: “We have to sell a lot more nuts,” says Jennifer Olmstead, marketing director of the California Walnut Board. For a look at what a walnut harvest looks like, visit: http://youtu.be/jEBQtIxi-Ik
Reports of Caterpillar invasion on African soil continue to dominate the media these past weeks, while scientists are still unraveling the discovery of the new caterpillar species, the Fall Army worm, the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development has confirmed the invasion of the African Army worm in 22 states of the country.
The African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta) also called nutgrass armywormi s an African moth, capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks.
The Assistant Director and Desk Officer, Maize Value Chain, Dr Adeleke Muftau, who informed newsmen about the outbreak, stated that this pest usually found in maize posed a threat to national food security and availability of maize in the country, adding that the affected states were spread across the six geo-political zones of the country.
He said the government would embark on training for selected farmers to control the menace.
“The ministry is planning to train farmers on how to control the menace. We have visited farms and we have seen the devastation that has occurred in those farms and for us to reduce or alleviate farmers suffering and losses, we need to train them” he expressed.
Speaking on reports from farmers on the resistance of the armyworms to available pesticides, Muftau said the problem was the method of application.
According to him, “the usual method of spraying chemicals is not effective because it was discovered that the armyworms usually bury themselves in the maize. The normal way of spraying does not touch the worms and that is why farmers are complaining that the chemicals are not effective. It is the method of application that is wrong.”
Muftau however assured farmers that the ministry was working with the International Institute for Agricultural Research to develop a resistant variety to the pests to ensure that the disease was adequately controlled this year.
Ogun State Governor, Ibikule Amosun has pledged to end the challenges of herdsmen and smugglers faced by farmers and agropreneurs in the state.
The governor who made this statement after the agriculture session of the Ogun state youth convention with the theme Ogun Youths: Exploring New Frontiers lamented the loss of potential investors due to the problems of herdsmen and smugglers in the state.
Reacting to the statement of one of the speakers on agriculture, Mosunmola Umoru, also an investor who had left because of the challenges, he avowed that he was aware of the problem and would do all that necessary to protect investors in the state.
Earlier, Umoru had advised the youths to be take advantage of their vigor and maximize opportunities in the agricultural sector. She informed them that there was abundance of resources but they were underutilized.
Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Fidel Farms, Bamidele Okunaiya noted that there was an urgent need for Nigerian youths to take advantage of the resources around them towards securing a future and promoting national development.
Meanwhile, the governor in a communique issued at the end of the two-day convention also enjoined the youths to embrace agriculture, adding that the state government will make land available to interested youth – farmers.
The Dangote Tomato Processing Factory, Kadawa, Kano State, has begun survey of tomato farms in six major tomato producing states to ascertain the level of availability of the commodity.
The company’s Managing Director, Alhaji Abdulkarim Kaita, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on friday in Kano.
Kaita said the survey would be conducted in major tomato growing areas within the states which are: Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Plateau and Sokoto.
He said that the survey would enable the company to assess the availability of the commodity before resuming production in the next few weeks.
“We want to make sure that the commodity is readily available in these states before we resume production.
“We will require 40 trailers of tomato daily, hence our decision to embark on the survey of major tomato growing areas to know whether the farmers have started harvesting,” Abdulkarim said.
He disclosed that the company had engaged over 50 casual staff who would convey the fresh tomato inside the factory for processing.
He said no fewer than 30 students on Industrial Training (IT) had also been engaged by the company to assess the quality of the raw materials before processing.
NAN recalls that the company stopped production about nine months ago due to inadequate raw materials, following the outbreak of a pest which destroyed tomato farms in about five states, including Kano. (NAN).
Reports of Caterpillar invasion on African soil continue to dominate the media these past weeks, while scientists are still unraveling the discovery of the new caterpillar species, the Fall Army worm, the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development has confirmed the invasion of the African Army worm in 22 states of the country.
Ogun State Governor, Ibikule Amosun has pledged to end the challenges of herdsmen and smugglers faced by farmers and agropreneurs in the state.
The Dangote Tomato Processing Factory, Kadawa, Kano State, has begun survey of tomato farms in six major tomato producing states to ascertain the level of availability of the commodity.