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.
The Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in Kano State has secured a N50 million loan from the State Government, its Chairman, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u, said on Wednesday.
Rabi’u said that the loan would be used to assist the farmers warehouse their produce after harvest.
The chairman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Kano that the assiciation had introduced the ` Warehousing Finance Receipt Programme’, to ensure safety of produce at the end of the season.
Rabi’u said farmers who need money during the period would be given interest-free loan from the N50 million.
“The idea is to discourage farmers from selling their produce at a give away prices after harvest.
“When there is bumper harvest, middlemen buy and hoard the product and later sell it at exorbitant prices which is to the detriment of farmers.”
He believed that the introduction of the warehousing receipt programme, farmers would keep their products safely until when the commodity appreciated.
According to him, if any member requires money during the period his product is warehoused, the association would offer them the interest-free loan, to repay after selling the produce.
Rabi’u said under the programme, farmers would get 30 per cent value of their products as loan and would be made to pay a token for warehousing their commodity.
The chairman disclosed that the association had set up a committee to recover the loan disbursed to its members under the CBN anchor borrower programme.
“Harvesting has commenced and we have set up a committee for loan recovery which will soon commence its assignment.”
He called on farmers to ensure prompt payment of the loan, to avoid any embarrassment. (NAN)
In its third Commercial Drone Industry Trends Report, DroneDeploy takes a look at the growth in commercial drone adoption in the past year. The report also explores trends in drone hardware, the economic impact of drone mapping, and usage of drone data.
According to the report, DroneDeploy users say drone mapping has become an integral part of their workflow with 60% creating drone maps at least once a week. The report also noted that the multirotor drone is the platform of choice; 97% of drone mapping is performed with this drone rather than a fixed-wing device. In fact, fixed-wing drone use, the report says, continues to decline and hovers at around 3%.
In addition, 84% of drone mapping is done with drones that cost $1,500 or less.
“More businesses are adopting drones to capture data across industries such as agriculture, construction, surveying, mining, and more,” says DroneDeploy CEO Mike Winn. “It’s clear that as our users experience greater productivity and ROI, they – in turn – are increasing the frequency of drone mapping and further integrating drone data into day-to-day business operations.”
Many drone hardware companies have come and gone in the last year, and new ones like Autel and Yuneec are working hard to make a name for themselves in the space. However, DJI and senseFly are still the leaders in the industry and make up a significant percentage of the DroneDeploy user base.
The top drones include:
DJI
senseFly
3DR
Parrot
Autel
The report also notes that 20% of DroneDeploy users are flying multiple drones. That number is expected to increase going forward.
The DroneDeploy App Market, which was launched in November 2016, is a one-stop shop for cloud-based drone data analysis. With more than 30 apps available, DroneDeploy users can access tools such as Autodesk and MyJohnDeere.
Apps at the top of the list for agriculture include:
AgriSens
PDF Annotation
KML & SHP Import
Tensor Flight
Skymatics
While DroneDeploy says it’s difficult to determine the exact economic impact drones are having on local and national economies, it estimates DroneDeploy users have generated more than $150,000,000 in economic value with the over 10 million acres mapped.
Premier Seeds Nigeria Limited, a producer of a wide range of improved certified agricultural seeds, said it has developed maize and sorghum varieties that are drought resistant.
Mr. Afolabi Samson, the company’s Research and Development Manager, who spoke exclusively with our reporter, said the special varieties can do well in those areas with low rain fall.
“For the North Eastern part of the country where drought is a problem, we have maize and sorghum varieties that are drought tolerant and resistant that can do well in those areas,” he said.
“For the tropical rain forest down south, where there is long term rainfall, we also have varieties that are adapted to rain forest that can do well in those areas too,’’ he said.
Mr. Afolabi said they have a department in charge of research and development that develops all the varieties they have. He noted that they have a quality control team and quality control laboratory which tests the varieties before they are sent out.
In terms of certification, Mr. Afolabi explained that seeds production in Nigeria is being monitored by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).
“They monitor all our seed production and we cannot sell any seed unless they certify that these seeds have met the standard that is required for seed production that is why we refer to seeds that we sell to farmers certified seeds”.
Mr. Afolabi added that they sell seeds through Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs), through NGOs like FAO, AGRA and also through the Government Enhancement Scheme (GES) of the Federal Government.
Another platform for selling seeds according to Mr. Afolabi is through village stock or shop.
He noted their seeds are specifically bred in consideration of the ecology of the area that the seeds are going to be grown, adding that they also look at abiotic stresses.
“We have varieties that are striga resistant, and those that are downy mildew resistant,” Mr. Afolabi affirmed.
Climate projections for West Africa has indicated that crop yields and grass for livestock grazing are likely to decline in the future.
But a new study in the journal Global Environmental Change shows that when ineffective institutions and political instability limit investment in agriculture climate change would have greater impacts on regional food security.
West Africa is a major producer of crops such as cassava, millet, and sorghum but in the future, regional production may not be able to meet the growing demand for food and livestock feed.
“How and to what extent the region’s agricultural sector develops in the future will have profound implications for the livelihoods of millions of people,” says IIASA researcher Amanda Palazzo, who led the study.
“How and to what extent the region’s agricultural sector develops in the future will have profound implications for the livelihoods of millions of people,” says IIASA researcher Amanda Palazzo, who led the study.
“In some ways, West Africa is at the mercy of changes in the rest of the world–there is not much that people can do to stop global change on a local level. Our study shows that indeed, socioeconomic development and climate change in the rest of the world will affect West Africa.”
But that doesn’t mean that policymakers are powerless to avoid the impacts,” says Ms Palazzo.
“We found that food security in the region could improve even under the threat of climate change if the region takes a coordinated and long-term approach to investment and development.”
In particular, the study finds that investments in agriculture, specifically to improve crop yields, could lead to greater food production but also to an expansion of agricultural area into forest and other natural lands within West Africa.
However, regional productivity gains in the agriculture sector could help to reduce the global burden on land for agricultural production, in some cases, sparing three times as much land outside the region for each hectare of land converted to agriculture within the region.
The study also shows that which people in the region make the decisions in managing resources, directing investments, and prioritizing market access, will be a key driver for the economic growth, and, therefore the food security, of the region.
In a process led by the CGIAR program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Palazzo and colleagues from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) worked closely with local experts to develop plausible futures for the region.
Then they linked the scenarios with the new global socioeconomic projections developed for climate change research–the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) –and adapted them to provide specific information for West Africa.
In order to create scenarios that would be useful for regional planning, the researchers conducted extensive meetings with policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders to gain an understanding of the many factors driving agricultural production in the region.
The study resulted in a package of scenarios specifically designed for West Africa, up to the year 2050, where climate change is considered an unavoidable outside force that looms in each scenario.
The scenarios provide descriptions of potential future developments, including narratives as well as quantitative projections for factors such as population, economic growth, deforestation, land use, food production, and trade.
The scenarios have already proved useful to policymakers because they offer multiple, challenging future worlds in which they can test draft plans and policies.
“This is quite unique. Often, the process ends after stakeholders and modelers finish envisioning scenarios through words and numbers. However, we design processes that allow policymakers to identify actions that are necessary to avoid potential problems or actions to take that have a good chance of yielding desirable results in all potential futures,” says Joost Vervoort, the scenarios officer for CCAFS and a senior researcher at the ECI, a study coauthor.
In 2015, policymakers used the scenarios to test and examine Burkina Faso’s National Plan for the Rural Sector (PNSR), which led to 22 policy recommendations.
In 2016, versions of the scenarios were used to examine Ghana’s National Livestock Policy. These processes relied on model-based quantitative scenarios, to give policymakers insights into the development of the agriculture sector and measure the trade-offs between regional development, food security, and the environment.
Institute for Agricultural Research at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria has released three new varieties of maize, one of enriched with Vitamin A.
The new varieties have potential for high yield and they were tagged SAMMAZ 49, SAMMAZ 50 and SAMMAZ 51.
“SAMMAZ 49 and 50 are hybrids with orange colours respectively,” said Ibrahim Abubakar, executive director of the institute, at its review and planning meeting.
“SAMMAZ 49 is pro-vitamin ‘A’ hybrid and yields up to 7.8 tonnes per hectare.
“SAMMAZ 50 is drought and striga tolerant with yields of 9.3 tonnes per hectare, while the third variety SAMMAZ 51 is open pollinated.
Yam is one of the nation’s most valuable tuber crops. The demand for yam is generally very high in Nigeria.
In some societies in Nigeria, festivals are staged to mark the beginning of yam harvest while some use yam in fertility and marriage ceremonies.
The Minister for State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said at the launch of the maiden set of improved certified seed yams (a 5-year $12 million research programme funded by the Bill and Mellinda Gate Foundation to improve yam seed) last year in Abuja, that yam is cultivated on 3 million hectares of land annually with the certified seed yam capable of generating N2.4billion if sold for N20 each.
He added that “about 48 million tonnes of the tubers are produced annually in the sub-region on 4 million hectares of land. Nigeria alone produces 36 million tonnes on 3 million hectares of land annually accounting for 68% of global production being the world’s largest producer.”
Dr. Nwaogu Edward Ngozi, Head of Station, National Root Crops Research Institute, Nyanya Sub-Station in Abuja, advised farmers to take note of important factors before planting yam.
Site selection:
He stated that yam grows well on upland soils. Being a high nutrient demanding crop, yam requires a soil that is deep, free draining, and relatively high to medium in fertility with loamy sand or clay loam characteristics. Good soil drainage is essential for optimum yields of the crop. Heavy clay soils tend to water-log in the rainy season and are liable to cause tuber rot. Infertile soils are not recommended for yam production because such soils are unable to retain sufficient water or nutrients to produce reasonably-sized tubers. Also, soils that have high amounts of gravels or stones are unsuitable as they constitute a barrier to tuber penetration and root anchorage.
When a female catfish brood stock is injected, depending on the room and water temperature, it starts releasing eggs from the eight hour.
For the average fish breeder, fish is assumed to be available once eggs are seen trickling out. From my own experience, it is better to let the fish stay for not less than 11 hours after administering the pituitary or hormonal injection.
When the eggs start coming out from the eight hour, the first thing a farmer should do is to tactically immobilize the fish by putting it in a large sieve.
Secondly, the eyes of the fish should be covered. Most animals like falcons, eagles, giraffes and fishes usually calm down once their eyes are covered. It has been noted that even man sleeps better in a dark room than in a room with bright lights filtering through the windows or from electric lamps.
So instead of leaving the fishes in water where they can move and ‘waste’ the eggs, it is wise and advisable to adopt the method above in order to have more eggs.
Getting more ‘sperm egg’ available from male catfish broodstock during breeding.
There are times when a 3kg male catfish selected for breeding will not have the anticipated quantity of milt.
In fact, some males have been seen to possess just one single lobe of milt sac, instead of the required two. A big and well matured male catfish can fertilize eggs stripped from five to six females.
When this is to be done, it is advisable to increase the chances of every egg fertilized by the numerous eggs contained in the milt. The simple way a farmer can achieve this is to ‘multiply’ the medium that carries these SPERM eggs.
This can be achieved by emptying the SPERM from the sac into saline water. In pharmacy stores, it is referred to as normal saline. This milt sac is carefully lacerated using a small sharp scissors and the white, milk like fluid is emptied into the saline water.
This does not increase the quantity of eggs in the sperm sac, but increases the chance of an individual sperm egg, getting attached to an individual egg from the female, thereby increasing fertilization rate during the breeding process.
WHEAT FUTURES LOWER OVERNIGHT; MONEY MANAGERS SLIGHTLY LESS BULLISH LAST WEEK.
1. WHEAT LOWER OVERNIGHT AS GLOBAL WINTER CROPS EMERGE FROM DORMANCY
Wheat futures were lower in overnight trading on reports that Black Sea wheat emerged from winter dormancy with little winterkill damage.
Crops in the region, where the bulk of Russia and Ukraine wheat is grown, had a fairly decent winter, which leads market watchers to believe yields will be solid this year. The U.S. winter crop is also set to emerge from dormancy in good conditions, according to forecasters.
Still, drought stress may be starting to take its toll on the U.S. crop, Commodity Weather Group has said in reports. Little or no rain has fallen in much of the Southern Plains in the past month, according to the National Weather Service.
Corn and soybeans were little changed overnight.
Wheat futures for May delivery fell 2¾¢ to $4.37¾ a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. Kansas City futures lost 4¢ to $4.51½ a bushel.
Corn futures for May delivery lost 1¾¢ to $3.62½ a bushel in Chicago.
Soybean futures declined ¼¢ to $10.06¼ a bushel in Chicago. Soy meal gained 50¢ to $329.20 a short ton, and soy oil fell 0.13¢ to 32.55¢ a pound.
**
2. MONEY MANAGERS SLIGHTLY LESS BULLISH ON BEANS, CORN LAST WEEK
Money managers were less bullish on soybeans and corn, but only slightly, in the week that ended on March 8, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Hedge funds and other speculative investors were net-long 124,065 soybean contracts last week, down 4.3% from the prior week, the CFTC said in a report.
Net-longs, or bets on higher prices, in corn declined to 87,020 contracts, down from 87,657 a week earlier, according to the CFTC.
Investors reduced their bullish positions in hard red winter wheat to 35,306 net-long contracts, down from 37,667 the prior week, which was the most bullish they’ve been since April 2014, government data show.
Speculators were more bearish on soft red winter wheat, raising net-short positions, or bets on lower prices, to 65,521 contracts from 59,233 the prior week.
The weekly Commitment of Traders Report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission shows trader positions in futures markets.
The report provides positions held by commercial traders, or those using futures to hedge their physical assets; noncommercial traders, or money managers (also called large speculators); and nonreportables, or small speculators.
A net-long position indicates more traders are betting on higher prices, while a net-short position means more are betting futures will decline.
3. WINTER STORM MAKING WAY ACROSS MIDWEST, HEADING EAST INTO MID-ATLANTIC
A strong winter storm that’s blowing through Iowa today will continue to move east this week bringing cold temperatures and snow.
Much of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota are in a winter storm warning, while surrounding areas and regions east are facing a winter weather advisory, for now, according to the National Weather Service.
“Periods of light to moderate snow will continue across the area before tapering off through the morning hours,” the NWS said in a report early Monday. “Moderate to heavy accumulations have already occurred over north central Iowa with lighter amounts south. Snowfall rates will gradually diminish through sunrise.”
Total accumulations in the affected areas will range from 6 to 9 inches, the agency said. Winds are expected to be from 10 to 20 mph, which will reduce visibility.
No one knows tool or shop supply innovations better than farmers. That’s why we asked a team of farmer handymen to evaluate a toolbox of shop advances that are typically only marketed to other industries for this Successful Farming Product Test Team report.
ELECTROMAGNETIC DRILL PRESS
Bobby Huffman has a lot of favorite tools. “I’m a tool junkie,” the Edina, Missourian admits. “I have a lot of tools I love, but I’m very partial to my magnetic drill press.”
The tool that Huffman refers to is designed for the construction trades for drilling holes in I-beams, framework, and bridges. These drills employ an electromagnet on their base, which, when activated, attaches the tool to metal with a strength that makes it impossible to remove manually.
The drill Huffman put to work, an Evomag42, offers nearly 2,900 pounds of magnetic strength. “It will not move, even when used vertically to drill through thick steel,” Huffman testifies. Case in point, he had used the Evomag42 to drill 15⁄8-inch holes through vertical I-beams being used to make a homemade hydraulic press. “The holes it drilled (using annular bore cutter bits) are dead-on round and smooth. No burrs are left when it’s finished,” he notes.
As for its use on farms, Huffman is convinced this is a tool operators would use and wonder how they got along without it. The Evomag42, which is part of a line of electromagnetic drills from Evolution Power Tools, has a ¾-inch arbor that accommodates either up to ½-inch-diameter twist bits or 15⁄8-inch annular cutters. The tool’s rated drilling depth is 2 inches. The Evomag42 sells online for between $585 and $774.
THERMOMETER GUN
James Fred had been using a cheaper remote temperature-sensing device that “proved handy for mechanical work,” says Fred, who is part of Fred Farms near Rochester, Indiana. “I didn’t realize its limitation until using a more advanced gun like this.”
The gun he is referring to is the 12-volt DeWalt Max Infrared Thermometer, which provides an accuracy of ±1.5% to gauge temperatures from -20°F. up to 932°F. from an area that is 1½ inches in diameter from as far away as 12 feet. What sets this DeWalt gun apart from the previous temp device Fred was using is the fact that it offers visual and audio alarms to alert the user to a problem. Plus, it features LED hot and cold spot indicators. “With it, I could sweep the gun across an area to pick up hot spots, for example,” Fred explains. “Plus, I can customize that hot-cold alarm setting to a range. So if I were looking for a bearing that was getting hot on an operating machine, I could narrow the range to eliminate high temps (given off by an engine, for example) to readily find that problem bearing.”
The other feature Fred appreciates about the advance temp gun is that it has data storage for recording temperature readings. “I can compare the temperature of a bearing with other bearings, for example. The laser spotting light makes it easy to pinpoint exact locations from a distance. I could use it to get a reading off of an engine radiator if I was double-checking the temperature gauge on an engine. Other times, I used it to get a rough reading of building temperature by spotting the exhaust fans in my dairy barns,” he notes.
The 12-volt DeWalt DCT414S1 includes a color-coded display, audio alarms, and backlit screen so it can be easily read in any light condition, including those in full sunlight. The device retails for $128.99 for the gun alone or $209 for the gun, battery, and case.
PORTABLE BAND SAW
Corded portable band saws have been a staple in the building trades for years. Recent advances in battery capacity and motor ability (due to brushless motors) by Milwaukee have created a cordless band saw that readily fits the portable needs found on farms.
“This tool is so impressive in what it can do in the field,” says Tom Boswell of Rezac Land & Livestock near Onaga, Kansas. “It is a serious tool that makes surprisingly quick work of cutting metal.”
Boswell and his crew put the Milwaukee M18 Deep Cut Band Saw to the test in a wide variety of jobs on their operation. “It came in particularly handy when we used it to erect a grain leg and bin this past summer,” he says.
In that regard, Boswell points out that the saw ran nearly all day between charges even with constant use. “It certainly has the power to lug through any cutting job,” he says. “The Milwaukee blades that come with the saw are very impressive.”
A huge feature of the Milwaukee design is its industry-leading 5×5-inch cutting throat. “That comes in handy when making fence with well-drilling pipe,” Boswell notes.
The 15-pound saw runs off an 18-volt, 4-amp-hour battery that powers a Powerstate electronically controlled brushless motor at speeds up to 280 feet per second. The suggested retail price for the saw alone is $546 or $1,019 with two batteries and a case. The tool carries a five-year warranty.
SUPER MAGNETIC JIGS
Designed for professional welders, Magswitch’s Pivot Angle 200 and Multi Angle 1000 MagVise are two devices that are surprisingly strong, easily adaptable to a wide variety of uses, and could quickly become as necessary as C-clamps on a farmer’s welding table, Bobby Huffman observes.
“To be honest, I really didn’t think I’d use them that much,” he admits. “But as I put them to use during the evaluation, I quickly found that they became my go-to welding jigs.”
Part of an extensive line of super-magnetic devices sold by Magswitch, the Multi Angle 1000 boasts a holding strength of up to 1,000 pounds on thick steel by twisting a handle, yet it only weighs 3½ pounds. The tool provides multiple common angles to accommodate most welding approaches.
“When I turned that handle, it was stuck down tight. Even a big guy would be hard pressed to move it,” Huffman says.
The Pivot Angle 200 didn’t offer as much holding power (up to 200 pounds of magnetic strength), but it features a pivoting joint that allows the jig to be positioned at any angle from between 25° and 270°. The elbow joint locks and unlocks quickly with a lever.
“It certainly was easy to position and was dead-on when it came to holding at a precise angle,” he says.
Twisting levers engage individual magnets of the Pivot Angle, which are located at either end of the arms (silver items in the image). Those magnets are designed to hold flat, round, and odd-shape pieces.
“I was surprised by the strength of the magnets. Although they were weaker than the Multi Angle, they still held steel in place for welding, drilling, cutting, or grinding,” Huffman says. The Multi Angle 1000 retails for $174.99; the Pivot Angle 200 sells for $410.
LEAF BLOWERS ON STEROIDS
Cory Hall and his son Bryson (Bryson is shown below) were dubious about a leaf blower having any use on the farm. “Oh boy, the one we tested could do far more than just blow leaves around,” Cory says. “I can definitely see it being useful to blow off a combine or to clean out a truck box or shop floor without having to drag cords or an air hose around.”
The blower that the Winterset, Iowa, farm team evaluated was introduced a year ago by WORX as part of a line of yard tools powered by that company’s new 56-volt battery advance. The blower, tabbed the Turbine, turns out a blast of air at 125 mph at volumes up to 465 cubic feet per minute (cfm).
That doesn’t compare to the pressure turned out by an air hose nozzle. But, as Cory notes, the WORX Turbine is cordless, plus it weighs just over 8 pounds. “I was really surprised when I picked it up – it was so light,” Bryson notes. “I didn’t expect much at first, but when I used it to blow corn out of a truck box, it was blasting kernels feet away.”
The Turbine is one of two high-voltage cordless blowers on the market. Echo is selling a 58-volt blower that turns out a 120-mph blast at a volume of 450 cfm. Both the Echo and WORX blowers employ brushless motors that are noted for converting more battery power to work.
“Full blast was impressive,” Cory notes. “But I liked the fact that I could vary the airflow with a speed control in case I was in a confined area and didn’t want to blow up so much dust or when just moving a light load of dirt or debris.”
One of the unique features of both the WORX and Echo blowers is that they consume air from the back of the tool through a fan for a direct stream. Typically, leaf blowers suck in air from their sides, which can hinder flow. This flow feature, combined with the higher battery capacity, results in their higher air velocity.
“I was definitely impressed in that regard,” Cory says explaining that he could effectively clean off a combine and its engine cavity at the end of the day. The WORX Turbine retails for $199.95, including a battery, charger, nozzles, and three-year warranty.
FAST-FIX HYDRO HOSE
For the past year Jerl Joseph, who farms with his son, Eric, near Hampton, Nebraska, has put to the test a hydraulic hose repair product designed for the mining, logging, and electrical utility industries. The Quick-Fix kit offers thermoplastic hydraulic hose (either 3⁄8- or ½-inch diameters) that doesn’t require an expensive crimper to make repairs. “Instead, you use this high-density plastic two-piece holding die that is clamped down with a C-clamp or a locking pliers,” Joseph explains. “The kit includes a hose cutter that is similar to that used to cut PEX plumbing pipe except it’s more heavy duty.”
When making a replacement, he explains that you cut the length of hose needed with the cutter. “Quick-Fix said it didn’t leave debris or frayed edges behind, and so far the cutter works as they said it would,” Joseph says.
Next, the end of the hose is clamped into the die and the appropriate coupling is screwed into the hose using an open-end wrench. All the couplings that come with the kit are reusable, which certainly is a big advantage to the system, Joseph notes. “There is a two-part fitting. You screw the first portion of the fitting into the hose. Then you use two open-end wrenches and screw in and tighten the second part of the fitting.”
The manufacturer claims that a person can make a replacement hose in around 10 minutes. “The first time I used the system, it was maybe more than that as I got used to making a repair,” Joseph says. “But after that, I could make a replacement in that 10-minute time.”
One of the hoses Joseph created was a replacement for a conventional hose that ruptured on a tractor loader. “That is some pretty hard use for a hose – loader work, that is,” Joseph adds. “That hose has been in use a year or more with no problems.” Nitta Corporation guarantees its 3⁄8-inch hose has an operating pressure of 3,480 psi, and the ½-inch size withstands up to 2,900 psi. “All hoses have a minimum burst pressure of four times their recommended operating pressure and an operating temperature range of -40°F. to 212°F.,” adds Larry Johnson of Nitta. “The fitting and adapters that come with a kit cover the vast majority of needs on farm machinery.”
The ½-inch hose kit Joseph tested retails for $329; the 3⁄8-inch kit sells for $299.
INSPECTION CAMERA
James Fred always wanted a mechanic’s inspection camera (borescope), but he could never convince himself to make the investment.
“Knowing what I know now about their usefulness, I would buy one,” Fred says talking about his review of the DeWalt MAX 9MM inspection camera. “First off, I was surprised how sharp the images were from such a small camera. These images were in color, as well.”
This particular DeWalt borescope employs a 9-millimeter camera positioned at the end of a 3-foot-long flexible cable. Color images are displayed on a 3½-inch screen, which is detachable. “I really appreciated that feature,” Fred points out. “I could take the screen off and set it down for easy viewing while manipulating the cable (as he does in the above image with the screen resting on the tractor tire).
“The camera has three times the zooming capacity, so I can zero in on a problem once I find it. The only improvement is that I would have liked the camera lighting to be brighter.”
Another feature Fred likes is the ability to record the video or still images on an SD card. “I can look at larger images on a computer screen, which is really revealing for when I’m looking inside an engine,” he says.
DeWalt offers cameras with 5.8- and 17-millimeter lenses. The 9-millimeter model DCT411S1 kit evaluated by Fred retails for between $260 and $390 online (includes a battery, charger, and inspection tools).
Nigeria has, in recent times, witnessed a spike in agricultural interest. This is understandable, given the fact that receding economic numbers have brought home jolting realities about the “bubble nature” of our fossil fuel reliant economy.
Typically, the foregoing has triggered a bandwagon effect. Everyone wants to talk agric these days – it’s an all comers affair – Conferences, Exhibitions, Seminars and what have you. While this is not a bad state of affairs in itself, the awareness created therefrom could augur negatively for the sector, if gainsayers are allowed to dictate the narrative. Already, there are throngs of Seminars, Conferences and Summits mostly aimed at ‘showcasing’ the country’s agricultural potentials. But, the conversation has moved way beyond that point. It is common knowledge that NIgeria is endowed with potentials, what is required and indeed missing, is the disciplined and painstaking resolve to chart a deliberate course towards actualizing those potentials, hence the need for a new convocation paradigm.
The Feed Nigeria Summit (FNS2017) heralds the new paradigm – homegrown solution to typically localized developmental challenges.
The gravamen of the FNS is that Nigeria needs to proffer solutions to her food import dependence reality by immediately triggering an increase in domestic agricultural productivity. In this regard, AgroNigeria, the Organizers of the Summit have identified a viable vehicle – subsumed in the current economic reality – with capacity to deliver up monumental productivity advantages to the sector, if well managed.
Thus, the Home-Grown School Feeding Program of the Federal Government is being promoted to the agricultural private sector as a viable medium for sustainably increasing local farmer output and thereby triggering an agricultural revolution. The caveat however, is that this can only happen with the active support of the private sector.
Given the “homegrown impetus” of the HGSFP, it stands to reason that a whopping budget of #300billion (three hundred billion Naira) as earmarked to be spent over a period of 30months by the government, promises local agricultural producers a guaranteed market for their various agro-outputs. Whether it be Cocoa from the south west, oil palm, plantain and cassava from the South East and South South, or indeed the maize, soy, millet, rice and tomato occasioning in the North, there is room for quantum boosting of Nigeria’s agricultural productivity and triggering a wellspring of value for her recession plagued economy.
However it is pertinent that we re-emphasize that this can only be achieved via a private sector driven implementation framework which allows for innovative approaches that will deliver up probity, accountability and profitability – anything else will result in a monumental waste of scarce resources.
Accordingly, FNS -2017 will feature a Special Policy Session on the HGSFP providing a landmark opportunity for those charged with the implementation of the Program, to engage key Private Sector players in the Nigerian agricultural space regarding the workings of the Program and the possibilities of its sustainable implementation beyond the initial 30 month cycle.
The theme of FNS -2017 is apt: “Feed Nigeria; To Feed Africa”, and seeks to draw attention to the strategic positioning of Nigeria in the larger continental food security matrix. It draws inspiration from the Feed Africa Agenda – one of the five principal policy thrusts of the African Development Bank, as championed by its current helmsman, Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina. AgroNigeria, in conjunction with its collaborators, strongly believes that Nigeria should be at the forefront of this laudable continental initiative.
Indeed, the current government’s drive towards economic diversification can only succeed if Agriculture is handed a vital position in the scheme of things. The results being applauded currently are a tip of the iceberg, agriculture holds transcendental benefits for Nigeria, if the stakeholders can give it more serious attention. There is no more room for mere talk, it is now time to act in concrete terms. The development partner community, a set of silent achievers, will be provided a demonstration hub to showcase scalable outcomes from their interventions, which the agric public and private sector can leverage.
To this end, FNS-2017 will be a potpourri of the crème of the Nigerian Agriculture ecosystem, a melting pot of policy and strategic discussions between government, private sector, development community as well as the research community for the progress of the sector. The summit seeks to address key national agricultural productivity issues like finance, market access, research, infrastructure, mechanisation, and ICT, while ensuring a mainstreaming of gender and other related issues. The role of legislation in the sector will also be a critical area of engagement.
The FNS is scheduled to hold on the 6th and 7th of April, 2017 at the Grande ballroom, Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos and is being convened with the support of the African Development Bank Group and the Songhai Center for Agricultural Excellence, Porto Novo.
CORN, SOYBEANS LOWER IN OVERNIGHT TRADING; FED RATE HIKE ODDS NOW AT 93%.
1. CORN, SOYBEAN LOWER AS IMPORTERS SEEN SHIFTING TO SOUTH AMERICA
Corn and soybeans were lower in overnight trading on concern that very large South American crops are beginning to take business from the U.S.
The Department of Agriculture last week raised its outlook for Brazilian corn production to 91.5 million metric tons from 86.5 million. It also increased its projection for soybean output in the country to 108 million tons from the previous month’s outlook of 104 million.
With such large crops in Brazil, it’s likely the U.S. will see a seasonal decline in export sales and shipments, analysts said.
Corn futures for May delivery fell 1¢ to $3.60 a bushel in overnight trading on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Soybeans declined 4¾¢ to $10.01¼ a bushel in Chicago. Soy meal lost $2.30 to $328.60 a short ton, and soy oil added 0.10¢ to 32.22¢ a pound.
Wheat futures rose a tick to $4.30¾ a bushel, and Kansas City wheat was unchanged at $4.42¾ a bushel.
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2. FED RATE HIKE SEEMINGLY A FOREGONE CONCLUSION WITH ODDS OF INCREASE AT 93%
It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at a meeting this week with the CME Group’s Fed Watch Tool, putting the odds of a hike at 93% this morning, up from 89% yesterday.
The Fed is expected to increase its Federal Funds Rate to a target of 0.75% to 1%, the first increase in 2017, after it raised the rate in December 2016 and December 2015 after leaving it unchanged for seven years. Many analysts believe this will be the first of three rate hikes this year.
The government tends to increase rates when the economy is showing strength. Last week’s nonfarm payroll report showed companies added 235,000 jobs in February, topping expectations for about 200,000, and that the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.7%. Wages have increased about 2.8% in the past year, which is a good sign, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
Employment gains increased in construction, manufacturing, health care, and mining, all but ensuring the Federal Open Markets Committee would raise rates at its meeting, which runs for the next two days. Its decision will be announced tomorrow afternoon in Washington, D.C.
An increase in rates likely would have an impact on loans for large-ticket items such as farming equipment or land purchases, economists have said.
It also will have an impact on the prime rate, which is the base borrowing rate that banks extend to their customers. Credit card interest is based on the prime rate, with banks often referring to the rates and ‘prime rate plus’ and then adding a number to it to get the actual interest rate a borrower would pay.
3. LARGE STORM HAMMERING NORTHEASTERN U.S.; SCHOOLS CLOSED, TRADING IMPACTED
A very large storm is hitting the northeastern U.S. this morning, closing schools in New York and Boston and affecting trading on Wall Street.
New York City is expected to get as much as 16 inches of snow with several inches already falling, according to the National Weather Service. Federal offices in Washington are expected to open three hours later than normal.
The storm is widespread, stretching from northern Ohio up through Maine into Nova Scotia in Canada. The entire northeastern U.S. will be affected.
Elsewhere, a freeze warning is in effect for a very large patch of land stretching east to west from extreme eastern Kansas through the Atlantic Coast in Georgia and north to south from northern Missouri almost to the Alabama Gulf Shores.
Temperatures are expected to fall into the mid-20s and lower teens this morning and overnight into Wednesday morning, the NWS said, which will harm uncovered winter wheat plants and peach trees.
