3 Big Things Today, February 8

1. Soybeans, Grains Slightly Lower Overnight as Rain Aids Crops in Argentina

Soybeans and grains were modestly lower in overnight trading amid favorable growing weather in much of Argentina.
Showers in parts of northeastern Cordoba, central and southeastern Santa Fe, and eastern Buenos Aires will favor crop development, Commodity Weather Group said in a report. Rain is expected in most growing areas of Argentina, the third-biggest producer of soybeans.

“Most limited rain totals are possible in central Argentina (in the) next two weeks, easing any spotty wetness,” CWG said. “Rains aid yields elsewhere.”
Soybean futures for March delivery fell 1¾¢ to $10.35½ a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soy meal futures lost 70¢ to $333.10 a short ton, and soy oil declined 0.06¢ to 34.53¢ a pound.
Wheat for March delivery fell 2¾¢ to $4.31¾ a bushel in Chicago, while Kansas City futures lost 1¼¢ to $4.42¼ a bushel.
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2. Export Sales of Beans Rise Week to Week, Corn and Wheat Mixed

Export sales of soybeans rose, while corn was mixed in the week that ended on January 26.
Sales of soybeans rose 16% from the prior week to 623,900 metric tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report yesterday. That’s up 28% from the prior four-week average.
China was the biggest buyer, taking 579,900 metric tons, followed by the Netherlands, which bought 219,000 tons. Mexico took 78,800 tons, Japan purchased 57,500 tons, and Bangladesh was in for 57,100 tons, the USDA said.
Corn exports were mixed, as exporters sold 1.14 million metric tons last week, down 17% from the prior seven days but up 21% from the previous four-week average.
Unknown buyers took 235,600 tons, Colombia bought 212,900 tons, and Japan purchased 178,000 tons, according to the USDA. Taiwan was in for 133,900 tons and Morocco bought 80,800 tons for delivery in the marketing year that ends on August 31.
Wheat sales totaled 451,200 tons, down 47% from the prior week but up 8% from the average, the government said. Unknown buyers bought 189,700 tons, Mexico took 78,000 tons, the Philippines purchased 50,000 tons, Taiwan was in for 43,900, and Morocco bought 30,000 tons, the USDA said.
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3. Light Snow, Cold Temperatures Expected in Wisconsin, Southern Plains Warm

Weather maps are mostly quiet this morning with some light snow showers and extremely cold weather in northern Wisconsin, not terribly unusual for early February.
Wind chills are expected to drop as low as -20˚F. this morning, as winds of up to 10 mph cool the air. Staying outdoors is not recommended with such low temperatures, the National Weather Service said in a report on Friday morning.
In the Southern Plains where hard red winter wheat is overwintering, temperatures are expected to top out in the high 60s and low 70s, according to the NWS. Skies are expected to be mostly clear, and a strong breeze with sustained winds of up to 20 mph are forecast for the weekend.

source: successful farming

#FACTSFEED

Pigs have a limited tolerance to high temperatures and heat stress can lead to death

Assessing the Realities of Global Warming For Improved Agricultural Practices in Africa

As average global temperature begins to rise due to human activity, scientists say the drastic effects of climate change continue to take effect all over the world.  One of the intensely affected sectors is the field of Agriculture.

Africa is expected to pay a significant cost of the damage caused by climate change. Pervasive destruction of farms in recent flooding in some parts of Africa and the prolonged drought in Ethiopia, further demonstrates the extent of the threat posed by Africa’s changing climate.

According to an expert on global food security and sustainability, Professor Navin Ramakutty of the University of British Columbia “the food system is already stressed in many ways”.

Ramankutty in his new study featured in the journal Nature, examined the link between weather related disasters and food production.  He along with a team of researchers from UBC and McGill University discovered that extreme heat waves and droughts have reduced global cereal harvests such as maize, wheat and rice by 10 per cent in a span of 50 years.

Although concerns about climate change are global and real, its consequences on African Agriculture are quite enormous. In his paper titled “Impact of climate change on agriculture in Africa by 2030” Joseph Khaoma, a researcher at the School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Maseno University Kenya notes that warmer climate will disrupt and interfere with the natural ecosystem stability and adaptation such that grassland and desert ecosystems will expand in area while the rich forest ecosystems will reduce in area.

Marginal agriculture as practiced in the Arid and Semi-arid lands (ASAL) regions will probably suffer most because the ASAL will be hotter and the natural ecosystems may not easily adapt to new harsh conditions.  These may lead to extinction of ASAL ecosystems mainly the drought resistant crops.

Joseph further observes that the current ecological hazards of droughts desertification and soil erosion may worsen making the areas where they occur unsuitable for living in future.

Global warming would also have major adverse effects on water use and availability in the tropics making large reservoirs and other irrigation projects dry up and become useless long before their normal 50 years lifetime has elapsed. Africa has some of the major irrigation projects such as the Gezira for cotton.

A warmer climate will adversely affect food security in Africa, for example, 96 per cent of Egypt is desert and 97 per cent of the population is concentrated only on four per cent of the Irrigated land (Jackson, 1989). If the Nile Waters used for Irrigation dries up, then there will be no food and the people of Egypt will migrate to other habitable regions in the temperate lands.

Climate change could also reduce the human population. People currently living along the coast, in arid and semi arid lands will be forced to migrate to the climatically habitable continents. The Arabs in North Africa may move to Europe. There will be a halt on industrialization since cash crop cultivation, which is the basis of industrialization in Africa, will be drastically reduced.  Giant irrigation projects such as the Gezira in Sudan may disappear due to drying up of the Nile River.

Are there benefits of global warming?


In a report published on October 12 2016, a former delegate of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr Indur Goklany says global warming is not totally catastrophic as projected and that carbon emissions for instance are actually good for agriculture. In the paper, Gloklany called for a reexamination of carbon dioxide, which according to him has numerous positive effects on nature and humanity.

One of the points raised by Goklany is the ability of carbon to fertilize plants, which has already resulted in increased fossil fuel emissions – a great contributor to the health of crops. Carbon fertilization according to Techtimes.com is said to be accountable for increasing yields by 10-15 at the minimum.

He further says “estimated worth of global fertilization impacts coming in from carbon dioxide is $140 billion a year, and this extra production has provided assistance to hunger reduction and human health improvement”.

Glokany notes that the nature may benefit from lands not utilized by crops. According to him “the wild places on the planet have become greener in the past decades due to increased carbon dioxide.  Another thing is carbon dioxide has been found to boost the water use quality of plants, compelling them to become stronger in the face of drought – double benefits in dry regions”.

Coping with the tide
Crop breeding for development of new climate tolerant crop varieties is a key tool for adapting agriculture to a changing climate. History and current breeding experience indicate that natural biodiversity within crops has allowed for plant adaptation to different  conditions, providing clear evidence that plant breeding has great potential for aide in the adaptation of crops to climate change.

Cropping system is another tool that can help agriculture adapt. For example the use of crop mixtures that have several crops growing at o ne time can help systems exhibit greater durability during periods of high water or heat stress.

According to the American Association of Advance Science (AAAS), researchers would have to develop drought resistant crops that have been tested for strong yields when subjected to periods of extended water shortage. Improvements in plant nitrogen and water use efficiency and development of cost efficient nitrogen uptake delivery systems and low cost irrigation technique.

There should also be development of global testing sites and data collection and dissemination efforts using standard data protocols to assess the performance of existing and new genetic material and management system in today’s range of agro climatic conditions.

Continuous field testing to track climate change, breeding for resistance to new diseases and pests and to address changes in pollinator distribution should also serve as avenues to confront adaptation of crops in the face of climate change.

PHOTO TELL – Mike Omotosho Annual Lecture 2017

  

Anambra has no cattle market, functional abattoirs – Butchers

Butchers Association in Anambra State has expressed worry over absence of cattle market and functional abattoirs in the state.

It said lack of the facilities has negatively affected the prices of cow meat as people could not bring in cows to the state in large quantities.

The president of the association, Chief Felix Ononenyi-Ikenga, who disclosed this in Awka in a chat with newsmen, described the situation as unhealthy for a state that has about 35 registered slaughter facilities.

He accused the state government of not assisting his members in keeping their operational environment across the state healthy in spite of the taxes and levies they pay, saying the cattle market will enable them expand their scope to guarantee affordability of the commodity for consumers.

“It is unfortunate that we do not have a cattle market in Anambra. We want the state government to establish one for us so that we can operate at an advantage like our members in other states.

“Again, various governments have promised to establish abattoir in the state but it has remained at the promise level. As I am talking to you now, there is no single standard abattoir anywhere in Anambra.

“We expect them to help us clean our slaughters, what we have and how they are maintained are all our efforts, the government do not contribute to it,” he said.

8 Rules Every Young Farmer Should Follow

A panel of farm business and financial planning experts spoke to young farmers at the recent Farming for the Future Conference in Ames, Iowa. Condensed from the presentations, here are eight rules every young farmer should follow in 2017.

1. Live below your means. Way below. Build up equity. Don’t buy equipment you don’t need just to avoid paying taxes. Do you need all that rented land? Revise your family living expenses. Downsize.

2. Get along with your family. There’s nothing worse for a farm than a family that doesn’t speak to each other. Communicate about finances with your spouse and other business partners before there is a problem.

3. Know your breakeven. Get accurate, factual data about your costs. Design a marketing plan with price and date targets and stick to it. Lock in margins whenever possible.

4. Cut costs. Revise your scale of operation and fixed costs. Visit with your agronomist, lender, tax advisor, and crop insurance agent. Be very careful with new capital expenditures. Renegotiate land rent. Seek volume discounts in seeds and chemicals. Offload unproductive assets. Extend repayment schedules on equipment and real estate loans.

5. Diversify your income. If you do have an off-farm job, this is not the time to lose it. Consider alternative sources of revenue with your assets, such as custom work, snow removal, truck driving.

6. Write a business plan. Create a formal statement of your business goals. Include the reasons they are attainable and your plans for reaching them. (A budget is not the same thing as a business plan.) Know and respect your customers and your competition. Prepare for the worst. If you partner with your brother and something happens to him, could your farm business survive?

7. Don’t try to do it all. Focus on your top strengths and skills; hire the rest out or partner with someone who has skills you lack. Don’t forget what makes you unique. Take time to assess potential business partners and service providers to make sure they are the right fit.

8. Persevere. Economic turbulence brings opportunity.

Learn more:
Donald Timmins, CPA, Timmins, Jacobsen & Strawhacker, LLP, Des Moines, Iowa,  http://www.tjscpas.com/
Tim Meyer, Producers Livestock Credit Corporation, Omaha, Nebraska,  www.producerslivestock.net, tmeyer@plmcoop.com
Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor, Iowa State University, Ag Decision Maker: www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm, plastina@iastate.edu

source: successful farming

Senate President urges Nigerian Youths to harness benefits of Agro Finance Law

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the Agriculture Finance Bill recently passed by the 8th Senate to enhance their investments in agribusiness.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, the senate president commended youths who have decided to exploit opportunities in the agricultural sector  instead of waiting endlessly for non-existing white collar jobs.

The Senate President, who addressed the members of the Tomatoes and Orchid Producers Association of Nigeria, (TOPAN) during a visit at the National Assembly complex in Abuja said if the youths harness the provisions of the finance bill, it would ensure food security, generate employment and ultimately develop the economy.

“The youths should take advantage of the recently passed Agro Finance Bill by the 8th Senate and access the benefits of agriculture on the small and medium scale financing and agro allied jobs. This bill, if properly harnessed by the youths, would create jobs and ensure food security for the country and help grow the economy, especially in the time of recession in the country”, he explained.

Meanwhile the leader of TOPAN, Oyeleke Job has expressed that members encourage massive production of tomatoes and orchids by offering training and technical assistance to producers in the rural areas.
He added that the association has contributed greatly to improve the quality production of tomatoes and orchids as well as creation of jobs for the unemployed youths.

12 million people face Food Shortages in Africa – FAO

• FAO calls for urgent response to avoid massive casualties

 United Nations Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) has said that about 12 million people in Africa are in need of food assistance, as families face limited access to food and income, together with rising debt, low cereal and seed stocks, and low milk and meat production.

Report indicate that areas of greatest concern cover much of Somalia, north-east and coastal Kenya, south-east of Ethiopia including the Afar regions yet to recover from El Nino induced drought of 2015/16; as well as  South Sudan which faces a serious food crisis due to protracted insecurity.

Acute food shortages and malnutrition also remain a major concern in parts of Uganda’s Karamoja region.
While reacting to this, FAO Deputy Director-General, Climate and Natural Resources, Maria Semedo described the situation as worrisome, expressing concerns on the effect this would have on food security.

“The drought situation in the Region is extremely worrying, primarily in almost all of Somalia but also across Southern and South-eastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. As a consequence, with the next rains at least eight weeks away and the next main harvest not until July, millions are at risk of food insecurity across the region” she said

Semedo therefore called for urgent humanitarian interventions to avoid a repeat of the famine in the region in 2011.

“The magnitude of the situation calls for scaled up action and coordination at national and regional levels. This is, above all, a livelihoods and humanitarian emergency – and the time to act is now. We cannot wait for a disaster like the famine in 2011” Semedo pleaded.

AgroNigeria recall that on the July 20 2011, the UN declared famine in two regions of South Central Somalia. The famine was said to have cost the lives of over 258,000 people, while hundreds of thousands more fled across the border into Kenya and Ethiopia.

A Physically Challenged but Passionate Farmer

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Best ways to farm sweet potato - Expert

Sweet potato is tropical herbaceous plant which, by the nature of its temperature requirement, can be grown throughout Nigeria. States like Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, and Sokoto in the North-west are currently leading in its production in the country.

A renowned agronomist with the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Bashir Ahmad Babaji, said sweet potato requires soil that is moderately fertile, because high fertility leads to excessive vegetative growth at the expense of tuber formation.

“It requires a soil that is sandy loam; a soil a little bit high in organic matter but that has sand. Because it is a tuber crop, it requires a soil where the tuber can easily grow very well in the soil. Under heavy soil, it may be very difficult for the tubers to grow,” he explained.

On planting season, the agronomist noted that sweet potato can be grown both during the dry season and the rainy season, adding, however, that when temperature is very low, it is not advisable to plant because it may not do well.

“For rain fed farming, planting could be done from May to September while irrigated production is from September to December,” he added.

He, however, noted that one of the constraints to sweet potato production is the planting material.

“Unlike yam and Irish potato which you use the tubers as planting material, for sweet potato you use vines (stems),” he said.

The professor explained that farmers could plant tubers and leave them to sprout for six to eight weeks to get the vines needed for transplanting. The vines should then be cut into about 20cm cuttings with at least two nodes, and placed on a ridge of 30cm to 50cm at a depth of 2cm to 3cm.

“Sweet potato does not withstand weed competition during the early crop’s life, therefore, keep the field weed free during the first six weeks after planting. Pre-planting herbicides such as Roundup or Floumeturon at 5 litres per hectare can be applied,” he added.

On storage, Prof. Babaji advised that sweet potatoes can be left underground, because it has a short shelf life and harvested when the need arises. He, however, pointed out that the Bokolo’ cattle can smell potatoes under the soil, dig it out and consume it.

The don noted that some common local varieties found in Northern Nigeria now are the ‘Dan izala’, and ‘Manja’ which are a newly introduced variety with high vitamin A content. They are also known as the orange-fleshed sweet  potato.

“Most varieties that farmers now use take from three to four months to be ready for harvest. After harvest, sweet potato has a shelf life of about three months,” he said.

Again, he stated that to avoid spoilage, the potatoes can be cut and dried, which some women use in making a local drink, ‘kunun zaki’.

On fertiliser requirement, Prof. Babaji recommended that 40kg of nitrogen, 40kg to 60kg of phosphorus and up to 100kg potassium be applied per hectare.

He outlined that soils in the savanna areas of the country are mostly rich in potassium, so only farms that have long term cultivation need to apply potassium fertiliser.

Speaking on its diseases, Prof. Babaji said some common diseases affecting sweet potato are the internal cork disease caused by a virus carried by aphids, controlled only by using resistant varieties, and black rot, which can be controlled also by planting resistant varieties, crop rotation and early storage.

He added that in case of fungal disease, a fungicide like Benlace, Dithane or M-45 may be used.

“Other pests affecting sweet potato are weevil (larvae) which bore into the tuber. In this case, you need to get improved varieties and employ crop rotation also,” he advised.

On the health benefits of eating sweet potato, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health, said it was largely rich in carbohydrates, and also rich in vitamins C, E, A and minerals like zinc and iron.

He said the orange-fleshed which is a newer variety has been bio-fortified with vitamin A and is orange in colour.

Dr. Chris explained that sweet potato can be eaten raw, fried, made into chips and flakes or flour used for making buns, pap and pudding.

“It is a very good source of energy and the fibre level is equally very high which ensures easy digestion, bowel movement and helps in weight control because when there is high fibre in the diet it gives a filling effect and so you don’t have to eat much,” he noted.

The President of the Potato Farmers Association, Chief Daniel Okafor, however, expressed worry that government has not been supportive of sweet potato propagation in recent times.

“The struggle is too much, there are a lot of challenges, and farmers need to be supported if they actually want to boost production and make it worth their effort,” he said.

Speaking about the prospects, he said there was a special starch extracted from sweet potato whose price is very high in the international market.

No immediate response was received from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture when our reporter visited yesterday but a source there said there was no specific policy on sweet potato farming by the ministry this year.

He, however, said potato farmers would benefit from other government incentives like fertilizers and other agro inputs.