Maximizing the potentials of Urban Farming in Nigeria and Reducing Farmers/herdsmen clashes through HYDROPONICS

Plants grow through a process called photosynthesis, in which they use sunlight and a chemical inside their leaves called chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. There's no mention of soil anywhere and that means plants can grow without it. Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. 

A couple of years back, botanists discovered that Soil works as a reservoir for things like nutrient material and also as a medium by which the plant may strengthen itself, so, when the water supplied to plants already has the needed organic material, and plants are secured or even suspended by other method, then soil becomes unnecessary.

Dairy Farming in Saudi Arabia: How Nigeria can attain Self-Sufficiency in Milk Production by Kehinde S.Jimoh

Dairy farming is a class of agriculture that is concerned with the production of milk and milk products from dairy animals. Although any large ruminant animal can produce milk, commercial milk are typically from high producing dairy cattle breeds like Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss, Dairy Shorthorn, American Milking Devon, Ayrshire cattle etc, these dairy cattle are found in temperate regions where they are best able to express their genetic potential to produce milk.

Other conditions necessary for good milk production include availability of high quality pastures and portable water. Top milk producing countries include United States of America, India, China, Russia, Brazil, Germany, France, New Zealand, United Kingdom, etc and this is largely due to a cool climatic environment that supports dairy farming.

Saudi Arabia is a very arid country with an average high temperature of about 45°C and low annual rainfall. Only about 2 percent of the country’s enormous land mass is suitable for agriculture making it difficult to get land for growing crops and pasture. There is no permanent freshwater sources such as rivers or lakes and so the major source of water in this country is through sea water desalination. These combination of factors make Saudi Arabia an unsuitable country for commercial agriculture but interesting this country has a developed world-class dairy industry.

Wakati One…World’s Low Cost Food Preservation Technology

Fruits and vegetables growing on the field are constantly exposed to high temperatures. When fruits and vegetables are cut off from the plant, they start to dehydrate, the internal cell structure starts to decay and the cells, containing acids and enzymes, spill their contents, digesting the crops inside out and causing them to rot.

According to the United Nations, 45% of fruits and vegetables is spoiled before it reaches the market. This means that almost half of the labour and investments are wasted as well! In other words, it is impossible to be productive without a decent storage to protect the crops.

Biogas Milk Chiller Solution by Simgas

The Problem

In most developing and newly industrialised countries, raw milk is not cooled at farm level. As a result, quality of (evening) milk is lost because it doesn’t survive the heat overnight. And low quality (evening) milk is rejected by collection centres.

AGRA INNOVATE West Africa....Agricultural Trade Event to attend!

AGRA INNOVATE West Africa, is an agricultural trade event that started in 2014 showcasing the latest innovation and opportunities for agriculture in West Africa and also bringing and connecting international agricultural technology providers to policy makers, agribusiness leaders and agri-preneurs.

To meet the demand for food by the region’s growing population, AGRA Innovate believes food production, processing and manufacturing require new technology and hence the need to attract huge investment to the sector's enormous potential through networking and collaboration.

Hello Tractor…Innovative low cost Smart Tractor.

Small-holder farmers in Nigeria rely on manual labour for their farming activities and this labour which is usually in short supply often leads to under-cultivation, poor harvests and low income. Also the low level of tractor hiring services in Nigeria limits their ability to expand cultivated areas, perform timely farm operations and achieve economy of scale in increasing food production.

SunCulture….transforming agriculture through the power of the sun.

SunCulture is an organization based in Kenya that developed the solar-powered drip irrigation for smallholders to address challenges of unreliable rainfall, high energy prices, and low crop yields.

Kenya has 5.4 million hectares of arable land, but only 17% of this land is suitable for rain-fed agriculture; leaving the remainder in need of irrigation and pumping technology. Relying on the rain, however, limits farmers to only harvesting twice per year but irrigation unlocks the rest of the calendar, giving farmers control over market timing. Petrol, electric, and manual treadle pumps for irrigation are presently available in the Kenyan market, but the effectiveness of these technologies is constrained by high input costs and labor inefficiencies. 

Thought For Food (TFF) Global Challenge 2016/2017

The Thought For Food (TFF) Challenge is dedicated to tackling the global challenge of feeding people through bold, breakthrough solutions and is calling on the world’s best and brightest university students to form teams and develop breakthrough solutions that address this global challenge of feeding 9+ billion people by the year 2050.

TFF challenge aims to catalyze university students from all fields of study to learn more about the complex challenges surrounding food security, and inspire them to channel their passions and creativity towards developing new ideas that make a difference. By participating in the TFF Challenge, you enter into a world in which you can shine. 

You will work with world-class mentors to help turn your idea into a reality. You will have the chance to receive up to $15,000 cash in seed-funding to launch your project, and you may be selected to participate in the TFF Bootcamp, an intense, 10 week startup training which culminates at the TFF Global Summit. You will also join a growing global movement, comprised of friends and supporters who share your passion to make the world a better place.

2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  

President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, which began in 2014, will bring up to 1000 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2017 for academic coursework and leadership training and will create unique opportunities in Africa for fellows to put practical new skills to use in leading their organizations, communities, and countries. The Mandela Washington Fellowship includes:

African Economic Conference 2016: “Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth”

Jointly organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Economic Conference (AEC) 2016 will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from December 5 to 7, 2016 

The theme for the 2016 African Economic Conference (AEC) is "Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth". This theme is timely and in line with the current African and international development agenda. Ending poverty and overcoming hunger and food insecurity permanently come first and second, respectively, in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed in September 2015 by UN member States. This commitment is also stressed by the African Union Agenda 2063 that recognizes the right of all Africans to be well-nourished and lead healthy and productive lives