tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30099279848822867872024-03-13T08:12:35.979+03:00Youth in FarmingGenerating wealth from agriculture for business and tech-savvy african youth.John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-51056922540446856152023-01-12T19:18:00.005+03:002023-01-25T11:04:06.439+03:00Make Millions farming Nile perch: A source for fish maw a symbol of wealth and prestige in Asia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q9xkyoTrzEKjzLQFPJKSJIaSSoCG8ubgO-0saAfMcQhbRvDpulGstleC6zCtsFZqLRtsHj7A2qCdI-7KRrqKo_pZT6NZHkkPaSrrjn6OC5J_BdwkUsAgyoSA0Mnsc_gpGlBWnKGj0qZafUXiGpDYlBehgZ4xEztVu4yYTxQNFS82A6TKlkW2jwD2/s800/Nile%20Perch%20from%20lake%20victoria%20Uganda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nile perch from lake victoria so huge 100kg @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q9xkyoTrzEKjzLQFPJKSJIaSSoCG8ubgO-0saAfMcQhbRvDpulGstleC6zCtsFZqLRtsHj7A2qCdI-7KRrqKo_pZT6NZHkkPaSrrjn6OC5J_BdwkUsAgyoSA0Mnsc_gpGlBWnKGj0qZafUXiGpDYlBehgZ4xEztVu4yYTxQNFS82A6TKlkW2jwD2/w320-h214/Nile%20Perch%20from%20lake%20victoria%20Uganda.jpg" title="Nile perch from lake victoria so huge 100kg @youthinfarming.org" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Fish exporters want Ugandan lawmakers to ban locals from eating Nile perch</b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>As Nile perch quantities decrease, a great opportunity to explore farming Nile perch </b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Nile perch, a source of fish maw, a delicacy in Asia, signifying wealth, prestige and honour. </b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Growing chinese wealth ensures increasing demand for nile perch and fish maw.</b></li></ul></h4><p></p><p>Fish exporters in Uganda are asking lawmakers to <a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ban-local-eating-of-nile-perch-exporters-3593536" target="_blank">ban locals from eating Nile perch</a> fish, which they propose should be reserved for export to Europe and Asia where it is in high demand at high prices. </p><p>The exporters further on argue that Nile perch has a more global demand than tilapia fish which should be promoted to be consumed locally. Nile perch is considered as the most valuable fish in Uganda, where 80,000 metric tonnes are harvested earning the country up to 153 million dollars annually. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn6WIwZ2zhjCdlsD33wqN1707NGFzaROAH_A4HaE3vhKw__ZxFtavfKzyAMsx3w0q6F0G9bdxN5WGcQLGnczipL2fpwSfvH5UVgzjBw0H8waZIsfV59mAMN1_hnaK2rridv17ARDaVYEviU55LpiqCymQ1PNr24k_Hhj5Gt5z6Z7VSBwrI-U5V_9y/s4032/Nile%20Perch%20Uganda%20meal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nile perch served on a tray communal eating Uganda meal @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn6WIwZ2zhjCdlsD33wqN1707NGFzaROAH_A4HaE3vhKw__ZxFtavfKzyAMsx3w0q6F0G9bdxN5WGcQLGnczipL2fpwSfvH5UVgzjBw0H8waZIsfV59mAMN1_hnaK2rridv17ARDaVYEviU55LpiqCymQ1PNr24k_Hhj5Gt5z6Z7VSBwrI-U5V_9y/w300-h400/Nile%20Perch%20Uganda%20meal.jpg" title="Nile perch served on a tray @youthinfarming.org" width="300" /></a></div><p>But such quantities of Nile perch fish are reducing fast. A particular situation in early 2021, involved the mysterious <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/202102120212.html" target="_blank">death of over 100 tonnes of Nile perch</a> on lake Victoria that was believed to occur due to limited oxygen, poisoning, rising lake water temperatures and rubbish dumped into the lake. Though poisoning was later ruled out, from lab results conducted, which indicating that the Nile perch species was the only one affected while other fish species survived.</p><p>The situation is so dire on lake Victoria, especially during flooding when alot of refuse ends up in the lake, decompose creating manure and algae that ends up covering a huge area of the water body restricting the amount of oxygen in the water necessary for deep water Nile perch to survive. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Fish maw: Asian symbol of wealth, prestige and honour</b></h2><p>Nile perch is also a source for fish maw, which is dried fish swim bladders, that are considered as one of the top delicacies in Asian cultures. Fish Maw is a spongy substance about the size of a palm of human hand, light in weight and white in colour signifying health and fortune, that is popularly served during <a href="http://eatconnection.com/what-is-fish-maw/" target="_blank">celebrations of the Chinese new year</a>, weddings, and birthdays.</p><p>In addition, Nile perch has medicinal and therapeutic properties that heal weak lungs, kidneys, anaemia, boosts stamina and contains proteins, nutrients and collagen important for lady's skincare, preserving a fine complexion and increasing blood flow in the body. Many <a href="http://www.emperorbrandbirdnest.com/our-news/product-knowledge/about-fish-maw.html" target="_blank">Chinese believe</a> consuming fish maw improves their skin, and pregnant women take it to improve skin of their babies. </p><p>Therefore, the fish maw harvested from the Nile perch from lake Victoria is gaining greater importance and value, due to increasing wealth in China, where it is promoted as a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X21003079" target="_blank">beauty product</a> and as a symbol of wealth, prestige and honour. A kilogram of fish maw is sold between $450 to $1,000.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Nile Perch farming opportunity</b></h2><p>This is an opportunity for a <a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html" target="_blank">young enterprising farmer</a> to explore the opportunities of setting up a Nile perch fish rearing business. There is more than a big market available for Nile perch considering China alone, is the worlds most populous nation with a population of 1.4 billion people, other asian nations, Europe and African nations where fish is consumed. In fact the stakes have are so high in Uganda, where if caught with fish maw you <a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/new-bill-proposes-harsh-penalties-on-illegal-fishing--3319572" target="_blank">face steep fines</a> or get imprisoned several years, leaving the option of rearing nile perch as lucrative activity. </p><p><b>What is your experience with nile perch? Share your comments below.</b></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-38157457771737497832022-06-16T17:11:00.008+03:002023-01-25T11:06:58.895+03:00Juicy Ruby Roman Grapes: Most Expensive Yet Scarce. Opportunity for African Youth in Farming<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXDhO0AKOd40ZNOAZOC9S-HS7HnOArwPCqhnHiNcumPqNf6Vz0lWIA_4gHFiN6Ab4rL8Si8Nns9jRWRGFhCVG4qK_HzsBh-ZCVG5j_XRjxKQiXtk1JvIYryVkAUE1d4fevbZdR3JmpnHkqk3wAQ5EjyuHby1FJxPhtxr9zyp0TsxVNEJv_hTq7ipV/s928/roman%20ruby%20grapes.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="a bunch of ruby roman most expensive grapes" border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="928" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXDhO0AKOd40ZNOAZOC9S-HS7HnOArwPCqhnHiNcumPqNf6Vz0lWIA_4gHFiN6Ab4rL8Si8Nns9jRWRGFhCVG4qK_HzsBh-ZCVG5j_XRjxKQiXtk1JvIYryVkAUE1d4fevbZdR3JmpnHkqk3wAQ5EjyuHby1FJxPhtxr9zyp0TsxVNEJv_hTq7ipV/w320-h221/roman%20ruby%20grapes.png" title="a bunch of ruby roman most expensive grapes" width="320" /></a></div>Japanese Ruby Roman Grapes are regarded as the most expensive grapes in the world with a single bunch fetching between $90 and $450. Their unique features that include being fragrant, sweet, juicy and less sour has earned ruby roman grapes the status of a luxury fruit with a lot of demand but limited supply. <p></p><p>Different varieties of grapes are actively grown in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania. Considering that the weather is conducive for growing grapes, youth eager to get rich farming would be smart to research the business of growing ruby roman grapes to produce highly demanded and delicious fruit as a profitable crop. And if you are a grape farmer, the points made below can be relevant in improving your yields.</p><p><b>Here below is a video report on why ruby roman grapes are so expensive, with a few key points from the video outlined below:</b></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Background on ruby roman grapes:</b></h2><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It was not until 2008 that the first roman ruby grapes went up for sale. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The effort to create them started in 1995 when local grape farmers and Ishikawa's agricultural research center decided to create a new breed of large red grapes.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In the start, there were dozens of varieties planted, mixture of red varieties, blue varieties and more. The pollen flew from one of the varieties, it was a cross by chance and it got a fruit. it was very lucky. If those different varieties had not been planted, roman ruby grapes would not be born.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Culture and features of ruby roman grapes:</h2><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>First thing is Japanese Ruby Roman Grape's size. Just one is four times the size of an average grape. Inspectors look at a colour card and the grapes, and if it matches most prefered colour, one bunch of the grape can fetch between $90 and $450. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Size and colour define these luxury grapes. There is no other variety in the world that is so large and red. Ruby roman grapes variety is only one that exists. In Japanese culture, fruits are considered as a gift and luxury item. Supermarkets often do not sell fruit with deformities.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>No matter the grade, all the the roman ruby grapes have a uniquely sweet flavour. Ruby roman grapes are very fragrant and elegantly sweet, and its less sour. And very juicy. When you peel the skin, the juice will drip down. The juice splashes when you put it in your mouth.</li></ul><p></p></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Quality control and grading of grapes:</h2><div style="text-align: left;"><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Each grape bunch is scrutinized for the colour, and size of each individual grape grain, which must weigh at least 20grams, and 30 milimeters in size. Next, sugar content in the grapes is measured with a non-destructive sugar meter which must be over 18 percent. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Superior grade grapes</u> make up 90 percent of harvest and <u>special superior grade</u> grapes make 10 percent. Superior grapes can cost between $90 and $140 dollars, while special superior grapes cost between $180 and $450 but one category costs more than these two.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Highest grade grapes are called <u>premium</u>. Average grape grain size weighs 20grams, while for premium grapes, each grain must weigh at least 30grams. Only one or two bunches a year qualify as premium. Farmers hope to sell <u>one bunch of premium grapes for over one thousand dollars</u>. Two bunches of premium grapes were recorded in 2021, while none in both 2020 and 2019. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIXSiOP2yKPHpzDT0aQ2nV2m0Eb08RKIP-cXXMnivnlWv0Z9wjLMC-71NheXj4-tORcevqHs3j_LBCBIVL47ZPTv11POKdkn09F70ygxSrfwrWmUDobV6Z9WL7isUvSIEEhct5Dz6Z-jYvRli2diWtiRCD0IKwwVOz0h-GRim_77lpxIukdxjlXuI/s1295/juicy%20succulent%20ruby%20roman%20grape.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="juicy and succulent ruby roman grapes @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1295" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIXSiOP2yKPHpzDT0aQ2nV2m0Eb08RKIP-cXXMnivnlWv0Z9wjLMC-71NheXj4-tORcevqHs3j_LBCBIVL47ZPTv11POKdkn09F70ygxSrfwrWmUDobV6Z9WL7isUvSIEEhct5Dz6Z-jYvRli2diWtiRCD0IKwwVOz0h-GRim_77lpxIukdxjlXuI/w400-h194/juicy%20succulent%20ruby%20roman%20grape.png" title="juicy and succulent ruby roman grapes @youthinfarming.org" width="400" /></a></div></li></ul></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Farming process and monitoring:</h2><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Harvesting</u> starts in July just in in time for Japanese gift giving holidays, ochugen. Grapes are only grown in Ishikawa prefecture and cultivated in green houses where farmers have better control over the growing process.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoevi88BhFBAR_XO6OY7w0ZK_CLDTT5E6TSMLWE9Astnsl9vqUFwYCPTfASHdSnfASj3LhuB5vYMByOMmH2Q7xrPIXETT30JITJ5qfg1kb-zKokHqSzWf7jVG6DrI0nP4TnIEBKFkDOILAC8VQZD0lbNbhTQTgZWPv9P_VNnxbbRYcVjWOkLl78LE/s1291/ruby%20roman%20grapes%20greenhouse.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ruby roman grapes farmer in greenhouse" border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1291" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoevi88BhFBAR_XO6OY7w0ZK_CLDTT5E6TSMLWE9Astnsl9vqUFwYCPTfASHdSnfASj3LhuB5vYMByOMmH2Q7xrPIXETT30JITJ5qfg1kb-zKokHqSzWf7jVG6DrI0nP4TnIEBKFkDOILAC8VQZD0lbNbhTQTgZWPv9P_VNnxbbRYcVjWOkLl78LE/w400-h204/ruby%20roman%20grapes%20greenhouse.png" title="ruby roman grapes farmer in greenhouse" width="400" /></a></div></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Each grape is monitored and manicured</u> so that every grain in a bunch looks identical. To produce grapes of a proper size, use of a grape thinning device and a pair of scissors. Grape farmer: it helps to determine which grains and bunches to remove. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><u>Improving grape shape and beauty:</u> It is not good if the colour is uneven in a grape bunch. With scissors, we adjust the size of the grain evenly or make the shape more beautiful.</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><u>Controlling light</u>: grapes need to be exposed to certain amount of light to get right colour. You have to be more careful about amount of light more than other grape varieties. One way to control light is by adding or removing leaves near the vines.<br /><br /> To confirm that enough light is entering the greenhouse, farmers have devised a tool. farmer: to measure brightness in greenhouse by holding up camera of a smartphone, the percentage of the open space above the bunch is quantified, using a privately developed application, which informs farmers on how much light they need to add or subtract.</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><u>Controlling temperature</u>. When temperature in greenhouse is hot, over 30 degrees celcius, ruby grapes do not turn a nice red colour but becomes whitish. Farmer opens the sides and ceilings of the greenhouse to keep it as cool and as ventilated as possible. </li></ul></ul><p></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Challenges growin ruby roman grapes: </b></h2><p style="text-align: left;">Not all ruby grapes farmers grow, will be up to standard which is why supply is limited. In 2020, only 25,000 ruby roman grape bunches were up for sale, a tiny fraction of all grapes available for sale in Japan which was 163,000 metric tons.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EE7NqzhMDms" width="320" youtube-src-id="EE7NqzhMDms"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: left;">In conclusion, growing ruby roman grapes may be a viable way to get rich farming though further research on the conditions and other requirements needed to earn high yields is needed. One can start with making contact with Japanese farmers in Ishikawa to inquire about ruby mistakes to avoid, grapes diseases, where to get seedlings, and care needed to produce high yields. </p><p><b>Leave us a comment and share story with your friends.</b></p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Secure-Agribusiness-Assets-Keep-Cyber-Attacks-Out.html">8 Ways to Secure Your Agribusiness Assets to Keep Cyber Attacks Away</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html"> How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-22866374652558115212022-06-13T20:12:00.005+03:002023-01-25T11:11:41.473+03:00Critical Life Skills for Astronuats for Your Agribusiness Success<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80tASs8T8Diz7wDoSz-7RchwIFHi6krCrqLGe8uYklOrektIwO_-wGVRNplFFn_lyLRrioE33B_XPoS2EOHe21cLdacdahYXkuLbXmEsz6wvetSNWlcyNZqUcyN_l-Le36_pTXjWBDUCK_ZqviGqkD4TOcwEbJNtPRXTAcggoF1jWhYhX9s7JxhFC/s626/rich%20mango%20fruit%20harvest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rich mango fruit harvest takes teamwork" border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="541" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80tASs8T8Diz7wDoSz-7RchwIFHi6krCrqLGe8uYklOrektIwO_-wGVRNplFFn_lyLRrioE33B_XPoS2EOHe21cLdacdahYXkuLbXmEsz6wvetSNWlcyNZqUcyN_l-Le36_pTXjWBDUCK_ZqviGqkD4TOcwEbJNtPRXTAcggoF1jWhYhX9s7JxhFC/w346-h400/rich%20mango%20fruit%20harvest.jpg" title="rich mango fruit harvest takes teamwork" width="346" /></a></div>NASA has shared skills that astronauts use to successfully accomplish tasks together while in space - skills that are also very relevant for life on earth. NASA prepares the astronauts on the objectives of the mission at hand and the experiences they are bound to share together, training astronauts in expeditionary skills: selfcare/teamcare, cultural competency, leadership/followership, and teamwork. </div><div><br /></div><div>If these life skills work for astronauts, they are also bound to work towards the <a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">success of your agribusiness</a>, especially when you become particularly aware and deliberately put them into practice in your own environment. For instance, when you choose to practice teamwork, you let the best ideas and suggestions within the team to form the <a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">course of action</a>, even when those ideas come from somebody else apart from the leader.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Self-care/teamcare</h2><div><b>Key points:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Astronauts use technical skills in their missions but also rely on interpersonal skills like collaboration, responsibility, and flexibility. The goal is to help you gain abilities you can apply in your life.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Self-care is how healthy you are mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It includes taking care of your body, taking care of you belongings, being on time, getting enough sleep and your mood. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Exercising good self-care means you pay attention to yourself and make healthy decisions, so you can be ready for normal and unexpected situations. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>And never under-estimate the power of a positive attitude. Believe in something bigger than yourself: singing and humour are great to have in your self-care toolbox.</li></ul><p></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Teamcare key points:</h3><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Teamcare is how well the heads, hearts and hands of your teammates are working together. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Being good at teamcare means you monitor your teammates for signs of stress, fatigue or sickness and take steps to actively manage and support the health and readiness of your team.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Both self-care and teamcare rely on good communication. And the stronger the relationship, the stronger the communication. That's why astronauts spend alot of time working together and get to know each other before they get to fly into space.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can practice good self-care and teamcare everyday when you are part of many teams: classmates, family and community. By taking care of yourself and watching out for others, you and your team can achieve success that is out of this world. </li></ul><p></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Teamcare Activities for you:</b></h3><div>Create a scenario using self-care and teamcare in your own life. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Suggestions:</u></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><p></p><p></p><p></p><ul><li>Self-care activities: You might consider going out for a walk out in nature or forest (forest bathing), practice meditation, exercise, ride a stationary bike, yoga etc.</li></ul><ul><li>Team-care activities: Arrange an-out-office activity such as playing volleyball at the beach, hiking, camping.</li></ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-o3KLzOtq-c" width="320" youtube-src-id="-o3KLzOtq-c"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><p></p><p></p><p></p></ul></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Cultural competency</h2><div><b>Key points:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Every human who travels into space is awe-struck with beauty of earth, gaining a fresh understanding of how fragile earth really is. We're a global society meaning we must work together</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>When you work with people from different places, you may notice differences from yourself- perhaps they speak a different language, wear different clothing or have different skin colour. They may also have a different opinion on certain subjects. These are cultural differences. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What you consider normal in your part of the world, may be different from their normal. If you do not know how to deal with this, then it can be challenging to work together as a team. Solution is simple - cultural competency, the way we understand each other's differences. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Dangers and challenges faced by group while exploring cave required that they stick together and communicate. Solution to working together successfully with different cultures is to realise that everyone's perspective and contributions has value. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Your team is stronger and improved because of a cultural differences. If you truly respect and value the opinions and contributions of others, then you can set common goals that allow everyone on the team to be fulfilled. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>At first, you might think that you are giving up something, but in the end you will see that you exceeded your own expectations. So when you notice, somebody is different from you, listen to them, try to see things from their perspective and focus on your common goals, just as astronauts do on the International Space Station (ISS).</li></ul><p></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Competency call to action:</b></h3><div>-Create a scenario of cultural understanding in your life.</div><div><u>Suggestions:</u> Almost every African country is full of diverse cultures, try visiting a fellow farmer from a different culture from your own to learn and understand how they do whatever they do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBnPF6Ngc8o" width="320" youtube-src-id="pBnPF6Ngc8o"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Leadership/followership</h2><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Leaders find people who are the best, then they encourage, enable and inspire those people to accomplish great things.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Great leaders do more listening than talking because their job is to know every team member and to help them do their best.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Good leaders give the credit for success to their team, but they take responsibility for the failures. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>When everyone on team is all in and feels valued, then the leader is doing a good job. </li></ul><p></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Followership</h3><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Another form of leadership. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Good followers do not just follow but instead they lead themselves, their peers, and even their leaders when needed.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If you are in a follower role, think like a leader. Ask yourself, as a team, what are we trying to accomplish? what can i contribute? Is what am saying helping or hurting our progress?</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sometimes as a follower, you don't get to set the team's mission or vision but you are absolutely critical to its success. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>At NASA, astronauts lead and follow all the time, for instance when they change command at the ISS. Its important to trust and listen to each other because everyone is good at something and will be in charge at some point. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You may not notice, but you switch back between leadership and followership all the time. In sports, when you have the ball, you are leading the team, and then you make a decision and your teammates support by blocking out the other team or getting in position to help, and as soon as you pass the ball, another player becomes leader and you become follower. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Practice being good leaders and good followers, like at NASA and you will be surprised by how much success you are a part of. Trust and listen to the people around you, whether you are the leader or the follower.</li></ul><p></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Action</h3><div>-Create a scenario using leadership and followership in your life.</div><div><u>Suggestions:</u> While on a team day event, assign each member a leadership role on a particular task while everyone else remains a follower and have a feedback session at the end of it all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y479yvRVYAE" width="320" youtube-src-id="Y479yvRVYAE"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Teamwork and communication</h2><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Teamwork happens every time you work with another person to achieve a common goal. so all space missions rely on teams. Astronauts are assigned to a team or crew for their mission to the ISS.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Astronaut crews go through a lot of training before travelling to space: they learn how to work together as a team, get to know each other's responsibilities on the team, and they have to make sure that they all have the skills to overcome challenges together. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>So they need their teammates to keep them safe and accomplish difficult tasks, like spacewalks. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Teamwork takes practice and you have opportunities to practice it in your life. You can support others, you can be a good listener and you can work together to solve problems. </li></ul><p></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Action</b></h3><div>-Create a scenario using teamwork in your life.</div><div><u>Suggestion:</u> Play sports, such as a game of soccer or volleyball.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1toxmE3ozgk" width="320" youtube-src-id="1toxmE3ozgk"></iframe></div><br /><div>In conclusion, taking care of your health ensures that you are less prone to fall victim to the negative effects of stress and burnout which can derail your focus from working towards success of your agribusiness. When you become good at taking care of yourself, it will be easier to do the same for your teammates to increase understanding and communication with each other across cultural differences to create the trust necessary for <a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">solving problems</a> as either leaders or followers in any particular situation. You should do continuos practice, and with it comes continuos improvement until these life skills are part and parcel of your personality.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Leave us a comment and share the story.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Read more:</div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Secure-Agribusiness-Assets-Keep-Cyber-Attacks-Out.html">8 Ways to Secure Your Agribusiness Assets to Keep Cyber Attacks Away</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/youthinfarming-among-top-farming-feedspot-blogs.html">YouthinFarming Ranked Among Top Farming Blogs</a></li></ul><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-41064989355562237372022-06-11T13:19:00.004+03:002022-06-16T13:16:30.709+03:008 Ways to Secure Your Agribusiness Assets to Keep Cyber Attacks Away<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0iMxNHGRJbhWAwYJxpPpyYB_f_wtwj3vfmqV6Pd7UWLBjRe4BMCl3fYb33Qf1_05VncvxNaV7IROIv7aE95UDluVL5XRX4qKDf8p0eLCKTZ5tqhDqBVKSBVmtXjNNGJe6V7CFFTibsKxrhbmfg-z2mb2rYwckOSPo_iB9j-5mvikeUA1oITqdrrf/s800/Paying-bills-via-mobile-phone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Paying for food bills using mobile phone" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0iMxNHGRJbhWAwYJxpPpyYB_f_wtwj3vfmqV6Pd7UWLBjRe4BMCl3fYb33Qf1_05VncvxNaV7IROIv7aE95UDluVL5XRX4qKDf8p0eLCKTZ5tqhDqBVKSBVmtXjNNGJe6V7CFFTibsKxrhbmfg-z2mb2rYwckOSPo_iB9j-5mvikeUA1oITqdrrf/w259-h320/Paying-bills-via-mobile-phone.jpg" title="Paying for food bills using mobile phone @youthinfarming.org" width="259" /></a></div>As a young farmer participating in agriculture with the <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html" target="_blank">support of Information and Communication Technologies</a> (ICTs), you need to be aware that such gadgets are made of software and hardware with <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">security weaknesses</a>. ICTs include mobile/landline telephones, computers, televisions, Internet connections among others. <p></p><p>Software are the intangible instructions running on the device enabling the user to view, interact and send commands to the device to produce a desired result. The hardware is a the physical tangible component that you can touch and hold in your hands. Both software and hardware function in harmony to enable a device to successfully carryout an assigned task. </p><p>When an attacker, takes possession of your device, you have essentially lost access to a tool relevant for creating value in your agribusiness. What is less visible is when an attacker, infects your device with malicious software (malware) that gets embedded deep into the device, with the intent of <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">stealing your sensitive business data</a>. </p><p>This form of attack, which happens when an attacker gets physical access to your devices or via infecting your device because it is accessible online is increasingly becoming a <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Ransomware-Locks-up-Costa-Rica-Leak-Personal-Data.html">global challenge to defend against</a>, though with a few measures, the impact of a cyber attack can be reduced.</p><p>When attacker has stolen your sensitive data, the result of which is that you get locked out of your devices by ransomware with attacker asking to be paid in cryptocurrency before releasing the key to regain access to your files, folders, applications and databases. And when <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Bank-of-Zambia-Systems-Ransomed-Refuses-to-Pay.html">you refuse to pay</a> the ransomware demands, the attacker autions your data and publishes it online for everyone to access. </p><p>Ransomware attacks are especially devasting to small business with over <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/3-popular-Cyber-attacks-on-African-small-business.html" target="_blank">60 percent going bankrupt</a> after a cyber attack, and others facing damages to business reputation, disruption of business operations and huge financial losses. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">There are a few proactive steps you should take to reduce the likelihood of a successful cyber attack against your agribusiness:</h3><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Backup your business data</b>, especially sensitive and critical business data, and keep your <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html" target="_blank">backups offline</a>. Be sure to test the backups that they work and can be successfully restored when needed. </li><br /><li><b>Segment your network</b>, to separate the network with your most valuable assets (crown jewels) away from all the others.</li><br /><li><b>Use strong passwords</b> and enable two-step verification via a token sent to your mobile phone or authentication app.</li><br /><li><b>Install critical software updates</b> to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Security-flaws-Affect-Android-Users-and-Business.html">patch vulnerabilities</a> in your assets when they become available from Microsoft and other suppliers.</li><br /><li><b>Practice telling fake messages</b> from legitimate ones using free online <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">phishing quizzes</a>.</li><br /><li><b>Prepare short and concise business policy guides</b>, by customizing <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html" target="_blank">free online policy templates</a>, to guide your employees on business best practices.</li><br /><li><b>Prepare a list with ransomware detection and decryption services</b> that provide <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html">solutions for removing ransomware</a> without paying the ransom, in the event you fall victim to ransomware.</li><br /><li><b>Keep improving your knowledge</b> regarding keeping your business data and systems safe online using <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/5-Free-Beginner-Friendly-Courses-stay-safe-online.html">free online courses</a>, some of which offer certificates and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Free-Online-Courses-Executive-Degrees-Top-schools.html">degrees from top universities</a>.</li></ol><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In conclusion, prevention is always better than cure, and becoming proactive greatly lowers risk of a successful attack on your agribusiness. Correcting an adverse event after an attack takes alot of time, money and effort without a guarantee that your business will survive. Be sure to reach out to us if you need assistance.</p><p>Leave us a comment and share in your networks.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/youthinfarming-among-top-farming-feedspot-blogs.html">YouthinFarming Ranked Among Top Farming Blogs</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">10 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-53378930260078457932022-06-10T14:19:00.003+03:002022-06-10T14:19:37.368+03:00YouthinFarming Ranked Among Top Farming Blogs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZBx8VxfRtHa3RQSC1hl8QLyJq2a9QKub1JW5uRzFCyLrHW0WjqaOAOQDNdbGW2JeBEbFBCWoQrcM0V1oKlbmtVT6QAubpb8104NYV4WG-vgY9PD0esWAroz2_JaPSzg2UwihgzKa84hdq7jzeJGw9uDTbS9vYiEX33gK2bOg9fbNGeP3tKlByWNZ/s820/youth-in-farming-ranked.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="youthinfarming blog among top farm blogs" border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="820" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZBx8VxfRtHa3RQSC1hl8QLyJq2a9QKub1JW5uRzFCyLrHW0WjqaOAOQDNdbGW2JeBEbFBCWoQrcM0V1oKlbmtVT6QAubpb8104NYV4WG-vgY9PD0esWAroz2_JaPSzg2UwihgzKa84hdq7jzeJGw9uDTbS9vYiEX33gK2bOg9fbNGeP3tKlByWNZ/w640-h142/youth-in-farming-ranked.PNG" title="youthinfarming blog among top farm blogs" width="640" /></a></div><br />Exciting news reaching our desk is that Youth in farming has been selected as one of the <a href="https://blog.feedspot.com/farming_blogs/">top eighty farming blogs on the web</a>, ranked as number 51 on the feedspot list. This is great news to the efforts towards inspiring youth to join agriculture as a profitable field capable of feeding the increasing global population. <p></p><p>In addition, the visitor traffic is increasing at the site, soon reaching and surpassing 400,000 visits with an average of 100 daily visits. We greatly appreciate your support. Please continue to follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/youngfarmer2k">twitter</a> (@youngfarmer2k), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_U8ZOBxjzUfq6sxfCv51EQ">youtube</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming/225388997511711?sk=wall" target="_blank">facebook </a>(facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming).</p><p>Leave us a comment.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Increasing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-37985150928276374762022-06-01T16:33:00.010+03:002022-06-09T17:38:22.640+03:00How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Valuable Products<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBU69J87JNmVRyeMrKPIFv9m8BvM78Zl-ZDwJoRmHNNsX84Il1qIEevkMj1GHwuXoBydcM7ah_a2_ZCAFnLNO78JYYNVwrKYi8-ipBYieh8Y8HzcQwUo34OKB7vTaC30y9UyRMIgGVkjRSlflDYgZD3_J0zLFIx3qn4ysawnN2oLLLGLQOnnJWYWfn/s3249/food-waste-avocado.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="food waste avocado @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="2198" data-original-width="3249" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBU69J87JNmVRyeMrKPIFv9m8BvM78Zl-ZDwJoRmHNNsX84Il1qIEevkMj1GHwuXoBydcM7ah_a2_ZCAFnLNO78JYYNVwrKYi8-ipBYieh8Y8HzcQwUo34OKB7vTaC30y9UyRMIgGVkjRSlflDYgZD3_J0zLFIx3qn4ysawnN2oLLLGLQOnnJWYWfn/w400-h270/food-waste-avocado.jpg" title="food waste avocado @youthinfarming.org" width="400" /></a></div>I recently watched a video report below, where Business Insider visiting six companies turning fruit and vegetable waste into biodegradable plastic (bioplastic), hair extensions, fertilizers, sanitary pads, biogas providing energy for lighting and heating, biodegradable plates and other products. It got me thinking.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lessons and action points I took away:</h3><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Look around your home and community for unwanted food items and write them down.</li><li>Visit landfills to know what gets thrown out</li><li>Research if any of the unwanted food items in your community can be utilised to make biogas energy, fertilisers and several other sustainable products </li><li>Understand and figure out how much money you can make from a sustainable agribusiness project providing services in your community.</li><li>Investigate level of awareness and community/government policies around food waste, and how this can be relevant for your agribusiness project.</li></ul><div>Below are the key points I took away from watching the Business Insider video linked below.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Think of: How can you turn food waste abundantly and freely available in your surroundings and community into valuable products while making a healthy income?</b></div></blockquote><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Read: <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></b></li></ul><p></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Key take-aways:</h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Leather from unwanted mangoes:</h3><p><b>Intro:</b> Dutch Company Fruitleather, produces Vegan Leather made from thousands of mangoes that would otherwise be thrown away, used to make wallets, handbags, shoes.</p><p><b>Quality controls:</b> Due to Dutch quality controls requires importer to cut mangoes which cant be sold ending up as trash. Company collects 1500 mangoes per day from dutch importer. Vegan leather company recieves mango fruit waste for free helping the company to get rid of mango waste without paying trash collection fees. </p><p><b>Process:</b> Mangoes are crushed into pulp, where is mixed with other additives to turn into leather material. They are put on trays to dry, added resins and a coating exposed to 100 degrees to make coating dry. Vegan leather is transformed to appear like animal skin, and it is sold around the world</p><p><b>Founders dream</b> was to turn something value-less into something valuable. Through several experiments founders discovered product they make today. </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Fruitleather is able to produce about 250 pairs of shoes per month.</li><li>Started out processing watermelons and discovered not many fibers inside watermelons but mainly water. Settled on mangoes because fruit was easy to work with. </li><li>And researched how many mangoes Holland imports. More than half of the mangoes in Europe are imported or traded by Netherlands. Around 12 percent of the food in Netherlands is wasted.</li><li>Vegan leather company is able to get a large amount of resource to make its products, and thus decided to stay with mango fruit waste processing. </li><li>Founders are also able to cut on global emissions affecting the planet, due to chemicals used to tan leather that are dangerous to both humans and environment.Also methan emissions from rearing cattle are reduced.</li><li>New environmentally friendly materials are needed that leave a smaller carbon footprint.</li></ul></ul><p></p><p><b>Vegan leather challenges:</b> some of it is made from mushrooms and pineapples, most of it is made from plastic leaving a huge carbon footprint.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>In 2020, synthetic leather market is valued at $31.4 billion increasing to over $40 billion in next six years, a fraction of entire leather industry valued at $400 billion.</li><li>Mango leather does not last as long as cow leather. Company hopes to improve production one mango at a time.</li></ul></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">07:48 Bioplastic from unwanted avocado:</h3><p><b>Background:</b> In 2021, americans consumed 6 billion ovacadoes, developing alot of food waste. A company (biofase) transforms ovacado waste into Bioplastics that help to reduce pollution because they break down faster and use less fossil fuels.</p><p><b>Process: </b>Company biofase in Mexico, exports about half of worlds ovacado. Bioplastics are products made of biological substances instead of petroleum. The process starts with ovacado seeds, which are shredded and turned into sheets </p><p><b>Technology:</b> bioplastics are an improvement over traditional plastics as they take less fossil fuels to produce, contain fewer toxic chemicals, and decompose faster. The technology to make bioplastics has improved to grow to $20 billion industry. Biofase produces 130 tonnes of bioplastic each month, with products shipped around the world.</p><p><b>Challenges:</b> bioplastics require special industrial facilities to properly compost and can contaminate regular recycling stream, and more expensive than regular plastic.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Production capacity for bioplastics is currently low while fossil fuel plastic capacity is much bigger.</li><li>Bioplastics are mostly used in restaurants but idea that biodegradables can be thrown into nature and will go away is false. It takes about one year for bioplastics to break down in natural conditions, which is plenty of time to block waterways and harm animal habitats, though its much shorter than time traditional plastics take to breakdown some of which take hundreds of years.</li></ul></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">12:33 Cloth from banana stems:</h3><p><b>Intro:</b> bananas are one of worlds most wasteful crops, especially the banana stems, with farmers typically burning them and thus polluting the air. Ugandan company, texfad, has figured out how to pulverise them into fibre to make mats, rugs, and hair extensions. Could bananas become a green alternative to cotton or silk?</p><p><b>Enter TexFad: </b>Every banana plant fruits once in its lifetime, and for every ton of fruit, theres two tonnes of debris. Texfad founder, Kimani Muturi saw potential in banana debris due to his love for handweaving while in college.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>it takes about a month to weave a rug inspired by east african patterns, starting at about $500.</li><li>Texfad employs 23 people with an internship program. </li><li>Uganda produces more bananas than any other in East africa about nine million tonnes every year. Founder is not worried about banana materials as long as consumption of bananas continues.</li><li>Texfad has grown in past eight years, a fraction of the $30 billion global banana industry. Environmentalists say that composting banana stems into fertiliser would be a more immediate solution.</li><li>Texfad produces biodegradable fabrics than are more sustainable than other popular fabrics. Banana fibre absorbs dyes better than cotton meaning that it needs less water and less land to produce</li></ul></ul><p><b>Process:</b> </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Banana stems are cut into chunks and left to dry in the sun. </li><li>And thereafter feed the stems into an extractor, a crucial step and only one that requires machinery, extractor costs range from $1,000 to $10,000 for a new one, which is an obstacle for expanding the business, while rest of work is done by hand.</li><li>Extracted fibres are dried again until they feel like silky yarn, which is later dyed and the weaving shed where making of handicrafts begin.</li></ul></ul><p></p><p><b>Challenges:</b> Special equipment and expertise hold back this method from becoming more widespread. Banana fibre may well be the next popular fibre in fashion.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Read: <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">10 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agricultural Business</a></b></li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">17:47 Plates from unwanted pineapple:</h3><p><b>Process:</b> At Lifepack, plates are made from shredded pineapple crowns mixed with recycleable paper and turned into sheets left to dry out in the sun. A machine presses plates into a form, and if the disposable plates end up in places with soil and water, tiny seeds inside will blossom in a few days.</p><p><b>Founders</b> wanted to create not only biodegradable product but rather one that generates life.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workers at lifepack turn out 10,000 eco-friendly plates. </li><li>In addition to plates, company makes sandwich containers and coffee cup sleeves that contain seeds from edible plants like amaranth, strawberry and cilantro.</li><li>For every ton of products that company makes, it saves about 16 trees. It sources pineapple crowns from nearby processing plant where owners dont charge anything for the pineapple waste.</li><li>Company is trying to promote creation of circular economies, founded 12 years ago by husband and wife pair, when they noticed people in parks polluting environment with products from plastic or styrofoam.</li><li>Columbia is trying to reduce plastic waste. In 2018, country introduced a tax on single-use plastics that increase each year.</li><li>Lifepacks sells for $2.5 per dozen, more than double price of traditional plastic plates. Its plates are sold in three large supermarkets and company handles large orders via website. </li><li>Lifepack has managed to capitalise on increasing demand for sustainable packaging which has increased 40 percent since company started. </li><li>Currently there is more demand than what company is able to supply, which means there is a positive response from clients and ready market for products company sells.</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Challenges: </b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Lifepack needs to modernize machinery and improve production and founders hope to franchise the business and expand it to other countries to help more people cut back on plastics.</li><li>Getting consumers to buy Lifepack products is not easy, due to people not being environmentally aware.</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Read: <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></b></li></ul><p></p><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">21:47 Sanitary Pads from unwanted banana stems:</h3><div><b>Intro:</b> India grows more bananas that anywhere else in the world. One company is turning banana waste into biodegradable sanitary pads that help more people have safer periods. With disposable plastic pads on the rise, can banana stems save planet from mountains of trash?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Enter Saathi:</b> In 2015 when Saathi started, only about a third of women in India had access to pads, meaning missing out on school or work every five days every month which sets women back.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Just one banana plant stem can yield up to 3,000 pads saathi says. Bananas bear fruit only once, and one harvested, farmers clear the field for new growth</li><li>research found out that turning banana waste into fertilizer, fabric, and even candy.</li></ul></ul></div><div><b>Process: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>banana stems are cut in half and peeled layer by layer, that are fed into machines that turn them into fibres and hanged to dry.</li><li>banana stem fibre extration machines are setup around so that farmers to extract the fibres, and saathi pays farmers for the fibres.</li><li>At saathi factory, dried fibres are fed into machines to cut them further into small sizes, and turned into cotton-like fluff material using saathi secret technology. And then pressed into thinner and thinner sheets which forms the absorbent layer of the pads. And workers manually arrange the layers of the pad together.</li><li>After pads are cut to size, they are tested using water and ink from each batch, and thereafter samples sanitized via light to kill off bad bacteria and viruses.</li><li>All pads and packaging are biodegradable, and would break down in under six months and if left in the open, takes 18 months. Conventional pads are made mostly of plastic, which if all menstruating women in India used them would create a huge amount of trash</li></ul></div><div><b>Product: </b></div><div><ul><li>farmers can also use the liquid from the stems as fertilizer in their gardens.</li><li>Before disposable pads were invented, people used cloth, dried plants and other absorbent substances. Many women still use cloth which can cause infections if not washed and dried frequently.</li><li>Saathi sells pads in shopping stores and online, and for each pad it sells, saathi gives one away free to people in rural areas where they are needed most. Distributed almost 2 million pads now.</li></ul></div><div><b>Challenges:</b> </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>When pads are introduced local women are taught in menstrual health. Issues include cultural taboos and price of pads.</li><li>In some communities, women's behaviour is limited while menstruating. Art, activism and government programs are used to make it easier to talk about periods.</li></ul></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">30:14 Biogas energy from unwanted vegetables:</h3><p><b>Intro:</b> 10 tonnes of food go unsold at the market instead of going to a landfill, its turned into electricity that powers street lights, buildings and a kitchen preparing food for 800 people using biogas which experts says its plentiful and low-tech and burns cleaner than any fossil fuel. Why cant we make energy from 1.3 billion tonnes of food thrown out every year?</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Read - <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></b></li></ul><p></p><p><b>Enter Bowenpally market in Hyderabad, India:</b></p><p><b>Process:</b> Larger vegetables are chopped into smaller pieces. Coveyer belt carries them into factory where they are shredded further, and food pulp pumped into digesters where bacteria are bred in absence of oxygen. They feed on the food waste giving out carbondioxide and methane, gases emited by any organic material as it decomposes.</p><p><b>Reasons why food is thrown out:</b> Some are thrown out because they are spoilt and some because it will cost farmer too much to transport back home. Vegetables are useless if rotten, thats why they are used in biogas.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Massive amounts of food waste makes landfills third largest source of human-caused sources of methane emissions just behind fossil fuels and agriculture.</li><li>Burning biogas to make electricity is a way to harvest those gases before they enter the atmosphere</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Product:</b> At Bowenpally, biogas is stored in four huge balloons until its ready to use, serving enough power to a kitchen serving 800 meals per day.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Aside from energy, the biogas plants creates another byproduct - fertiliser. Farmers buy it back to spread in their fields where the vegetables grow, improving yields. </li><li>Biogas can be produced from any organic material including animal and human feaces.</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Challenges:</b> If biogas can be locally sourced to cut down on emissions and reduce food waste, why are we not all doing it? </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Because in most countries its still cheaper to burn fossil fuels. In North america biogas costs five times more than natural gas, though gap is smaller in Asia where price is less than $2 per unit. Worlds largest biogas plant was recently built in Denmark and new facilities are being built in Europe and Africa.</li><li>Biogas will never replace natural gas, theres just not enough waste to keep up with the demand for electricity, but it does reduce on landfill waste, something natural gas cant do.</li><li>A missed opportunity in US, where 30-40 percent of food gets thrown out. These projects need to happen to make life more sustainable </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2c-hNnfItto" width="320" youtube-src-id="2c-hNnfItto"></iframe></div><br /><p>In summary, growing food results in a lot of waste or unwanted plant fibres left behind that can be harnessed to produce fertilizers or feed bacteria to produce biogas energy that can bring cheap energy for cooking, lighting and heating in many rural communities in Africa. </p><p>Let this get you thinking and please share with us your ideas in the comments below.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/if-most-africans-work-in-agricultural.html">If most Africans work in the Agricultural sector, how come it has to Import so much Food?</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Growing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html">Low Quality Farming Materials affecting Youth Farmers and their Solutions</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html">5 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming or Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/10/produce-neem-oil-at-home-and-earn-extra.html">Produce Neem Oil at home and Earn an Extra Income from doing it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-69271707029872822242022-05-23T21:25:00.003+03:002022-06-09T11:17:07.068+03:00Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwOqXV8QrBOXwxp4VJp9BkxeUAWkzy7vChupVb2LoVoZ10y0YTexBJmvYcmzhyVdRZnR6vNJFtWvAw_FHFXjv_0PEmDuCPGLyaqp-5NU-RxIHsfwLdGa1B7l9cDFW3DKAPEKhkX75yZHFCVHq08LLpD-xCLB2vZstDwkKPLE4f32vIsYplpQksJtp/s807/east-africa-food-crisis.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="starvation and drought" border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="807" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwOqXV8QrBOXwxp4VJp9BkxeUAWkzy7vChupVb2LoVoZ10y0YTexBJmvYcmzhyVdRZnR6vNJFtWvAw_FHFXjv_0PEmDuCPGLyaqp-5NU-RxIHsfwLdGa1B7l9cDFW3DKAPEKhkX75yZHFCVHq08LLpD-xCLB2vZstDwkKPLE4f32vIsYplpQksJtp/w400-h73/east-africa-food-crisis.PNG" title="starvation and drought" width="400" /></a></div>As an african youth, if you are on the fence on whether you should engage in agriculture, you mostly should because the so many fellow africans need it to survive. If you started your agribusiness, you would positively contribute to more food being available in the future.<p></p><p>Sometimes reading news can be depressing especially stories about millions of people facing starvation, with nothing to eat - and most especially children. Having experienced not having enough to eat while growing up, upon reading such stories, i ask myself what I can do to help. </p><p>And that is where inspiration for this blog came from. I have learnt to channel my help in writing stories to help fellow african youth choose an agricultural path to grow enough food to feed the continent while making money at same time. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Here are few african stories making headlines lately </h2><p><b>1. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61437239">Drought in east africa</a>.</b> According to the BBC, over 20 million people are facing starvation in turkana, northern Kenya. the land has become completely dry due to rains that have failed to come leaving both people and livestock with nothing to eat. </p><p><b>2. <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1302810/russian-and-ukrainian-wheat-dependence-african-and-least-developed-countries/">African dependence on wheat from Russia and Ukraine</a>.</b> This bar chart made rounds when the Ukraine-russia war started showing a majority of african nations relying on wheat imports from these two nations. If you started on growing wheat today, you would feed people in Somalia, Benin, Laos, Egypt, Sudan, DR Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, Rwanda, Madagascar, Congo, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Libya, Tunisia, Uganda, Burundi, Yemen, Namibia, Kenya, Mauritania, Togo, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Malawi, South africa and Eritrea - countries waiting on wheat imports that are not coming due to an ongoing war. </p><p><b>3. Over <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1115922">43 million people need food</a> in Sahel and West Africa</b>, according to World Food Programme (WFP). A food crisis affecting people living in both rural and urban areas that is escalated by increasing food prices, drought and poor crop yields, conflicts, locusts and the effects of the corona pandemic. </p><p>Consider growing <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">macadamia nuts</a> that are currently the most expensive nuts with increasing demand, farming <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">crickets </a>and <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">black soldier fly</a> for insect protein that is needed for animal feeds, and/or sharing your knowledge and skills on <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">agricultural topics</a>.</p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your network.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2015/01/social-media-and-sustainable.html">Social Media and Sustainable Agriculture Online courses</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-50341962175191117842022-05-20T20:45:00.004+03:002022-06-09T11:21:03.053+03:00Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QHr9W9_-DJcyRX2nbqCIjwc-NJd9XQEUpANy92XxiFGeethISLz08adcipMRpiYkO5n6X8Lcgjlr_JdjDXbKrnLLMxdg1qJs92BTCPR0Uv_vpl2tImUGK5-u1zihw5I28JMt_XSgbE7lHE8x0kOWedB1ywJmxjXwCH9U6IumT07Q1tEqVye0ON9y/s1360/freshly-harvested-macadamia-nuts.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="freshly picked macadamia nuts" border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1360" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QHr9W9_-DJcyRX2nbqCIjwc-NJd9XQEUpANy92XxiFGeethISLz08adcipMRpiYkO5n6X8Lcgjlr_JdjDXbKrnLLMxdg1qJs92BTCPR0Uv_vpl2tImUGK5-u1zihw5I28JMt_XSgbE7lHE8x0kOWedB1ywJmxjXwCH9U6IumT07Q1tEqVye0ON9y/w640-h324/freshly-harvested-macadamia-nuts.png" title="freshly picked macadamia nuts" width="640" /></a></div>Macadamia nuts are regarded as the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macadamia-nuts-most-expensive-world-australia-hawaii-2019-3?r=US&IR=T" target="_blank">most expensive nuts</a> at $25 per pound, and are continously breaking price records due to increasing demand that exceeds available supply. Macadamia nuts have a high cholestorel-free fat content and palmitoleic acid relevant for improving the body's metabolism.<p></p><p>In east africa, Kenya has become the <a href="http://oxfarm.co.ke/tree-fruits/macadamia-nuts/macadamia-farming-in-kenya/" target="_blank">third biggest producer of macadamia</a> nuts globally, whose farmers are cashing in this lucrative crop rather than the failing coffee business. Other major macadamia producers are Australia, origin of the macadamia trees and South Africa, besides which growing macadamia is quite is not done in many parts in Africa.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b>READ: <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></b></p></blockquote><p>This is suitable and profitable area without competition, that a young farmer would do well to research and invest in getting a hybrid trees that mature faster to cash in the lucrative macadamia business, as visit to macadamia farmer demonstrates.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDKOe7yQ3fLRTIFMfpL6Wv5WdUzQlrv5Fa0cQuQnvKyXKMUfXFTOmaz6HBDuR1SGpFvVMl0VqoHfBs99eOKWoP42CK9ixNwTQ3eWjT18PYmZGbumdx4VZgBeag5VkggsiaLYPhw98hSN6chj7QgAvMnjymIzpyfTZVT991a9ArnWyzBT44aQG5JjK/s1360/macadamia-nuts-with-cracked-shell.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Macadamia nuts inside cracked shell @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="1360" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDKOe7yQ3fLRTIFMfpL6Wv5WdUzQlrv5Fa0cQuQnvKyXKMUfXFTOmaz6HBDuR1SGpFvVMl0VqoHfBs99eOKWoP42CK9ixNwTQ3eWjT18PYmZGbumdx4VZgBeag5VkggsiaLYPhw98hSN6chj7QgAvMnjymIzpyfTZVT991a9ArnWyzBT44aQG5JjK/w640-h256/macadamia-nuts-with-cracked-shell.png" title="Macadamia nuts inside cracked shell @youthinfarming.org" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Macadamia farm in Kenya</h3><p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdZdDSVaTJg" target="_blank">farm journal visit to Macadamia farm</a> of David Jesse in Kiambu county, Kenya 4.5 acre farm. Here are they key takeaways:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Weather conditions:</b> Macadamia grows well in altitude of 1500 to 2000 meters above sea level. And requires rainfall of between 700-2600 ml, temp 15-29 degrees centigrade and fertile sandy loamy soils of ph betwen 5.5 to 6.5. Well kept trees produce up to 80 kilograms per tree.</li><br /><li><b>Macadamia content and growth:</b> macadamia trees grow to 20 meters high, with fragrant pink and white flowers suceeded by a bunch of about 20 green fruit, with a shell difficult to crack. The nut, within the shell, is white in colour and rich in vitamins B6, fatty acids, protein, Iron and magnesium (key for improving metabolism and strengthening bones). Planting spacing of 7.5m - 10meters with an acre containing 70 trees in total. </li><br /><li><b>Growth and Harvesting:</b> Propagated through grafting while trees planted directly take seven years before producing first fruit. Some grafted varieties start to yield fruit from 2-3 years. After flowering, it takes 6-8months to mature. Ready nuts are harvested, shells removed and dried within 24 hours of harvesting. Macadamia flowering in July and harvesting may-june.</li></ul><p></p><p>Be sure to watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4VsuREEX0o" target="_blank">Part 2</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX-bS4_x6ys" target="_blank">Part 3</a> where the macadamia farmer, David Jesse, gets interviewed on challenges, benefits and best varieties to plant for maximum profit. Key take-aways summarised below:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Total trees:</b> There are 240 macadamia trees in total on farm. Production per trees goes up and down. A single tree can produce 200 kilogram (moranga 20 species). </li><br /><li><b>Fertiliser:</b> If theres a lot of rain and not enough sunshine, then trees do not produce as expected, and produced 6 tonnes at lowest levels. And without fertiliser got 13-14 tonnes, but with fertilisers got up to 20 tonnes of nuts per year. In 2019, farmer got 6 tonnes and buying rate 215 kes.</li><br /><li><b>Reason for farming:</b> farmer planted macadamia trees for over 11 years as a retirement plan to help pay bills when he can no longer work.</li><br /><li><b>Initial capital</b> got from transport job of about 100,000 kenyan shillings (kes) injected into planting macadamia trees. Waited for 3.5 years, and irrigated trees due to dry season. Local youth provide labour to take care of farm including harvesting.</li><br /><li><b>Challenges:</b> </li><ul><li>rats come to eat macadamia fruit, solution is to tie iron sheets around tree stem, so rat falls off when it tries to climb tree. </li><li>And not enough space (land) to plant trees thus producing less.</li><li>Kiambu 3 was very tall and difficult to harvest, and decided to an improved breed which is shorter and easier to harvest fruit (moranga 20 species)</li></ul><br /><li><b>Market:</b> so many people willing to buy macadamia. If you have a huge produce, companies buying are willing to buy at higher rate. Rate is normally between 80-200 kes per kilo.</li></ul><p></p><p>In summary, growing macadamia trees for the delicious and crunchy fatty nuts they produce is profitable and increasing in demand globally. Be sure to do your own research on the best grafted macadamia tree seedlings that mature faster and not so tall making harvesting the nuts difficult. This appears to be virgin territory with little to no competition, just as the insect protect market of <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">farming crickets</a> and <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">black soldier fly</a> currently is. See you when you are <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">making money in agriculture</a>!</p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your networks - asante sana.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/if-most-africans-work-in-agricultural.html">If most Africans work in the Agricultural sector, how come it has to Import so much Food?</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">10 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agricultural Business </a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html">Young Farmers Cry of Lack of Capital - Here is Free Seed Capital</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/10/produce-neem-oil-at-home-and-earn-extra.html">Produce Neem Oil at home and Earn an Extra Income from doing it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html">5 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming or Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-20572122835605013722022-05-18T20:42:00.002+03:002022-06-09T15:30:33.301+03:00Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfAhPL4U4h1fNNXPB2sBLyJB4EbTfbo0P7FvefsmrnCOH-qsSdP1ed9G6sVAaAVOqcgCyivnCm9685Gr9kErusgZIJXowCootg9asPlAUXHR9lzMy9r_lqGf9NJaQyL-KIzWjJYB15_NPX_Z8OHyohOvGPVvoVJ5UuFbHGPOWjM6AgmPxSuSz0dk8/s1315/cricket-farming.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cricket farming to produce sustainable protein @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="1315" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfAhPL4U4h1fNNXPB2sBLyJB4EbTfbo0P7FvefsmrnCOH-qsSdP1ed9G6sVAaAVOqcgCyivnCm9685Gr9kErusgZIJXowCootg9asPlAUXHR9lzMy9r_lqGf9NJaQyL-KIzWjJYB15_NPX_Z8OHyohOvGPVvoVJ5UuFbHGPOWjM6AgmPxSuSz0dk8/w640-h294/cricket-farming.png" title="cricket farming to produce sustainable protein @youthinfarming.org" width="640" /></a></div>According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food production needs to increase by up to<a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i3749e/i3749e.pdf" target="_blank"> sixty percent to meet global food requirements in 2050</a>, with emphasis on increasing production of under-utilized foods, such as insect farming, which are important in overcoming malnutrition in young children.<p></p><p>Silicon valley is already <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/03/investors-bet-millions-wont-balk-eating-bugs/" target="_blank">investing millions in companies producing insect protein</a>, a market valued at over $300 billion dollars. Insects are seen as a sustainable way to feed the growing human population without trashing the planet. Insect protein is getting added to foods people already eat like protein bars, consumer products, bread, pasta and crackers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVzINlMkr8bmEh8EmcaHaqLSfXvDDCunSVlZmzW54hze6uIF9wi2FzYyei9IOheqP9UkHJYJ9-C8bb3kDVB-Cqn412qfTzCEHbRhbOWwCeDTrRHDF8XpIrfqIsmgyOKTBai6TdTP5gV8zSWDPrJ8Dgi6bKGD1NH8h_cxlmC_pb0OsepNeF4qawqtX/s558/cricket-cookies.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cricket protein cookies @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="558" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVzINlMkr8bmEh8EmcaHaqLSfXvDDCunSVlZmzW54hze6uIF9wi2FzYyei9IOheqP9UkHJYJ9-C8bb3kDVB-Cqn412qfTzCEHbRhbOWwCeDTrRHDF8XpIrfqIsmgyOKTBai6TdTP5gV8zSWDPrJ8Dgi6bKGD1NH8h_cxlmC_pb0OsepNeF4qawqtX/w400-h248/cricket-cookies.PNG" title="cricket protein cookies @youthinfarming.org" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Massive Cricket farm</h3><p>Business Insiders visit to <a href="https://entomofarms.com/">Entomo farms</a>, a cricket farm in Canada, gives an insight into the practices of cricket farming. Quick facts in the video:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In a single room, 15 million cricket eggs. After 9 days, eggs hatch and stay in the nursery for 2 weeks. From time egg hatches to harvest is 6 weeks, at which time a cricket is fully mature. Its lived out its life, bred and laid eggs, and would be dying within a few days anyway. At which stage, they get turned into food.</li><br /><li>Crickets eat mixture of corn, soy and flax. On average, they feed on a 1,000 pounds (453kg) of feed per day. Such tiny animals consume alot when you have 10-15 million, thats fair amount of feed. It takes a personnel of 5 people to take care of a colony of millions of crickets.</li><br /><li>Among 900 cricket species, Entomo farms chose the tropical house cricket (gryllodes sigillatus) because of its simple feed requirements, does well in high densities, grows really fast and super delicious to eat. Every part of the tropical house cricket is edible, and includes nutrients calcium, iron and fibre.</li><br /><li>Crickets require a nice warm environment, being cold-blooded animals and their metabolism is controlled by temperature. If you keep them on the warmer end of their preffered temperature, they grow faster.</li><br /><li>Crickets eat mixture of corn, soy and flax. On average, they feed on a 1,000 pounds (453kg) of feed per day. Such tiny animals consume alot when you have 10-15 million, thats fair amount of feed.</li><br /><li>Growing 15 million crickets is far more sustainable than farming pigs, poultry or cattle. Crickets contain more protein than beef, without the environmental damage. To produce one kilogram of cow meat takes 22,000 litres of water, and to produce one kilogram of protein from a cricket, takes ca. 850 litres of water.</li><br /><li>Each day Entomo turns 15,000 crickets into 500 pounds of powder. Entomo produces 9,000 pounds of protein per week enough to fill the daily protein requirements of 80,000 people.</li><br /><li>Cricket poop is a usable product, cricket manure. Its called frass, and its a great fertilizer. Farm produces 6,000 pounds of manure per harvest. </li><br /><li>Entomo customers are integrating cricket protein into dog treats, selling it as cricket powder, putting it in a super-food smoothie mix, and putting it into baked goods and snacks. Cricket flour sells for $12 per four ounces </li><br /><li><b>Challenges:</b> Perception in North America around insect as food is a challenge while in Asia, crickets are already a popular food.</li><br /><li><b>Benefits:</b> few diseases transferrable from insects to humans which is different from farming mammals and chickens. Crickets have no known viruses or viruses that can cross between species.</li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yzn0sRH_4Qc" width="320" youtube-src-id="Yzn0sRH_4Qc"></iframe></div><br /><p>In conclusion, massive cricket farming has a number of benefits yet takes up very small space compared to farming poultry and mammals. Cricket farming, just like <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">black soldier fly farming</a>, is sustainable and good for the environment, has no viruses affecting humans and within six weeks, crickets are ready to turn into insect protein that is high demand as an ingredient in human snacks and animal feeds.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Further reading on cricket farming:</h3><p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200515061948/http://cricket-breeding.com/what-to-feed-crickets/" target="_blank">What to Feed Crickets.</a> Crickets are omnivores and scavengers. They feed on dry foods such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts; and fresh foods like greens (lettuce, broccoli etc), potatoes, carrots, fruits.</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-45872354" target="_blank">Crickets: The food of the future?</a> BBC. Cricket One startup in Vietnam with container setup for farming crickets to produce enough insect protein to feed the world.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_(insect)" target="_blank">Cricket</a> - Diverse facts and history about the cricket. Wikipedia.</p><p>Leave us a comment and share the story in your networks.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">10 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-14858516806506442542022-05-17T07:00:00.124+03:002022-06-09T12:40:08.584+03:005 Ways to Make Recurring Income in Agriculture in Africa<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxSQywmnUFGg6holnz3gWShNrbcCInABnnHbsB9VCN1oB9FCJ46A_X5Hd0toH87UkcjbWeSyiQE9mxCIUuzWrOAimQfVcZg4ObhlBGIgzlY1gbMjuPk_xCBA_eoAedvy1bkAEXega-9U6zsQuqoCX71tbGCmr-ZwWlLTNCWPANDOXbRNkI024EoJu/s1192/Agribusiness-portfolio.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="successful agribusiness farmer @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1192" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxSQywmnUFGg6holnz3gWShNrbcCInABnnHbsB9VCN1oB9FCJ46A_X5Hd0toH87UkcjbWeSyiQE9mxCIUuzWrOAimQfVcZg4ObhlBGIgzlY1gbMjuPk_xCBA_eoAedvy1bkAEXega-9U6zsQuqoCX71tbGCmr-ZwWlLTNCWPANDOXbRNkI024EoJu/w640-h374/Agribusiness-portfolio.png" title="African agribusiness portfolio @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portfolio of successful agribusiness farmer</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Youth in Farming has previously compiled a list of <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a>, that include making a mobile phone app which a reader might consider as difficult, though its <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2011/09/25-websites-that-let-you-make-mobile.html" target="_blank">possible without programming skills</a>. Now that information communication technologies (ICTs), such as mobile phones, are easily accesible in Africa, consider using <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">ICTs to boost your income</a> and agricultural success with the world. <p></p><p>Find here below a list of ways you can earn money in agriculture through telling agricultural stories via video, teaching online, freelancing, writing on a personal blog and demonstrating the value of your agricultural knowledge on a physical farm. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><b>READ: <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></b></p></blockquote><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">5 ways to make money in Agriculture</h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Vlogging </b>- telling agricultural stories through video. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/DIYGardenIdeas/videos">DIY Garden Ideas</a> youtube channel has 1.85 million subscribers gained from telling gardening stories through video. Study such a channel to tell similar stories in your community. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGTWKdViJewysTa-wn29rpQ/videos" target="_blank">Ghanaian Farmer</a> is another thriving african youtube channel.</li><br /><li><b>Teach agricultural courses online</b> on platforms like Coursera, zoom, skype and Udemy at a fee. On <a href="https://www.coursera.org/search?query=agriculture&source=deprecated_spark_cdp" target="_blank">coursera, a search for "agriculture"</a> courses gives only 37 results indicating that there is a huge gap still to be filled, unlike a search on "IT" which yields 4312 results. On <a href="https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?src=ukw&q=agriculture">Udemy, a search for "agriculture"</a> yields 263 results with courses valued at $13.99 onwards. Your strategy could be to price your course lower or give it away free for a group of pioneers on the basis that they undergo training and provide valuable feedback that can be used to improve the content of the course.</li><br /><li><b>Freelance agriculture content writer.</b> Freelance agricultural content writer on sites like fiverr and several other freelanceing websites. Some of such <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/search/gigs?query=agriculture&source=main_banner&search_in=everywhere&search-autocomplete-original-term=agriculture">profiles on fiverr</a> write content related with agricultural business plans, gardening, lawn care, landscape, logos, research projects, fruits, farm animals and charge anywhere between $10 to $80 per article. You might consider doing freelance writing as a side hustle with a full-time office/farm job.</li><br /><li><b>Setup a personal blog to tell agricultural stories.</b> Share your passion and unique insights regarding agriculture with the world. After consistently writing and <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">growing the traffic to your blog</a>, you will be able to accept advertisers (such as google adsense), to pay you for your efforts. Building up such blogging value, will pay dividends well into the future due to your blog continually getting visitors, getting advertisers and maybe getting <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2011/12/youth-in-farming-blog-win-youth-in.html" target="_blank">nominated for different awards</a> that greatly improves your reputation and income. </li><br /><li><b>Invest in attaining a quality agricultural education</b> and setup a demonstration farm to put the knowledge to use. With your success, many aspiring farmers would be more than willing to pay fees to a visit and have a hands-on experience on attaining similar success. <a href="http://emmanaluyima.com/ " target="_blank">Dr Emma Naluyima</a> has managed to reach a level of agribusiness success many dream of, on a small piece of land rearing pigs, maggots, fish, bananas, spices and many other innovative agricultural practices. </li></ol></div><div>In summary, making money in agriculture is possible but it requires that that you put in the work. Forget <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">getting-rich-quick schemes</a>, shortcuts or anything that promises getting money on autopilot. If you consistently put in the effort and ask for help where needed, with time you will suceed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Leave us a comment and thank you for sharing this article in your social media networks.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html">Young Farmers Cry of Lack of Capital - Here is Free Seed Capital</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html">5 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming or Agriculture</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-77444121979986545552022-05-16T11:39:00.019+03:002022-06-09T11:24:25.124+03:00Increasing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTE-0ThkPmc0iy-sn21pi9aN7uUcSdjxyK4HQ5-q7lI-hWHLfMGJqoBn0rEvDotKztYyIYKfHRWBemDI-iOptUei3692OW0fxRE7f5WcuAscptnoWgqT-PN4Vc2fuWq56BdkkpIUxQbVTip7EzGyr85AbFYpf-Zoz7WBhnkAbNtW1btbn9xCyWVl7/s979/Youth-in-farming-blog-traffic.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Increasing agribusiness blog traffic @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="979" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTE-0ThkPmc0iy-sn21pi9aN7uUcSdjxyK4HQ5-q7lI-hWHLfMGJqoBn0rEvDotKztYyIYKfHRWBemDI-iOptUei3692OW0fxRE7f5WcuAscptnoWgqT-PN4Vc2fuWq56BdkkpIUxQbVTip7EzGyr85AbFYpf-Zoz7WBhnkAbNtW1btbn9xCyWVl7/w640-h197/Youth-in-farming-blog-traffic.png" title="Increasing african blog traffic @youthinfarming.org" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Youth in Farming blog traffic through the years</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Dear reader,<p></p><p>thank you for visiting our Youth in Farming pages. We want to hear from you. Let us know what you want us to write about, and even better if you would like to write (agribusiness) stories - <a href="mailto:hi@youthinfarming.org">email us</a>. </p><p>Here are the back-end insights into how the Youth in Farming blog is doing.</p><p><b>Top 5 popular stories that you love to read: </b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a> (104,000 views)</li><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a> (26,100 views)</li><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/10/produce-neem-oil-at-home-and-earn-extra.html">Produce Neem Oil at home and Earn an Extra Income from doing it</a> (25,100 views)</li><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html">5 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming or Agriculture</a> (22,800 views)</li><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2015/01/social-media-and-sustainable.html">Social Media and Sustainable Agriculture Online courses</a> (13,500 views)</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tx4aQylm-ApF-Vlc-AY7OtXzKmu9qqdMMt-319N0P2ntfWd83horhZJj6pWZCO7bvTzI1PMJbFaEbxPlRbi3cwdIbizr1oX1jBCcid58tT6R2iFbpUzDQ-Hc6xF6CKO61a-zCFuO53_WNdNh74gSO_T2sFMkD_Q-KLaaRPRBNjcwKoMqB5mwNQo0/s973/blog-traffic.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Growing agriculture blog traffic @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="973" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tx4aQylm-ApF-Vlc-AY7OtXzKmu9qqdMMt-319N0P2ntfWd83horhZJj6pWZCO7bvTzI1PMJbFaEbxPlRbi3cwdIbizr1oX1jBCcid58tT6R2iFbpUzDQ-Hc6xF6CKO61a-zCFuO53_WNdNh74gSO_T2sFMkD_Q-KLaaRPRBNjcwKoMqB5mwNQo0/w640-h374/blog-traffic.PNG" title="Growing agriculture blog traffic @youthinfarming.org" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Highest views on a single day:</b> 7,500 views (1 july 2016).</div><div><b>All-time views:</b> 396,449 views. </div><div><br /></div><div>As it is often said, "old is gold", here are all the other stories we shared in the past:</div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">10 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html">Low Quality Farming Materials affecting Youth Farmers and their Solutions</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/if-most-africans-work-in-agricultural.html">If most Africans work in the Agricultural sector, how come it has to Import so much Food?</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/10/uganda-needs-more-cereal-banks-to-curb.html">Uganda needs more Cereal banks to curb effects of acute food shortage</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><p></p></div><div>We pledge to write more engaging content in the future. And looking forward to your continued support. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Please share further in your (social media) networks and help us reach our goal of gaining beyond 1,000,000 blog views before the end of 2022.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Onwards and upwards. Leave us a comment.</div><div><br /></div><div>-Youth in Farming (hi@youthinfarming.org)</div><div><br /></div><div>Read more:</div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-19765351818732606012022-05-12T21:47:00.003+03:002022-06-09T15:34:03.686+03:00Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3DDuFheIGFjp3um0beZynEt--nDJQtstjWOro4Qs9eioLQUK5s_QcppEsuE72Vd-3fNeTY6c8-2-8-7D2o_V77njilLMJb28DGuAGA1TBmHWXg0--qPMHQjMlBQRKtljaOO7A02XN63dLVL1Ab506IiIcX3Ok3OuViP8X5tT5IAl0Wa9PomD9J9W/s1366/Black-soldier-fly-larvae-africa.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Africa Black soldier fly larvae @youthinfarming.org" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3DDuFheIGFjp3um0beZynEt--nDJQtstjWOro4Qs9eioLQUK5s_QcppEsuE72Vd-3fNeTY6c8-2-8-7D2o_V77njilLMJb28DGuAGA1TBmHWXg0--qPMHQjMlBQRKtljaOO7A02XN63dLVL1Ab506IiIcX3Ok3OuViP8X5tT5IAl0Wa9PomD9J9W/w400-h225/Black-soldier-fly-larvae-africa.png" title="Black soldier fly larvae @youthinfarming.org" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black soldier fly (BSF) farming - maggots ready to sell off</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There is a plenty of food waste lying domant on landfills in Africa. Considering that a number of people are digusted by maggots (black soldier fly larvae), if you are brave enough, this is such an open market with little to <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">no competition</a> at all just for you to <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">make money</a>.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Black Soldier farm in Kenya</h3><p>Here is an investor making <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">money from farming</a> black soldier flies larvae in Kenya. Below the video are key points that the investor makes and agricultural experts make:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbOFKDkhLEA" width="320" youtube-src-id="zbOFKDkhLEA"></iframe></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Key points:</b></h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Black Soldier fly (BSF) is an insect used to recycle food waste.</li><li>Cost of feed for poultry and fish is high particularly protein being very expensive. BSF is very rich in protein content. 900 edible insects in Africa. Insects are considered as an alternative to the expensive animal feeds.</li><li>BSF contains up to 50 percent protein, 35 percent lipids and amino acide profile similar to fishmeal</li><li>BSF is useful for protein meal, biofertilizers, whole dried larvae, larvae oil, chitin/chitosan or waste composting</li><li>BSF insect larvae feed on food waste that is collected from surrounding landfills </li><li>BSF temperaturs range between 28-30 degrees Celcius.</li><li>At the farm, strategy is to take 20 percent of BSF larvae back to the colony to mate and produce more egges, while 80 percent is sold off to feed processors as poulty and fish feed.</li><li>BSF Market is huge with current market demand outweighing supply.</li><li>BSF has potential to create over 50,000 jobs.</li><li>BSF Challenges include: limited funding, space to expand existing farm, locating food waste and collecting it including labour costs. </li><li>BSF Opportunity is huge: </li><ul><li>BSF doesnt require so much space/funding, </li><li>Increasing demand that cannot be satisfied with existing supply. </li><li>protein is a scare commodity in sub-saharan Africa making BSF one of unique farming methods to provide it.</li></ul><li>If you consider BSF, you should get trained first in the best practices, just like the Kenyan investor did get trained in Netherlands. As young farmer, you can contact your local agricultural office for nearby places or farms where you can easily get the necessary training.</li></ul>In conclusion, setting up BSF is a feasible and doest not require <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">huge initial capital</a>. Food waste is an abundant commodity in many places in africa. Once you gain the necessary BSF training to avoid common mistakes, you will be well on the way to generating income from your agribusiness. <p></p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your network</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html">5 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming or Agriculture</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/if-most-africans-work-in-agricultural.html">If most Africans work in the Agricultural sector, how come it has to Import so much Food?</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><p></p>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-85639993064614521842015-01-27T13:23:00.002+03:002022-06-09T17:36:32.401+03:00Social Media and Sustainable Agriculture Online courses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two wonderful self-paced online and free courses for young farmers are available: <a href="http://www.imarkgroup.org/#/imark/en/course/W2" target="_blank">Social media for development</a> on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) platform as well as <a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/sustainableag" target="_blank">Sustainable Agricultural Land Management</a> on Coursera.<br />
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The Social media for development course covers topics on web 2.0, social networking sites and Communities, Blogging and Microblogging, Online Video and Image Sharing and more. These are very crucial skills today if one is to reach and communicate effectively with the buyers of their products. Above all, these courses are also an opportunity to network and share experiences with people from different parts of the world.<br />
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Click here to <a href="http://www.imarkgroup.org/#/imark/en/course/W2" target="_blank">visit the Social media for development course</a> and <a href="http://www.imarkgroup.org/#/imark/en/registration/toCourse/W2" target="_blank">register</a> for the course. Visit and register for the <a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/sustainableag" target="_blank">Sustainable Agricultural land management</a> course here.<br />
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The courses are delivered in English with the material available in text and video formats. Register and take the courses whenever you can - don't worry about missing the deadline to register. The material will still be available even after the course is concluded. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Leave us a comment.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Read more:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p></div>
John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-11095373743386944132013-03-22T16:13:00.001+03:002022-06-09T17:35:29.625+03:00Turning agricultural surplus into high Quality processing Jobs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
An article from <a href="http://infodev.org/" target="_blank">Infodev</a> that details their efforts in turning produce especially during seasons of plenty into high quality processing jobs. I hope you find something you can take into your agribusiness. <a href="http://www.infodev.org/en/Article.965.html" target="_blank">Text to the article</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Read more:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><p></p></div>
John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-12804176297040766022011-12-25T22:47:00.004+03:002022-06-20T10:54:14.201+03:00Youth in farming: 11 Ways to Turn Holiday Seasons into your Most Profitable Times<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWOYpNNeRtU/Tvd8Kdm_L0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/Hd6xQivrJv4/s1600/meal+fit+for+Christmas.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tasty delicious african meal" border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWOYpNNeRtU/Tvd8Kdm_L0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/Hd6xQivrJv4/w320-h240/meal+fit+for+Christmas.JPG" title="tasty delicious african meal" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bananas (matooke), chicken, rice, peas, vegetables - Christmas food</td></tr>
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Many people save up to buy lots of food, gifts and clothes during the holiday seasons. The holiday seasons are such as: Christmas holidays, Easter season, Muslim holy days (Idd Mubarak, Idd Aduha), Uganda Martyrs day. These are some of the most celebrated days in Uganda.<br />
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These should be the days, for a youth in farming, that should be the most profitable seasons. Why? Because, people are happy and they are in super high gear of buying lots of food or agricultural produce. They have saved the money to buy the best food for themselves and their families. Often people are looking for the biggest turkey, duck, chicken or biggest bunch of bananas that they can find.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Here are 10 ways, how you could turn holiday seasons into your most profitable season of your agricultural business.</b></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<li><b>Know where each agricultural item is grown or produced in plenty</b>. For instance, turkeys are reared in plenty in eastern Uganda; Chicken and Mangoes are often in high supply and at cheap prices from northern Uganda. Bananas from Masaka and western Uganda. Carefully note all this in a notebook and go to step 2.</li>
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<li><b>Ask your friends.</b> You may not know anyone from where chicken or bananas come from but your friends do. Ask your friends if they can put you in touch with somebody from these different parts of the country. The person they recommend does not have to be a farmer but just anybody who knows the local language and can act as your guide when you visit the town. With time, this person can be your business agent in the town, giving you tips on where to get the cheapest chickens or turkeys.</li>
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<li><b>Make partnerships with farmers.</b> Pay the farmers you are getting produce from very well and on time. Make them more than your friends and support their families. Because it is a business, you are not going to buy from them once, but multiple times. And when you take care of their problems, it is only human, that they take care of your business needs ensuring that produce is available when you need it.</li>
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<li><b>Several modes of receiving payment for agricultural items</b> that you deliver. Make use of so many ways of receiving or paying money such as cash, bank account, Mobile money (MTN, Zap, Warid pesa, Msente). Also make sure that the farmers you work with accept payments via mobile money. This reduces movements with big amounts of cash which can be robbed and delays to have agricultural items delivered to where you need them.</li>
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<li><b>Arrange and organize several months in advance.</b> If it is the Christmas season, start planning and talking to your clients in September. If it is Easter season, start planning in January. A few months before the holiday season, agricultural products are cheaper and more available than within the holiday season itself. Book agricultural supplies from a farmer by putting down a cash deposit, and always make sure to have written agreements and receipts to reduce on disagreements.</li>
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<li><b>Also accept to deliver agricultural produce on credit. </b>Exercise caution and also make sure to have a contract with your client. Big clients such as hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and schools often pay at the end or beginning of the month. They pay well and they pay big money. Having five such clients would make you earn millions in income. The only problem is that they often want big amounts of agricultural items delivered without paying for it immediately. Sit down with your financial planner, draw up a contract and receipts and keep as many of these such clients as you possibly can.</li>
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<li><b>Weigh and sell in weights.</b> For instance chicken in Kampala, is bought on how big it looks instead of how much it weighs. Of course, the bigger the chicken appears, the better the price. Weigh your chicken, turkey or bananas and sell it according how much it weighs. So many people in business earn less for ignoring this. Supermarkets everywhere sell their chicken, bananas or fruit in weights (grammes, kilograms..). You should do that same. </li>
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<li><b>Be knowledgeable about prices of agricultural produce.</b> You need to know almost how much each agricultural item trades for, both in the cities and out in the country. Also how expensive or cheap the big supermarkets or markets in the cities are. This not only forms how much you are willing to pay for food items from the farmer but also how much you are willing to sell for. Check out our <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">resources page</a> for information about market prices just below the farmers portal headline.</li>
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<li><b>Keep your promises. Be trustworthy and honest.</b> Pay what you owe and tell the truth. Alliances built on lies do not last. Remember you reap what you sow. You may lie to the farmer or your client about a delivery today that does not happen but next time, you may be the one being lied to about getting paid. Deliver on time and if not, inform the client about any delays along the way. </li>
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<li><b>Go an extra mile to please your loyal clients.</b> Consider offering a discount or surprise them with a free chicken. If you screw up, invest in the client by offering them a surprise. Make them happy. The little gifts you give your client will go a long way in ensuring that the client stays with you. Few salespeople do it to keep their clients. </li>
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<li><b>Advertise, advertise, advertise to get new clients and expand your business.</b> There are so free ways you can do this using the now easily available <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html" target="_blank">information communication tools</a>. Your mobile phone probably has over 100 friends. Send an SMS with an offer of a free chicken to every friend who gets you a client (this is somebody who buys from you). Use free tools such as facebook, <a href="http://www.google.co.ug/africa/trader?tab=wJ" target="_blank">Google trader</a> and different farmer portals you can find in our <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">agricultural resources section</a>. </li>
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<li>You can also <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html" target="_blank">grow your income to more than $25,000 a month</a>! You only need passion, to keep learning and hardwork. </li>
</ol>
<b>Share with us how you are earning more money during the holidays seasons running an agricultural busines in the comments sections below and thank you for <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming/225388997511711?sk=wall" target="_blank">LIKE'g us on facebook</a>.</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Read more:</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Increasing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-45919320966765144922011-12-20T18:21:00.015+03:002023-05-18T09:42:24.181+03:0015 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture [UPDATED]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So we ask ourselves, why do youth in Uganda or Africa, in general, do not like agriculture as a business or career? Why do youth hate agriculture so much? Here below are the reasons we came up with, join in and leave your comment below.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Here are 15 reasons youth give as barriers to a successful career in Agriculture:</h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><u>Agriculture as Intense labour:</u></b> Young people perceive agriculture as a <b>profession of intense labour</b>, not profitable and unable to support their livelihood compared to white collar jobs. They think agriculture would not afford them to enjoy the pleasures of owning a beautiful home, fast cars, the latest gadgets and mobile phones like what their colleagues in white collar jobs have access to. Yet this thinking is not true, you can<a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html"> make money agriculture</a> such as these <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html" target="_blank">five simple ways like vlogging, freelancing and teaching</a> that are available to anyone.</li>
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<li><b><u>Rural farmer role model:</u></b> When one talks about agriculture or farming, in the minds of young people, they think of someone <b>far down in a village living in a grass-thatched mud house</b>, who wakes up very early every morning to go dig with a hoe coming back home at sunset. This farmer in their minds, is so far away detached from civilization, wears barely no clothes and is the typical person who lives on less than a dollar a week. This narrow view of agriculture based on the life of a rural farmer should be the same for a business and tech-savvy african youth today. For once, there are plenty of<a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html"> Information communication tools</a> under-used a rural illiterate farmer, that every youth can use to start and grow an agribusiness to prosper to increndible profits, such as a mobile phone and agricultural information you can gain access to, posted on different social media platforms. </li>
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<li><b><u>Disincentivising youth to pursue a career in Agriculture:</u> There is very high drive towards industrialization</b> as a way to get Africa out of poverty neglecting role agriculture plays. For instance in Uganda, the government places great emphasis for students to study subjects that lead to careers in medicine, oil, Information Technology (IT) while diminishing the importance and value of a career in agriculture. Yet we all <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/youth-in-farming-11-ways-to-turn.html">humans of all ages need to eat food several times a day</a>, which is a result of agricultural activity, to stay alive. If you come to think about it, with a global population of over seven billion people, <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html" target="_blank">millions of people are starving to death</a> due to a lack of enough food to eat and as a result, now is the best time to start your agribusiness. </li>
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<li><b><u>Negative image of Agriculture and poor tools:</u> African agriculture or farming, is mostly of hoe and machete</b> which makes it very energy and labour intensive. This is the most common example of farmers that almost every young person knows. From an early stage, every young person detests and tries to avoid this sort of life. As a child, if any of us did not want to go to school, our parents would intimidate us with words like “ok, you are going to end like a farmer.. living a very hard life and getting infected with lice and no one is going to want to be near you.”</li>
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<li><b><u>Agriculture does not have to be a poor man's business:</u></b> In africa, <b>parents</b> always encourage their children to study to become doctors, accountants, in other-words professionals in white collar jobs. From the onset, farming or a career in agriculture is frowned upon as a poor man's business. </li>
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<li><b><u>Agricultural activity as punishment:</u></b> In primary and secondary school, <b>cultivation of food in the school garden has been used as a punishment</b> for every offence committed at school by the children, which has made many young people hate Agriculture. For failing to get an exam pass mark, you would be made to slash a bush every evening for a week or dig half an acre of potatoes. This punishment often attracted a lot of humiliation from peers, often being laughed at, jeered at and called all sorts of names such as “failures”; “mentally disabled”</li>
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<li><b><u>Ignorance of value of Agriculture for society:</u></b> In school, students in the faculty of agriculture are often treated as of little importance by almost everyone while their peers in management sciences, law, computer and medical school are appreciated and held with high esteem. This diminishes the morale to study agriculture, let alone practice it upon graduation. </li>
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<li><b><u>Unmotivated students choosing to study agriculture as last resort:</u></b> Majority of students apply to study agriculture and food sciences after failing to get admitted into desired courses they had initially applied for. Thus, students who enroll in agricultural courses, do it as a fallback plan, not as a field they are passionate about and eager to find success in. They study agriculture because it is an easier alternative and for the sake of having a degree on paper. </li>
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<li><b><u>Unattractive incentives to practice agriculture:</u></b> Youths in farming, often complain that agriculture is not attractive enough in terms of compensation and conditions of service compared to what other professions like law, medicine, or banking offer. In Uganda, there is nothing like compensation apart from your wage or salary. The ultimate agricultural compensation is achieving massive success in an agribusiness that provides more than a daily income for the farmer as well as providing supporting the development within the community. </li>
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<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Few role models who have succeeded in Agriculture:</u> There are non-existent or few role models who have succeeded in agriculture in the view of eyes of a youth compared with other fields such as banking and public service. This discourages many young graduates who opt to change careers immediately after graduation to other lucrative fields. Yet a few agricultural role models like <a href="http://emmanaluyima.com/">Emma Naluyima</a> and others who have achieved success in agriculture need to be more highlighted among the youth.</li>
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<li><b><u>Misappropriated agricultural resources:</u></b> <a href="https://www.theelephant.info/features/2018/07/26/animal-farms-how-uganda-killed-its-agricultural-sector/" target="_blank">Agriculture loans</a> are often siphoned by politicians who channel this money meant for genuine farmers into their private accounts to buy new cars, buy huge swathes of land, buy votes and expenses for running for public offices. </li>
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<li><b><u>Frustrating youth in gaining funding for Agriculture:</u></b> There is also the possibility that banks chosen by the government to administer agricultural loans often connive with politicians to put all sorts of <a href="https://www.independent.co.ug/failing-access-agriculture-funding/">obstacles as requirements for youths</a> in order to frustrate them from getting the loans needed to fund agribusiness projects. Often a loan is needed for a big project, yet youth must learn to start small and grow the business over time, such as taking time to collect and make use of abundant <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">food waste that can be turned into biogas, hair extensions, plates, sanitary pads, leather</a> and <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">rearing of maggots</a> that are utilised in animal and poultry feeds.</li>
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<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Banks want quick and huge returns</u> on the loans meant for agricultural projects that they have to give out to youth in farming, but instead they lend out the money out to non-agriculture sectors that would bring in quicker and more lucrative returns. This often means many applications for these agricultural loans especially from young farmers are unfortunately rejected. Here are <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">five agricultural activities</a> you can engage in, without needing a loan, that can make you recurring income such as making short educational videos, teaching, and freelancing to write articles on agriculture that can <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">grow your audience, reputation and income</a> gradually over time.</li>
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<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Few role models who have succeeded in Agriculture:</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>There is a shortage of individuals who are successfully running agricultural businesses <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html">earning $25,000 dollars per month from an agribusiness</a>, than in other professions. Youth should be connected to many individuals doing well in Agriculture to act as mentors, counselors and provide career guidance to youth considering a career in agriculture.</li>
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<li><b><u>Time to success:</u></b> Also, youth complain that it takes much longer time to achieve success in the field of agriculture than it would normally take for those in showbiz, politics, oil or banking. Since most youth want money fast, very few are willing to take to a field like agriculture. Yet time to success in agriculture can be shortened depending on how much time you are willing to spend on an activity. For example, if you plant over 200 <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">macadamia trees which produce the most expensive nuts</a> in the world, you are likely to get extremely wealthy after 2-3 years, which is a very short period of time to achieve success. </li><br /><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">As this video below shows, agriculture is not mentioned at all by any of these young people. </b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/IhZ67ouOsC0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Leave us a comment.</div><div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><br /></b></div><b>Read more:</b><br />
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html" target="_blank">10 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm</a></li></ul><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html" target="_blank">20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html" target="_blank">5 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming or Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/10/produce-neem-oil-at-home-and-earn-extra.html" target="_blank">Produce Neem Oil at home and Earn an Extra Income from doing it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/if-most-africans-work-in-agricultural.html" target="_blank">If most Africans work in the Agricultural sector, how come it has to Import so much Food?</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html" target="_blank">10 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agricultural Business</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p>
<b>Online resources include the <a href="http://wikieducator.org/Project_DISC" target="_blank">DISC project</a></b><br /><br />
<b>Share with us the reasons youth give for not being interested in a career running an agricultural busines in the comments sections below and thank you for <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming/225388997511711?sk=wall" target="_blank">LIKE'g us on facebook</a>. Share article further in your network. </b></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-42767155489356392232011-12-14T20:46:00.002+03:002022-06-20T10:55:05.402+03:0010 Ways to Earn a Living from Agriculture Without Owning a Farm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0-SuPzAvn56X1DDD5RajAGU_-AM0UziMaxUxG6jxBhoJjs7NWD_IXD-jvkgcKnUnGwBYZ_-E0bv8BuGdLp6XVbpSjW0rQMZO6jv8l65S1Rap9Hulgh916HuXFTW2mesXFR7N5Xmayqs/s1600/juice-blended-from-finest+fruits+of+Uganda.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0-SuPzAvn56X1DDD5RajAGU_-AM0UziMaxUxG6jxBhoJjs7NWD_IXD-jvkgcKnUnGwBYZ_-E0bv8BuGdLp6XVbpSjW0rQMZO6jv8l65S1Rap9Hulgh916HuXFTW2mesXFR7N5Xmayqs/s320/juice-blended-from-finest+fruits+of+Uganda.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Juice from different organic fruits in Uganda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol><li><b>Know the agricultural market prices of food items</b> from different towns or countries (supply + demand). Know what people want and supply it. Buy the food items from places where it is sold cheaply and sell it in places where the food items are demanded highly, thus sold more expensively.</li>
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<li><b>Solve farmer's problems. </b>For instance, many farmers cannot <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html" target="_blank">tell fake seeds</a> from genuine high production seeds. Provide the best seeds, pesticides, </li>
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<li><b>Train farmers</b> in <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html" target="_blank">5 skills required to run a successful agricultural business</a>. The 5 skills that each farmer needs are: group management, savings and financial management, basic business and marketing, technology and innovation, natural resource management for sustainable production.</li>
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<li><b>Buy raw produce from farmers and add value to it.</b> For instance buying ripe bananas, oranges, tomatoes; using the solar fruit drying process, packing and selling them off in supermarkets at higher prices than what the ripe fruits cost.</li>
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<li><b>Set up <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/10/uganda-needs-more-cereal-banks-to-curb.html" target="_blank">Cereal bank</a> to store food items</b>. Buy food in seasons of plenty, store it in a food store or cereal bank and sell it off the community at a profit in times of scarcity. Maize, rice, beans, wheat, cassava are often the most demanded for items during dry seasons.</li>
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<li><b>Sell genuine agricultural tools and equipment</b> at affordable rates or on hire purchase scheme. Much of the agricultural machinery is very expensive making many farmers unable to afford them. Selling off genuine tools on a hire purchase scheme to farmers or farmer groups allows more farmers to afford and improve food production.</li>
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<li><b>Offer to help <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html" target="_blank">farmers with managing their ICT matters</a></b> (websites, online presence, SMS, proposals etc). Do not ask for money upfront but have a contract with them that you take a 50% share for any proceeds from your work. Many farmers are ignorant on how information communication technologies (ICTs) can improve production and success of their agricultural farms. They will only be interested and willing to spend money on it if the ICTs start producing results.</li>
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<li><b>Connect farmers with with local and markets abroad</b>. <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html" target="_blank">Buying at lower prices</a> and exporting the produce abroad in large quantities. This can be flowers or food items all nicely packed ready to be bought off supermarket shelves.</li>
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<li><b>Make a mobile phone App</b> that helps farmers improve production. For instance, a mobile phone application that warns farmers about when the next rainy or dry season is going to be or any other related weather information that may affect their farm produce. The app should work with ordinary phones as well smartphones.</li>
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<li><b>Provide a truck to transport farmers products</b> from their villages to the towns and share the profits. Most rural farmers sell their produce so cheaply because they have no means to transport it off to towns where they would get paid much more than what the community where they live offers.</li>
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<li>You may also be interested in our article on how to<a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-make-25000-per-month-running.html" target="_blank"> earn $25,000 per month running an agricultural business</a>. Our <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">agricultural resources section</a> is also full of links to ideas for youth in agriculture. </li>
</ol>
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<b>Share with us ways you earn a living from agriculture without having your own farm in the comments sections below and thank you for <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming/225388997511711?sk=wall" target="_blank">LIKE'g us on facebook</a>.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><p></p></div>
</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-70877009870839596652011-12-10T01:30:00.006+03:002022-06-20T10:55:27.476+03:0020 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuIaJTRWlE65OBN2I2-U4cv00doULfPFDxcOWVILd1ZD8QlxfwiGOwv0gR1Y-msygWsNwZuwLzctUWJvnkUCIqF8QqaKSy3lw2i20nHiuC8Ry67yQFLjhxWe4xVsIBj31vHZeiemQ04E/s1600/fish-displayed-on-a-fish-stall.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="delicious catfish @youthinfarming" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuIaJTRWlE65OBN2I2-U4cv00doULfPFDxcOWVILd1ZD8QlxfwiGOwv0gR1Y-msygWsNwZuwLzctUWJvnkUCIqF8QqaKSy3lw2i20nHiuC8Ry67yQFLjhxWe4xVsIBj31vHZeiemQ04E/w400-h225/fish-displayed-on-a-fish-stall.JPG" title="delicious catfish @youthinfarming" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fish on a stall in Uganda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Josephine Kiiza, director of St Jude Family Projects at Busense, Kabonera subcounty in Masaka, is of the most successful farmers in Uganda.<br />
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At St. Jude family agricultural projects, they practice and train farmers in modern Integrated Organic Farming, a technology where various items on the farm - plants, animals, water and soils, are in such a way contributes directly or indirectly to the other.<br />
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A <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6NgBh_IemkEJ:www.newvision.co.ug/PA/9/37/462562+Two+Pigs+Grow+Into+Booming+Organic+Farm&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ug" target="_blank">newvision article published in october 2005</a>, mentions that Josephine Kiiza earns Uganda shillings 50 million ($25,000) per month from her 3.7 acre farm, making her a profitable investment in agriculture. As a youth, eager to start a <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">profitable agribusiness</a>, you can duplicate the success of such a farmer using the information and communication technologies to boost your knowledge, networks and continously learn new and better agricultural practices to improve your yields and earnings.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And no need to worry if you do not have a land like Josephine, you might consider insect farming where in a single room you can rear more than <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">15 million crickets that yield much demanded insect protein</a>, an input in poultry and animal feeds. Here are other ways you can <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">participate in agriculture without having a physical farm</a>, and <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/10-ways-to-earn-living-from-agriculture.html">more here</a>.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Using the St. Jude family projects, as our case study, we are going to try answering the question below.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>As a young farmer, how can you earn 50 million ($25,000) or better still earn more money from your agricultural business?</b></h3>
<b>Activities at St. Jude family projects in Masaka, with which they are earning a living:</b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Rearing exotic cattle</b> - keep just the right number of breeds for mostly producing milk. Do not keep 1000 herds of cattle when your land can only support 6, just because you have them. Chicken droppings when treated, are also used to feed cattle. Acquire breeds that produce alot of milk, disease resistant, grow fast to weigh alot. Animal and poultry droppings can be harvested to produce <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">biogas energy for lighting and cooking</a>, and <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">maggot farming</a> relevant for animal feeds.</li>
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<li><b>Crops</b> - “<i>The crops depend on the animals and the animals depend on the crops</i>" says Josephine Kiiza. Crops such as maize bran, cotton seed cake, soya are good fodder for animals after the fruit has been harvested. And all the agricultural <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">plant waste leftover after harvesting the fruit, such as banana stems</a>, can be used in producing hair extensions, textiles, plates, sanitary pads and more.</li>
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<li><b>Training </b>- naturally, if your agricultural business is doing very well, so many people are going to be interested in learning how you are managing your agribusiness, at a fee. This training can be offered via physical visits to your farm or via online <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">social media platforms, such as youtube</a>, which grant you a global audience. Do not discriminate who can receive your knowledge and expertise. Share your success stories with whomever wants to know. Because you are willing to help other people succeed, more people will also want to help you succeed.</li>
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<li><b>Solar fruit drying</b> - you dry fruits such as jackfruit, sweet bananas, pineapples, tomatoes, mangoes, gonja and exporting them to markets such as Europe at more than $25 per kilo. Also setting up a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/10/uganda-needs-more-cereal-banks-to-curb.html" target="_blank">cereal bank for surplus food crops</a> that can be used up during seasons of scarcity is a good idea. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">solar fruit drying manual.</a> </li>
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<li><b>Bee keeping</b> - St. Jude family projects has over 20 beehives from which they harvest honey for export at about shs.9,000 ($5.5) per kilo. You also get Bee propolis, bee wax, pollination of crops. If you need a comprehensive <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">manual on bee keeping</a>, check out our resources page.</li>
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<li><b>Fish farming</b> - harvesting fish after 8months, with a piece of <a href="http://www.infotradeuganda.com/prices.php?pag=prices&src=2" target="_blank">fish selling</a> for 10,000/=. Cow dung, maize flour and rotting vegetables are good food for fish in the ponds. Fighting snakes - place boiled eggs along pond's boundaries, which when swallowed by snake cannot be digested hence killing it. Also polythene sheets around the pond which snakes do not like. Scarecrows and placing damaged tape films across the ponds which make a whistling noise as wind blows scares birds away that want to eat the fish. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">fish fishing manual.</a></li>
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<li><b>Bio gas generation</b> - Most valuable are the animals and birds droppings and organic crop waste which are used to generate biogas used for cooking, reducing time required to prepare meals. Using <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">biogas energy for lighting and cooking</a> is sustainable than using fossil fuels or charcoal which is result of cutting down trees. </li>
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<li><b>Chicken rearing</b> - At St. Jude family projects, they started with 10 local cocks and layers and some exotic species for cross-breeding. Local chicken are disease-resistant, mature and grow fast when well fed. When they are between six to seven months, they weigh four to five kilogrammes. “We sell them at sh15,000 each,” she says. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">chicken rearing manual.</a> Be sure to harvest poultry droppings to feed into your biogas and fertilizer production</li>
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<li><b>Pig rearing</b> - "two types of breeds, large white and land race." They feed twice a day on concentrates of maize bran, cotton seed cake, soya, fishmeal and anthill soil, which is rich in iron. Pigs weigh over 200kg, whose droppings are used to make biogas and composite manure for crops. Pork is often more expensive than beef with <a href="http://www.infotradeuganda.com/prices.php?pag=prices&src=2" target="_blank">asking price</a> for kilo as 9,000/=. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">pig rearing manual.</a></li>
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<li><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafting" target="_blank">Grafting</a></b> - Nursery of grafted fruit tree cuttings; fast growing fruit trees such as mangoes, oranges, lemons, avocado and passion fruit creepers. So many farmers still do not know how to apply this technique on their farms, providing such seedlings can be a great income source.</li>
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<li><b>Fuel saving stoves and fireplaces</b> - bringing the technology of fuel saving stoves closer to your community at a time when firewood is becoming more scarce and expensive can be very a great income source. Often the stoves are easy to make out of clay using a do-it-yourself method.</li>
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<li><b>Mushroom and Vegetables growing</b> - Mushrooms are a delicacy but they are not easy for young farmers to grow. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">mushrooms and vegetable growing manuals.</a></li>
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<li><b>Rainwater harvesting</b> - collecting roof water whenever it rains and keeping it in an underground tank is an often neglected way to have access to water especially in places where water sources are very far off. Having a big water storage tank can quickly become a goldmine during the dry seasons when water becomes extremely scarce and thus more expensive. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">rainwater harvesting manual.</a></li>
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<li><b>Making compost manure</b> - livestock and poultry droppings are used both as compost and renewable source of biogas. Organic waste from vegetables or from cooking at home can also be thrown onto the manure heap instead of becoming a hygiene problem as in many communities.</li>
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<li><b>Rearing exotic goats for milk and meat</b> - fast growing and high producing goats are now available. In their prime, milk goats can produce about 4 liters of milk every day. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">goats rearing manual.</a></li>
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<li><b>Methods of irrigation</b> (drip irrigation, plant tea irrigation) - most farmers only depend on the rainy season which has become very unpredictable. More than ever, more farmers need to learn and use irrigation as a method of growing food. <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/if-most-africans-work-in-agricultural.html" target="_blank">Africa needs to spend less money</a> on importing food plus feeding our ever growing population. </li>
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<li><b>Provide accommodation for visitors</b> - if you can, set up structures for housing visitors who come to visit your agricultural projects. This is a generous way to contribute to the sustainability of your farm. When you provide accommodation, make sure the visitors eat food and products produced on the farm such as eggs, chicken, milk, vegetables, bananas...</li>
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<li><b>Share what you are doing</b> and your farming success with the rest of the community any way you can. </li>
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<li><b>Network with other farmer groups or agricultural institutions</b> - do not stay in one corner with what you are doing, and stop learning. Networking and learning how other farmers and experts are doing, is a good way to know what works and adopting new farming methods that increase production. Check out our resources page for a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/young-farmers-resources.html" target="_blank">farmer's communities and publications.</a></li>
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<li><b>Plant trees</b> - fruit trees, medicine trees for their shade and environmental protection, such as <a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">macadamia trees that produce the world's most expensive nuts</a>. <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/10/produce-neem-oil-at-home-and-earn-extra.html" target="_blank">Neem trees</a> are useful for healing many diseases and repelling mosquitoes. Mangoes and Mutuba tree leaves are good fodder for goats and shade. Trees planted along trenches control soil erosion. They also are used to provide wood for fuel. </li>
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<li>Take it a step further, <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html" target="_blank">use information communication technologies</a> (ICTs) to improve your agricultural business. Also having the <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/12/5-must-have-skills-sets-for-youth-in.html" target="_blank">5 important skill sets</a> for running a successful agricultural business that most farmers are not aware of, would be very good.</li>
</ol>
<div>
As a young farmer, you can do this and earn this much or even more sums of money from practicing agriculture. Do not let anything frustrate your efforts <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html" target="_blank">from becoming a successful young farmer</a>.</div>
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<div>
<b>What? You do not have land??</b></div>
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<b>Yes, you do! </b><br />
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The land may not be your own. You can take loan of your neighbour's land or use pots. You can farm someone else's land and share with them the proceeds from the farm-land. So many people can accept such a deal instead of having their land grow weeds and bushes whole year round.<br />
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As a youth in farming, there are <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/uganda-budget-201112-key-points-for.html" target="_blank">funds from the Ugandan government</a> and <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html" target="_blank">other opportunities</a> that are meant to help you you succeed in farming. If you do not ask to use these funds, they will be returned to the government treasury at the end of the budget year leaving you poor as before. </div>
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If you read more about <a href="http://lhiuganda.blogspot.com/2011/01/josephine-kizza-woman-empowering-nation.html" target="_blank">Josephine Kiiza and how they started St. Jude family projects agricultural farm</a>, you will be surprised that they absolutely nothing, just ruins from the 1986 Ugandan war.</div>
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<b>What you need to have to earn over $25,000 running an agricultural business is</b></div>
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<b>Interest. Passion. Willing to work hard at it</b>; as Josephine Kiiza mentions in <a href="http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2007/06/josephine-kizza-shows-potential-of.html" target="_blank">this article</a>.</div>
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<b>Please leave your comments below and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming/225388997511711?sk=wall" target="_blank">like us on facebook</a>.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html"><b>Increasing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html"><b>Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</b></a></li></ul><p></p></div>
</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-48519171589678008242011-12-09T19:48:00.003+03:002022-06-20T10:56:24.554+03:005 Must-have Skills Sets For Youth in Farming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-xdA53ejW9IIg99FcpQIez_f5TNNpdSpbpsUASgCJ8eaTrYUTK3XwZ-Xo8xQgMWNEs-wGqLAALWDfu1odnERQB6Pq1UUHGVgvBD9pZ52Ajl7mUGY2KoYMJ_KRMRa22wTuhN2sGq92JY/s1600/5-skill-sets-to-start-succesful-agricultural-business.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="five must have skillsets" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-xdA53ejW9IIg99FcpQIez_f5TNNpdSpbpsUASgCJ8eaTrYUTK3XwZ-Xo8xQgMWNEs-wGqLAALWDfu1odnERQB6Pq1UUHGVgvBD9pZ52Ajl7mUGY2KoYMJ_KRMRa22wTuhN2sGq92JY/w303-h320/5-skill-sets-to-start-succesful-agricultural-business.jpg" title="five must have skillsets" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five skill sets youth in farming must have</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This from an extensive research study conducted by <a href="http://www.crsprogramquality.org/" target="_blank">Catholic Relief Services</a> and Ciat which involved interviewing 40 farmer groups with over 1000 members on 3 different continents.<br />
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The 5 skill sets which are important for running a successful agricultural business are discussed in their video below.<br />
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<b>The 5 important skills sets are:</b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Group management, </b></li>
<li><b>Savings and financial management, </b></li>
<li><b>Basic business and marketing, </b></li>
<li><b>Technology and Innovation</b></li>
<li><b>Natural resource management for sustainable production<br /></b></li></ol>
<a href="http://www.crsprogramquality.org/publications/2011/1/12/preparing-farmer-groups-to-engage-successfully-with-markets.html" target="_blank">Preparing Farmer Groups to Engage Successfully with Markets</a>, which is a comprehensive report covering all the 5 skill sets in agriculture is can be download from the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) website.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/u8LSBzOtMXU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b><u>Notes from the five skill sets video above</u></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What skills might you need if you started an agricultural business?</span></b><br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Group organization management</b></li>
For a <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/10/uganda-needs-more-cereal-banks-to-curb.html" target="_blank">small farmer groups</a> 20 - 25 people. If they are going to stay together and manage themselves effectively over time, they need adhere to the principles of good self governance, and they need to be able to set and achieve common objectives.<br /><br />
<li><b>Savings and financial management, </b></li>
Very vital for individuals and groups to successfully move out of poverty.<br />
Individuals within a group contribute small amounts of money on a regular basis to a group savings fund, and when that fund grows and give each other <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html" target="_blank">small loans to individuals</a> within the group.<br /><br />
The poor face adversity everyday, in an emergency, for instance when the child falls sick, they either need money on credit or they need to sell off their assets such as chickens, goats or crops.<br /><br />
Obviously, If they regularly sell off their assets, they can never accumulate enough assets to move out of poverty.<br /><br />
So access to savings and credit provide an absolutely vital buffer
While they are saving and managing their funds in these groups, they are also learning alot about other vital important financial skills.<br />
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<li><b>Basic business and marketing skills</b></li>
Important if people are going to engage effectively with markets.<br /><br />
In addition to basic numeracy and book keeping skills, group members need to be able to identify what are real and <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html" target="_blank">authentic market opportunities</a> within their area and they also need to understand the value chains associated with those commodities in-order to understand the best entry points for them and their group.<br />
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<li><b>Technology and Innovation</b></li>
As soon as the groups become involved in business, they understand that they need to <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html" target="_blank">access and apply new technology</a>.<br /><br />
They immediately need to improve the productivity, profitability and often their product quality in order to stay competitive.<br /><br />
They need to know where to access the relevant information within their communities, how to systematically evaluate that technology, decide what is most relevant within their system and how to <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html" target="_blank">apply those innovations</a> within their system to achieve the results they want.<br /><br />
One thing to consider within this process, is the potential power of the Internet.<br />
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<li><b>Natural resource management for sustainable production </b></li>
Everyone is aware that Natural resources are disappearing very rapidly especially in rural areas of the developing world.<br /><br />
Forests and trees, water resources, <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html" target="_blank">soil and soil fertility are all in rapid decline</a> and when they are gone, so are the potential livelihoods of rural populations.<br /><br />
Rural communities have a great need to understand the principles and methods for protecting the productivity of their existing resources and even better to enhance the productivity of natural resources available to them.<br /><br />
When they understand the principles of natural resource management, and options that are available, they can work with those to design their own systems. Often the potential to improve livelihoods this way is often enormous.</ol>
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<b>Benefits from combining all the 5 skill sets in agriculture;</b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Increases in volume of 4 fold of product sold</li>
<li>Increase in price received for product, 30 -50%</li>
<li>Increase in number of participants in the collective marketing process, from 5000 to more than 9000 farmers</li>
<li>Increases in sales, new farmer groups negotiated better sales for their produce.</li>
</ul>
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More on the benefits of the 5 skills sets in agriculture, the report <a href="http://www.crsprogramquality.org/publications/2011/1/18/how-savings-led-microfinance-has-improved-chickpea-marketing.html" target="_blank">How a Savings-led Microfinance has Improved Chickpea Marketing in the Lake Zone of Tanzania</a> provides more insight. </div>
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<i>"..The Chickenpea production and marketing study at how savings-led microfinance has helped farmer groups in Tanzania successfully address the challenges they face."</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Resources:</div>
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<a href="http://www.crsprogramquality.org/publications/2011/1/18/how-savings-led-microfinance-has-improved-chickpea-marketing.html" target="_blank">How a Savings-led Microfinance has Improved Chickpea Marketing in the Lake Zone of Tanzania</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.crsprogramquality.org/publications/2011/1/12/preparing-farmer-groups-to-engage-successfully-with-markets.html" target="_blank">Preparing Farmer Groups to Engage Successfully with Markets</a></div>
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<div><b>Please share your comments below and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-in-Farming/225388997511711?sk=wall" target="_blank">like us on facebook</a>. Thank you.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Increasing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><p></p></div></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-20346203801128945232011-10-02T12:18:00.007+03:002022-06-20T10:56:56.966+03:00Produce Neem Oil at home and Earn an Extra Income on the side<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChPlCNsxzssv1VBGUScY052MYTEbLRUtqVsGI15w3XmZQaz326pNMDdIVrC7RzRjpyk1nHA0KuCsmzmTg1lTpTtyetUwdNw3Ig3ElFFHk47LCL4MWr1NILx79521eGo150xgyTWHpgvw/s1600/mwarubaini-neem-tree-branch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="neem tree medicinal leaves" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChPlCNsxzssv1VBGUScY052MYTEbLRUtqVsGI15w3XmZQaz326pNMDdIVrC7RzRjpyk1nHA0KuCsmzmTg1lTpTtyetUwdNw3Ig3ElFFHk47LCL4MWr1NILx79521eGo150xgyTWHpgvw/w400-h265/mwarubaini-neem-tree-branch.jpg" title="neem tree medicinal leaves" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neem tree branch - mwarubaini (<em>from danmarios</em>)</td></tr>
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<br />Neem trees survive for a period of 100 – 200 years and grow up to 30 metres high. They start producing fruit after a few years but they are fully productive after 10 years.<br />
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In swahili, the Neem tree is known as “mwarubaini” which means 40. This tree is named so because it is known to cure over 40 different diseases. <br />
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Neem fruits are food for bats and birds. They eat the sweet flesh and spit the kernels out.<br /><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Planting Neem tree </span></b><br />
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It is best to grow neem from fresh seeds less than 3 months old. Stem cuttings, removing leaves from its tree branches and planting in humus rich soil also allows the Neem tree to grow fast.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Process of Producing Neem Oil</b></span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: left;">Collect fresh ripe seeds that have fallen from the neem tree and wash them.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Leave them to dry in the sun for a few days and always store them in containers where air can circulate such as baskets and sacks.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Gently pound well-dried sees in a large mortar to split the shells open. Be careful not to crush the kernels.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Pour the mixture high above the basket to blow out the husks just as you do to eliminate husks from rice seeds in a process known as winnowing. The kernels should fall into the basket while the lighter shells should be blown off.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Pick out and remove any rotten kernels from the mortar as these can be poisonous.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Return the kernels to the mortar and pound further to form a brown sticky paste.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Work this paste by hand while adding a little amount of clean boiled water. After working with the paste for a while, the neem oil will slowly begin to ooze out. </li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Continue working and squeezing the neem paste until no more oil comes out from it. From 1 kilogram of neem seeds, between 100ml – 150ml of oil can be obtained.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">The neem paste is an excellent fertilizer or animal feed after no more neem oil can be extracted from it.</li></ul>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Uses of Neem Oil</span></b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: left;">Treating skin infections such as acne, psoriasis, scabies, eczema and fungal infections. Add 10 grammes of neem oil to 100 grammes of a locally available low cost ointment such as vaseline and mix well. Rub onto affected skin area.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Candida fungal infections whose symptoms include wounds in the mouth and vagina. Mix 1 spoon of neem oil to 9 spoons of honey and mix for mouth wounds. 1 spoon to 9 spoons of vegetable oil for vaginal infections. Apply 3 times a day to affected areas.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Add a little amount of neem oil to fuel used kerosene lamps to keep mosquitoes away.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Take 100 grammes of ordinary soap, break it into pieces and add a little clean water and 10 grammes of neem oil. Pound and mix together, shape and allow to dry. This gives you a herbal medicated sweet smelling antiseptic soap.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">For coughs, add 3 drops of neem oil to a spoon of honey or sugar and take 3 times a day.</li>
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</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Increase your <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html">household income</a> by</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: left;">Making a few more pieces of soap and anti-fungal skin lotions for the community around while charging a little price for it.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Also offer to train youth groups, mother's groups and cooperative societies in your community about how to make their medicated soap, skin lotions and medicines for diseases such as candida, scabies, acne which affect a lot of people. Charge a little price for this and better still, sell them the neem seeds and tree branches for planting. </li>
</ul>
The neem tree is planted almost everywhere to especially make use of its medicinal properties - growing it in your area will bring its medicinal uses to your community, not mentioning the extra income opportunities that will improve your living standards.<br />
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Share with use your views, suggestions in the comments below.
</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Read more:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/blog-traffic-at-youth-in-farming.html">Increasing Blog traffic at Youth in Farming</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-79261153446912009072011-10-01T09:06:00.004+03:002022-06-20T10:58:24.974+03:00Uganda needs more Cereal banks to curb effects of acute food shortage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSQpH6_6cZxyD7j8oBE2aHKgIwsWQnQXR6MvzyVd_UZxw3366fGJcgcVndaRsG6sF36bWjg6U2qKbVQ6K4bksTFhSAoSDnk1MHKnfWt5yHO8sr9FSrgn1KmsST60RNk18htSIrivrewE/s1600/Isaiah_cereal_Bank.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSQpH6_6cZxyD7j8oBE2aHKgIwsWQnQXR6MvzyVd_UZxw3366fGJcgcVndaRsG6sF36bWjg6U2qKbVQ6K4bksTFhSAoSDnk1MHKnfWt5yHO8sr9FSrgn1KmsST60RNk18htSIrivrewE/s400/Isaiah_cereal_Bank.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women farmers in Kenya at their cereal bank (ips.org)</td></tr>
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Most farmers in Uganda annually face this scenario. During the rainy periods, there is plenty of food: beans, maize, bananas, pineapples and most farmers are forced to sell it at low prices because of an abundant supply of fresh produce in the market with low demand. <br />
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During the lean periods, the opposite is true, scarce food supplies prompting a high demand from the market. The high market demand comes along with a big increase in prices for food items which often catches the local farmers without anything to sell or instead having to buy food at these high prices to feed their own families!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How a Cereal bank can work</b></span></h3>
A cereal bank is a community-based institution involving a village or a group of villages that stocks and manages the operations of acquiring, pricing and supplying grain. The purpose of the cereal bank is to improve food supply during the lean seasons, especially during extended drought periods.<br />
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Cereal banks are a combination of warehouse and financial institution, where farmers can deposit their harvest and receive a receipt. By storing their grains in warehouse or store, the farmers wait until prices increase before selling their harvest in the market. Therefore, they do not have to sell their crops when prices are at their lowest following a bumper harvest.<br />
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During periods, just after the harvest when food prices are low, grains are bought from elsewhere. The grains are stored until they are needed and then sold to the villagers at a reasonable price. <br />
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When the market prices are high and their granaries are empty, they can buy grains from the cereal bank at an affordable price. <br />
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Setting up a cereal bank is the best response to the quest for food security. It involves sharing resources and is one way for people to help one another in times of need. A cereal bank can function in several different ways depending on the requirements of the community. <br />
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Cereal banks or commonly called “Silos” are now being set up by the government but this can be done on a lower local level by the different farmers groups in every village and town. Besides, government projects often take a long time to materialize. It is always better that the local farmers group start their own cereal bank and seek government support to expand their operations.<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Objectives of the cereal bank</span></b></h3>
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<li>To buy grains from member farmers and loan them back during leaner periods.</li>
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<li>To help members improve their farming methods to increase food production. This can be in form of availing farmers with good seeds to plant, fertilizers, food preservation methods. </li>
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<li>To avail farmers with good seeds during a planting season. There are so many <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html">counterfeit seeds</a> that lead to low or bad yields at the moment. Transfer of crop diseases from one part of the country to another are also reduced.</li></ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How Cereal bank can be organised and run</span></b></h3>
<a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-farmers-cry-of-lack-of-capital.html"><b>Starting Capital</b></a> – Membership should be open to all people within the community. Every member of the group is required to contribute either in cash or in offering an equal amount of produce. For instance, an individual can contribute 5 bags of maize, ¼ bag of beans and Ugx. 30,000/=.<br />
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Contributions should done immediately after the harvest season, the period of food abundance. Any subsequent contributions are made depending on arising needs upon which members decide upon.<br />
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<b>Loaning, interest and repayment</b> - The grains are loaned back to the farmers during the dry or lean season, upon which they are required to repay back with some interest during the next harvest season. The loanee gets food in terms of grains and repays back in kind. The repayment period is one year, which is the difference between one harvest period and the next.<br />
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Both members and non-members are charged interest on the grains loaned to maintain the community cereal bank. For a 90kilogram bag of maize, one repays back with an interest (or an extra) of 20kilograms bag of maize. A 10 kilograms bag of beans fetches an interest of 2 kilograms.<br />
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Penalties should be given out to debtors who fail to repay according to laid out procedures. A member who defaults risks losing his or her initial contribution to the group and group membership.<br />
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Other rules apply to non-members whose loans are guaranteed by members. The burden of follow-up and payment of loans by the non-members rests entirely on the member who acts as a guarantor.<br />
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The group is not directly involved. It is upon the guarantor to ensure that the defaulting non-member pays the whole loan, failure of which the member risks losing his or her initial contribution to the group.<br />
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The members of the group are not required to give any security before grains can be loaned out to them. However, a member of the group must guarantee a non-member before the loan can be approved.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Benefits of a cereal bank</span></b></h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Since the cereal bank is within the village, the farmers do not have to travel long distances in search for grains. This saves time as well as transportation costs.</li>
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<li>The villagers are paid a better price for their food produce even when the market prices are low ensuring that they have money in their pockets to feed and clothe their families plus paying other expenses. </li>
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<li>Non-members farmers to the cereal bank benefit by accessing grains during the off-peak season at a price that is much lower than the market rate, which would otherwise have been unaffordable. </li>
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<li>The community gets access to proven good seeds for planting during the rainy seasons, greatly reducing cases of farmers being sold counterfeit seeds sold all over the streets. </li>
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<li>The community becomes self sustaining regarding food matters instead of relying on food aid during drought or periods of acute food shortage. </li>
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<li>The cereal bank helps farmers deal with<a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html"> issues of marketing </a>and storage. Using the cereal bank, the group can negotiate better market prices with wholesalers than individual farmers on their own. With the cereal bank having far superior storage capabilities, farmers can continually use it to store any food items they have harvested in excess reducing amount of food that rots from poor storage. </li>
</ul>
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Cereal banks have greatly improved the living standards of many farmers in Africa, the <a href="http://www.wfp.org/stories/niger-cereal-banks">World Food Program has a story of cereal banks in Niger</a>. Also do check out our <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/p/youth-in-farming-about.html">resources page</a> for more case studies.<br />
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Share with us in the comments below, how you are tackling the issue of food security in your community, as a group or individual.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Read more:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-40292072275573521982011-08-31T18:23:00.001+03:002022-06-09T17:15:57.781+03:00Uganda Budget 2011/12 - Key points for A Young Farmer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3Cx-TOIKQwOZmEzNjhhMjYtM2U1MS00NzE1LTg2NDMtMThkZDhhYzgyMzA0&hl=en">Uganda Budget 2011/12</a> highlights and puts forward a number opportunities that a young farmer must grab to improve his or her business.<br>
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</div><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/uganda-budget-201112-key-points-for.html#more"></a>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-58684900761169261342011-08-29T16:06:00.003+03:002022-06-20T11:02:03.229+03:00If most Africans work in the Agricultural sector, how come it has to Import so much Food?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you follow world news, you must have seen the so many pictures of malnourished children that are playing on all the major news channels every year. This year, they especially mention the drought in Somalia, East Africa, Sudan, Congo. Presently, there is a raging <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/10/somalia-drought-worst-humanitarian-crisis-_n_894072.html">drought in East Africa</a> which is currently dubbed the "worst humanitarian disaster in the world" which is threatening to engulf the whole region. The World Food Programme expects 10 million people to require food assistance.<br /><br />
70% of the population in Africa lives on agriculture and yet, every year, millions of Africans starve to death. This <a href="http://www.eoearth.org/article/Agriculture_and_development_in_Africa">encyclopedia on earth</a> article states that Africa spends between $15,000 - $20,000 million on food imports annually (which figure has probably gone up since 2007). Africa spends this on top of the $2,000 million food aid that it annually receives. This is surely a big sum of money that can be used to promote large scale farming instead of the hand-to-mouth farming practiced by African farmers.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Uganda agricultural problem</span></b></h3>
In Uganda, farmers always produce a surplus - which the Uganda president Museveni boosts about. The problem is that the farmers sell it only at the local market where the same surplus produce is so abundantly available.<br />
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For instance, tomatoes may have a big demand therefore selling very highly that season. The following season every farmer plants tomatoes for sale which creates a huge surplus the following harvesting season, consequently plummeting the prices of tomatoes to near zero that season. This discourages the farmer from growing any more tomatoes. When the prices of tomatoes rise due to shortage the following season, the farmer does not benefit anything since no one has grown any tomatoes to sell.<br />
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This sort of pattern keeps playing out in areas all over the country. There are regions prominent for growing mangoes, maize, rice, tomatoes, bananas... etc. No wonder this has created a belief among the youth that agriculture is the least profitable business one can have.<br />
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The huge price fluctuations therefore, are partly to blame why African farmers cannot grow enough food to feed the whole continent, and billions of dollars are spent on importing food to one of the richest agricultural continents in the world.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What can a young farmer do?</span></b></h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Uganda government has put aside money in the 2011 budget to build huge silos and warehouses to store agricultural produce in proper conditions so that it doesn't not rot or get fungi. A young farmer should also look into setting up a storage facility at home for cash crops like maize and coffee. </li>
<li>The government can easily put in place a price support system for farmers - to guarantee a minimum price for the farmers and wipe out the huge price fluctuations that destroy the market and discourage many farmers. </li>
<li>Join a young farmers group to collectively bargain for a better price for their produce instead of selling it individually on the local markets.</li>
<li>Also young farmers should be alert to changing market prices. A very good way is to <a href="http://youthinfarming.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-ways-youth-can-use-icts-to-boost-his.html">utilise ICT tools to boost an agricultural business</a> article.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Leave your comments below on what you think of the African food shortage problem.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><p></p></div>
</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-61590426466240470192011-08-27T15:20:00.006+03:002011-12-28T01:47:24.601+03:00Low Quality Farming Materials affecting Youth Farmers and their Solutions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Low quality tools, seeds and farming methods are affecting farmers' yields alot more today especially in Uganda. For instance, the <a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/Farming/-/689860/1224510/-/1lnqmlz/-/index.html">Daily Monitor</a> reports that there are a lot of fake seedlings and diseased plant seedlings being sold on the market today.<br>
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</div><a href="https://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/08/low-quality-farming-methods-affecting.html#more"></a>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009927984882286787.post-72805749651249238012011-08-26T13:00:00.074+03:002022-06-20T11:02:56.872+03:0010 Ways A Youth can use ICTs to Boost his or her Agribusiness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As a young farmer, your agricultural business should be much better than that of your parents. You should be producing more than they did, earning more, employing more people on your farm, and thinking beyond using a hoe to till the land!<br />
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Your parents lived much of their productive lives in the 20th century without much access to the knowledge and tools available to the youth today. They lived during a troubled period while today is more stable and calm for agricultural production.<br /><br />
Here are 10 ways to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve and boost the performance of your agricultural business. From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_and_communications_technology">Wikipedia</a>, ICTs as <i>a general term for all kinds of technologies which enable users to create, access and manipulate information.</i><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Here are 10 ways to improve a young farmer's business using freely available ICT tools:</b></h3>
<b>1. Use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open_source_software">free & opensource software</a></b><br />
Forget using windows. Even if you are using a version of windows XP/Vista/7 which you got from your friend for free, you are not safe from malware, spyware and deadly computer viruses! These can greatly cost your agricultural business alot of money in form of constantly buying antivirus programs which never work.<br />
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Instead turn to using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_%28operating_system%29">Ubuntu</a> which is free to download and use and above all free from computer viruses. There is also alot of support for it online if you encounter problems. It comes with openoffice which has free word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint and browsers for browsing the Internet. <br />
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<b>2. Using free blogging / website platforms to write online</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">blogger</a> - www.blogger.com - easier to use and provided by Google</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wordpress.com/">wordpress</a> - www.wordpress.com </li>
<li><a href="http://www.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> - www.tumblr.com</li>
</ul>
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Use these free services to constantly update your audience on the activities on your farm. If you are growing matooke, do not be shy from writing numerous articles on how to grow matooke, cook matooke, trade in matooke etc.</div>
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<b>3. Use <a href="http://www.skype.com/">Skype</a> to call abroad Free</b><br />
this is the most widely used software on the Internet to call and talk to business partners, donors, friends abroad. <a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en/features/allfeatures/skype-to-skype-calls/">Skype-to-skype</a> computer calls are free of charge. Use this to communicate instead of the expensive mobile telecom providers. </div>
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<b>4. Free marketing tools</b> to promote your agricultural business. You can use facebook or social networking, sending direct emails to your friends, blogging, weblinks, participate in agricultural online forums, place Ads on your website as some forms of online marketing.<br />
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Your agricultural business gets known the world over hence increasing traffic and business. Marketing & selling using TV or sales people is expensive & not affordable to most young farmers.<br />
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<b>5. Do not be a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_of_all_trades,_master_of_none">jack of all trades</a></b> and master of none which makes you very tired, inefficient and ineffective. Concentrate on what you do best and outsource the rest of the other activities.<br />
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For instance, if your typing speed is slow (2 words per minute), don't insist on typing a 10 page proposal document even if you have your own computer. Go down to the Internet cafe and have the attendant type it for you at a little fee. You will get back your document much sooner and you will have more time to work on something else.<br />
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6. Organise business activities</b> in a way to cut Travel and meetings costs. Use your phone, email address, websites, videos to reach your clients. Physically traveling away from your agricultural business often makes it unavailable. Travel only if you must.<br />
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<b>7. Use Mobile Money services</b> - all major telcom providers do have mobile money receiving and payment services. Make it very easy for your customers to trade with you by making sure your mobile phone is registered to receive mobile payments. In Uganda, <a href="http://www.mtn.co.ug/MTN-Services/Mobile-Banking/MTN-MobileMoney.aspx">MTN mobile money</a>, Airtel, Orange, warid are all reported to be offering this service.<br />
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<b>8. Sign up to receive daily market information</b> from services such as FOODNET. Newspapers and radio are also a good source of market information. You could also use your mobile phone to subscribe to agricultural information services. Make sure to record the trend of the agricultural products you are interested in. Over time, you will always know where the most demand for your products are.<br />
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<b>9. Join the national government body of farmers</b> or it's equivalent - this is very important. Through the national farmer's body, the government channels all funds and support towards improving the livelihoods of farmers. As a young, vibrant and ambitious farmer, active participation would easily place you in reach of such resources. In Uganda, such a body is NAADS, the local chamber of commerce or the SACCOs.<br />
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<b>10. Post your agricultural Produce online</b> - There are a number of websites online where you could post agricultural produce to sell. Some of these are below<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.google.co.ug/africa/trader?hl=en&tab=JJ">Google Trader</a> - its free to post items for sell. You can access it on your mobile phone too.</li>
<li><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/marketplace/">Facebook Marketplace</a> - Post whatever you are selling. You have an audience of over 500 million people! You need to join facebook to post.</li>
<li><u>Use your facebook status</u> to post agricultural products you are selling</li>
<li><u>Email friends</u> about products you have and if they know anyone who can buy from you. Use your phone to call if possible.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.webbizafrica.com/">Webbiz Africa</a>, <a href="http://www.mukatale.com/">Mukatale</a>, the <a href="http://www.eyetrader.ug/">eye Magazine</a> - these are all websites with large audiences that you can use to market your produce.</li>
<li>Join the <a href="http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/">fair trade foundation</a> - to reach European markets and sell in tonnes of agricultural products.</li>
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From experience, these methods have worked for us. We keep on using them everyday. What is the experience in your country? Please share with us in the comments below. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Leave us a comment below.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Read more:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/5-ways-to-make-money-in-Agriculture-in-Africa.html">5 Ways to Make Recurring Money in Agriculture in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2011/12/15-major-reasons-youth-in-africa-do-not.html">15 Major Reasons Youth in Africa Do not Like a Career in Agriculture</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Black-soldier-fly-farming-Maggots-clear-food-waste.html">Black Soldier Fly Farming: Maggots Cleaning up Food Waste</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Cricket-Farming-Sustainable-Protein-Feed-Africa.html">Cricket Farming: Sustainable Insect Protein to Feed Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Macadamia-farming-most-expensive-nuts-in-world.html">Macadamia: Farming the Most Expensive Nuts in the World</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/06/Howto-make-money-Food-Waste-into-useful-stuff.html">How to make Money Turning Food Waste into Useful Stuff</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.youthinfarming.org/2022/05/Youth-need-to-feed-Africa-now.html">Why You Need to Get your agribusiness Started Now</a></li></ul><p></p></div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com1