In the first 15 years of the twenty-first century many African countries have seen rapid economic growth and poverty reduction, with big changes in agri-food systems and human nutrition. The changes in agriculture and food systems that we discern so far in twenty-first century Africa have been broadly accordant with the patterns first described in modern economic terms by Clark […]
Organic farming has become one of the fastest-growing areas of agriculture. The sale of organic foods rising more than 20% annually since 1990. Increasing demand for organic produce has become a primary consumer trend and reflects consumer perceptions of organic foods as more environmentally friendly. Is organic food unquestionably healthier than its conventional counterpart? Answers to this question are now […]
The effects of climatic change and global warming are much evident across the globe. Though their effects in the agricultural field have been extensively reported, not much is known on how they affect the livestock. Climatic changes exert both direct and indirect effects on livestock. Direct effects due to temperature, wind speed, humidity etc affect animal productivity like growth, milk […]
Benefits of sheep and goat farming Sheep and goat are considered the most affordable animals as they can be accommodated in any weather conditions. They are often referred to as poor man’s cow as they play a key role in the livelihood of the landless, small and marginal farmers. They can survive in drought areas and can be stall-fed. They […]
Nutrition Food consumed by animals gets digested, absorbed and used to generate energy to perform day to day activities. But not all the components of food are digestible. The components of food that are utilized by the body are called nutrients and the process of obtaining the food needed for health and growth is known as nutrition. Classes and sources […]
The terms organic’ and eco friendly’ often go hand in hand for reasons obvious. When the greenhouse effect and global warming are utterly straining the planet, giving rise to various chronic diseases, organic farming has become the need of the hour as its benefits are immeasurable. Organic farming benefits all the elements of life. Long Term Sustainability Environment is drastically […]
The advent of biodynamic farming Biodynamic farming was first introduced in Germany in 1924 by Dr Rudolf Steiner to combat rapid degeneration of soil, deterioration of food quality and seed viability and vitality that occurred due to chemical farming. Chemical farming is a consequence of world wars when the residues of chemicals used in warfare and weapon manufacturing were used […]
What is Agronomy? Agronomy can be defined as the science that deals with the principles and practices of field management concerning major field crops with its central theme being soil-plant-environment relationship. Agronomy is an interdisciplinary science that deals with the improvement and management of specific major food crops in the world. It is an integrated and holistic field that deals […]
In organic farming systems, soil fertility implies things beyond giving plants macro and micronutrients. The fertility of soil majorly depends on plants, soil organic matter and soil biology. Organic farming enhances soil fertility by improving its physical, biological and chemical properties. This method of farming mainly aims at maintaining nutrients in their natural reservoirs and in bioavailable forms that can […]
Milk Processing Milk is considered one of the most nutritious foods that are consumed by people worldwide. The milk undergoes processing to increase the variety of nutrients. The processing of milk includes various operations ranging from collecting milk from the farm, storing milk in tanks, separating, pasteurizing and homogenizing to improve the quality of the milk. The milk processing equipment […]