Building Seed Companies, Strengthening Farmers

Bimini1002016-04-05T11:26:55-05:00

via AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) It is easy to tell where the farmers from the Fumaki Cooperative live: their homes have iron roofs. When smallholder farmers make money, one of the first modifications they make to their homes is to install an iron roof, not only is it a sign of wealth, but unlike traditional thatch roofs, iron roofs do not leak. With the aim of attracting larger buyers, Farmers in Kamenya Village in southern Malawi organized themselves [...]

March 30, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Top mobile apps for agriculture

Bimini1002016-04-11T12:20:37-05:00

In recent years, several companies and public institutions have developed Apps for mobile devices with the goal of providing a service to agricultural consultants and producers with educational materials and support tools. There is an increasing interest in these “Ag-Apps” and the use of new technologies for increasing the efficiency in communicating and decision-making. The articles in this issue of the Agronomy eUpdate provide a brief summary of the current status of Ag-Apps. Note: Most of the Apps presented in this series [...]

March 29, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Website spotlights equipment with high-retained value

Bimini1002016-03-28T10:56:53-05:00

Investing in equipment is a key part of farming, but does what you own retain value? That's a great question for many buyers. EquipmentWatch, a data-tracking website that collects and process a range of transaction data for a wide range of equipment, has targeted machines in specific classes that hold their value best. The result is the Retained Value Award, and the 2016 winners have been announced and there are 6 agricultural products in the list (the complete list is [...]

March 28, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Seeds of success in Ghana

Bimini1002016-03-19T22:40:09-05:00

via AGRA(Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) Mohammed Sabtuwo does not just want to talk about how agriculture has changed his life; he wants to show us. Before we know it, he is up from his seat and whisking us away to his house, a sense of urgency in every step. On the way, he points to a small house, about half the size of a car garage that is made of timber slats and a tin roof. This is how he [...]

March 28, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Ghana Cocoa Board encourages youth to venture into cocoa farming

Bimini1002016-03-23T08:27:56-05:00

At the 2016 National Chocolate Day held at Krodua, Ghana, the deputy CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board Dr Francis Oppong appealed to the custodians of traditional lands to release lands for farming under the board’s Youth in Cocoa Programme The producer price of cocoa paid to farmers has increased over the last few years. (Image Source: Nestlé/Flickr) The board has since 2014, intensified efforts at encouraging the youth into the lucrative venture of cocoa farming. Dr Oppong explained that the intention [...]

March 23, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Case IH expands JXT Series tractor range

Bimini1002016-03-19T22:22:53-05:00

Case IH JXT has launched its new JXT models, which feature rugged and reliable 3-cylinder, offering reliability and high performance utility tractors The JXT Compact range is available with a choice of 8x2 or 8x8 mechanical transmissions. The engines offer excellent performance with low operating costs, noted Case IH. The engines on the two smaller models deliver 35 and 42hp at 2000rpm. The biggest of the three, the JX45T, produces 47hp at 2300 rpm. According to Case IH, the JXT Compact range [...]

March 21, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Brazil heading for a record crop of 100 million tons of soybeans

Bimini1002016-03-03T17:16:00-05:00

As the soybean harvest gets under way in Brazil, analysts are having a clearer picture of whether the forecast record-setting crop will hit the century mark of 100 million tons despite hot and dry weather in Mato Grosso and northeastern Brazil as pods set and fill. Growers planted nearly 4% more land to soybeans than last season. With slightly above-average yields, that would bring a crop that easily exceeds the 96.2 million tons of 2014/2015, says USDA. March is the main [...]

March 14, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Michelin Introduces New Ag Tires

Bimini1002016-03-10T18:05:32-05:00

Recently at the 2016 Commodity Classic, Michelin Agricultural Tires introduced the new CerexBib tire. The tire is a part of the very-high flexion class of agricultural tires for handling bigger and heavier farm equipment. Designed specifically for large combines and grain carts, it has a greater ability to flex under increased loads than a standard radial. CerexBib, now available at Michelin Ag tire dealers in the U.S. and Canada, offers the following features: Operation at a lower pressure Improved traction in all conditions Enhanced [...]

March 10, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Sosucam selects CASE IH for its Cameroon sugar cane plantations

Bimini1002016-03-03T17:11:49-05:00

Case IH has chosen Sosucam for its Cameroon sugar cane plantations in a bid to drive growth in Africa’s sugar cane sector The AutoTracker helps to reduce cane losses. (Image source: Case IH) Case IH contributes to 70 per cent of the employment in Africa, with the firm producing a total of 350,000 tonnes of sugar every year. “The PUMA 225 CVT tractors and the Austoft Sugar Cane Harvester just met all the requirements we needed for our farming project,” said Arnaud Marrier [...]

March 9, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...

Micro-irrigation for horticultural crops

Bimini1002016-03-18T18:51:22-05:00

Micro Irrigation was designed and developed to secure and sustain crop growth in arid and semi-arid environments and greenhouses where water is always at a premium Micro-irrigation requires substantial initial investment and also a long learning curve which makes the system particularly appropriate for high value horticultural crops including fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and ornamentals. Installation of micro irrigation brings many advantages for farmers and growers but some disadvantages too. Advantages and disadvantages Micro-irrigation will generally use less than half the volume of [...]

March 7, 2016 Uncategorized Comments OffRead more...