Sunflower: FG promises repositioning for larger market

The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria has said she is ready to make the value chains of sunflower productivity more robust through effective policy with availability of subsidized inputs support to farmers for more competitiveness in the international market. This was disclosed by the officer in charge of Sunflower desk, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Mr. Sunday Obasi during his presentation at the one day sensitization programme organized by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) in Abuja recently.

Strategies of a honey bee virus

The Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus is a pathogen that affects honey bees and has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, a key factor in decimating the bee population. Researchers have now analyzed in detail how the virus hijacks the cellular protein production machinery and misuses it for its own purposes. The research, published in The EMBO Journal, is an important step towards the development of strategies to fight the Colony Collapse Disorder.

54 farmers benefit in Ogun State broilers empowerment, 46 get loans

The Ogun State government has empowered fifty four (54) poultry farmers with a total of 54,000 day old chicks that are projected to give a dividend of N130, 000.00 per head after forty two days of proper feeding as 46 people out of these numbers have been given loan of Nine hundred thousand also. This was contained in a press release made available to us.

New portable DNA sequencer quickly and accurately diagnoses wheat viruses

Blasts cause significant loses in wheat crops. Recently Bangladesh was devastated by an invasion of South American races of wheat blast fungus, which occurred for the first time in the country in 2016. The disease spread to an estimated 15,000 hectares (16% of cultivated wheat area in the country) and resulted in yield losses as high as 100%.

Organic seeds: Practitioners challenge researchers

Practitioners  of organic agriculture in Nigeria has charged the research institutes in the country to intensify on generation of more organic seeds for farmers in view of the high demand for organically grown foods in the international markets. This position was taken at the recently concluded roundtable business summit on organic farming held in Abuja.

Are humans changing animal genetic diversity worldwide?

Human population density and land use is causing changes in animal genetic diversity, according to researchers at McGill University.

Scientists enhance color and texture of cultured meat

A team of Tufts University-led researchers exploring the development of cultured meat found that the addition of the iron-carrying protein myoglobin improves the growth, texture and color of bovine muscle grown from cells in culture. This development is a step toward the ultimate goal of growing meat from livestock animal cells for human consumption.

Bacterial arsenic efflux genes enabled plants to transport boron efficiently

Stubby roots, brittle branches, poor fertility -- these are some of the symptoms which can occur in the case of boron deficiency in plants. Thanks to transport proteins called Nodulin26-like-intrinsic-proteins (NIPs), modern seed plants can efficiently take up and distribute this essential micronutrient.

FMARD PS posted out

The Permanent Secretary (PS), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Dr. Mohammed Bello Umar has been posted out of the ministry to another one that is yet to be ascertained at the time of sending this news.

FACAN backs border closure, plans sustainable preservation facilities

The President of Federation Agricultural Commodity Associations (FACAN) Dr. Victor Iyama has thrown his weight behind the Federal Government (FG) partial land borders closure saying effort is being geared towards efficient food storage facilities that will enhance more farmers’ productivity with effective preservation against wastages.