Biome Makers, a leading agtech company in soil health analysis and microbiome technology, announced its commitment to safeguarding and revitalising soil health through concrete actions
In The Spotlight
AU-IBAR is hosting a National Stakeholders Consultative and Validation Workshop from 20-24 August in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
The workshop aims to align Burkina Faso’s agricultural investment plans and fisheries and aquaculture strategies with the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS). Additionally, it seeks to address climate change adaptation and formulate recommendations for the domestication of relevant global instruments.
The workshop agenda includes a series of sessions focused on climate change adaptation and aligning national fisheries and aquaculture strategies with the PFRS. The first day features opening remarks from key dignitaries, followed by presentations on the PFRS and discussions on the alignment of national policies. The subsequent days involve breakout sessions for group work on integrating national agricultural investment plans with climate change strategies, domestication of global instruments, and policy alignment. The workshop concludes with plenary sessions to adopt consultancy reports, wrap up discussions, and develop actionable recommendations.
Participants from various sectors, including NGOs, private sector stakeholders, and representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, are collaborating to ensure the successful alignment of national strategies with continental and global frameworks.
Speaking on behalf of Dr Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, Rafik Nouaili highlighted the pivotal role of the PFRS and the EU-funded FishGov2 initiative in supporting AU member states in the pursuit of Agenda 2063.
Over the years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has proceeded to become one of humanity's biggest threats, urging farming researchers to join the global fight against this creeping pandemic
Eight new networks comprising a combination of different research specialisms will support diverse teams of AMR researchers to develop approaches aimed at tackling AMR across various sectors and disciplines. Approximately US6.3mn will be shared from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), awarded as part of its tackling infections strategic theme. Drawing on a dedicated budget of around US$9.2mn, the programme will continue next year with a new opportunity for ambitious new transdisciplinary research programmes.
The networks include:
- The AMAST (AMR in Agrifood Systems Transdisciplinary) Network: Led by Matthew Gilmour of the Quadram Institute, this network will coordinate the agri-food trans-disciplinary community engaged in AMR activities covering crop, livestock and aquaculture sectors, while also interactions with industry, trade associations, policy makers, and academia involved in food production.
- The Climate Change Impacts on AMR Using a Planetary Health Framework (CLIMAR) Network: Led by William Gaze from the University of Exeter, this network aims to find transdisciplinary solutions to reduce AMR infections while promoting innovations for alternative treatments.
- The ARREST-AMR (Accurate, Rapid, Robust and Economical One Health DiagnoSTics for antimicrobial resistance) Network: Led by Mark Bradley from the Queen Mary University of London, this network will focus on diagnostic tools in a One Health context.
- The Fungal One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance Network: Led by Darius Armstrong-James from Imperial College London, this network will cover healthcare, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries as well as key government departments and end users in these settings.
- The Futures AMR Network (FAN): Led by Linda Oyama from the Queen's University Belfast, FAN will support early career researchers across a range of disciplines to become future leaders in AMR and tackle it in agri-food health, environment and medicine using approaches in the arts and artificial intelligence, behavioral economics, clinical engineering and discovery.
- IMPACT AMR: a Transdisciplinary Network: Led by Clare Chandler from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, this network will address key policy questions around AMR mitigation strategies, by working with policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise effective interventions that reduce the AMR burden in a feasible, socially acceptable, and economically beneficial manner.
- The People AMR Network: Led by Sarah Tonkin-Crine from the University of Oxford, this network will explore ways to help people make decisions about antibiotic use, develop new strategies and tools, and to study these to ensure they target the right people, the right behaviours, and the right settings to have maximum and timely impact at the lowest possible cost.
- The Transdisciplinary Antimicrobial Resistance Genomics (TARGet) Network: Led by Willem van Schaik from the University of Birmingham, this network will utilise recent genomic advances to better understand AMR, thereby covering the needs of academia, business, NHS, social care settings and veterinary medicine.
According to head of strategy, Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Growth at UKRI, Dr. Colin Miles, AMR is a large, complex problem with 10 million people expected to lose their lives to it each year by 2050.
“Rather than taking single-discipline approaches, we need researchers from across disciplines to come together and look at all aspects of the problem – from human behaviour and how we grow crops and rear animals for consumption to how we manage the environment or use technology, clinical management strategies and challenging established cultural norms,” said Dr. Miles.
Chinese Ambassador Han Jing exchanged his views on China-Zambia agricultural cooperation during a courtesy call 26 August, on Minister of Agriculture of Zambia, Reuben Phiri
China's is optimistic about Zambia's agricultural investment prospects and is willing to work alongside Zambia to utilise the platform of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), to promote more joint agricultural projects in Zambia and more exports of Zambian agricultural products to China to benefit the two peoples.
The Ministry of Zambia has rendered strong support, in turn guarenteeing the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state and further deepening of the comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between China and Zambia.
Minister Phiri stated that Zambia-China agricultural cooperation has yielded fruitful results under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and welcomed Ambassador Han to assume his office. This opens a gateway for Chinese businesses to invest in Zambia's agricultural sector, with the upcoming FOCAC Summit hoping to serve as a mutually beneficial, win-win cooperation between the two countries in the field of modern agriculture.
Africa's leading industry event, the Organic and Natural Products Expo 2024 is all set to open its doors from 12-14 September at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa
Designed as a hybrid event that caters to trade buyers while allowing retail sales directly to consumers, the expo is the continent's only dedicated event for the organic and natural products industry and serves as the ultimate platform for traders and exhibitors to showcase their offerings to a diverse and influential audience.
Besides featuring a mix of local and international manufacturers, producers, suppliers, importers, exporters and distributors, the expo also brings together suppliers, buyers and eco-enthusiasts to celebrate greener, healthier, and more sustainable living. Moreover, it also showcases numerous product categories including health, body & beauty, lifestyle, home, food & beverages, and baby & kids.
The expo has attracted significant interest from across the African continent and aims to open doors to new business opportunities from countries including Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar and Malawi. The event also offers a memorable, informative and exciting experience, including exclusive networking opportunities, live demonstrations, product tastings, interactive sessions, engaging potential clients and showcasing products in real-time. Additionally, attendees will gain valuable industry insights, staying ahead of market trends and learning about the latest innovations in sustainability and wellness.
“This is looking to be our biggest event yet and we are delighted to bring the expo for its fourth consecutive year to Johannesburg,” said Organic and Natural Product Expo Africa’s head of sponsorships and partnerships, Warren Hickinbotham.
For more information and to register for the event, visit: https://www.organicandnaturalportal.com/expo/
Chicken wings—spiced, marinated, or just as they come—are an ideal fast food meal component, perfect for on-the-go eating or as a TV snack
To cut such QSR wings efficiently and consistently accurately, Marel offers a wide range of precision tools.
Anatomic or not
The small size of the wing segments makes the accuracy of the cuts more difficult. Usually, wing cuts are anatomical, not splitting any bone. Such wing processing demands precise, high-yield cuts exactly between the two joints. Non-anatomic cuts, as preferred by certain QSR chains, have other interests to serve.
Weighing and quality grading
QSR wing products must be of a given size and without blemish. Carcass weight, wing quality and customer order usually determine which wing products are made from which carcass. For most fast-food applications, the cut between drumette and mid-wing joints must be done accurately and anatomically. Marel’s ACM wing cutting modules ensure repeatable accurate cutting at high speed. Marel’s WingMaster is a flexible module, providing a precise anatomic wing cut with perfect skin coverage for mid-wing as well as drumette. The result is an excellent wing presentation with higher yield.
Breast meat attached
Most QSR restaurant chains, however, like their wings harvested with a rosette of breast meat (aka silver dollar). When cutting up carcasses for the famous QSR 9-piece chicken buckets, all pieces must have similar weights, taking the same amount of time to fry. Logically, none of the 9-piece cuts is anatomic, resulting in unique wing, breast, thigh and drumstick cuts. Marel can provide the perfect wing cutting module to achieve this silver dollar cut, as part of the QSR-approved ACM Convenience Food line.
Wings further processed
Most QSR wings are marinated. From the ACM cut-up system, wings can be fed automatically to ValueDrum for marinating to produce high-quality Hot Wings or Buffalo Wings. For homestyle wings, the flouring, battering and breading processes can also be done with Marel solutions, such as the RevoCrumb or RevoBreader.
Boneless wings
A relatively new item on the fast-food menu is the boneless wing, a popular product in the Americas that isn’t a wing at all. They are portioned pieces of whole-muscle breast meat cut into the shape of chicken wing, as opposed to chicken nuggets made from ground meats. Thus, their processing is entirely different, taking place in the deboned breast meat department with the help of an I-Cut 122 portion cutter.
While sustainable food production through aquaponic systems is promising, achieving economic sustainability requires the addressing of specific technical challenges, writes Saurabh Maral
Sustainable food production through aquaponic systems is promising. Consegic Business Intelligence analyses that the aquaponics market size is growing with a CAGR of 10.8% during the forecast period (2023-2031), and is projected to be valued at US$2,151.97mn by 2031. The following are the major areas that should be carefully examined for the proper functioning of the systems and to ensure that they are profitable:
Balancing nutrient supply and demand
One of the biggest issues in aquaponics is to make the waste of fish nutrient producers in the same way as plants need it. Fish produce waste as ammonia, which is converted to nitrites and nitrates by bacteria. Besides, plants rely on these compounds to grow, though the unbalance can lead to poor nutrient use or else toxic conditions for fish. A multi-stage biofiltration system will be a successful part of the process of the plant requirements with the desired quality of biofertiliser. Both the bacteria conversion part and the phytoplankton assimilation part from plants should be framed within the biofiltration and recycling of the waste in the closed aquatic ecosystem.
Maintaining water quality
Quality of water is very critical for the well-being of both fish and plants. However, critical parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature should be constantly monitored to prevent any growth issues or mortality in the system. Water monitoring systems that are automated with sensors can provide data in real time and make adjustments as necessary. On the other hand, incorporating machine learning algorithms allows predictive maintenance to take place, thus, reducing the risk of system failure. Additionally, water testing on a regular basis, along with filter maintenance, also plays a huge role in maintaining smooth operation.
Energy efficiency
Aquaponic systems can require a lot of power because of water pumping, aeration, and temperature control. Eroding the profit margin through high energy bills makes energy efficiency a crucial element of sustainability. Energy-conservation equipment such as variable-speed pumps, which are quiet and can be run at different speeds, and high-efficiency aerators can significantly save energy. Besides this, companies can also contribute to absorbing energy costs by employing solar panels and optimising the system design so that water traveling distance would be minimised to lower energy consumption.
Fish and plant species selection
For the aquaponic system to be successful, it is important the appropriate fish and plants are chosen as not all of them are suitable for such kind of systems. The fish that are going to be introduced into the system need to be sturdy because sometimes water conditions can be less than ideal. Also, the plants should get their nutrients from the fish waste. Tilapia, catfish, and trout are the species of fish that are widely used for their robustness, while leafy greens and herbs like lettuces and basil are plants that are particularly recommended. Small-scale trials on different species arrangements will give the combination of plants and fish that will result in the best performance of the system.
Scaling the system economically
The project of upgrading a layer that grows in the system of aquaponics to a commercial level conduces to the augmentation of the complexity in front of high upfront costs, increased production of labour, and more complex system dynamics. The goal of achieving economies of scale without a decrease in the sustainability of the system is of utmost importance. The modular system design helps scale down the size of the farm gradually while at the same time reducing the risks and the initial investment. Automation of the main processes in the life cycle such as feeding, water circulation, and environmental control will minimise labeling work. Data-based tools for analysing the performance of the systems guarantee scalability and constant yield development.
Conclusion
To attain a profitable aquaponic model, it is imperative to deal with main difficulties like nutrient balance, water quality, energy efficiency, species selection, and system scalability. By employing innovative biofiltration systems, automation technologies, power-efficient building components, and data-centric decision support systems, managers will be able to get the most out of the system at the same time as reducing operating expenditures. By means of such approaches, aquaponics promises to be a sustainable food production method that is environmentally friendly and economically sound for the long term.
The Siroko, an entry-level muck spreader from JOSKIN, offers capacities from 5 to 13 cu m, and is part of a range of six models, four of which have vertical beaters and two have horizontal beaters with a spreading table
It is characterised by its lightness, sturdiness and easy maintenance, as well as by its narrow galvanised body and wide wheels, which offer a great manoeuvrability and enhanced stability on hilly terrain. Designed in high tensile steel, the Siroko is sturdy and dynamical without extra reinforcements, which reduces its empty weight. It has a standard drawbar suspension with cross spring leaves, providing driving comfort even at high speeds and over rough terrain.
The two oversized beaters guarantee efficient crumbling and easy product passage, with a moving floor made of shipping chains and closed profile slats, fitted on a bolted galvanised floor. The spreading width varies from 7 to12 m, depending on the product, thanks to the rotation of the beaters at a speed of 423 rpm and their large 900 mm diameter, ensuring an efficient spreading system.
The beaters are equipped with spirals and bolted Hardox steel teeth to guarantee a long service life and an optimal crumbling quality. In addition, two retractable blades at the base of the beaters act like a 'splitting' hammer to ensure high-quality spreading.
In short, the Siroko stands out for its sturdy design, ease of use and manure spreading efficiency, providing farmers with a reliable, cost-effective equipment for their spreading needs.
Agrovar partners with Biome Makers to support Bulgarian farmers
Bulgarian agtech company Agrovar will adopt Biome Makers’ BeCrop technology to support farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture
Solar-powered orchard robot wins agri-tech horticulture hackathon
The Agri-EPI Centre has announced the winners of the agri-tech hackathon, which focused on the horticulture and livestock/veterinary sectors