7/11/13: China approves imports of Brazilian corn; harnessing the benefits of the cassava crop; John Deere at your fingertips

According to a Brazilian government official, China has agreed to allow imports of Brazilian corn, providing a key market for surging production. 
 

Although China is the one of the world's top corn producers, second only to the United States and should produce 210 million tonnes of the grain this season, it is expected to expand its corn imports to feed its growing middle class.
Full story here ... 

In October, top international researchers along with decision makers, business people and a range of stakeholders working in the cassava sector met at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria. The meeting called a plan of action on the best way to implement the cassava business in Nigeria.
 

"We need to seize this opportunity and harness the benefits of every part of the cassava crop for national development, income generation, nutrition enhancement and poverty alleviation," says Dr Kenton Dashiell, IITA deputy director general.
 

Cassava is the fourth most important source of food energy in the world after wheat, maize and rice. Both the roots and leaves can be directly fed to livestock or used in producing commercial feed. 

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), "Animals raised on cassava have generally good health, good disease resistance and a low mortality and require few if any antibiotics in their feed."
Comprehensive report available here ...  

Agricultural machinery giant John Deere recently unveiled its new GT-30300 Grain Moisture Tester.

The hand-held device gives an accurate measurement of conditions for both stored grain and during harvests. At the touch of a button, the GT-30300 provides direct readouts of moisture and test weight for 20 different grains in seconds, without pre-weighing the samples.
More information can be found here …

 

Cassava cultivation in Central Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)