05/06/2013: Maggots with supermarket meat; 'orphan crop' could save millions of lives; former cyclist now maize mill mogul

A new EU plan to feed animals with protein-rich maggots which have been reared on cow and pig excrement is currently being trialled.

As soya beans (currently the primary protein source used in animal feed) are in such high demand, both farmers and scientists have been searching for cheaper alternatives.

The plan would see flies bred on an industrial scale using animal and vegetable waste, with the maggots then used for feed.
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Millions of African lives could rest in the unlikely hands of a vegan hippy scientist.

Howard-Yana Shapiro, agriculture director of US confectionery corporations Mars, has already published the complete genome of the cacao tree and now plans to share the genetic makeup of crops with the public.

"The genetic information will be put on the web and offered free to plant breeders, seed companies and farmers on condition it is not patented." he said.
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Felicien Munyamfura was one grassed up pedal cyclist earning Rwf1000 (US$1.54) per day until he decided to set up his own business.

After borrowing Rwf90 000 (US$138) from a friend, Munyamfura bought a sorghum crashing machine. Today, he is the only one who runs a maize mill in Kinigi Sector, Musanze District.
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Maggots  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

30/05/2013: Animal feed from flies; OSU develop monitoring technology; sunken grain pit makes for easy access

The simple, cheap, but effective idea of harvesting maggots and turning them into livestock feed has garnered a Cape Town agricultural company the Innovation Prize for Africa worth US$100 000.

AgriProtein Technologies beat ten other finalists from across the country to scoop the prize by developing a way to create livestock feed out of the bio-waste thrown out by abattoirs.

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Researchers at Oregon State University have helped develop new environmental monitoring technology that will allow farmers thousands of miles away, in west and central Asia, to save millions of dollars while more effectively combating a pest that is threatening their wheat crops.

Twenty million acres of wheat in parts of Asia and North Africa are threatened by the 'Sunn pest', a bug that can destroy the value of wheat.

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A ready-made sunken grain pit has been designed to allow for easier installation whilst providing ready access to the conveyor within the grain handling sector.

The Dry Pit system from Jema Agro is supplied in bolt-together sections to fit a rectangular concrete casing with vertical sides.

"The self-supporting steel hopper is suspended from the top of the concrete lining and sits 140mm from the floor," explains Mark Unitt of Jema distributor Danagri-3S.

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English: Odontotarsus grammicus, Scutelleridae. A sunn pest. This photo was taken on September 30, 2009 in Ansião, Leiria, PT. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)