Why Bamboo should not be planted in your home

Bamboo is a trendy star of the eco-friendly construction movement, with a wide variety of flooring, furniture and other items being manufactured with the strong, fast-growing grass. However, bamboo production should be left to commercial growers. Bamboo’s hardiness and rapid growth make it a problematic plant for most yards. Here are the...

Top 10 GMO Foods

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What are ENZYMES???

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Benefits of Coconut Oil

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Paddy farmers a confused lot

Farmers in the district who have raised paddy nurseries in anticipation of good harvest in rabi season, are in confused as to go ahead with transplantation of the seedlings from nurseries to the main fields or drop the cultivation at nursery-stage itself to minimise the losses. Reason for it is the continuing poor monsoon coupled with insufficient...

Regulating Pesticides -- an Impossible Job

It's an old joke that one should never look too closely at how sausage is made or how legislation is passed. That's also true for how pesticides are regulated. I began to look too closely when three of my colleagues were working on a pesticide data base. I watched them, asked questions, and learned how the Environmental Protection Agency...

Shock findings in new GMO study: Rats fed lifetime of GM corn grow horrifying tumors, 70% of females die early

Eating genetically modified corn (GM corn) and consuming trace levels of Monsanto's Roundup chemical fertilizer caused rats to develop horrifying tumors, widespread organ damage, and premature death. That's the conclusion of a shocking new study that looked at the long-term effects of consuming Monsanto's genetically modified corn.The study...

Aid to agriculture increases by 130% in China and by 40% in the US

Global support to agriculture per capita in the period 2005-2010 has increased by 130% in China, by 60% in Brazil and by 40% in the United States, while in the European Union it has stayed in the same level since 2005, according to the indicator "Global Support to Agricultural Production (SGPA)" published by the Movement for a World Agricultural...

Italy: Fruitylife promotes fruit and vegetables via internet and social media

All about EU seasonal fruit, plus info on production process phases, on certifications, on seasonal products and on healthy nutrition. All this and more, on the www.fruitylife.eu/en website, created for the European Fruitylife project, headed by Alimos and co-financed by the EU and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The site...

Germany: Endive as an alternative to other types of lettuce

With lettuce varieties being scarce this week, there were several discount actions promoting endive as an alternative. The German Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) states that 8 German retailers had the vegetable on sale for prices hovering between 0.79 and 0.99 cents.The actions created a bigger demand, in turn causing Italian exporters...

Europe: Banana trade has changed

The banana market in Europe is changing. The trade has become much more structured, with supermarkets having more influence than ever before. And these supermarkets have changed their strategy, looking to import the goods themselves. Currently, importers agree on quantities with their business partners. This also applies to the big banana...

Severe drought has lasting effects on Amazon

The Amazon basin does not readily bounce back after a period of drought, researchers suggest.Rodrigo Baleia/LatinContent/Getty ImagesHannah HoagA study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1 sheds light on the long-term effects of drought on the Amazon rainforest — giving clues about how the rainforest might...

Agriculture: 1 million farmers to get tips by phone

Farmers would have to provide their CNIC numbers, mobile numbers and details related to their agriculture land and crop for registration, says official. IMAGE: CREATIVE COMMON -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FAISALABAD: The provincial government aims...

The Blind Ostrich Head In The Sand Protocol

 Here are two questions for our esteemed readers, and if anyone is minded to respond, answers, on a postcard please, to our comments section on this Blog. Question one is this:Is Kim 'Dotcom' Schmitz an anagram of 'Blind Zombie Ostrich'.Why do I ask? Well, before move onto question two, we need to look at some background. Schmitz...

‘Ostrich farming has the power to feed the world’

                                  The global ostrich industry needs 20,000 hides annually. KARACHI: Ostriches, the most underrated livestock species in Pakistan, have the power...

Textile ministry joins farmers in denouncing trade with India

By Zafar BhuttaPublished: November 22, 2012The Ministry of Textile Industry now says that the future of local industry seems bleak because of the “hasty” decision to open Pakistani markets for Indian textiles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMABAD:...

Do farmers markets boost area economy?

Ten years ago, farmers markets in Michigan were few and far between, with only 90 existing in the state. Today, the state boasts more than 250 farmers markets, and a recently-released report finds these markets are more than just a place to shop for local produce. Farmers markets also can boost the economy and provide jobs.While farmers...

Experts link kinnow industry growth with removal of middlemen

Horticulture experts have linked growth of the kinnow industry to the removal of middleman saying that exports of the citrus fruit could be enhanced manifold provided the farmers are provided direct benefit.At present Pakistan is among the top 10 citrus growing countries in the world and the world export market for horticulture products is...

VHT plants installation can boost Pak mango export

By Technology Times at July 10, 2012 | 1:01 amSTAFF REPORT IBD: Pakistan is missing Japan’s huge market for mangoes in the absence of Vapor Heat Treatment (VHT) facilities to meet the sanitary and phyto-sanitary conditions which are a pre-requisite for mango exports to that country. Pakistan could easily export mangoes worth $4-5 million...

Pakistan to import VHT plant from Japan shortly

Aiming to tap the very lucrative international markets for fruits, Pakistan, for the first time, is going to import Vapour Heat Treatment (VHT) plant from Japan. With the investment of at least Rs 236 million, the country has almost finalised the procurement process of the plant, which was needed to process fruit especially mango for entering...

Mango: US, Japanese markets to remain out of reach

Production is likely to stand around 1.2 million tons of mangoes against the production of 1.7 million tons recorded during the previous season.Pakistan, which is going to start exporting mangoes by May 25, is likely to remain shut out of the lucrative US and Japanese markets.Despite initiatives taken by the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable...

Indian tomatoes flooding Pakistan

Lured by high profits, Indian traders are flooding the Pakistan market with tomatoes, affecting domestic supplies and pushing up prices back home. Truck loads of tomatoes sourced from Delhi and Nashik are entering Pakistan through Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar daily, traders said.“As many as 80-90 trucks of tomatoes (each carrying about...

Pakistan may Start importing Indian Tractors next year

Unlike a lot of industries, the local tractor industry is not war of opening of trade with India. In fact, it is looking forward to it. Universal Traders are in talks with an Indian counterpart to start importing tractors to Pakistan once the negative list is phased out and trade with India opens up next year.Escorts Limited and Universal...

Agriculture Inforamtion Bank: Exploitation of Sugarcane growers

Agriculture Inforamtion Bank: Exploitation of Sugarcane growers: Over the past few weeks, sugarcane growers in Sindh have become desperate. In the past, the sugarcane crushing season began in November b...

Export of Agricultural products much lower than potential

"We can exploit our export potential by adopting international standards,” UAF vice chancellor.  Exports of agricultural and livestock products from Pakistan have consistently increased in recent years, but these are much less than actual potential and are restricted to old wholesale markets, says the University of Agriculture Faisalabad...

Exploitation of Sugarcane growers

Over the past few weeks, sugarcane growers in Sindh have become desperate. In the past, the sugarcane crushing season began in November but unfortunately, in recent years, mill owners of 36 sugar mills in the province — a major ratio of these owners in the corridors of power — are using delaying tactics, exploiting the inflation and disaster-hit...