Agribusiness

Livestock post-mortem techniques   Post mortem (PM) is the procedure carried out after death to determine the cause of death. It is a specialised procedure, requiring a good knowledge of animal anatomy. The operator needs to know what normal healthy tissue looks like and this cannot be learnt from books, only from experience. The farmer should attend post mortems conducted by the vet and look at healthy tissue at abattoirs etc. Before beginning the PM it is important to make note of place, date, owner's name, species, number of animals affected, number of deaths, breed, sex, age, brand or tag number, hours since death and the history. The post mortem should take place as soon after death as possible. Ideally a second person should take notes as the PM progresses. Equipment required Rubber boots, protective clothing, rubber apron or lab coat, rubber gloves. Knives – large and small, with sharpening steel. Scissors (various sizes) and saws; bone cutters A number of st

Bio-security in Livestock Production Bio-security is defined as procedures or measures designed to protect livestock against harmful biological or biochemical substances. Many livestock producers are concerned about diseases in confinement livestock operations. Under these systems, many animals are raised in close contact which increases the spread of diseases. Movement of humans from farm to farm with modernised equipment has also increased the likelihood of diseases transmission. As a result some commercial livestock producers have restricted access to visitors.  There are no vaccines for diseases like foot and mouth diseases (FMD) and avian flu, which leaves bio-security as the first line of defence. The recent outbreaks of the two diseases in the country, indicate a breach in bio-security. More than 200 000 chickens had to be destroyed last year during the outbreak with high economic losses.  Bio-security is everybody's responsibility on farm or factory.

Can Small Still Be Beautiful in Farming? Smallholders can be quite productive, and some evidence indicates that they are proportionately more productive than larger farmers. With the exception of plantation farming, an inverse relationship between plot size and productivity per hectare has been observed, and has found support in some empirical evidence. Recent research from Uganda has demonstrated that smallholding farmers typically over-report land holdings — discrediting longstanding claims that this inverse relationship is merely a function of under-reported plot sizes and inflated yield data. This same study found that average acre yields of medium farmers were 270 percent more productive than those of large farmers, while average acre yields of small farmers were over 300 percent more productive. These dis-economies of scale may possibly be explained through their labour structures. Small family farms can be maintained by a self-motivated workforce with expertise in local

Broiler brooding tips The first 14 days after receiving your day-old broiler chicks are essential. The period is known as the brooding period. The bird is making some adjustments to its thermo-regulatory system.Any errors may lead to mortality, hence high losses. Here are some tips to help you manage your broilers through this period.  Mortality Ensure chick mortality does not exceed 2% with good management. Anything above that shows there is a serious problem, either with management or your source. Remember mortality rate determines the profitability of your broiler project.  Preparation Ensure the brooding house is prepared for your chicks. It should be clean and disinfected before the chicks are received. Always get clean litter for the floors. Different types of material can be used, including: wood shavings, straw or hay depending on your production system. Battery cages do not require litter, unlike deep litter production system.  Litter is placed 8 cm depth

Agriculture as a business Rawlings Kofi 'Where others see dust we see Gold' A. Mhaka A higher percentage of the Zimbabwe population live in the rural areas and farms. They have resources including land, labour and draught power enough to sustain their livelihoods but they are poor. Many depend on their relatives living in major cities for handouts. This is mainly so because to them agriculture is 'just' farming crops and raising livestock or a seasonal activity. The majority of these farmers are small to medium sized and may not grow as long as farming is not  profitable or does not bring money. Successful farmers incorporate Agribusiness Management skills in production regardless of their scale, thereby deciding on the production system to follow.  Agribusiness is a complex system throughout the whole value chain and all farm-to-fork business activities. The idea is to make agriculture profitable and contribute significantly to sustainable livelihoods. I

Guinea fowl often generate mixed emotions, but apart from die-hard enthusiasts, anyone who has lived in close proximity to a bunch of guineas may well go with the second opinion. There’s no denying that guinea fowl are relatively easy to keep, providing you have plenty of space and no near neighbours. They are independent birds, self-sufficient foragers who will find much of their own food. Throughout the spring and summer they are productive layers – if you can find their eggs. Guinea fowl will lay anywhere and everywhere, particularly favouring large clumps of nettles. The eggs are deeply flavoured, with large golden yolks and surprisingly tough shells. They are smaller than standard chicken eggs – more like bantam size – but their richness makes up for this. Guinea fowl on fence Guinea fowl are often kept for their meat, which is regarded as a delicacy. They taste slightly gamey, although milder than pheasant, and a full-grown guinea fowl should just about feed four people. Th