Global food security must be given an ‘all time’ emphasis says expert
Reading Time: 3 minutesKUALA LUMPUR: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the entire food supply chain not only in Malaysia but globally. Experts say the pandemic calls for the strengthening of food security in order to meet the world’s consumption demands especially during a crisis. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] The broken food supply chain, labour shortage, closure […]
Bio-tweaked potato to benefit 300,000 smallholder farmers
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIN Uganda, stakeholders working on the new bioengineered late blight-resistant potato dubbed as the “3R Victoria” are confident of its wide adoption. The yet to be released potato could help 300,000 smallholder farmers in Uganda achieve higher yields at lower production costs and less exposure to chemicals. The stakeholders estimate 40-50% adoption rate for the […]
Local leaders ask for GMOs while waiting for Biosafety Law GM
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOVER 30 local government leaders from nine districts in central Uganda asked to be given genetically modified crops developed by the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) while the country waits to pass a biosafety law. The officials—Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), district chairpersons, agriculture and production officers, and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs)— were on a biotechnology […]
Ramping up the fight against Fall Armyworm
Reading Time: 2 minutesTOOLS are available to wrestle Fall Armyworm, a voracious invasive species that is ravaging crops in Africa, Asia and the Near East, and it is imperative to intensify coordination to curb the insect’s spread. “We will need to step up the alliance among key partners from all relevant sectors at the global level,” FAO Director-General […]
Long wait over for Kenya A new dawn rises for this East African nation’s cotton farmers as Bt cotton enters commercial farming
Reading Time: 2 minutesAFTER many years of waiting, Kenya has finally commenced commercial farming of Bt cotton heralding a new dawn for cotton farmers in the country. Recently, the country planted its first Bt cotton seed in an open field outside confinement during a historic launch held at Alupe University, western Kenya. The country now becomes the seventh […]
Study: Next-Gen consumers, farmers share hope for future of food and farming
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND global study of Gen Z/millennial farmers and consumers examined views on the future of food and farming in the United States, Brazil, China, France, and Russia. The study of more than 3,000 respondents reveals that participants in different global markets have the same concern about the future of food and farming. The study, […]
Stuart’s on ‘upward mobility’ with vertical farming
Reading Time: 5 minutesWITH the advent of issues like climate change, decreasing arable lands, and a rapidly growing population, how does one plan to ensure food security without incurring additional costs to businesses and the environment? Stuart Thomas, 26, sees a solution to that problem in his enterprise, Babylon Vertical Farms. Operating out of a 320 ft2 shipping […]
Effects of climate change on local rice production
Reading Time: 5 minutesRICE, a global staple food is one among major agricultural crops in Malaysia after oil palm, rubber and cocoa. The production of rice is largely dependent on an efficient irrigation system which will be greatly affected by climate change. Climate change has led to tremendous effects on the yield of rice in the country. The […]
New feed for M’sian goats and cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have formulated a new feedstock for goats and cattle using a local Malaysian crop called Napier grass. The grass is combined with molasses, microbes, vitamins and minerals to optimize fermentation, ultimately producing a fodder or “silage” in 21 days that can last for up to two years. The […]
Aussie scientists harness durian power
Reading Time: 2 minutesSOME tropical fruits such as durian and jackfruit may soon change the way we charge our smartphones or electric cars in the near future. This is according to a study highlighted in several media including Popular Mechanics According to several global media a team of scientists led by associate professor Vincent G. Gomes at the […]