Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney says 25,000 new agri-food jobs could be created

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has said an estimated 25,000 new jobs could be created if targets for the development of the farm and food sector are achieved over the next eight years.

Mr Coveney said recent analysis suggests that growth in the agri-food sector could realistically generate these additional direct and indirect jobs by 2020.

The minister this morning said further progress has been made in achieving the targets set out under Food Harvest 2020, the Government’s plan for the expansion of the sector.

Mr Coveney said today’s Milestones for Success 2012 report showcases a confident and ambitious sector that is dynamic, outward-looking and has achieved real growth over the past two years, despite a difficult and volatile global environment.

He said the prospect of 25,000 additional jobs by 2020 demonstrates the significant potential for employment generation within the sector and the real value of the expansion envisaged in Food Harvest 2020.

Mr Coveney emphasised that the agri-food and fishing sector continues to be one of the cornerstones of national export recovery.

In 2011, agri-food exports were valued at €8.84bn, a 12% increase on the previous year.

Original Article Here

Read more »

Vietnam backs green agriculture: PM

Vietnam is ready to shake hands with other countries and international organizations to pilot green agriculture models, said PM Nguyen Tan Dung. 

The Vietnamese Government chief made the remark on September 6 in Ha Noi at the opening ceremony of the second global conference on agriculture, food security and climate change.

The five-day conference drew the participation of over 500 delegates from 150 countries and 20 international organizations.

PM Dung applauded the conference’s theme of “Hunger for Action” and practical discussions on appropriate and effective strategies to develop environmentally-friendly agriculture, promote sustainable and green growth.

He also appreciated the idea of combining agriculture with development goals in larger scale and encouraging the private sector to participate in agricultural and rural development. 

He said he hoped that the conference would figure out effective and strong measures to develop agriculture and ensure food security in the context of the global climate change, especially in rural areas.

In Viet Nam, said PM Dung, agriculture plays an extreme important role and is given a priority in the national socio-economic development strategy. The country is affected frequently and heavily by natural disasters as well as climate change.

According to PM Dung, over the past years, Viet Nam has scored numerous achievements especially in food production, seafood processing and industrial plantations.

The country is striving to build a comprehensive, modern and sustainable agriculture towards deploying large-scale production with high productivity, high quality, and sharp competitive edge to ensure national food security and diversify products.

As one of the countries seriously vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise, Viet Nam is positively restructuring the agricultural sector to make full use of the country’s potentials and advantages, accelerating scientific applications; renovating the policies on land allocation; reorganizing production; luring investment and encouraging domestic and foreign enterprises to engage in agricultural and rural development.

PM Dung stressed that Viet Nam stands ready to share experience in the field with others. 

The host leader took the occasion to thank support and cooperation that other countries and international friends have provided for Viet Nam to respond to climate change and develop agriculture.

In the preparatory session in the first three days, delegates debated a Roadmap for Action and agreed measures on environmentally-friendly arming methods, combination of agriculture, energy with water, and connection between forests and agriculture in favor of green growth.

VGP 

Original Article Here

Read more »

Professor of Agriculture says population is outgrowing food production in Nigeria

A professor of Agricultural in the Federal Univeristy of Agriculture Abeokuta, Bola Okuneye and Wale Oyekoya, the MD/CEO of Bama farms on Friday said Nigeria population is already outgrowing food production.

Misters Okuneye and Oyekoya were our guests on Channels Television’s programme, Business Morning.

Mr Okuneye said the rate of production is so low compared with the rate of population growth which is put at 3.5% because the various governments have not done much to aid the situation.

Original Article Here

Read more »

Food Which Creates Gastric Problems

Gastric problem is common among all people and eating imbalanced and improper food leads to acidity and bloating. There are few food items which causes bloating or acidity. Different foods create stomach gas for different people. Lets check out the common foods which creates gastric problems.

Foods which create gastric problems:

1. Beans, mushrooms, broccoli, whole grains, asparagus, pears, peaches and apples are few sugar rich foods which the human body can't digest easily and therefore lead to stomach gas.

2. Dairy products are most common foods which create gastric problems in many people. The lack or incapability to break lactose in the digestion process leads to bloating. Cheese, milk, eggs and yogurt are common dairy products which creates acidity. To know if the dairy products is leading to stomach problems, check out the reaction after 40-90 minutes of consuming products.

3. Foods with starch like potatoes, corn, pasta and wheat products like bagels, pretzels and bread are also reasons behind gastric problems.

4. Not all but few fiber rich foods creates stomach gas. Soluble fiber is a common fiber rich food which creates gastric problems. Fiber food such as oat bran, beans, wheat brans, kale and fruits lead to acidity. This is mainly because the fiber food passes to the larger intestine unchanged .

5. Even fatty food creates stomach gas as the digestion takes time thus making you feel full and bloat.

6. Sugar-free candies or gums with artificial sweeteners also create acidity due to the laxative content which makes it difficult to break down for digestion.

These 5 foods generally create gastric problems so avoid these food items. If you feel some food item is causing you stomach gas then observe the reaction and avoid such foods.

Original Article Here

Read more »