Closure of Octopus Fishing Season

Indigenous plants

Every day, plant species across the globe are disappearing. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that approximately 75 percent of the Earth’s plant genetic resources are now extinct, and another third of plant biodiversity is expected to disappear by 2050. Up to 100,000 plant varieties are currently endangered worldwide.

Unfortunately, most investments in agriculture are for crops such as wheat, rice, and maize, rather than for more nutritious foods or indigenous crops—and this focus has had devastating consequences. Global obesity rates have doubled over the last 30 years, increasing the risk of diet-related illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in industrialized and developing countries alike.

Many indigenous crops are environmentally sustainable, improve food security, help prevent malnutrition, and increase farmer incomes.Initiatives like the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC)’s Vegetable Genetic Resources System and Slow Food International’s Ark of Taste are working to catalog indigenous species of fruits and vegetables all over the world.

Food Tank has compiled a list of indigenous fruits, vegetables, and grains from many regions that are nutritious, delicious, and contribute to sustainable livelihoods in rural communities across the globe.

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AFRICA

1. Fonio: This versatile and gluten-free species of millet from the savannahs of West Africa is nutritious, fast-growing, and suitable to dry conditions. Some ancient belief systems even claim the universe was created through a grain of fonio.

2. Baobab: This enormous African tree has fruits containing a dry pulp that is nutritious, flavorful, and useful as a thickening agent in food processing.

3. Moringa: Native to parts of Africa and South Asia, this versatile and fast-growing tree provides pods, leaves, and seeds that are packed with nutrients. Moringa is drought-resistant, grows well in sub-tropical regions, and even can be used to help purify water.

4. Mongongo: This widely distributed southern African tree has been popular for thousands of years for its nutritious nut, and is now being recognized commercially for its effectiveness as a skin moisturizer.

5. Teff: Highly adaptable and nutritious, teff is an ancient grass native to East Africa that famously withstands extreme climates and is a popular part of cuisines in Africa and India. Teff, which is high in calcium and gluten-free, can be eaten whole or ground into flour.

6. Amaranth: This versatile plant, which grows quickly in the humid lowlands of Africa, is a leafy vegetable typically consumed in places like Togo, Liberia, Guinea, Benin, and Sierra Leone. The plant thrives in hot weather and is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and essential minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

7. Cowpea: Originating in central Africa, this legume is one of the region’s oldest crops. It is also drought resistant and can thrive in poor soil conditions. The leaves of the plant are also consumed as a vegetable.

8. Spider Plant: This green leafy vegetable, also known as “African Cabbage,” can flourish throughout Africa. It is high in protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and other micronutrients.

9. African Eggplant: The plant is an important indigenous crop because it is high yielding, drought-resistant, stores well, and can be grown in poor soil. The leaves of the eggplant are also consumed, and it can represent an important income source for some families.

10. Argan: This tree, native to the southern coast of Morocco, produces fruit containing a valuable hard nut. This nut contains seeds that produce a deep yellow oil with an unmistakable, rich flavor. In Morocco, there are women’s cooperatives dedicated to producing argan oil.

EUROPE

11. Perinaldo Artichokes: This popular thistle vegetable, valued for its tasty center, is native to the Mediterranean region and was originally cultivated in ancient Greece. Perinaldo, a small Italian town near the French border, produces a variety of artichoke lacking spines or a choke and violet in color. The edible flower bud is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and various minerals. This variety of artichoke is drought resistant and very hardy.

12. Formby Asparagus: Formby asparagus is notable for its coloration: white base, green stem, and purple-tinged tip. The vegetable is rich in protein, fiber, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It is a valuable addition to any diet because it aids in protein synthesis, reduces calcium loss, and has antioxidant properties.

13. Filder Pointed Cabbage: The cruciferous vegetable provides a rich source of beta-carotene, vitamins C and K, fiber, and it serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Cabbage can be stored cold for months at a time and is eaten in the dead of winter when other vegetables are dormant.

14. Målselvnepe Turnip: This hardy root vegetable variety has been improved over the years through selective cultivation in Norway. It has an excellent, yet strong and distinct taste compared to other turnip varieties. It can be eaten raw, roasted, baked, and boiled, and is frequently used to enhance the flavor of soups, salads, stir-fries, and side dishes. The turnip is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.

15. Ermelo Orange: Produced in the town of Ermelo in northern Portugal, these medium-sized oranges are extremely sweet and juicy. Ermelo oranges are distinctive because they have a thin rind and are less fibrous. The fruit is grown on small plots of land overlooking Lima River and pesticides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers are forbidden in the region.

ASIA

16. Taro: This ancient and enormously popular culinary plant is famous for its root starch and leaves. Originally native to southern Asia, and recognized as a staple of African, Oceanic, and South Asian cuisines, taro is gaining popularity in the western world. Taro can be grown in flooded conditions and is easily digestible.

17. Rambutan: A visually striking red tropical fruit, rambutan is native to Southeast Asia and closely related to the lychee. Also grown in the Caribbean and Africa, the plant is valued for its fruit, leaves, bark, and seeds, which are thought to have medicinal applications.

18. Pomelo: This large original citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia is closely related to the grapefruit, but with a more mild taste, and is often used in desserts, salads, and drinks.

19. Jackfruit: Widely cultivated and popular in its native South and Southeast Asia for thousands of years, this large fruit is rich in vitamin C and protein. Jackfruit is also appealing in that it requires very little maintenance and is resistant to pests and high temperatures.

20. Bitter Melon:  Despite its distinctive appearance and bitter taste, this vegetable, originally from the Indian subcontinent, is popular in a number of Asian countries. Those who overlook the vegetable’s warty appearance can benefit in many ways from eating this plant. The gourd is thought to have cancer-fighting properties, help cure diabetes, and can help cleanse the body of toxins.

21. Pamir Mulberry: The Gorno-Badakhshan province of Tajikistan has a mountainous terrain ill-suited for the production of typical grains, including wheat and barley. The Pamir Mulberry grows well in this environment and is an important food source during times of crises. The berries can be eaten raw, dried, whole, ground, or as a jam.

22. Okra: The edible green seedpods of this plant are a common ingredient in soups and sauces and is popular in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Okra is also an important export crop in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The vegetable is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, and the seeds provide quality oil and protein.

23. Mungbean: The mungbean is important in Asian diets and valuable for its easily digestible protein. High levels of iron in the vegetable help improve the diets of the most vulnerable women and children, and mungbean production offers an opportunity for increased income for small-scale farmers. The vegetable can also fix nitrogen in the soil, making it valuable for crop rotations.

24. Lemongrass: This valuable herb is used in many Asian countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnamese, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Lemongrass possesses many minerals and essential vitamins, which help control blood pressure and prevent heart disease. It is also valuable for its essential oils, which are known to possess anti-microbial, anti-fungal, antioxidant, and anti-septic properties.

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

25. Lifou Island Yam: This starchy tuber plays an important role in both nutrition and food security in many Pacific Island nations. The vegetable can be roasted, fried, grilled, boiled, smoked, or grated. Yams can be stored for a long time, and the vegetable has a social and cultural significance on many islands.

26. Bunya Nut: Bunya nuts have long been a prominent food in the culture of Australian Aboriginals—so much so that, prior to European settlement, Aboriginal tribes would travel long distances to attend festivals celebrating the Bunya season. The Bunya nut is similar to the chestnut both in appearance and taste. The nuts grow on enormous Bunya pines in the few rainforest regions on the continent, but these trees are increasingly less commonly found.

27. Kumara: Also known as the sweet potato, kumara is cultivated on many Pacific Islands and was a staple crop for hundreds of years. The vegetable is a great source of protein, vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber.

28. Perry Pear: This formerly wild variety of pears is pressed for its juice. The pear juice is then transformed into a fermented alcoholic beverage. The perry pear was introduced into Australia by the English, but its production is still very limited and many of the perry pear varieties are currently facing extinction. During the height of gold-mining in Australia, perry pears were used to make a safe, low-alcohol content beverage for miners.

AMERICAS

29. Arracacha: Sometimes called apio, this root vegetable, originally from the Andes region, is popular in South American cuisine. Arracacha are used as a staple starch much like potatoes and is made into chips and flour. It is reputed to be an easily digestible starch, useful for infants and the elderly.

30. Custard Apple: Native to Central America, this sweet, juicy fruit with a bumpy green exterior is also cultivated in various tropical countries around the world. The custard apple is also rich in vitamins and has antioxidant properties.

31. Yacón: Also known as the Peruvian Ground Apple, this root vegetable was cultivated throughout the Andes for more than a millennium. Because the vegetable consists mostly of water, it provides isolated inhabitants with a refreshing food resource. Yacón also contains inulin, a low-calorie, high-fiber sweetener that aids digestion while inhibiting toxic bacteria.

32. Hinkelhatz Pepper: The Hinkelhatz pepper has been cultivated by the Pennsylvania Dutch since the 1880s. The plant produces small, heart-shaped peppers with a red or yellow color. Hinkelhatz peppers have a stocky, spicy flavor, so they are frequently pickled or pureed into a pepper vinegar used as a food topping. The pepper is important because it is cold-tolerant, pest and disease-resistant, and a prolific producer.

33. Nova Scotia Gravenstein Apple: This variety of apple is an early-season favorite in Canada because it can be used for a host of different purposes. The flesh is tender and crisp, and the apple’s juice is sweet-tart and intense. The apple is eaten fresh, but is also great for cooking, makes a flavorful cider, and can be stored cold for months at a time.

34. Guayabo: The green fruit, native to Uruguay and southern Brazil, has an appealing sweet and sour taste. The fruit provides a balanced taste profile and an excellent nutritional and medicinal value because of its superior mineral and antioxidant content. In Uruguay, the guayabo is readily adapted to shallow soil and a mountainous environment, allowing the fruit to thrive even in the wild.

Urban Agriculture

Around 15 percent of the world's food is now grown in urban areas. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), urban farms already supply food to about 700 million residents of cities, representing about a quarter of the world’s urban population. By 2030, 60 percent of people in developing countries will likely live in cities.

At Food Tank, we are amazed by the efforts of hundreds of urban farms and gardens to grow organic produce, cultivate food justice and equity in their communities, and revitalize urban land. Urban agriculture not only contributes to food security, but also to environmental stewardship and a cultural reconnection with the land through education.
“The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize the importance of building sustainable cities,” says Maurizio Baruffi, Chief of Staff of the Mayor of Milan, Italy. “The City of Milan is partnering with urban areas around the world to embark on this journey, starting from food.”
Do you want to discover urban agriculture projects in your own city, or are you interested in visiting farms during your travels to new urban areas? Check out these inspiring projects and SHARE them with your social network!
Abalimi
Abalimi is an urban agriculture and environmental action group located outside of Capetown, South Africa. The organization supports and assists groups and individuals looking to improve their livelihoods through organic farming.
Alternatives’ Feeding Citizenship
A nonprofit that promotes social and environmental justice in Montreal, Canada, Alternatives’ Feeding Citizenship is growing healthy food to fuel healthy communities. The project engages the community through horticultural training programs while supporting school and neighborhood gardens.
Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students  (BUGS)
An after-school and summer program, BUGS provides children from low-income neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland with a safe place for learning. Kids can garden, visit local farms, and try new foods while improving math and reading skills as well as exploring creative entrepreneurial projects.
Camino Verde 
Located in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, Camino Verde’s mission is to plant trees and encourage environmental stewardship through educational programs and public awareness. The project’s Living Seed Bank acts as a botanical garden with over 250 tree species and protects endangered varieties. Camino Verde has planted over 70 different fruit trees, 40 flowering species, and enough trees to cover seven hectares of land.

Canberra City Farm

Serving communities in Canberra, Australia, Canberra City Farms is dedicated to establishing learning hubs where people can collaborate and share their knowledge of sustainable and environmentally responsible food production.
Compost Pedallers
A 100 percent bike-powered compost recycling project in Austin, Texas, Compost Pedallers strives to reduce waste, strengthen the local food system, and connect the community with farms. Residents can sign up to redirect organic waste to local farms and gardens through the bicycle-powered network.
Detroit Dirt
Detroit Dirt is a compost company that helps complete the “circle of life” in food production by regenerating waste into resources. Through partnerships with community coffee houses and local businesses, the organization is hoping to instill a self-sustaining culture of recycling organic waste and provide a valuable resource to urban farms and gardens in Detroit.
Ferme de Paris
A municipal organic farm nestled in an expansive park, Ferme de Paris provides the public with vegetable gardens, orchards, medicinal plant gardens and a number of farm animals housed in sustainably-constructed buildings. City residents can even stay to volunteer if they want to.
Fresh & Local
Fresh & Local is looking to use urban agriculture to improve the health and wellbeing of Mumbai. The organization takes underutilized spaces and transforms them into places of community empowered food production.

Frisch vom Dach (Fresh from the Roof)
An aquaponics project starting on the rooftop of a former malt factory in Berlin, Germany, Frisch vom Dach uses nutrients from aquaculture to irrigate plants in a mostly closed loop.
Green Machine Mobile Food Market
A collaborative project among a number of organizations in Memphis, Tennessee, the Green Machine Mobile Food Market uses a bus to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to almost 400 customers in the food deserts of South Memphis.
Grignon Energie Positive
Grignon Energie Positive, located in Paris, France, is an experimental farm run by the AgroParisTech program for sustainable development. The farm is working to reduce energy inputs by developing techniques that minimize its carbon footprint while growing enough organic food to feed between 5,500 and 8,000 people annually.
Grow City
Grow City is a nonprofit in San Francisco, California that works to amend the way people consider the division between urban and rural to build a “more secure, sustainable, and fair” food system.
Huerto Tlatelolco
An edible forest in Mexico City, Mexico with 45 tree varieties, a seed bank, and a large section of bio-intensive gardening, Huerto Tlatelolco was created with the objective of building the local community.
La Finca del Sur
A nonprofit farming cooperative in the South Bronx, New York, La Finca del Sur is led by Latina and black women. By empowering minority women through economic and food stability, the project is contributing to social and political equity in an underserved area.
The Last Organic Outpost
The Last Organic Outpost is a research farm that teaches sustainable agriculture techniques to residents of Houston, Texas. The project targets underserved areas and supports local farmers so they can develop a safe, healthy local food economy.
Local Sprout
An urban farm in San Antonio, Texas, Local Sprout grows fresh fruits and vegetables year-round using a hydroponic growing system. The project aims to contribute to food security, provide education, and reduce environmental impact.
Marathon Urban Farm
Marathon Restaurants, a small, sustainably minded chain in Philadelphia, now sources its fresh, organic produce from Marathon Urban Farm. The farm is revitalizing urban land and providing workshops on cooking and composting.
Mazingira Institute
The Mazingira Institute provides training and support for urban farmers in Nairobi, Kenya. The NGO has trained about three thousand urban farmers and organized youth and women’s hubs.
Natural Sound Agriculture and Craft Education
Natural Sound Agriculture and Craft Education is a private enterprise that offers educational opportunities about agriculture and food crafts to increase knowledge about urban gardening, sustainable agriculture, and traditional skills like beekeeping, mushroom growing, and brick-making.
O’Hare International Airport Urban Garden
At the Rotunda Building of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, 26 vertical, aeroponic towers house herbs, greens, and tomatoes. The project also raises animals that mow the property’s lawn.
Pasona O2
An urban farm in Tokyo that grows over 100 types of produce indoors, underground, and on the exterior walls of the nine-story office-style building, Pasona O2 has been described as technologically intensive.
The People’s Potato
Located in Montreal, Canada, The People’s Potato is a neighborhood collective providing garden and greenhouse space for community members. Volunteers grow and distribute organic produce to the surrounding community and distribute vegan meals through a food bank. The People’s Potato maintains an educational program in the form of monthly workshops and an affordable Good Food Box program.
ReVision Urban Farm
ReVision Urban Farm is a community-based urban agriculture project that grows nutritious, culturally appropriate food for residents of its family home and the Boston community. The project also teaches locals about healthy eating and offers job training for youth and the homeless in the area.
Roosevelt Row Growhouse
Roosevelt Row Growhouse is a revitalization initiative from two artists that transformed a vacant, dilapidated property into a learning center for urban desert vegetable farming, sustainable living, healthy eating, and edible landscaping in Phoenix, Arizona.
SoCal Urban Farms
An urban farm and San Diego-based company that creates and distributes small-scale vertical gardens, SoCal Urban Farms aims to help anyone produce sustainable and healthy food, even with minimal space and poor soil.
Urban Farms of Central Ohio  (UFCO)
A nonprofit organization formed by the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, UFCO transforms vacant or under-utilized land into community gardens to generate a sustainable source of food stability for underserved communities.
The Washington Youth Garden (WYG)
WYG is a community garden that teaches science, environmental stewardship, and nutrition to youth in Washington, D.C. through hands-on gardening experience.

Dr Vinod Lalljee - Promotion to Professorship

Dr Bhanooduth Lalljee, holds a PhD in Soil Science. He was previously the Director of Consultancy and Contract Research at the University of Mauritius. He has more than 30 years of experience in teaching, research and national and international consultancy in soil and environmental issues. He is a frequent invited speaker in international scientific forum. He is currently the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Food Science at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Food Activist Group - Follow them on Twitter

Whether you have found a chef that speaks to your soul or want to learn more about organic agriculture, Twitter has proven to be a powerful platform for those looking to get involved in the food movement. From the comfort of your home, you can instantly connect with farmers, chefs, researchers, activists, and policymakers around the world working to improve our global food system.

With over 236 million monthly active users, deciding who to follow can become overwhelming. To make it easy, Food Tank has selected 250 of the coolest Twitter accounts we follow in the food movement for you to check out. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Twitter pro or just started tweeting, check this list daily for the latest food and agriculture news from around the globe.

Food Tank presents 250 Twitter accounts that every Food Activist should follow.

CLICK HERE to follow this entire list on Twitter!

Career Fair at the University of Mauritius

500 emplois sont a prendre dans une career fair de 3 jours organisé conjointement par l’université de Maurice et le Student Union. 25 compagnies sont présents a l’auditorium Octave Wiehie pour recruter des jeunes professionnels dans divers secteurs

Recolte de Berri Rouges a Albion Fisheries Reserach Centre

Environ 170 kg de “berri rouges” ont été récoltés en début de semaine à l'Albion Fisheries Research Centre (AFRC). Ils ont été mis en vente à Rs 60 le kilo. Le “berri rouge” est un hybride de trois espèces introduit de Malaisie en 1990. La production de larves est effectuée au centre de recherche d’Albion pour produire des juvéniles de qualité à destination des pisciculteurs.Au centre de recherche d’Albion, les alevins sont collectés des bassins et cultivés dans des réservoirs jusqu’à ce qu’ils atteignent la taille de juvénile (4 à 5 cm). Une sélection visuelle est ensuite effectuée pour identifier les mâles et les femelles à des fins d’approvisionnement auprès des éleveurs. Cependant, un volume de poissons, mâles et femelles, est retenu à l’AFRC pour les besoins de reproductions. Le “berri rouge” peut être élevé dans de l’eau douce ou salée et dans des bassins et des réservoirs à une température de 28°C. Nourris de granules de Red Snapper, ces poissons sont résistants aux maladies et faciles à produire.Le “berri rouge” a été introduit à l’AFRC pour étudier sa capacité d’adaptation aux conditions locales. Le but principal est de promouvoir l’aquaculture comme un moyen efficace pour combattre la pauvreté et assurer la sécurité alimentaire. Des juvéniles sont mis à la disposition des pisciculteurs sur demande de septembre à avril.


Le ministère de l’Économie océanique, des Ressources marines, de la Pêche, des Services maritimes et des Îles éparses offre 100 juvéniles gratuitement aux éleveurs. Ceux qui en font la demande pour un nombre supérieur à 100 doivent cependant débourser Rs 1,25 l’unité. En 2014, 111 individus et petits éleveurs ont bénéficié de juvéniles de “berri rouges”. Ceux souhaitant se lancer dans la culture de “berri rouges” peuvent se renseigner auprès de l’AFRC, qui a déjà mis en place plusieurs facilités pour promouvoir l’élevage de ces espèces. Depuis son introduction, la production de cet hybride n’a cessé d’augmenter, passant de 9,4 tonnes en 1992 à 70 tonnes en 2014.Mis sur pied en 1981, l’AFRC, une branche technique du ministère de l’Économie océanique, des Ressources marines, de la Pêche, des Services maritimes et des Îles éparses, a pour mission d’effectuer des recherches et des études sur l’écosystème marin et de gérer les ressources marines vivantes, dont le stock de poissons et de récifs coralliens. L’AFRC couvre une surface de 3 410 m2 et comprend une équipe de 85 officiers.
Source Le MAuricien du 12 Aout 2015

CTA - Working Session on Climate Change Solutions that Work

Working session 

“Climate Change Solutions that Work”

In development and policy discussions at different levels, there is a general agreement that the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture especially for smallholder producers in ACP region is high and, and urgent actions are required to assist farmers.

In the quest to identify and promote practical solutions that work for the smallholder farmers and their families, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) initiated a project to document existing practices, tools and policies that have helped farmers to continue to produce food in the face of changing climate, understand the impacts of such solutions, identify partners and types of partnerships to scale-up the most promising practices.

CTA organised a working session in its premises from 5 to 7 August 2015, entitled "Climate Change Solutions that Work for farmers". The workshop was attended by several scientists from the African continent to share their experiences and lessons on workable, relevant and practical climate change for farmers in order to scaling up the most promising/proven cases in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

Dr B.Lalljee from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius attended the workshop and shared their findings of the research work on Agricultural Insurance as a Tool for Adaptation to Climate Change in Mauritius.

Among other objectives, the session aims to:

• Present progress of each case study and adopt a common format for preparing final documentation of individual reports.
• Peer-review each case study, conduct rigorous examination of its practical relevance as solutions to climate change for smallholder farmers.
• Identify drivers of adoption and lessons for scaling up the most promoting.
• Identify the key communication materials from the documented cases and dissemination forums to inform stakeholders. 
• Identify key partners and type of partnership arrangements to raise resources for scaling-up the most promising case that are proven to be most appropriate for farmers. 

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Read more about CTA and partners' interventions to move agriculture further up the climate change agenda here

SMART AGRICULTURE PROJECT by NGO Sustainable Agricultural Organisation

Smart Agriculture Project

The second edition of the project Smart Agriculture started on 12th of June to end on 3rd of August. The project Smart Agriculture is an initiative of the NGO Sustainable Agricultural Organisation and AIESEC UTM which seeks to promote agriculture among the younger generation. During one month, 9 interns from Egypt, China and Pakistan visited the various agricultural sectors in Mauritius including the pig industry, dairy industry, and poultry industry.

They had the opportunity to engage in some crop practices such as weeding and furrowing. Different stakeholders such as Medine Ltd, SKC Surat Dairy, University of Mauritius (FoA), Meaders Ltd and Lavigilante pig farm has actively supported the project.


The pig industry China 
At present, china's resources and environment become bottleneck constraints of the large-scale and intensive development in pig farming industry. The urgent needs of food safety and environmental protection of pig-raising industry promote the establishment of China's modern industrial technology system of pig. In recent years, with the rapid development of swine rising in our country; the number of large-scale pig production is increasing. The chief object of pig-breeding is to elevate the efficiency of breeding, pursue high percent of lean meat, produce high-quality and healthy pork. Along with the development of large-scale pig farms; the problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly conspicuous. Along with the development of large-scale pig farms, the problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly conspicuous. So I hope your pig farms can develop with environment.


 Egypt 
Egypt had one of the best pig industries in the world due to pure breeding but that was destroyed in 2009 because government official decided to kill all the pigs in the country over claims that the pigs transfer the H1N1 virus (swine flu) which wasn't true. The 350,000 pigs that were in Egypt in 2009 have become only 60,000-80,000 and these pigs are being reared unofficially because it is still illegal to have pig farms in Egypt since 2009. Our current pig farms are located above the roofs of buildings or in the basement out of the government's sight so these are open areas where all pigs mix together unlike in Mauritius where the mothers are locked in safe cages to protect the younger ones and feed them. Also, being in cages with colander floors makes it a much cleaner environment for the pigs to live in. Our only proposal to improve this sector is to provide more open areas for the pigs to live in so the mothers would be comfortable and able to feed the piglets.


Pakistan
No pigs are farmed in Pakistan for food as the majority religion, Islam, forbids the consumption of Pig meat. So there is no demand. Pigs in Pakistan are not for consumption, so only Wild boars exist in jungles and are rarely seen by the public. As we have no experience with this field, the only amendment we propose is the reduction of smell and a more hygienic facility. It was really difficult to stand in the smell

Vegetable production Pakistan 
 There are plenty of vegetable farms in Pakistan and help feed the large population there. The crops featured in Pakistan are of a wider variety and of a higher quantity. Plenty of it is also exported all over the world. We eat Pakistani rice even in Mauritius and the mangoes are consumed globally. Cotton farming is also important for the functioning of the massive textile industry of Pakistan. Packaging in our country is not that modernized due to the high cost of machinery and lack of government standardizations. Factories in Pakistan are not mechanized that much. The plenty of labor makes labor supply in Pakistan too much resulting in cheap labor. Here in Mauritius there is improved machinery to polish the fruits and vegetables which look so good. In Pakistan most of the work is done manually. Factories can sell the vegetables themselves to the general public as a wholesaler to cut the middle man hence raising margins for and efficiency for factories. Increased competition is good for consumers. Labor in Mauritius is expensive therefore more mechanization in factories will reduce the labor force and this precious labor force can be utilized somewhere else like other value added jobs.

China 
China's vegetables farm is a large-scale system vegetables production under protection in greenhouses. Shouguanga, county level city is china's largest vegetable production place. The little-scale irrigation works is one of the most important infrastructures of agricultural production in china. At present the industrialization of agriculture is a inevitable trend of agricultural development. Agricultural mechanization is one of the important contents and primary symbol of agricultural modernization. So maybe agricultural system in Mauritius can be more mechanization. Egypt Agriculture is a crucial sector in modern Egypt as it provides us with food and the surplus is exported. We were known as one of the benchmarks for agriculture throughout history but Egypt has fallen behind recently. We have organic farms without any pesticides or hormones. Egypt has green houses to produce vegetables in all seasons. The lands in Mauritius should be inclined to one corner in order to store rain water which can be used later on and lead to less consumption of water. Green house systems can produce vegetables much faster than the four months period and need to be implemented here as this will make the vegetables grow day and night.

Mauritian Soil Scientist Dr B.Lalljee elected in FAO Intergovernmental Techincal Panel on Soils (ITPS)

Dr Lalljee of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius has been appointed by the FAO Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly as one of the 5 members from the AFRICA region on the ITPS panel. The ITPS is composed of 27 top soil experts representing all the regions of the world. The main function of the ITPS is to provide scientific and technical advice and guidance on global soil issues to the Global Soil Partnership primarily and to specific requests submitted by global or regional institutions. The ITPS will advocate for addressing sustainable soil management in the different sustainable development agendas. Congratulations to Prof B. Lalljee.

Prof Vinod Lalljee, Soil scientist at the Faculty explains the cracks in Terre Rouge-Verdun link road

 

 
News on Sunday wants to know the reasons behind the cracks and breakup of the recently built Terre Rouge\Verdun link road at a cost of more than a billion rupees and which caused much concern to the general public. In this context, Dr Bhanooduth Lalljee, who holds a PhD in Soil Science, explains the causes. He was previously the Director of Consultancy and Contract Research at the University of Mauritius. He has more than 30 years of experience in teaching, research and consultancy in soil and environmental issues. He is currently the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Food Science at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius.

We have seen a number of press reports these days about collapses and cracks in roads and buildings. What are the reasons?
It is important to note that most of these infrastructural damages are occurring on mountain slopes and in valleys. The explanation behind such events is quite technical and complex. I will try to simplify them as much as possible. In those regions, where the newly built roads are opening up, the top soils are of a very specific nature. They are known as Smectite clays. Smectite clays have very peculiar properties – one unit of this clay consists of a natural silica sheet between two natural alumina sheets. Such a structure attracts and retains water, which then causes the clay material to expand. There are various types of Smectite clays, some of which can expand up to a certain limit only (technically called Vermiculite clays), while others can undergo almost unlimited expansion (technically called Montmorillonite clays). Both these groups of clay exist in several regions of Mauritius, like in Vallee des Pretres, Vallee Pitot, Baie du Cap, Quatre Soeurs, Deux Freres, Champ de Mars, Montagne Longue, Valton….The soils are also known as Dark Magnesium Clays (DMC). They have a very large surface area and are highly plastic, for example, one gram of such a clay may occupy 800 m2! In addition, these clays have a very high charge, are very sticky when wet, and have an immense capacity to hold water. Anyone who has been to the Champs de Mars on a rainy day must have experienced the stickiness of the soil. That is why, when they are dry, they are shrunken and cracked, but when they get wet, they expand hugely, generating massive forces that can crack the most solid foundation of bridges, roads, buildings and other infrastructures.