Used shipping containers: the new farming frontier.

Nairobi — As African farmers struggle with unpredictability caused by climate change, some are looking into contract farming, which involves growing a certain crop for a price set in advance. About 400 people attended the International Conference on Contract Farming in Nairobi this week to learn more about the practice.  Peris Wanjiku, the conference director, said such agreements can help solve the challenges that many smallholder farmers face in Africa.  "It's always important to farm with a plan. I believe it's not enough to simply plant a crop, whatever it is, without knowing where it will end up," Wanjiku said. "Farmers should know beforehand what to grow and where to sell. This is why contract farming is so important, as it provides the framework for certainty and sustainability. "But it's not only about the traditional farmer. I believe we can extend the benefit of contract farming to those who may not be farmers themselves right now, but they own a piece of land."    Experts say the growing interest in contract farming is associated with increasingly complicated systems in food production, marketing and distribution, which has made it difficult for farmers to meet consumers' demands.  Contract farming, experts say, is an instrument that manages and reduces production risks for both parties.  Wilson Milito Ole-Rampei, a vegetable farmer in Kenya, is attending the conference and is optimistic that the practice would help him.   "I will benefit because if, for example, I am growing vegetables, we will arrange with them to get a market. They will give me their technical advice, then our arid land will be used. Because of [a] shortage of rain, we will do irrigation. I would have knowledge of what I am growing," Ole-Rampei said.    An economist for the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Lan Li, said contract farming is often a good deal for small-scale farmers.   "It sets the agreements on what products to produce, quantity, and price," Li said. "As such, it helps secure more stable income and better production planning for producers. It can improve access to inputs for small-scale holder farmers, technical assistance training, and financing solutions."  African farmers have seen reduced harvests due to global warming and drought. For many, a lack of knowledge and skills also contributes to low food production.  In areas where farmers can produce enough food, they sometimes face obstacles such as bad roads or insecurity that prevent them from getting to market.   Carole Kariuki, head of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, said the private and public sectors need to collaborate to improve the agriculture sector.  "The private sector is doing its best. It's filling that gap where it can, but we cannot do it all, and we need the government to be able to go back and say we can get agriculture extension officers helping out small farmers and all the farmers in the country. Contract farming holds immense potential to transform African agriculture,” she said.  Contract farming can have drawbacks, such as making farmers less able to sell to alternative buyers when produce prices increase. In addition, there are environmental risks from growing only one crop for a long time.   Buyers, meanwhile, can face high transaction costs from contracting with many farmers.  But Kariuki believes the benefits outweigh the risks. She called contract farming a model to lift up small-scale farmers, boost food production, and drive sustainable growth.

[VOA] Nairobi -- As African farmers struggle with unpredictability caused by climate change, some are looking into contract farming, which involves growing a certain crop for a price set in advance.

Foundations for Farming is changing lives in Zambia by reaching out with God's truth and practical training.

Singh, a retired soldier, also cultivates hazelnuts, pecans and some stone fruits including peach, plum and apricots. 

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 04, 2024 ) The Global Agricultural Tractors Market is growing, fueled by a demand for precision farming and advanced agricultural machinery. Modern tractors equipped with GPS, AI, and automation technology are transforming farm efficiency, reducing labor, and increasing yield....

HafeziCapital, a leading international consulting firm renowned for its expertise in structuring and conducting in-depth Feasibility Studies, proudly announces the expansion of its International Feasibility Study services to address critical sectors in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. This strategic initiative is designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of project viability, enabling [PR.com]

Many Bengalureans are discovering the allure of urban agriculture, taking pleasure in getting their hands dirty, for many or all these reasons: better access to more nutritious food, creating communities, reducing environmental impact, managing mental health and connecting to nature

Sales of organic vegetable is gradually picking up in the Nilgiris owing to the changing mindset of people towards healthy eating.

Fr. Michael talks about the changeability of our bodies in our endeavor to live in holiness. "We may be a mess, but we are God's mess, and He loves us."

Landward takes a trip to Galloway to see the efforts to farm flowers.

Bobo's, known for oat bars, oat bites and baked goods, announced its new partnership with Rabobank's Acorn initiative (Acorn) to help Colorado's snack brand reach its carbon neutrality goals and further invest in a more sustainable future.

This shrimp farming technique saves the ocean and other fish species.

A young US-returned robotic engineer is making waves with his experiments in agriculture.

Barry Callebaut has built a dedicated hub to power cocoa farming research to support cocoa farming resilience and productivity in Ecuador.

One of New York's only organic cannabis brands puts soil-to-store ethos at heart of the business

Future Stars Welcomes Campers to Baseball Camp in Farmingdale

Future Stars Announces Upcoming Tennis Camp in Farmingdale

Dr. Karson Carpenter, dentist in Farmington Hills, invites patients to brighten their smiles with a new whitening procedure now available at Drakeshire Dental.

James Zeeb is lauded for his extensive work in farming and conservation management

Cultivating Success: Expert Guidance for Thriving in Canadian Agriculture

Red Sea attacks reverberate in food and ag trade (Successful Farming) 

Successful Farming quotes the IFPRI blog post on the Impacts of Red Sea shipping disruptions on global food security by senior research fellow Joseph Glauber and senior research analyst Abdullah Mamun.  According to the article, Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea are disrupting grain shipments from Europe, Ukraine, and Russia. “Trade disruptions are most likely to impact […]

The post Red Sea attacks reverberate in food and ag trade (Successful Farming)  appeared first on IFPRI.

As part of our series about oceans, we're featuring a special bonus episode from our friends at Gimlet's How to Save a Planet. Hosts Alex Blumberg and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson explore how seaweed and giant kelp can help us address climate change and how fisherman Bren Smith has become kelp's unlikely evangelist. Listen to more episodes of How to Save a Planet on Spotify, including part II of Bren Smith's story. Follow How to Save a Planet and host Alex Blumberg and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson on Twitter. (Warning: This episode contains some explicit language).

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Smart farming education service based on u-learning environment

Tucked inside a nondescript building on Washington State University's Pullman campus is a bank holding an abundance of the world's wealth, where row after row of temperature-controlled filing cabinets store something far more precious than savings bonds or artwork: seeds…

The latest and greatest iteration of the best farming game out there – Farming Simulator 25 – has just launched… Continue reading Best mods for Farming Simulator 2025

The post Best mods for Farming Simulator 2025 appeared first on ReadWrite.

Can strawberries grown inside a building taste sweeter than those grown in a field? Farming entrepreneur Hiroki Koga explores how his team is combining solar-powered vertical farms with AI, robotics and indoor bee colonies to grow delicious strawberries year-round — and how this practice, if widely adopted, could deliver a harvest of benefits for the future of food.

Santiago, Chile- The declaration of the XXI Specialized Meeting on Family Farming of MERCOSUR (REAF, in Spanish) held last week in Argentina, acknowledged the advances promoted by FAO’s Director General, [...]

Policy makers should support a broad array of approaches to overhauling global food systems, [...]

Milan - European governments must help combat [...]

In December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) to serve as a framework for developing public policies and investments to [...]

In December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) to serve as a framework for developing public policies and investments to [...]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, through the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, will organise the International Symposium on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and Family Farming from [...]

In December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) to serve as a framework for developing public policies and investments to support family [...]

In December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) to serve as a framework for developing public policies and investments to [...]

At the site known as Oued Beht, archaeologists uncovered evidence of a large farming settlement where people used advanced techniques

“Farming is in my blood, and I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Mahim Mazumder, a farmer from Assam. “Even though the past three to five years have seen drastic changes—with temperatures rising so much that even sitting under a tree no longer offers relief—I will keep farming, even if it only yields a small […]

This study finds contract farming in Lao PDR to be effective in raising incomes of small farmers, thus reducing poverty.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in its third week remained in first place on the Steam Weekly Top Sellers chart (excluding revenue generated by free games) for Week 46, 2024, which ended November 12, 2024.

There were two new releases in the top 10 this week. Planet Coaster 2 debuted in fourth place, while Farming Simulator 25 came in fifth place.

Steam Deck is up two spots to second place, while Baldur's Gate 3 re-entered the top 10 in third place. EA Sports FC 25 is up two spots to sixth place, Cyberpunk 2077 re-entered the top 10 in seventh place, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell from second to eighth place.

Ahead of its release next week pre-orders for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl came in ninth place.

Here are the Steam Weekly Top Sellers by revenue for the week (excluding free games):

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
2. Steam Deck
3. Baldur's Gate 3
4. Planet Coaster 2 - NEW
5. Farming Simulator 25 - NEW
6. EA Sports FC 25
7. Cyberpunk 2077
8. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
9. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - Pre-orders
10. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Here are the Steam Weekly Top Sellers by revenue for the week (including free games):

1. PUBG: Battlegrounds
2. Counter-Strike 2
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
4. Apex legends
5. Throne and Liberty
6. Steam Deck
7. Baldur's Gate 3
8. Dota 2
9. Planet Coaster 2 - NEW
10. Farming Simulator 25 - NEW

The Steam charts are ordered by revenue, include pre-order numbers, and hardware. If a game appears multiple times it is because it has multiple editions.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463048/planet-coaster-2-and-farming-simulator-25-debut-on-the-steam-charts/

Back in April we took a look at the trailer for Super Farming Boy from developer LemonChili. It took the …

Continue reading "‘Super Farming Boy’ Available for Pre-Order on iOS with 20% Discount, Launch Planned for Next Year"

HOW do you stop the young folk from heading to the big smoke? You build a school and teach them how to be jackaroos and jillaroos.

World’s largest user of groundwater for agriculture looks to solar for a more sustainable future.  

The post Project makes water from the sun for climate-smart farming first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

More than 1,300 farmers received over 1.6 million LKR as part of insurance payouts for crop damage caused by excess rain or dry spells.

The post Farming for the future: How climate-smart agriculture can protect Sri Lanka’s smallholders first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

The seminar, organized by IWMI, looked at how climate change threatens Pakistan's agriculture-dependent economy, requiring adaptive measures like flood protection, drought-resistant crops, and public awareness.

The post Seeds of Change: Navigating climate-induced challenges in farming and everyday life first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Tushaar Shah, a Scientist Emeritus at IWMI, comments on the rapid spread of solar pumps among rural communities in many water-starved regions, including India.

The post How a solar revolution in farming is depleting world’s groundwater first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Tushaar Shah, a Scientist Emeritus at IWMI, comments on the rapid spread of solar pumps among rural communities in many water-starved regions, including India.

The post Solar-powered farming is quickly depleting the world’s groundwater supply first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).