Agriculture livestock

For the past 53 years Eleni Tzima and her husband Nasos Tzimas have herded their livestock some 150 kilometers (241 miles) between summer pastures in northwest Greece's isolated highlands down to their winter home in the lowlands. The Tzimas family is part of a millennia-old tradition of transhumance , or the seasonal movement of animals between fixed grazing grounds. But it's a dying one: they are some of the last still practicing this way of farming in the country. During the summer months the couple, both in their 80s, live in a makeshift hut, using solar energy to power a radio, cellphones and lights. They're among the oldest pastoral shepherds to take part in an annual trek, known as "diava", in the mountainous Pindus National Park near Greece's border with Albania. Tzima, who says her husband's ill health means the 2020 trek would likely be their last, describes their way of life as hard but rewarding. "We struggle every day from dawn to dusk. I've never had a day … [Read more...] about A journey with Greece’s last nomadic shepherds

Developing high-tech agriculture and the seed industry should be the focus of rural development in Shanghai, deputies suggested at the ongoing annual session of the municipal people's congress. Deputy Shen Zhong, who is also the Party chef of the Chenjia township in Chongming Island, said that the problems faced by Shanghai's agriculture scene - labor shortage and low economic output – can be solved by developing smart agriculture solutions. "I suggest that the new infrastructure of 5G bases should cover rural areas so that smart farming machinery, such as drone and unmanned harvesters, can be applied," he said. Deputy Wang Dedi, who works at the municipal agriculture commission, said Shanghai should invest in agricultural technology, especially in the seed sector. "Turning the limited agricultural land in Shanghai into a testing field for seed technology will contribute to the high-quality development of Shanghai's agriculture and the national food safety," Wang said. Deputy … [Read more...] about Deputies discuss bolstering Shanghai’s agriculture sector

By 2025, revenue from the agricultural products processing industry in China will hit 32 trillion yuan ($4.9 trillion), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Monday. The equivalent of 80 percent of agricultural materials will be converted into new products, minimizing the amount of materials that are wasted. The country will also develop industrial clusters in the countryside, Liu Huanxin, the vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said when introducing the country's five-year rural industrial development plan at a video conference. The production value of each cluster will exceed 100 billion yuan ($15.4 billion). More than 4 billion annual tourist trips are expected to be made in rural areas by 2025, with revenue surpassing 1.2 trillion yuan, Liu said. "Country regions are planning to attract more than 15 million people to return to their home villages and start businesses," he said. Rural areas are being encouraged to devise industrial development … [Read more...] about Agriculture Ministry outlines rural sector growth

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration would face resistance from the U.S. Congress if it tried to push through a mini trade deal with the European Union that did not include agriculture, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said on Wednesday (Mar 4). In an interview with Reuters, Grassley, a Republican from the farm state of Iowa, said he saw a chance of getting results in negotiations with the European Union under the leadership of its new trade commissioner, Phil Hogan. He said Washington would be willing to negotiate a solution to a longstanding dispute over aircraft subsidies after the World Trade Organization rules on the EU's case against Boeing Co this year, which meant that higher tariffs on Airbus planes and parts would likely take effect on March 18 as planned. He said EU officials were "overly worked up" about threats to transatlantic ties, which he said were as strong as ever. But he said Brussels should seek a mandate from its member states to … [Read more...] about US senator’s trade advice to EU: Keep calm and put agriculture on the table

Kindly Share This Story: By Dapo Akinrefon Leaders of Omo Eko Pataki including Chief Bode George, Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd) and Mr Gbadebo Dallas, on Tuesday, urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to embark on the agricultural revolution in the state. Leaders of the group, who were reacting to the recent blockade of foodstuffs from the north to the south, said Lagos state is blessed with nutrient-rich agricultural fields that can quickly be marshalled into farmlands. The statement reads: “The recent action of the Amalgamated Food Stuff and Cattle Dealers which halted the convoy of trailers from bringing tomatoes, peppers, onions and all kinds of good stuff to the south should awaken the leadership of Lagos state to redirect its policies in widening its agricultural investments. “Lagos State which is naturally our foremost concern as Ọmọ Eko Pataki should, henceforth, impress into immediate duty a massive workforce of her … [Read more...] about Food blockade: Why Sanwo-Olu must start Lagos Agricultural Revolution now — Bode George, Olarenwaju, Dallas