FARM NEWS - AFRICA DAILY

Italy bids to close gap in wine exports to China

Apr 07, 2013 (AFP)

Italy is bidding to close the gap with its competitors in wine exports to China, said organisers of a major wine fair that opened on Sunday with a Chinese comme...

Shanghai stops poultry trade on bird flu fears

Apr 06, 2013 (AFP)

Shanghai's live poultry markets were shut on Saturday after authorities banned trading in birds to prevent the spread of H7N9 bird flu, which has killed six peo...

Papyrus plant detox for slaughterhouses

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

Humans have used the papyrus sedge for millennia. The Ancient Egyptians wrote on it, it can be made into highly buoyant boats, it is grown for ornamentation and...

Feeding corn germ to pigs does not affect growth performance

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

Inclusion of corn germ in swine diets can reduce diet costs, depending on the local cost of corn germ and other ingredients. Recent research conducted at the Un...

Italy asks EU to halt GM maize cultivation: AFP

Apr 04, 2013 (AFP)

The Italian government has asked the European Commission not to renew authorisation of a key genetically-modified corn, according to a letter seen by AFP on Thu...

UGA researchers track down gene responsible for short stature of dwarf pearl millet

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

While pearl millet is a major food staple in some of the fastest growing regions on Earth, relatively little is known about the drought-hardy grain. Recently, p...

UC Research on Maya Village Uncovers 'Invisible' Crops, Unexpected Agriculture

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

The University of Cincinnati's mastery of ancient Maya mysteries continues with new research from professor of biological sciences David Lentz. UC faculty have ...

Organic Labels Bias Consumers Perceptions through the Health halo effect

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

The word "organic" can mean many things to consumers. Even so, the power of an organic label can be very strong: studies have shown that this simple label can l...

Multi-toxin biotech crops not silver bullets

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

A strategy widely used to prevent pests from quickly adapting to crop-protecting toxins may fail in some cases unless better preventive actions are taken, sugge...

Gene discovery may yield lettuce that will sprout in hot weather

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

A team of researchers, led by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist, has identified a lettuce gene and related enzyme that put the brakes on germin...

UC Research Examines Ancient Puebloans and the Myth of Maize

Apr 04, 2013 (SPX)

Research from the University of Cincinnati shows that perhaps the ancient Puebloans weren't as into the maize craze as once thought. Nikki Berkebile, a graduate...

Singapore gardens aim for UNESCO heritage status

Apr 03, 2013 (AFP)

Singapore, one of the world's most densely populated countries, is campaigning to get its 154-year-old Botanic Gardens declared a UNESCO world heritage site. If...

Suspected killers of ecologists on trial in Brazil

Apr 03, 2013 (AFP)

Three suspected killers of a couple who blew the whistle on illegal logging in the Brazilian Amazon went on trial Wednesday. Antonio Filho, a member of Brazil's...

Hanoi bans China poultry after new bird flu strain deaths

Apr 03, 2013 (AFP)

Vietnam has announced an immediate ban on all Chinese poultry imports and stepped up border controls after its northern neighbour reported two deaths from a new...

Researchers Find Novel Way Plants Pass Traits to Next Generation

Apr 02, 2013 (SPX)

New research explains how certain traits can pass down from one generation to the next - at least in plants - without following the accepted rules of genetics. ...

Pesticide combination affects bees' ability to learn

Apr 02, 2013 (SPX)

Two new studies have highlighted a negative impact on bees' ability to learn following exposure to a combination of pesticides commonly used in agriculture. The...

Study looks at why chickens overeat

Apr 02, 2013 (SPX)

The welfare of poultry could be improved by a discovery about how chickens regulate their appetites. University scientists have identified how a chicken's genet...

China fertiliser leaves tons of harmful waste: report

Apr 02, 2013 (AFP)

Mountains of hazardous waste left from China's huge phosphate fertiliser industry are polluting nearby communities and waters, the environmental group Greenpeac...

Snow impact on Wales farmers 'urgent'

Apr 01, 2013 (UPI)

The Welsh government says dealing with the effects of a devastating March snowstorm on livestock farmers has been elevated to an "urgent priority." Natural Reso...

Pig wasting syndrome costing farmers millions

Apr 01, 2013 (SPX)

Stark new figures show that a common pig virus, present on 99 per cent of pig farms has major economic implications for individual farmers and the pig industry ...