CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND THE WAY FORWARD

The way sociologists study social problems begins first with their view on how the world works.

Vegetables On The Move

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ften times people wonder why there are lots of leaves in the environment , but just a few of these green leaves are eaten as vegetables. Well, the reason behind this is not far-fetched as it can be linked to what I liken to Lamarck’s law of use and disuse, which explains that the part of the body that is been used tend to develop over time while the unused parts remain dormant.

AN OVERVIEW OF YOUNG FARMERS CLUB

Agriculture involves cultivation of land, raising and rearing of animals for the purpose of providing food for man, feed for animals and raw materials for industries (Anyanwu, 1987). It involves forestry, fishing, processing and marketing of these agricultural products.  Agriculture has been the main source of gainful employment, from which the nation can feed its increasing population, providing the nation’s industries with local raw materials and as a reliable source of government revenue.

THE MYSTERY OF MUSHROOM (Agaricus bisporus)

Have you ever wondered that there are some varieties of food items that were widely consumed in the time past but are now gradually fading away in the diet of people of this present generation? One of these food items is mushroom.

Mushroom is fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi that are typically produced above ground on the soil or on their food sources. Mushroom can be of two different types which are “edible mushroom” that taste good and very nutritious, and “non-edible mushroom” that are poisonous and possess a foul taste.

As a popular saying goes, ‘when the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable’. This particular reason must have been one of the major reasons why the people of this jet-age rarely include mushroom in their diet. More importantly, the rate of urbanization and globalization is at  a very high speed and this hinders the appreciation of food item like mushroom, because mushrooms are generally appreciated and found in larger quantity in rural areas.

In view of the above, it would interest you to know that the edible mushrooms are of great nutritional and medicinal value. In addition to this, the edible mushroom can be artificially grown in larger quantity for consumption.

Steps to follow in producing mushroom artificially

To successfully produce mushroom artificially, the following materials are required and they are:

Ø  Mushroom spawn (e.g maize grains, millet grains, sorghum grains, e.t.c)

Ø  Watering can

Ø  Nylon bag (black colour)

Ø  Palm bunch (without palm fruits)

Ø  Drum

Ø  Mushroom growing house (built with mud)

Ø  Water

Ø  Quicklime

Step:1

Select the palm bunches without oil and boil in mixture of quicklime and water for about one and half hour . The quicklime neutralizes the oil content in the palm bunches.

Step:2

Boil the palm bunches again in water for about one hour.

Step:3

Sundry the palm bunches to about 50% dryness, in order to retain the remaining 50% moisture content.

Step:4

Make hole in the rear part of the palm bunches.

Step:5

Inoculate the palm bunches by putting the grains into the palm bunches via the opening already made in the rear part of the bunches.

Step:6

Put each inoculated palm bunch into a nylon bag and tie it (i.e. incubation).

Step:7

Place the incubated bunches inside the mushroom growing house ( at 25⁰c-28⁰c and adequate humidity). The incubation takes between 2-3 weeks, after which fruiting begins.

Step:8

Remove the nylon as soon as the fruiting begins. Water it for about 3-times per day (depending on the climatic condition.

Step:9

Harvesting  of the mushroom can be done at an interval of 3-5 days, and this can continue for about 2-months. An average bunch yields between 500g-1000g of mushroom.

Nutritional values of Mushroom

Ø  Rich in protein ( A fresh mushroom has 3-6% plant protein.  A dry mushroom has 18-34% of plant protein.

Ø  Rich in vitamin

Ø  80% digestability

Ø  Possess little sugar and salt content

Ø  Possess 250 calories of energy

Medicinal values of Mushroom

Ø  Cure waste pain

Ø  Cure stomach pain

Ø  Protects lung tissue

Ø  Good for diabetic patients

Ø  Good for hypertensive patients

Ø  Reduces tooth pain

Ø  It suppresses HIV

According to the agriculturists, good food is the secret behind flourishing skin, likewise the health practitioners would say health is wealth. In view of the above, it is very important to nourish ourselves because what we eat is part of who we are.

Written by:

Falode Oladayo.

We the green generation are not forgetting thousands that laid down their lives for making our country breath this day. we shall never forget their sacrifice. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE NIGERIA

young people in agriculture

the green generation,Nigeria is inviting agricultural graduates, advocates, lovers and the public to celebrate the world food day-16th October,2012

be a part of the change that is about to take place...come and have fun at Gbagada Junior comprehensive school, gbagada phase 2, off jogunmi street, Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria at 11am.

Happy World Food Day...............................

happy birthday Nigeria

OCT 1

Nigeria is engaging about 70% of it labour force in agriculture but still has the same percentage falling below poverty level. About 30% of Nigeria’s land is under cultivation leaving a 70% of arable land unattended to.  Abundance of water unlike most parts of the world, nigeria's diverse climate, from the tropical areas of the coast to the arid zone of the north, make it possible to produce virtually all agricultural products that can be grown in the tropical and semitropical areas of the world (Abubakar, B.Y, 2010)

Today, we have over 15 national agricultural research institutes, 30 universities training   specialists in various fields of agriculture, 50 colleges of agriculture and polytechnics training middle level manpower and all carrying out basic research in different fields of agriculture, still what do we have to show for it. Yet, agriculture is the main hub of any economy but is yet to drive the economy of Nigieria. I could go on and on but I believe we all know the infrastructures in place in the Nigerian agriculture.

Presently, the government has started putting up efforts in this sector for instance, the economic benefits of large-scale agriculture are recognized, and the government favors the formation of cooperative societies and settlements to encourage industrial agriculture, the invitation to foreign investors to invest in Nigeria (Domingo Farms), building of silos in different locations, direct sale of fertilizer to farmers and others just to mention a few.
But in reality, there are too many things to do, the agricultural value chain is so long that if we wait for the government we might wait forever… and so my question is, what are u doing in your own way to drive the needed passion in agriculture in your community? Its Nigeria’s independence day and I daresay, asides from thanking God for the gift of life and peace, what are we celebrating………..its time for a new generation of positive, right thinking and reasonable people to arise… our future lies in our hands.
We need agricultural teachers, lecturers and professors, agriculture-meteorological scientists to work on climate issues, agriculture-environmentalists, agricultural chemists, agricultural biologists and microbiologists, soil scientists, agronomists, extensionists to deliver research to the farmers, storage technicians, agricultural economists, agricultural bankers, farm equipment’s and inputs designers and suppliers, biofuel producers and engineers, agricultural companies to process and package products, agricultural shops, agricultural lawyers and the government to provide the infrastructure and policies(market openness and trade liberizations, price stability, road networks to farms, credit etc)  to boost this nation to a world class economy. The list is endless.
There are so many issues facing this sector. All we need to do is choose a challenge and create a solution to it. This might need you to read more, study more but don’t be shaken for the end justifies the means.
Youths of this age, as u celebrate today in history, choose to become a part of the solution, a part of the new generation agriculture, a part of Nigeria’s success.
The Green Generation Nigeria is poised to celebrate agriculture and its people. It has started with the roots(secondary schools) and has already created School Vegetable farms in those schools. It aims to drive the passion once more at this level all over Nigeria and ultimately form a new caccus of agricultural specialists. I have chosen mine, whats yours……………………join us at the Green generation.  www.thegreengenerationnigeria.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday Nigeria, Happy Independence Day………….hip hip hip hurray………….