When you look at Vietnam today, over 30 years after the ravages of the Vietnam War, it has evolved from what was once a failed economy into a market economy, continually creating opportunities by engaging in international business. Since the demise of the Communist Bloc in the late 1980′s, significant economic reforms have been implemented for the purpose of renovating the Vietnamese economy, which had failed due to corrupt and inefficient government programs.

As a result of this, Vietnam has now been experiencing an average GDP growth of 8% annually since the turn of the century. Additionally, industrial production has been expanding, growing at an annual rate of between 14% and 15%. So, taking the industrial sector into consideration, what is the outlook for the expansion in the agricultural export markets? Vietnam is currently ASEAN’s (the Association of South East Asian Nations) fastest growing economy and is second only to China where economic expansion into international markets is concerned.

Compared to the industrial growth factor above, the average individual would see the agricultural growth factor as being insignificant. However, this is a misconception when you consider that (up until the late 1980′s), Vietnam’s economy was agriculturally based in wet rice cultivation and exportation. Slightly over a decade ago, 70% of Vietnam’s population resided in rural areas while 80% of the workforce was employed in either agricultural business or some food-related industry.

Naturally, these statistics are no longer valid when you consider the fact that cities such as Danang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City have experienced exponential population growth since the end of the war. Current market studies are indicating that, in addition to rice, the top 5 industries worth considering for investment and export are as follows:

o Agricultural Processing
o Coffee
o Dairy Production
o Livestock
o Seafood

The Vietnamese agricultural sector is targeting $15 billion (USD) in exports by 2010 with a targeted annual growth factor of 4-4.5%. Additionally, specific areas such as coffee and seafood exportation are primed for explosive growth due to a couple of different factors:

o In 2007, the European Commission (EC) recognized 25 Vietnamese seafood companies as meeting safety and sanitation requirements for exporting products to the European Union (EU). These companies have been exporting to the EU since January 31, 2008.

o According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the output of Brazilian coffee only reached 33.1 million bags for the 2007-08 seasons, a decline of 22% from the previous year. The decline in coffee production among countries in the southern hemisphere makes Vietnam the northern hemisphere’s largest coffee producer.

source: ezinearticles.com

No one can survive on earth without food. Among the basic necessities of life- food comes first. The basic necessities of life are food, clothing and shelter. No mater how much a man has, he must feed. Hence investing in agriculture is investing in food production. The investor will never loose. This is because whether we like it or not we will eat. Investment in other sector might fail but not in agriculture.

Agricultural products are for domestic and industrial use. Many countries in the world like India, China, America, Thailand etc, earn their major revenue from agriculture. Over 50% of the population is directly or indirectly employed in agricultural industries.

The world is seriously waiting and looking for aggressive investors in this sector. The rate at which many young people are avoiding working in farms is alarming. If this trend continues, a time will come when the world will suffer great food crises.

There are various arm of this sector one can invest in wisely. But for the sake of this article I will concentrate on cassava production and processing. Cassava was discovered in Brazil and brought to Africa by the Portuguese. It later became the most stable crop and food in West African sub region. Many products are got from cassava namely: garri, fufu, tapioca, floor, chips, pellets, foliage, starch, etc. latterly, it was discovered that cassava can be as a substitute to cereal for feed production for livestock. All the livestock feed can be produced using using cassava as the main source of carbohydrate and fiber.

Cassava has very high content of starch and serve as raw material in the following industries. Brewery, pharmaceutical, textile, feed mills, etc industries for production of alcohol, starch, glucose, etc.

Nigeria is the highest producer of cassava in the world, while Chain utilizes it well to produce many other products.

Invest in cassava now and enjoy a great reward tomorrow.

source: ezinearticles.com

Over the next 40 years the UN predicts a global population boom, leading to agricultural land shortages. Great Stuff Hydroponics thinks we can overcome this problem and help to reduce the environmental impact of our cities by building vertical hydroponic agricultural buildings in urban centres.

Supplying food in the West is not an issue, where agricultural land is available and complex distribution systems are already set up. However, the UN predicts that by the year 2050, there will be an additional 3 billion people on this planet, approximately 80% of whom will live in urban centres. This poses a problem, particularly in developed societies where farmers are a dying breed and food often has to be transported over vast distances before it ends up on peoples’ dinner tables.

Currently, some cities are greener than others; Singapore, Hanoi and Havana have all been cited as food producing cities. Whilst they are not yet self sufficient, other cities still have very far to go. New York, for example, has to import nearly every morsel of food which is consumed there, and trucking all that food into the city every day takes its toll on the environment and is an incredibly inefficient use of resources in a sophisticated society.

The answer, according to environmentalists, scientists and hydroponics enthusiasts is to stop all these wasteful practices by building hydroponic farms, vertically, in the heart of our cities. This would let the land around our cities return to an unspoilt ecosystem of forests or grasslands, aiding the fight against global warming and climate change. After all, we have developed into an urban species with all of the methods to produce reliable crops every year hydroponically at our fingertips. We do not need to rely on taking up large tracts of land with agriculture, polluting our atmosphere with delivery truck exhaust fumes, and leaving our crops to the mercy of the elements the way our ancestors did. Farming to excess is a contributing factor to desertification, reduced soil quality and it is unnecessarily damaging to indigenous flora and fauna.

There is already considerable popular support for town planners and city councils which take environmentally friendly decisions, dedicating themselves to keeping our countryside green and focusing on making our cities cleaner and more pleasant places to inhabit instead.

Dr. Dickson Despommier, a professor of microbiology at Columbia University, originally came up with the idea of the Vertical Farm Project, as a solution to the future pressure on land and resources and as a way of reducing the carbon footprint of our cities. Since the beginning of the project, a number of environmentally friendly ‘vertical farms’ have been designed for New York, Toronto and Paris.

source: ezinearticles.com

Agriculture is considered as the backbone of a country. It plays an important role in generating national income, in solving unemployment problem in rural areas, and in maintaining equilibrium in domestic food supply. Rice is the main staple in Thailand. Thai farmers concentrate more on paddy fields and it was one of their main export products.

Rice is mostly grown in central regions of Thailand. Thai farmers work throughout the year, and after the annual harvest season, they plan for the second cultivation or sometimes they concentrate on raising animals or fish. Thailand is popular for its vast fertile land and ample supply of water. It is said to have the most fertile lands in Asia. Thailand is also referred to as the “Rice Bowl”. Farmers used to rear fish and grow paddy simultaneously; as a result they used to have a continuous supply of fresh fish and rice to live on.

Today the farmers in Thailand face a number of problems as the Thai government promoted high input, export orientated agricultural systems to increase the country’s growth rate. This growth policy has resulted in retardation of the country’s agricultural sector. Poor farm management techniques and inappropriate use of agrochemicals has resulted in soil erosion and soil exhaustion, further damaging the agriculture sector.

Another serious problem in Thailand is the increase in death and illness among farmers due to pesticides. This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge with regards to agrochemical application and safety procedures. In 1988 the number of people reported to be suffering from pesticide poisoning was 4,234, while the number of deaths from pesticide poisoning was 34.

The Thai government is finally awakening to reality and it is about time that the government took an initiative to help the ailing agriculture sector otherwise Thailand may lose the title of “Rice bowl”.

source: ezinearticles.com

When you look at Vietnam today, over 30 years after the ravages of the Vietnam War, it has evolved from what was once a failed economy into a market economy, continually creating opportunities by engaging in international business. Since the demise of the Communist Bloc in the late 1980′s, significant economic reforms have been implemented for the purpose of renovating the Vietnamese economy, which had failed due to corrupt and inefficient government programs.

As a result of this, Vietnam has now been experiencing an average GDP growth of 8% annually since the turn of the century. Additionally, industrial production has been expanding, growing at an annual rate of between 14% and 15%. So, taking the industrial sector into consideration, what is the outlook for the expansion in the agricultural export markets? Vietnam is currently ASEAN’s (the Association of South East Asian Nations) fastest growing economy and is second only to China where economic expansion into international markets is concerned.

Compared to the industrial growth factor above, the average individual would see the agricultural growth factor as being insignificant. However, this is a misconception when you consider that (up until the late 1980′s), Vietnam’s economy was agriculturally based in wet rice cultivation and exportation. Slightly over a decade ago, 70% of Vietnam’s population resided in rural areas while 80% of the workforce was employed in either agricultural business or some food-related industry.

Naturally, these statistics are no longer valid when you consider the fact that cities such as Danang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City have experienced exponential population growth since the end of the war. Current market studies are indicating that, in addition to rice, the top 5 industries worth considering for investment and export are as follows:

o Agricultural Processing
o Coffee
o Dairy Production
o Livestock
o Seafood

The Vietnamese agricultural sector is targeting $15 billion (USD) in exports by 2010 with a targeted annual growth factor of 4-4.5%. Additionally, specific areas such as coffee and seafood exportation are primed for explosive growth due to a couple of different factors:

o In 2007, the European Commission (EC) recognized 25 Vietnamese seafood companies as meeting safety and sanitation requirements for exporting products to the European Union (EU). These companies have been exporting to the EU since January 31, 2008.

o According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the output of Brazilian coffee only reached 33.1 million bags for the 2007-08 seasons, a decline of 22% from the previous year. The decline in coffee production among countries in the southern hemisphere makes Vietnam the northern hemisphere’s largest coffee producer.

source: www.articlebase.com

Although there has been considerable concern expressed at the introduction of genetically modified foods it is not so well appreciated that the clothes that we wear are produced from cotton grown from G.M. (genetically modified) seeds. In fact a significant amount of seeds cultivated are from this source. There are two main reasons why genetically modified crops are grown they are tolerant to herbicides and resistant to insects.

Weed control is supposed to be easier because the plants are able to tolerate non selective chemicals which kill all other natural vegetation. Unfortunately this has resulted in a decrease of beneficial insects as the plants that they feed on are also killed. The plants are resistant to insect pests as they have bacteria introduced within the plant by genetic modification which kills insects that feed upon them. It had been predicted that G.M. cotton crops would require less herbicides but this does not appear to have happened. It has been suggested that environmental effects require further studies. There are indeed concerns surrounding longer term pest resistance and the commercial monopoly exercised by some agri-business giants over G.M. seeds.

Decisions about growing G.M. cotton are made at high levels of government officials representatives of agri-business agencies and ‘experts’ and few are concerned about the farmer’s opinions. Transfer of genes to related wild species seems inevitable. Increases in the use of G.M. cotton presents a threat for organic cotton producers as the basic standards for organic agriculture prohibits the use of G.M. varieties. It has been established by PANUK that there is a growing call for organic cotton and supplies are now outstripped by demand. There are two reasons why this is the case-

· Organic cotton global production is still a small part of the industry which means that it is unable to meet sudden variations in demand.

· Cotton farmers need to go through a 3 year conversion before they are able to be certified organic.

Cotton growing highlights the unequal trade relations which have been set up where farmers in the E.U. and U.S are paid subsidies which give them a price which is two to three times higher than the world markets. In consequence North American and European growers produce cotton that is sold on the world market at a loss thus reducing prices for everyone.

There are dominant forces in G.M. technology; seeds are patented so that farmers are required to agree not to save seed and to pay royalties. Specific herbicides are linked to the seeds ensuring continuing revenue. Huge amounts of money have been spent by the biotech companies on research and they want to see an early return on their investments. Data which has been released is by the companies themselves and has been accepted by the authorities.

source: ezinearticles.com

Melon production has gained huge popularity among the farmers present all over the world. Stepping inside the morphological features, one can find melon to be grouped under Cucurbitaceae family. These are quite voluminous fruits that render impressive growth in short duration of time. This fruit when ripened can be used as edible ingredient in food. It is used for general cooking in Asian countries. The smell of melons is quite mesmerizing for people making them to attract towards the fruit. Also this is also an indication of ripe fruits. Farmers gain better value for the money invested when fruits are exported to other countries.

Characteristics of melon & Selection considerations

Depending upon the ambient conditions that prevail one can select the melon seed. The seed is generally used in four-inch earthen pots for sowing. Once the plant grows to certain level the conditions in soil would aid further growth of melons. The varieties of melons can be obtained by cross-cultivation techniques. These techniques enable cultivators to maximize their returns by binding best qualities of different types of melons and producing a hybrid plant. Melons are skinny with slightly tough covering skin. The skin provides protection for the underneath fleshy part of fruit. The fruit can be used to extract juices that are rich in vitamins. Melons are generally grown in hot climatic regions with adequate supply of water from ground. The floor area of farm should be considerably vast.

How to cultivate melon?

The agricultural melon production involves the use of good quality seeds for cultivation. These seeds can be products of cross-cultivation techniques. Also the ambient conditions should be conducive for the fruit to grow in size. Regions with extended sunny days can bring forth effective growth of melon with appreciable nutritive value. It gains in mass in shot interval of time. Initial growth of plant doesn’t demand excessive water. It requires adequate watering only when the fruit initiates its growth. The cultivator should ensure that only optimum level of moisture is maintained else it could lead to fungal infections to plants and fruits. This can spoil overall growth of fruit. Drip irrigation is quite widely used by cultivators for production of melons throughout the world.

source: ezinearticles.com

Attorneys and writers have job security because there’s always one more question; the questions always out number the answers by at least one. Same goes for psychologists, I guess, but really all they have to do is repeat, over and over until the hour’s up, “How do you really feel about that?” Yeah, it’s the one more question, but the question goes to feelings, and I’m interested in real answers, causes and effects, the what’re-we-gonna-do-about-its, the good-better-best options, the whole list of multiple choices, from which I always will choose “all of the above,” unless I have the option of “none of the above,” in which case I’ll definitely choose that and make-up my own answer.

No matter what we decide, though, we’ll always have one more question.

How many questions do we have exactly? you need to know. Infinity…plus one. Always just one more than we have answers.

Once upon a time, I imagined I wanted to become an attorney, and I fed my imagination with books, television shows, and movies about attorneys. Couldn’t get enough of that lawyer stuff. I confess, now, and on the condition that you won’t tell anyone, I think I liked lawyering because of the clothes-so dignified, so powerful, so damned proper and so totally expensive. Now, in the era of Law and Order, I’m satisfied, thank you; in the old days we didn’t enjoy quite such an embarrassment of riches. I really liked Scott Turrow’s One-L, his journal of his first year at Harvard Law School; are we surprised he returned to writing? Probably stumbled over that one more question, doncha think? And I really-really-really loved the original Paper Chase, the one with Lindsay Wagner and John Houseman as Kingsfield, the Contracts Professor. On the first day of class, Kingsfield strides, authoritatively of course, into class, and announces, “You come here with heads filled with mush, and I teach you to think like a lawyer.” Kingsfield says it as if thinking like a lawyer is a good thing; and he goes on to justify, “We teach by the Socratic method. Question and answer; question and answer. My questions spin the tiny tumblers of your mind, showing you the vast complex of…,” well Kingsfield, naturally, says something about law, but I have my own version of the sentence’s end. When I complete Kingsfield’s soliloquy, I insist, “The questions spin the tiny tumblers of our minds, showing us how to open-up the vault where they keep the secrets to the human condition.”

source: http://ezinearticles.com

A major concern that frequently is made by people who are avid gardeners is the cost associated with garden supplies, tools and products. When it comes to purchasing supplies, tools and products for the yard, gardeners are oftentimes on the hunt for stores and shops that offer them a price break. Saving money is at the top of nearly every person’s agenda in the 21st century. Consequently, the wholesale garden décor shop has become increasingly popular for men and women who enjoy plants and spending time out of doors working about their yards. More and more wholesale venues are opening their doors to the general public in this day and age.

Many major cities around the world are now home to different wholesale garden décor shops that are open to the general public. The wholesale merchants have found that they can attract a significant number of customers who otherwise would have been stuck shopping at retail stores. Literally tens of thousands of gardening consumers are heading to wholesale shops and stores each and every week to satisfy their gardening supply and product needs.

By visiting a wholesale garden store or shop, a gardener can find nearly any supply item, tool or product that he or she needs for use in his or her gardening efforts. Examples on a long product list of what can readily be found at a wholesale garden décor shop (the gardener’s Eden) include planters.

Gardeners can quickly spruce up their gardens through the use of planters. At times the addition of planters can be cost prohibitive, the cost can limit what a gardener would really like to do. By purchasing through a wholesale outlet, a person can get more bang for his or her buck. Indeed, the typical wholesale garden supply vendor generally has a significant inventory of different types of lovely planters that are perfect for any garden spot.

source: ezinearticles.com

Here are some true skincare facts to take the place of the myths you may have heard. First, oil is not a bad thing. The skin’s oil creates a natural protective barrier. It acts as a lubricant to help prevent injuries. It has a small amount of selective antibacterial activity, helping to prevent some infections from taking hold. Sebum is the medical term for the oil produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands. It would naturally protect the hair from becoming frizzy, frayed and damaged. It would naturally protect the skin’s cells from moisture loss. It would, but we are constantly washing it away.

Good hygiene is important for preventing the transmission of diseases. We tend to overdo it, showering two or three times a day, washing our hands dozens of times per day and washing our hair every day. Eventually, this constant cleaning will lead to excessive dryness and an aged appearance. Depending on what you do and your level of physical activity, you might need to shower often. It’s okay to wash the oil away, as long as we replace it. Here’s another true skincare fact. We need some sunlight.

Our bodies use UV-B rays to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient. Low blood levels of this nutrient are on the rise according to doctors. They believe part of the reason for the deficiency is the constant use of products containing sunscreens. There are too many sunscreen ingredients to list here, but if you read the label of ingredients on your cleansers, creams, makeup and other cosmetics, you may see one or two listed as “active”. Most of the active ingredients in today’s cosmetics are sunscreens.

Oxybenzone, benzophenone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and avobenzone are among the most common sunscreen ingredients. At least 8 separate studies have confirmed that there is an increased incidence of malignant melanoma among regular sunscreen users. Researchers are not sure why. They can’t give us a true skincare fact about the danger of sunscreens. But they have a theory. The theory is that sunscreen ingredients penetrate through the skin’s outer layers and cause free radical damage.

Free radical damage is known to play a role in the formation of cancerous growths. It also plays a major role in skin aging. Here’s another true skincare fact. Some molecules penetrate through the skin’s outer layers. Others don’t. Ingredients like collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid are worthless, because they cannot penetrate. Chemicals like artificial preservatives and sunscreen ingredients may be dangerous to our health, because they can penetrate.

source: ezinearticles.com