Water marketing in the Crocodile River, South Africa

Transfers of water in the Crocodile River above and below the gorge (near Nelspruit and Malelane) were studied based on a survey in the area during November 2003, followed up by telephonic interviewing during March 2004. Almost all the water trades (permanent and rentals) observed in this study were from farmers above the gorge to farmers below the gorge. In order to study whether the water market promotes efficiency the data were subjected to several statistical analyses (Principal Components, Ridge Regression, Logit). It is concluded that in the transfer of water some attributes in the purchasing area such as lower production risk (sugar cane) and lower financial risk and better cash flow (bananas and sugar cane) were more important than the income per cubic meter of water. Water supply in this area is highly irregular while farmers were found to be extremely risk averse especially as far as down-side risk is concerned. The average water price in this area in recent years (2002 to 2003) was between R2,000 and R3,000 per ha (1ha = 8,000 cubic meter). Buyers are large progressive farmers that purchase (and rent) from many sellers (or lessees). It is concluded that information (sale prices and rents) is asymmetrical. Few permanent transfers have taken place in the Crocodile River in recent years. It is concluded that there are reasons why transfers at present are not processed and role players should discuss these reasons and possible solutions before further action is taken.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Macadamia Integrated Pest Management: IPM of Insects and Mites Attacking Macadamia Nuts in Hawaii

This publication provides an introduction to macadamia pest management and provides information on insect pests of the macadamia in Hawaii

Supplying Improved Seed to Farmers in Rural Kenya: The Case of Freshco Kenya Ltd.

Freshco, a small producer and distributor of hybrid maize seed and macadamia seedlings, was one of the first private companies to enter the Kenya seed market after its liberalization. Currently, the company produces and markets six high yielding maize varieties that are suited for diverse agro-ecological conditions. Despite the company’s encouraging growth in the local maize seed market, Freshco’s executives recognize the need to scale up operations to stay competitive. The company’s challenge is to recognize business opportunities and customer needs in an environment susceptible to ecological, political, and socioeconomic change.Kenya, seed industry, smallholder farmers, scenario planning, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q10, Q12,

Characterization of pea starch-guar gum biocomposite edible films enriched by natural antimicrobial agents for active food packaging

Antimicrobial activity of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and two native Australian plants blueberry ash (BBA) fruit and macadamia (MAC) skin extracts against nine pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and seven strains of fungi, using an agar well diffusion assay were investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these compounds were calculated using 96-well microtiter plates method. Finally, active antimicrobial packaging films were prepared by incorporation of EGCG, BBA and MAC extracts at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-fold of their correspondence MIC values into edible films based on pea starch and guar gum (PSGG). The antimicrobial activity of films was investigated against target microorganisms by agar disc diffusion technique and quantified using the viable cell count assay. Among the test microorganisms, Salmonella typhimurium and Rhizopus sp. were the most resistance to active films. Films containing EGCG showed the highest activity against all test strains. As the concentration of compounds increased higher than 2 × MIC, the mechanical characteristics of the films were affected considerably. The results indicated that EGCG-PSGG, BBA-PSGG and MAC-PSGG films can be used as active food packaging systems for preserving food safety and prolonging the shelf-life of the packaged food

Pengaruh Perlakuan Urea terhadap Kadar Tanin Biji Makadamia (Macadamia Hildebrandii)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui sampai sejauh mana penurunan kadar tanin pada biji makadamia (Macadamia hildebrandii) melalui pemberian perlakuan urea. Penelitian menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap (RAL) pola factorial 3 x 3 yang terdiri dari 3 level pemberian urea (2, 3 dan 4 persen) dan lama pemeraman (7, 14 dan 21 hari) dengan 3 ulangan. Hasil yang didapat dari analisis ragam melalui SPSS menunjukkan bahwa level pemberian urea dan lama perlakuan pemeraman serta interaksi antara level keduanya tidak berpengaruh terhadap kadar tanin pada biji macadamia. Tetapi bila dibandingkan dengan kadar tanin pada biji macadamia yang tidak diberi perlakuan (4,4433%) dengan yang diberi perlakuan (0,4088) menunjukkan perbedaan yang sangat nyata

Mitigating the water footprint of export cut flowers from the Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya

Kenya’s cut-flower industry has been praised as an economic success as it contributed an annual average of US$141 million foreign exchange (7$ 352 million in 2005 alone. The industry also provides employment, income and infrastructure such as schools and hospitals for a large population around Lake Naivasha. On the other hand, the commercial farms have been blamed for causing a drop in the lake level and for putting the lake’s biodiversity at risk. The objective of this study is to quantify the water footprint within the Lake Naivasha Basin related to cut flowers and assess the potential for mitigating this footprint by involving cut-flower traders, retailers and consumers overseas. The water footprint of one rose flower is estimated to be 7-13 litres. The total virtual water export related to export of cut flowers from the Lake Naivasha Basin was 16 Mm3/yr during the period 1996-2005 (22% green water; 45% blue water; 33% grey water). Our findings show that, although the commercial farms around the lake have contributed to the decline in the lake level through water abstractions, both the commercial farms and the smallholder farms in the upper catchment are responsible for the lake pollution due to nutrient load. The\ud observed decline in the lake level and deterioration of the lake’s biodiversity calls for sustainable management of the basin through pricing water at its full cost and other regulatory measures

Macadamia, Queenslandnuss - Macadamia ternifolia (Proteaceae)

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