More interesting News to share.
Maybe we can emulate this here
Japan: Farm-fresh produce delivery goes online

A growing number of consumers are purchasing fresh vegetables and fruit online directly from farmers.

Ayako Kakumoto, 36, a company employee from Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, began ordering vegetables six months ago on the My Farmer website operated by Tokyo-based mobile phone content developer Cybird Co. “I started shopping on the site as I became conscious of where vegetables are grown following the (March 2011) Great East Japan Earthquake,” Kakumoto said.

The earthquake and tsunami triggered the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, fueling fears of radiation contamination in food.

Kakumoto said she likes the vegetables she purchases from the site, explaining that the green peppers, for example, “are very thick and taste the way I believe peppers should taste.”

Cybird launched the service in 2010 and has attracted about 12,000 members, mainly women in the Tokyo metropolitan area, according to the company. On the site, members can purchase vegetables and fruit produced by around 60 farmers from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Less than 10 percent of the members order products on a regular basis under the “private farmer” system, according to Cybird.

The company runs a vegetable market in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward every month that brings together its contract farmers. “We wanted to create a system that allows consumers to feel safe about purchasing vegetables from specific farmers,” said Rikiyoshi Yoshida, who founded the service. The site posts pictures of the farmers along with explanations about where and how the vegetables and fruit are grown.

The operators can deliver fresh produce to consumers at reasonable prices as sourcing directly from producers allows them to cut delivery times and costs.

Source: japantimes.co.jp

Publication date: 10/21/2013

NZ: New antibiotic for kiwifruit disease approved

A new antibiotic to control the kiwifruit vine disease, Psa has been approved by the Environmental Protection Authority.

The antibiotic Kasumin is used as a spray on crops and contains the antibiotic kasugamycin - which has previously not been used in New Zealand.

ETEC Crop Solutions Limited applied to the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) in May this year for permission to import Kasumin from Japan. The EPA's expert Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Committee approved the application, but imposed rules to protect people and the environment. Users will have to be trained and certified to use the products safely and it will have to be sprayed from land, not air. The rules also restrict how much of the product can be applied.

Responding to an invitation for public submissions on the import application, the National Beekeepers Association said beekeepers were concerned about the product's planned use. "This concern is because one of the principle crops proposed for the end use of this product is Kiwifruit which uses bees for pollination. Beekeepers in New Zealand export significant amounts of bee products and they are concerned about the chance of antibiotic residues in pollen, propolis, bees wax and honey all of which are exported," the submission stated. "Detection of kasugamycin residues in any of these bee products by importing countries could have significant economic effects on New Zealand beekeepers' future incomes if our bee products were banned from some markets."

While the applicant's risk assessment identified that there was no risk to humans or animals, no information was presented which would make a balanced risk assessment possible for the effects on bees, the association said.

Speaking on behalf of Zespri, Kiwifruit Vine Health and New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated, David Tanner said Psa was discovered in New Zealand in November 2010. "According to a Lincoln University study in 2012, this bacterial disease is expected to cost the kiwifruit industry several hundred million dollars over the next five to 15 years, as a result of vine and production losses. Currently, only a small number of effective control options are available to growers for the management of Psa and these largely are limited in terms of how much can be used and when they can be used, because of concerns over crop residues and phytotoxicity. Therefore additional effective options are urgently required to minimise the impact of this disease."

Kasumin was an effective tool which would significantly help in the management of Psa, Mr Tanner said. While there were risks associated with the use of Kasumin, they could be managed well, he said.

The use of the antibiotic would be limited to pre-flowering, therefore managing the risk of humans and animals from ingesting fruit. Also, as Kasumin would not be allowed to be used during flowering, the risk of bees coming into contact with the product was minimised, Mr Tanner said.

Source: nzherald.co.nz

Publication date: 10/21/2013

Hi Bro,

thanks for the news.

bringing the produces online can actually help the farmers get a better price rather than getting squeezed by middleman.

farmers take all the risks while the middleman gets all the rewards

exporting and going online are several ways to get a much better price for their blood and sweat.


which part of temerloh you went for your jackfruit quest ??? what is so special about it ? do share bro

I went to Suzi's Nursery in Temerloh.
They have quite a number of Jack fruit clone.
The new Red Jack fruit
CJ-3
CJ-6 (no stock)
Mastura J37
Tekam Yellow J33
I acquire the Red, CJ-3 & Mastura. I feel that each clone has their own characteristic. Am still comparing and still do not have much details. Details on the Red / Mastura / CJ is kind of less.

Just trying to have some of each. My thinking is that a single / mono clone for the whole farm may not be that ideal.

What was said about the RED Jackfruit ??
where was it originated from ??

Did you get the honey jackfruit also ?

From my research the term Honey Jackfruit is a term used on the sweet crunchy golden yellow type. Starting from J 33, Tikam Yellow is already classify as Honey Jackfruit.

Red is something new, not yet register. Not much information on the net, so has to test out myself. It's suppose sweet, crunchy, thick fruit.

I got the Mastura J 37, CJ-3 & the Red, total 30 plants.

Actually Honey Jackfruit is the commercial name where as J33 and Tekam Yellow is DOA name.

same like D197 aka Durian Raja Kunyit aka Musang King aka Mao Shan Wang

there is a clone here in Mantin which has red flesh also...so now i also blur

Yes, commercially they name Tekam yellow as Honey Jackfruit, I guess due to the sweetness. Guess maybe all the newer clone is stuck with it.

The Red type since is not registered yet.....

Say anybody planting Petai? Saw some seedling at the nursery. Can bear fruits ~ 2.5 years. Prune to lower height easier to harvest.

Since I'm crazy about Jackfruit at the moment, found this video to share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRDJGWBZgGI
Agronomy Nangka.
Enjoy.

I also found this forum in Bahasa Malayu, Bicara Jutawan .com a thread specifically for Nangka.
http://www.bicarajutawan.com/forum/t1026-82/
Had registered but could not activate my account. Requested help from the Moderator.

Mr Farmer,

Can spare some jackfruit seeds? looks interesting

Too troublesome to bring. Sorry. Also germination rate reduce greatly during storage, and it dries off very quickly.
Just go to wet market / fruit stall, buy those freshly cut Jackfruit. Eat the flesh & plants the seeds.

Or just get it from your local nursery, grafted ones.


Say anyone bagging their soursop? I tried it just for fun. Maybe better? Not intending to sell the fruit, just to obtain seeds. I guess maybe I can use lesser pesticide.

bro, for your soursop if you have the sweet variety do spare me some seeds.

i had joined the bicarajutawan forum also.

Guys, the new budget for 2014 has been announced

Almost 8.4 billion are allocated to the agriculture industries.
That's a lot of money!

So what you guys think? Think my duck farm can benefit from it?

Hi, my name is twan das, i'm new here, my hometown is ipoh perak, now i've migrated to Singapore.

I would like to do farming and collaborate with all of you.If yku guys are around southern part of malaysia, i'd loved to visit your farm.

hi twan das, welcome to the club.

most of us are in the central region while MrFarmer is in Sabah.

There is a farmer KgTeratai is in Johor. You can try to PM him

Thank you for the support.I quit new, i'm really sure how to check on the contacts and so on. Can anybody guide me. My contact is 96467344, FYI.
I'm a Singapore PR, my dream is to be a farmer.So I'm looking for an opportunity to away from the rat race.

Sorry typo error, its "not so sure" actually to contact and so on.

Hi Paraoptical,
Where you are from?

Hi Twan, I also Ipoh mali, haha. Born in Ipoh. Graduated from SMJK Anderson. You?

Eh bro you quote me but not saying a thing lol.