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    Jumat, 02 Februari 2018

    Water Refilling Station Study

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    Water Refilling Station Study
    The demand at the water refilling stations – water stores that sell purified water – is now increasing. The quality of purified water conforms with the national standards for drinking water and is even better than the quality of water produced by traditional water supply systems in terms of removed impurities.
    Over the years, as the demand for cleaner water becomes higher, the price of household water purifiers and bottled water has become prohibitive. Water refilling stations managed by private entrepreneurs offer a cheaper and more convenient solution to the public’s drinking water needs than bottled water or the use of household filters.
    At present, about 3,000 water refilling stations have proliferated nationwide. They sell purified water of comparable quality with bottled water at a lower price. For example, the current price per gallon of refilled purified water in Metro Manila ranges from P 50 to P 120 per 5-gallon container or about P 2.50 to P 6.00 per liter while the bottled water is sold at P 12.00 to P 25.00 per liter. Household filters, on the other hand, cost P 5,000 to P 25,000 per unit ( 1 US $ = P 56 in 2004).
    In Metro Manila, most of the water refilling stations are connected to the pipes of two concessionaires: Maynilad Water Company or Manila Water Company for their source of raw water while in other areas they opt to use private deep wells. The “potable water” supplied by the providers is then further purified by utilizing a combination of water treatment equipment, such as sediment filters, carbon filters, water softeners, reverse osmosis membranes, ultra-violet lamps, and ozone generators. Typical water refilling stations can produce 3,000 to 12,000 litres of purified water per day. In previous years, most of the people were bringing a container to a water refilling station to buy purified water.
    Nowadays, because of convenience on the part of the consumers, purified water in 5-gallon (22.7 litres) containers are delivered by the station directly to the people’s home. Aqua Sure, a water refilling station in Metro Manila, can deliver 5,500 gallons (25,000 litres) a day to its 8,000 household clients.
    Features of a water refilling station
    Structurally, water refilling station can be operated with a minimum area of at least 20-25 square metres. It comprises the following sections: refilling and selling room, enclosed water purification room, container washing and sanitizing room, storage room for empty and refilled containers, source water storage facility, toilet and an office. To operate the water store, about five employees are needed.
    1 – Manager – Overseas store operations at least 4 hours a day
    1 – Accountant/Bookkeeper – Makes financial statement of business operations
    1 – Administrative assistant – Logs and handles cash sales and purchases
    1 – Front Liner – Accepts and refills containers of customers
    1 – Technical Asst. – Maintains and runs the machine
    1 – Driver/Delivery Man – Transport refilled containers to customer’s home
    The main processes in a water refilling station is dictated by raw water quality. The typical steps are filtration (several stages), softening, and disinfection. The machines that could be installed for such processes are the following:
    Multi-media sediment filter – removes sediments such as rust, sand and particles that are invisible to the naked eye; employs a total of 5 filters.
    Ion exchanger – replaces hard minerals with soft minerals.
    Activated carbon filter – removes all organic chemicals, herbicide, pesticide, offensive odor and bad taste.
    Reverse osmosis membrane – the heart of the system and the most expensive unit; removes inorganic minerals, bacteria and viruses while retaining its oxygen content. Since the filter size is very small at less than 0.05 micrometre, the product water could have a total dissolved solids (TDS) of less than 10 ppm. The filtration process rejects about 50 percent of raw water volume.
    Post-carbon filter – improves the taste of water.
    Ultraviolet lamp – ensures that the water is free from disease-causing micro-organisms.
    Ozone generator – inhibits the growth of bacteria in the product tank and prolongs the shelf life of water.
    The efficiency of water purification system in removing impurities is high. The 10 water quality parameters measured by Magtibay (2001) showed an average of 80 percent efficiency.
    Institutions and policies
    The agencies directly involved in the establishment operation of water refilling stations are as follows:
    The Department of Health (DOH). DOH is the main agency responsible for protecting the health of the people. The Sanitation Code of the Philippines mandates DOH in protecting drinking water quality. Consequently, DOH issues implementing rules and regulations prescribing sanitary standards for water supply systems, including water refilling stations.
    The Center for Health Development (CHD) is the regional branch of DOH. Its main function is to provide technical assistance to local government units and to monitor DOH programme implementation which includes water quality and sanitation standards. For water refilling stations, CHD is mandated to issue initial and operational permits.
    The Local Government Units (LGUs) are mandated by Presidential Decree (PD 856) to issue sanitary permit, sanitary clearance, health certificates, certificate of potability, drinking water site clearance and closure order (if necessary) and to conduct sanitary inspection of WRS.
    The Water Quality Association of the Philippines Inc. (WQAP) is an organization of private firms who are engaged in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of water refilling station equipment and supplies, as well as water treatment and purification equipment and technology for household, institutional, commercial and industrial applications. About 85 percent of its 250 members operates water refilling stations.
    Association of Water Refilling Entrepreneurs (AWARE) concentrates on resolving business management issues of its members.
    Presidential Decree No. 856 (PD 856) or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines is the main law requiring all establishments to comply with existing sanitary standards to protect public health. Guidelines for operating a water refilling station are indicated in the Supplemental Implementing Rules and Regulations on Water Supply of PD 856 issued in 1999.
    Water quality monitoring
    Source water and product water are subject to regular monitoring by the local health office. The national standards for drinking water contains 54 parameters that must be complied with. Only DOH-accredited laboratories are allowed to conduct water testing and analysis. The frequency of monitoring is as follows:
    Bacteriological quality – at least monthly
    Physical quality – at least every six (6) months
    Chemical quality – at least every six (6) months
    Biological quality – at least once a year
    Monitoring of radioactive contaminants shall be done only if there is significant input of radiation from the surrounding environment.
    Conclusions
    Water refilling stations can be a good source of safe drinking water in the Philippines. Purified water can meet the aesthetic standards easily detectable by the people in terms of taste, odor and color. The efficient water purification processes can make the quality of water superior to the traditional water systems. However, the risk of contamination is possible if the handling practices are not closely monitored.


    Read more at BusinessDiary.com.ph: http://businessdiary.com.ph/835/water-refilling-station-study/#ixzz55xyozWaR
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    Minggu, 14 Januari 2018

    50 Best Animal / Livestock Farming Business ideas for 2018

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    50 Best Animal / Livestock Farming Business ideas for 2018



    Do you want to make money by starting a livestock farming business? If YES, here are 50 best livestock farming & animal related small business ideas for 2018.
    Livestock farming is known to be the rearing of animals for food and for other human uses. The word Livestock was formally applied to only animals like cattle or dairy cows, chickens, goats, pigs, horses, sheep, in fact, all four-legged animals in general, but today, even animals like exotic birds, snails, fishes and insects such as bees are being raised as part of livestock farming.

    Why Start a Livestock Farming Business?

    Livestock is beneficial to the world because they provide food, meat, milk, eggs, honey, omega 3 oil, etc for the use of humanity. The skins or hides and even hair of these animals have been used to make blankets, clothing, shoes and the like.
    The livestock industry is known to be very profitable right from time because the business can be started with little or no training and as well as very small capital. You do not need a special degree to start this business though you may need to spend some time learning about the intricacies of the particular niche you want to go into.
    If you do not mind getting your hands dirty, or if you prefer to make a living through animals, here are 50 livestock related business ideas you can start and make quite a tidy income from.

    50 Best Animal / Livestock Farming Business ideas for 2018

    1. Snail Farming
    Snail is an animal in the mollusk family, and snail farming is the process of raising land snails specifically for human consumption. The nutrients in this animal is what informed its production and high consumption. Snails are quite rich in protein, iron and almost all the amino acids that are needed for in the human body, and additionally, it has little or no fat content.
    The demand for snails is increasing day by day globally not only by consumers, but also the cosmetics industry as snail slime has been discovered to be great for the skin in reducing aging and repairing damaged skin. The profit margin is also extremely high in commercial snail farming.
    Snail farming business opportunity demands discipline and specific knowledge in modern technology. The demand for snails both in domestic and export market is higher than supply because not a lot of people are into this business.
    This foul tempered insect has been serving the needs of humans since the beginning of time. A lot has been said about the healing properties of honey, which is a bee by-product. With the increasing awareness of the health benefits of honey, the demand has increased exponentially.
    Bees are reared for their honey and other by-products like beeswax, and this is a profitable venture that can be started with very minimal startup capital. You don’t need to have land or any establishment to start the beekeeping business, but the business demands day-to-day monitoring with close supervision of the bees.
    3. Commercial fish farming: fish is one commodity that would constantly be in demand because of its high nutrient content. With the various modes of preservation, the farmer is assured of not incurring any loss to his or her investments.
    Commercial fish farming business is a lucrative investment that can spin money at any time of the year on a regular basis. With the implementation of modern techniques and owing the proper land mass, an entrepreneur can start this business with moderate capital investment.
    4. Livestock feed production business: it is a fact that livestock needs to eat, and a lot of them are known to consume a lot of food especially during their growth phase. If you are familiar with the technicalities surrounding the mixing of formula, then you can comfortably start this business and make good profits out of it.
    It is a fact that livestock farmers are always searching for the right food and food supplementary products that would help them increase yield and reduce diseases. If you can help in this regard then you would have no problems marketing you livestock feed.
    5. Quail farming: quails are very little birds that produce very nutritious eggs. Commercial quail farming is all about raising quails commercially for the purpose of profitable egg and meat production. Recently, a lot of people have come to discover the amazing health benefits of quail egg and a lot of people are now going into quail egg farming. Depending on how you decide to go about it, the quail egg farming business can be started with very minimal capital, even less than $200.
    6. Livestock research institute: Livestock research institute works to improve food security through research for better and more sustainable use of livestock. The outcomes of these research help people to keep their farm animal’s alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases. This business can be quite capital intensive, but it is very rewarding especially as you can seek research grants from the government.
    7. Shrimp farming: Shrimps, though small in nature, but it a very profitable business in the aquaculture industry. In fact, it is estimated to be a multi-million dollar industry today, and any individual can make a six figure income from his or her small-scale shrimp farm.
    One other fact about this business is that you do not need a lot of education to start this business, but you must have some technical skill about the farm management practice. In addition, the business demands dedication, routine checkup and monitoring.
    You must have the right knowledge about equipment, larvae, supplies, medicine, feed, feeders etc for you to succeed in the business. The business has immense export potentials because not all countries produce shrimps in commercial quantities.
    8. Fish Hatchery: the success of the fish farming business is dependent on the hatching process as if the process does not go well, it might affect the quality of fish or shell fish produced. A fish hatchery is a place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing of fin fish and shellfish in particular. Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture. You can start a hatchery and sell your juveniles to fish farms if you are familiar with the technicalities.
    9. Piggery: pork is one meat that most people can’t do without, and this makes pig rearing a very lucrative business. If you have sufficient land mass at your disposal, you can start a piggery business. Among the various livestock species, piggery is the most potential source of meat and pigs are very efficient feed converters. Pig farming can be started with little experience and small investment as long as the entrepreneur already has land at his or her disposal.
    10. Chicks Hatchery: birds are another animal that you can start a hatchery business for. Chicks hatchery business involves incubating eggs until they hatch. You can then sell the hatched chicks to poultry farmers. It is a fact that a lot of poultry farmers do not have the capacity to hatch their own chicks, so you could provide this service to them for a fee, or you could buy the eggs from the poultry farmers, hatch the chicks and sell them back to the farmers. This is a highly profitable business to start with a small capital and no specialized knowledge is required.
    11. Dairy Farming: milk is a society staple and as at today, the world cannot do without milk. Commercial dairy farming is all about raising dairy cows for their milk, and it is a very profitable agricultural business idea. Apart from milk, the cows produce a good quantity of manure that you can sell and make profit from. You can help increase your state’s milk production through profitable dairy farming.
    12. Goat Farming: Goats are one very resilient animal that are raised mainly for their meat and sometimes milk because their milk is said to be very high in protein and other vitamins more than cow’s milk. Due to its good economic prospects, goat rearing under an intensive and semi-intensive system for commercial production has been gaining momentum for the past couple of years.
    13. Fodder Farming for Goats and Cows: Fodder is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, especially ruminants such as horses, pigs, cattle and goats. The term fodder typically means food given to animals, rather than the food they forage for themselves. Types of plants typically grown for fodder include alfalfa, barley, oats, clover, grass and wheat.
    If you have a good landed are, you could decide to plant fodder crops and sell them to livestock farmers to use for their animals. If you don’t own land of your own and want to get into baling, meet with local farmers who grow their own oats, barley and wheat, and offer to bale the crops for them.
    14. Livestock Consulting: if you are quite knowledgeable in livestock farming, you could set up a business offering targeted advice to livestock farmers about their business. As with other consulting services, livestock consulting requirement is surely expected to grow with coming days. People with experience and knowledge in a specified field of farming activity can consider offering consulting services to organizations and farmers.
    15. Ostrich farming: ostrich is a very huge bird that produces more meat than any other bird. Ostrich meat is by far the healthiest alternative to our traditional meat. It has lower fat, calories and cholesterol than beef, chicken, turkey pork and fish.
    While chicken, turkey and other birds are referred to as white meat, ostrich meat in contrast is referred to as red meat because it is similar in colour and taste to beef. If properly managed, a single female ostrich can produce up to 72,000 kilograms of meat, 2,000 square meters of leather and 2,000 kilograms of feathers during her economic (productive) lifetime.
    Compared to other traditional farm animals (cattle, goats, pigs, fish, chicken and turkey), ostriches are quite easy to raise and most ostrich farm projects turn out to be very successful. Apart from a few farms in South Africa, North America, Europe and Asia, ostriches are probably the least farmed birds in the world.
    16. Turkey farming: Turkeys found in cold rooms and food marts are as a result of commercial turkey production, and it is indeed a profitable business idea. Turkey grows faster like broiler chickens and become suitable for slaughter within a very short time, thus making it suitable for business.
    Raising turkey for meat is more popular than raising turkey for their eggs. Turkey farming is similar to other poultry birds farming like chickens, ducks, quails etc. For profitable meat production, you have to use some modern turkey breeds that are raised for commercial production. These types of turkey breeds have a maximum feed to meat conversion rate. They consume less feed and convert this feed to meat within a very short time.
    17. Turtle farming: Turtle farming is the process of breeding, hatching, and raising turtles for sale to the pet and food industries. The turtle farming industry is believed to have originated in the United States in the 1940s as people started breeding turtles harvested from wild populations.
    Today, turtle farmers in the United States supply turtles to the pet and food industries in North America and Asia. Turtles are routinely eaten in Asia and in some rural parts of North America. Farms that raise healthy, disease-free baby turtles are relatively common in the United States, and most of these turtles are sold as pets in the market.
    18. Meal worm farming: Protein is one of the most expensive supplements to buy for animals, and yet it is an essential component of any omnivore’s diet, whether they are pig, poultry, canine, or others. Mealworms are said to be one of the easiest, cheapest, and most space efficient ways to raise protein for your animals. You can raise these worms easily in commercial quantities in a small space and sell them to farmers.
    19. Ladybug farming: One of the most friendly bugs today which paved the way for larger crop production is none other than the ladybug. Instead of using chemicals and fertilizers which damage the soil, plants and the health of human beings, a ladybug is one of the best alternatives.
    Ladybugs are one of the best forms of integrated pest management that handles common garden pests. Ladybugs feed on aphids and they are said to be able to eat up to 50 aphids in just one day. You can farm these bugs and sell them to farmers.
    20. Knacker’s yard business: Slaughterhouses that process meat not intended for human consumption are sometimes referred to as knacker’s yards or knackeries. Knackers usually slaughter animals that are not fit for consumption or can no longer work on a farm such as work horses that can no longer work.
    21. Rainbow Trout fish farming: Trout is the common name for a number of species of freshwater fish, and a majority of the rainbow trout available in the market today is raised in a commercial farm. Trout is a cold water fish, and it grows fast if you take good care of it. They are also highly resilient. The taste and texture of the farmed fish is similar to wild-caught fish so people would not know the difference.
    Raising rainbow trout commercially is a profitable alternative to conventional agriculture and it can be practiced with very little land, provided that water conditions in the facility and the care and feeding of the trout are properly maintained.
    22. Maggot farming: Maggot farming is the act of growing maggots for the industry. Maggots are used to feed fish and poultry and they are easier to raise than worms. They are a nutritious, natural food that is rich in protein. A variety of species of fly can be used to raise the maggots, including the black soldier fly as well as various other fly species. Due to convenience, fly species are often used which are indigenous to the area of cultivation. These maggots are fed on organic waste materials before being harvested and dried into a natural and sustainable animal feed.
    23. Slaughterhouse or abattoir business: A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are slaughtered for consumption as food. Slaughterhouses first slaughter the animals or birds sent to them before they are shipped off for packaging. Slaughter houses are strictly regulated to prevent contamination of meat, and to prevent them from killing sick animals.
    24. Farmers market: A farmers market is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. One can start a farmers market that caters exclusively to livestock and poultry, or you could start a business akin to a livestock exchange.
    25. Abalone farming: Abalone is a common name for any of a group of small to very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. It is known to be a delicacy in China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and in some countries in Latin America.
    In the past years, this mollusk is often served as a luxury meal. Most of the time, it is served in big weddings, birthdays and other big events. These days though, it is served even in the most common restaurants in these countries. The abalone has proven to be a relatively easily cultured shellfish and you can make a lot of profits from farming this shell fish.
    26. Oyster farming: As consumers throughout North America have discovered the culinary appeal of this humble mollusk, and aquaculturists who can grow high-quality oysters efficiently are reaping the rewards. The average oyster contains close to 2 grams of protein. A serving of 12 oysters contains 21.96 grams of protein, with only about 4 grams of fat.
    Oysters are low in cholesterol and rich in zinc, iron, calcium, and vitamin A. Oysters start out as larvae, so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. In about a year, they can grow to 1 – 1-1/2 inches. They usually reach market size within 18 months to 2 years’ time.
    27. Broiler: Generally, highly meat productive birds or poultry breeds are called broiler poultry, but broiler chicken is a special species of poultry. The broiler chicken has been modified in a scientific way to enable it produce more meat in a short time, so basically, broiler is a type of poultry reared only for meat production. Broilers today have emerged as one of the fastest growing poultry segments, and it is very profitable because of the less maturation time.
    28. Freshwater Prawn farming: A freshwater prawn farm is an aquaculture business designed to raise and produce freshwater prawn or shrimp for human consumption. Prawns are typically harvested from fresh water, so they can be easily farmed. It takes approximately 6 months for prawns to grow to harvesting size, so they would not tie down your capital much. The good thing about this business is that it is not capital intensive.
    29. Veterinary business: Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both domesticated and wild, and it takes care of a wide range of conditions which can affect different species.
    30. Tilapia fish: According to the National Fisheries Institute, tilapia fish has climbed to become the fourth most eaten seafood in the U.S., behind only shrimp, salmon and canned tuna. The fish has become the third most important fish in aquaculture after carp and salmon with worldwide production exceeding 1,500,000 metric tons in 2002. Keep in mind that tilapia need five things to grow fast and healthy and they are clean water, oxygen, food, light, and room to swim.
    31. Horse breeding: Horse breeding is particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of horses, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned mating can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses.
    The use of modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling. Horse breeding as a business is quite tasking as you need to meet the exact required specifications before you can get what you need.
    32. Camel Farming: camel is one animal that is quite useful all round. Camels provide milk, meat, hair for textiles or goods such as felted pouches, and as such it is a profitable animal to farm. Camel farming is popular in Australia, North America, Africa and Asia Pacific countries. Many countries in Africa and Asia depend on camels to supply most of their needs from transportation to milk and meat.
    33. Carp Fish Farming: Common carp farming is a very profitable business. However, you must maintain the right fish management system before you can get the best out of this fish. Some common species of the fish include silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp, black carp, common carp etc.
    34. Crab Farming: crabs are very popular crustaceans, and they are very nutritious and delicious foods. Mud crab farming is a lucrative business, and it demands very small investment when compared to others. Mud crab has huge demand and price in the international market. The red claw and green mud crab are the two species of crabs available for commercial farming.
    35. Deer Farming: deer has started getting farmed for commercial purposes, but it should be noted that not all countries allow deer farming. However, it is a profitable business that you can start from your backyard. Compared to traditional livestock, the deer industry is booming. Also, raising deer maximizes land potential so that even small tracts of marginal property can be used to raise the animal.
    36. Duck Farming: Duck farming or duckery is a profitable business that can thrive in any location, even your backyard. This is because you can keep ducks without having any water body around. Duck rearing gives steady income on daily basis. Duck rearing does not require elaborate housing like poultry, and the ducks eat fallen grains in harvested paddy fields, insects, snails, earthworms, other small fishes etc.
    37. Emu Farming: The emu is the second-largest living bird by height. Emus are soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds with long necks and legs, and can reach up to 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) in height. The bird is mostly considered a big chicken, though its meat resembles and tastes like beef. The males grunt like a pig and both genders love to roll around in the mud. Major emu growing countries are USA, Australia, France, China, Japan, European countries, Malaysia and India.
    38. Layer Poultry Farming: Layer poultry farming means raising egg-laying poultry birds for the purpose of commercial egg production. There are various types of highly egg productive layer breeds available throughout the world. They start laying eggs commercially from 18-19 weeks of age. They even continue to lay eggs till their 72-78 weeks of age.
    39. Ornamental Fish Farming: Ornamental fish are flashy fishes that are kept in aquariums in homes as pets. About 7.2 million houses in the USA and 3.2 million in the European Union have an aquarium and the number is increasing day by day throughout the world.
    Ornamental fish farming is also growing to meet this demand. Today, Ornamental fish farming has become one of the most profitable business ventures in the world. This is a kind of small-scale fish farming that can be done in a backyard and one can still make some good bucks out of it.
    40. Marketing livestock Products: Maybe you don’t want to get your hands dirty, and would like to put your internet and business marketing skills to work. Livestock farmers can always use a hand in marketing their products. If you are a marketing expert, then one of the livestock related business ideas you could consider should be a marketing consultant to area farms.
    In addition to consulting, you can market livestock products by reselling products online or locally, becoming a drop ship distributor, designing websites and offering search engine optimization etc.
    41. Rabbit Farming: Rabbits are popular for their wools. Rabbits are highly prolific and a good female can produce 25 to 30 kits (young ones) per year. In addition, rabbits are the best producers of wool on per kg body weight basis. They require 30 percent less digestible energy to produce one kg of wool as compared to sheep.
    42. Start a cold room business: The demand for frozen livestock products is increasing globally. An entrepreneur living in a metro or suburban city can start this business with proper planning. Cold storage is essential for extending the shelf life and period of marketing of poultry and other meat products in order to avoid rot and maintenance of quality of the products. Therefore, the cold storage industry has an important role to play in reducing the wastage of perishable products.
    43. Pet Birds Farming: Another livestock farming business you can consider is pet birds farming. In this case, you will be breeding birds for pet purposes and other domestic use, but never for consumption. Examples of pet birds include Parrots, Doves, Pigeons, Peafowls (Peacocks and Peahens), etc.
    44. Worm farming: worms are very beneficial to farmers, sadly not all farms have enough of them. Because worms have an important role to play in maintaining soil fertility, there is a huge and steady market for them. Worm farming is the easiest way of turning fruit and vegetable scraps into a great potting soil or soil amendment for your house plants or garden. Worm farming is specifically vital and useful for people who will like to compost their food scraps but do not have vacancy for backyard compost bin.
    42. Guinea pig farming: Breeding guinea pig is very lucrative and rewarding because they are very prolific. First of all, mating them is very simple. Rearing them is as well easy and at the end of the day, you will smile as you watch these little creatures grow and develop. Just ensure that you will be capable of providing good homes for the babies when you sell them.
    43. Sheep Farming: Sheep are raised mainly for their wool, milk, skin and manure production. Additionally, sheep meat is very tasty, nutritious and popular in a lot of countries. Basically, sheep farming business is a great source of income and it is beneficial for eradicating poverty from the barren, desert, semi-arid and mountainous areas. The most lucrative aspect of this business is that you don’t need to have a huge capital investment to start a sheep farming business.
    44. Finishing Enterprise: a finishing enterprise is a business that produces livestock, especially cattle of a specific grade. In a finishing enterprise, 700 to 900-pound feeder cattle are fed to reach a market weight of approximately 1,100 to 1,200 pounds. Traditionally, a finishing enterprise requires a large amount of grain feeding to produce a grade beef animal.
    There is some demand for grass-fed beef cattle, which only receive mother’s milk and grass pasture or hay throughout their lives. Beef cattle usually reach market weight at 15 to 30 months of age. A finishing enterprise buys off cattle from farmers at a specifics stage and rears them to the required weight before they are sent to the slaughter.
    45. Cow-Calf business: a cow-calf business mainly breeds cows in order to sell their calf. The calves are sold at approximately six months of age and at 500 pounds. Some cattle producers raise purebred or seedstock cows. The young bulls produced are sold as breeding stock to commercial cattle producers, which raise cattle for meat production. Cow-calf enterprises require adequate feed to maintain the cows throughout the year, and facilities for raising the cow and calf pairs.
    46. Feeder Calf or Stocker Enterprises: After weaning, calves are called feeder calves. Ranchers or farmers raising feeder calves purchase the weaned calves and raise them to 700 to 900 pounds. This type of operation works well if pasture, grazing land or abundant hay is available.
    A specific type of feeder calf enterprise is called backgrounding, where a farmer or rancher purchases calves at weaning time and cares for the calves during the transition from weaning to finishing. Sound health management and nutritional practices are required for backgrounding calves. After one to six months in a backgrounding program, the calves are sold to finishing operations.
    47. Meat Processing: Meat processing is the use of machines to process and package meat that is to be taken to the market. Commercial meat processing is a capital-intensive business, because all processed meat products must in one way or another be physically and/or chemically treated. Additionally, you must have proper distribution and marketing strategies before initiating the business.
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    Selasa, 24 Maret 2015

    Home Aquaponics - Sustainable Food Production

    09.39 0
    Home Aquaponics - Sustainable Food Production




    As food prices are ever increasing, self-sufficiency in terms of food will help the urban poor save daily costs yet not lack in nutrition. 

    Aquaponics is a sustainable food production method where traditional aquaculture (fish cultivation) meets hydroponics (growing plants with mineral nutrient solutions). Compared to hydroponics and aeroponics, this method is the most energy and water efficient method to grow vegetables and fruits while also raising fish for human consumption. Aquaponics uses 90% less water than soil-based growing.


    Figure 1: Picture depicts an example of an aquaponics farm. (Source: http://www.proaqua.com/aquaponics)


    This method mainly relies on the symbiotic relationship between the plant and the fish. The principle of aquaponics is that the effluents accumulated in the water from the fish tank is lead to a hydroponics system where the waste is broken down by nitrogen-fixing bacteria at the root of the plants. It is then absorbed by the plants as vital nutrients. The water which is now filtered and cleansed is repumped to the fish tank and the closed-loop cycle continues. 


    Figure 2: The cycling of the water from the fish tank to the growing tray. 


    As this method relies on natural processes, any addition of chemicals will endanger either the plant or the fish. For example, chemical fertilizers, if added, will be toxic to the fish and cause them to die. In this sense, it will require the home owners to practice healthy, organic growing.

    In this system, a balance is required between the number of fishes in the tank, the size of the tank and the amount of plants grown. If a large tank is used with insufficient fishes reared in it, the plants will not receive enough nutrients to grow healthily. If too many fishes are reared, the plants will not be able to filter the water quickly enough and it might be too concentrated with effluent, thus becoming too toxic for the fishes. A good balance will ensure healthy growth of both the plants and the fishes. 



    The proposed aquaponics farm will be located next to the kitchen for the convenient retrieval of fresh produce. A variety of vegetables can be planted at the same time (it doesn't matter since they do not compete for nutrients in this system) to encourage consumption of different types of vegetables which provide different phytonutrients beneficial to the human body. 


    Figure 3: A variety of plants can be grown at the same time (here, water from the tank flows through the gravel). 

    Posted by TF101 DESIGN STUDIO at 20:31 No comments: 






    Figure 1: Exploded axonometric showing prefabricated steel construction and Bio-based materials
    (Source: Author)


    Steel

    The superstructure for Zone.Zone House is mainly formed by Steel I-beam. The frame of the building is designed with consideration based on prefabricated building systems. Steel I-beams are prominently used in prefabricated building; this is because steel I-beam is easy to configure and install during the construction progress. Steel have been recognized for its strength, durability, and functionality, hence it can last throughout the whole lifespan of Zone.Zone House. Steel is relatively easier to be recycled due to its unique magnetic properties, hence at the end of the building’s lifespan, these steel I-beams can be reused or recycled.


    Wood – Polylactic Acid Composite
    Wood – polylactic acid composite is a combination of wood fiber and bio-plastic. Wood fiber can be harvested from recycled wood or industry timber residue, while the bio-plastic or known as polylactic acid is extracted from biomass, such as oil palm tree trunk and rice husk. Both sources of material for this composite timber are from natural resources, which fits the concept of sustainable material. Composite timber have good workability and advantages in water resistance and is low maintenance. Similar to plastic, composite timber can be molded into desired shapes, which can reduce the possibilities of material wastage. This composite timber will be used for Zone.Zone House’s floor decking and wall panel, where all of these panels are prefabricated into modular units for the ease of transportation, installation, alteration, and material management.


    Fly Ash Concrete
    Fly ash concrete wall is used for the internal partition wall in Zone.Zone House, due to the high thermal mass properties of concrete. The high thermal mass helps in slowing down the heat gain process, and keep the internal spaces remain in its thermal comfort level. Concrete is commonly used in most of local construction due to its availability and is abundant in the local material industry. Fly ash concrete is a combination of fly ash, cement, aggregate and water. Fly ash is a residue from burning industry. Previously it was not used but released to the environment instead. Fly ash is now used as a replacement of cement in a certain percentage, and by doing this, indirectly the amount of fly ash that is released into the environment can be reduced.


    Tempered Glass
    It is the main element for double glazing glass window. The glass pane is separated by a gap of air in between, where this gap acts as a filter to reduce heat transfer across the building envelop. This allows natural light to penetrate but as for the heat it isn’t transmitted into the internal spaces. Glass is a highly recyclable material, and by the end of the building lifespan, the glass panes from the windows can be reused or recycled into various glass product. By doing this, it helps to conserve raw materials, reduce energy needed to produce new glassware and minimize the use of landfill.


    Polylactic Acid Plastic
    Polylactic Acid Plastic or known as PLA, is a type of plastic created by using bio based resources, such as corn starch. It is a sustainable material which has the advantages of normal plastic, such as durability, waterproof characteristics and can be molded in any shapes and desired forms. The suggested PLA in our Zone.Zone House is based on local found biomass such as oil palm tree trunk and rice husk, where both raw material is abundant in Malaysia. PLA will be the main material for our planter box modular unit. This is because of its light weight and weather-resistant properties which is advantages. PLA is very clean to recycle as well, as it turns back to its original monomer after recycling without producing any harmful byproducts.
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    Proposed Roof System

    09.37 0
    Proposed Roof System

    Roof is the building component that receives most of the solar radiation and collects most of the rain water during sunny or rainy day. Hence, our team came out with this proposed roof system to maximize the potential of self sustaining for Zone.Zone house.

    Proposed Roof System

    Figure 1: Proposed Green Roof System Diagram
    (Source: Author)
    Solar Water Heating



    Figure 1a: Diagram showing the main components for the proposed SWH system
    (Source: Author)




    Figure 1b: Photo showing SWH system installed on the roof
    (Source: http://www.24heatingcooling.com/files/images/swh_roof.jpg)


    Water heating is one of the highest energy consuming electrical appliance in a house, due to the process of turning electrical energy into heat which requires huge amount of energy during transformation. Hence, we came out with a proposed SWH system on the roof top, so that we can use the solar heat to heat up the water and store in an insulated storage tank. With this system, we are using renewable energy and reduces the usage of carbon-generated power from the main grid.


    Solar Energy



    Figure 1c: Diagram showing the Isolated Solar Power System main components
    (Source: Author)


    Figure 1c: Photo showing PV panels installed on the roof.
    (Source:http://www.sustainableguernsey.info/)

    Solar energy is free and clean, and it is supplied all year long in Malaysia. Based on this, our team decided to design an isolated solar power system for this project. The isolated solar power system include PV panels, Solar storage batteries and Inverter.


    Rainwater Harvesting



    Figure 1e: Diagram showing the setup of non mechanical rainwater filtration system
    (Source: Author)


    Unlike conventional rainwater harvesting system in the market, our team decided to design a system that reduce the needs on mechanical components like pump. The proposed rainwater harvesting system is installed using natural elements like gravels, bio fabric filter and recycle plastic for waterproofing, the whole system relies on gravitational force for flowing of the water. The filtered rain water will be stored for irrigation of vegetation on heat barrier, flushing WC or car washing purposes.








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    Aquaponics - Fishplant Systems

    09.34 0
    Aquaponics - Fishplant Systems





    What is the FishPlant system?

    The FishPlant systems have been developed in conjunction with Aquaponics UK at Stirling University.
    The FishPlant Family Unit is an aquaponic system. The combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. You can raise fish and grow plants in an enclosed eco-system with beneficial microbes providing the bridge that converts the fish waste to usable plant nutrients. When we feed the fish, we are also feeding the bacteria and the plants. In relation to a natural eco-system, the FishPlant is small and simple, so we must help to maintain the correct balance.
    The FishPlant Family Unit is a great way to get started with aquaponics; large enough to provide a couple, or small family with plenty of fresh salad, and stocking up to 3.5kg of fish. Yet small enough to fit into a small garden, greenhouse or even indoors. Compact and easy to use, it is also ideal as a nursery system or a module in a larger setup. The low height of the system makes it very accessible and easy to use.
    The package includes everything necessary to setup the system including the clay pebbles. Full instructions and operation guide are included; no tools are required for assembly. Because of the compact design the fish tank and grow bed can be manoeuvred through normal doorways. The FishPlant Family unit operates on a flood and drain system with an autosyphon which provides efficient, low maintenance operation.

     

    How the FishPlant system works

    The PlantBed of the FishPlant system is based on the ‘Flood & Drain’ (or ‘Ebb & Flow’) hydroponic technique – the ‘Flood’ bringing water and nutrients to the plants roots, the ‘Drain’ drawing fresh air (oxygen) into the root-zone.
    The water pump runs constantly and the AutoSiphon controls the flooding and draining. The AutoSiphon cycle starts when the water level in the PlantBed passes the overflow point of the Downspout and starts to siphon back into the FishTank – this also helps oxygenate the water for the fish. The siphon will flow faster than the inlet flow rate and will drain the PlantBed until the water level reaches the siphon break point. Then it will start flooding again (see diagram).


     

    Do I Need Extra Water Circulation?

    The Flow Fitting also directs some of the pumped water directly back into your FishTank which ensures constant circulation and helps oxygenate the water for the fish. If you add beds or nursery tanks to your system, at a later date, a second circulation pump may be required then.

    Do I Need Extra Aeration?

    High oxygen levels in the water are important for healthy fish so you may wish to consider a FishPlant Air-pump and FishPlant Air-stone for your System. We strongly recommend this for heated systems as warm water naturally holds less oxygen.

    Do I Need A Heater?

    This depends on the fish species you plan to keep and the environment your system is in, for Tilapia you will certainly need one (require 24-32°C), such as the FishPlant 300w Heater.
     

    Sourcing your fish

    The first decision you have to make is what fish to grow. This depends on whether you intend to eat them or just keep them for pleasure. While the principle of aquaponics is primarily to grow food, it may be that you prefer to grow ornamental fish such as Koi Carp or Goldfish and just eat the plant produce. If this is the case you are likely to use lower fish densities (hence feed less) and therefore the amount of plants it is possible to grow will be reduced.
    If you are planning to eat your fish, there are a number of species to choose from such as carp (common or mirror) and perch to name just a couple, but the one we strongly recommend, certainly if you are new to fish-keeping and/or aquaponics is Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). It is a tasty fish, that is hardy and tolerant, which can be kept at a high density and is resistant to disease. With the right conditions they can easily be grown to harvest size in six months.
    Fish should always be sourced from a reliable and reputable supplier, if in doubt, ask to see any paper work related to where the fish stock came from. Generally speaking, fish that have been bought for ornamental purposes should not be eaten as they may have been treated with harmful additives. When buying fish that are held in a tank avoid those that are being kept with sick fish or those that look stressed. When transporting your fish back to your fish plant system, try to keep stress to an absolute minimum.
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    Has anyone heard of Aquaponics ?

    09.30 0
    Has anyone heard of Aquaponics ?
    Above is one half of an aquaponics system deployed at a farmer’s home. VEGGI Farmers Cooperative uses aquaponics to grow vegetables in a recirculating system. Aquaponics consists of aquaculture and hydroponics, combining the two techniques to form a synergistic system that conserves water, allows for cleaner harvests, eliminates the threat of soil contamination, increases nutrient intake in plants, and speeds up the growth of those plants and vegetables.
    aquaponics-diagram.jpg

    In an aquaponics system, water from a fish ecosystem, which becomes enriched with nitrates, flows through troughs that have vegetables and plants that are placed on floating foam rafts. The roots of these vegetables come in contact with the water from the fish tanks and they soak up the nitrate enriched water, which lead to faster growth. This water is then recirculated back into the fish tanks and the process starts all over again.
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    FISHLESS CYCLING FOR AQUAPONICS

    09.21 0
    FISHLESS CYCLING FOR AQUAPONICS








    Getting started with your aquaponics system is pretty straightforward once you have the know-how. We will be doing a step-by-step guide to setting up a small system soon, but first I thought it would be useful to talk about the science behind getting your system ready for fish and plants.

    There are two options for cycling your system, with fish or without. Getting your system ready so that the right bacteria have established to convert the fish waste into plant food is essential before you start any growing, and to make the water safe for the fish. We think fishless cyclingis much more straight forward as your are not panicking about levels of ammonia and nitrite shooting up and potentially poisoning the fish in the initial stages. The cycling process usually takes about 3 weeks.

    What you are trying to establish is a natural cycle whereby all harmful substances are eradicated:

    FISH WASTE (HARMFUL) >>> NITRITE (HARMFUL) >>> NITRATE (PLANT FOOD – NOT HARMFUL TO FISH)

    Without fish, you need a way of simulating their waste products in the system. Household ammonia is perfect for this, as fish waste is ammonia-based. You can get it from most hardware stores or cleaning supply places (I got mine from Robert Dyas). Using this method you can control the amount of ammonia in your system precisely, which is also an advantage over cycling with fish. (Some people use their urine but this is more difficult to control and potentially not that pure).

    Things you need for cycling:
    Pure household ammonia
    Small pipettes for measuring amount of ammonia you dispense
    Test kit so you can measure levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the water, plus the PH levels. This API kit has everything you will need.

    IMPORTANT: Before you start cycling, test your water. Some tap water already has high levels of Nitrate and is not really suitable for Aquaponic systems (in this case you could collect rain water if you live somewhere with unpolluted rain, or as a last resort you might have to start off with water bought from the supermarket – you can buy 5L canisters for relatively cheap). Always let tap water rest for 24 hours so the chlorine added to UK tap water has evaporated. You can also buy Tap Water Safe products from your local pet shop to make your tap water safe.

    Once you have got your ammonia and your test kit just follow these instructions to get going:
    Add ammonia to the tank a few ml at a time until you reach a reading of 3-4 ppm.
    Record the amount of ammonia that this took (probably around 3-6ml depending on your tank size), and then add that amount every other day until the nitrite appears at about 0.5 ppm.
    Once nitrites appear, half the dose of ammonia or just hold off for a while if you are worried about overdosing the tank, the nitrites will probably increase for a while, do not worry about this, it is normal (mine spiked at 4ppm).
    Once nitrates appear at around 10 ppm, and the nitrites have dropped to zero, you can introduce your fish. Mine nitrates went a lot higher than this initally, but up to around 40 ppm is still safe for fish and this number should drop once you plants start to take up nutrients.

    WARNING: Be careful with the amount of ammonia you are adding. If you are setting up a small home system DO NOT overdose the system! If this happens you will have to wash everything out and start again which is very frustrating!

    This is a graph of what happened in my system, with the PH, Ammonia and Nitrites. As you can see if took a while to settle down and was quite up and down in the beginning:



    NOTE: Your PH should stabilise over time, mine was very up and down but eventually stabilised at about 6.8. This is a good level for both fish and plants.

    TIP: It is a good idea to start your seedlings off in the media you are planning to use so you can put them straight in the system once the fish are in. So start the seedlings about a week after you start cycling if you can, a heated seed bed and lots of light helps them to stay healthy.

    Below is a graph of my system also showing what happened to the Nitrates just for interest. My tap water started with around 40 ppm so this is probably not representative of what would happen in most peoples systems but thought I would include it for interest. As you can see the Nitrate increased, and then the point at which it starts to decrease is after I installed some plants.
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