Adventure Ausrama Blog

The Green Revolution occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. High-yielding types of wheat and rice were developed. It impacted greatly on the developing world. Chemical fertilizers and managed irrigation added to output. With the population rising on the planet, we badly need a new green revolution. Work is being done on rice specifically modified to produce heavy grain heads that will grow in cabinets where a perfect natural environment is created. For ten years, universities in eight countries have been pushing toward this brave new world of food production. The research consortium is headed by Oxford University and is funded by Melinda and Bill Gates. The aim is improved food production so investigative barriers have been broken: rice is being re-engineered with genes from corn and maize. Less fertilizer and water will be needed. Current Yield will be increase by 50 percent. In Western countries wheat is by-far the most consumed crop. However, more rice is eaten world-wide than any othe...

Alpacas rule. Okay, they don't really but they are going strong in Australia. Farmers here say they are the best in world. This may be a tall "call". However, alpacas are cuddly, cute and low maintenance. They also provide a nice income. The first were brought to Australia 25 years ago, so growing them is a relatively new industry. Farmers are doing well because animals originally imported were genetically superior. This has resulted in high overseas demand for access to the gene pool. Most breeders in Australia are small, having only a few dozen alpacas on average. Farmers have no trouble selling the fleece. The market is growing. The future looks good for alpaca meat. The animals do not damage the land. Indeed, they all poo in one spot. As there is no centralized fleece processing body at present, individual farmers process fleece themselves. All unprocessed fleece has been pre-booked until Christmas for processing by "renters", as t...