AFRICABIZ VOL 1 - ISSUE: 74
JUNE 15 - JULY 14, 2005
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Editor: Dr. Bienvenu-Magloire Quenum
editor@africabiz.org

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Dear visitor and international investor,


We warmly welcome you, if this is your first visit to Africabiz Online - The ultimate newsletter on trading and investing in 49 sub-Saharan African countries. If you are a regular and faithful reader, welcome back.

- ORGANIZE MEETINGS THAT REACH OBJECTIVES

In developing countries, most of the times, meetings are not well organized and planned to reach the aims for which they are summoned. The outcome is that meetings drag on and finally nothing is achieved. As we all know time is money and well organized meetings shall contribute to better management decisions to increase productivity and give better chances for survival to a company in the competition's jungle.

In this issue guest Steve Kaye from stevekaye.com exposed how to set up an agenda to prepare for a meeting that really "hit" targets and meet objectives:

- HOW TO PREPARE A REAL AGENDA THAT PUTS YOU IN CONTROL OF A MEETING

Everyone knows that an agenda is the key to an effective meeting. But an agenda that consists of a list of nouns, such as budget, software, and picnic, is useless. Here’s how to prepare a real agenda that puts you in control of the meeting.

1) Goal. Every real agenda begins with a goal that describes the result wanted at the end of the meeting, such as: find a way to reduce travel costs by 10%. Ideally, this goal should be stated so clearly that someone else could use it to design a meeting that achieved the result. 2) Outcome. This describes the benefit of achieving the goal, and thus tells why you are holding the meeting. For example, the benefit of reducing travel costs might be that you will keep spending within budget. 3) Activities. This provides a blueprint (or set of instructions) for the meeting. Ideally, this contains descriptions of the group activities that will help you and the participants achieve your goal for the meeting. Support this list with an estimated time budget for each activity. 4) Assignments. Tell the participants how to prepare for the meeting (e.g. survey your department for travel costs during the last quarter). Also, tell them what they need to bring (e.g., bring a copy of the budget). Prepared participants make a meeting more efficient and more effective. 5) Logistics. Provide basic information on when and where you will hold the meeting. If participants are coming from other offices, be sure to include directions and maps. In general, provide all the information that people need so that they can perform at their best.

The small amount of time required to prepare a real agenda will help you hold shorter, more effective meetings.

IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye works with leaders who want to hold effective meeting. His innovative workshops have informed and inspired people nationwide. His facilitation produces results that people will support. Call 714-528-1300 or visit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable ideas. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com Copyright Steve Kaye - http://www.stevekaye.com

- SO, G-8 FINANCE MINISTERS DECIDE TO WIPE OUT AFRICAN COUNTRIES DEBTS. WHAT NEXT?

During an "historic" meeting at London, UIK, on June 11, 2005, G-8 finance ministers decide to wipe out "poorest" developing countries' debts for a total amount of US$ 40 billion.

An historic decision indeed. The majority of beneficiaries are African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Click here for African countries' briefs

Other elected countries are from Latin America: Bolivia, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua.

The debt problem and the strategy to finding solutions to developing sub-Saharan African countries had been given consideration in several previous Africabiz Online deliveries (54, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 71, 72, 73); to discuss about the adequate developing strategy that could help establishing strong economies; create jobs to cope with demands, and build up wealth on a progressive manner to increase the per capita Gross National Product in each individual African countries.

Particularly in issue 63 - Unilateral Decision Not To Pay Back Debts Will Be Counterproductive For African Nations; issue 66 - Debts Relief Without Additional Loans To Developing Would Not Alleviate Poverty; issue 71- There Are Other Alternative Than Debts Repudiation; issue 72 - Imagination and Organization Are Necessary To Build A Strong Economy in Developing Countries; and issue 73 - Should African Countries Surrender For Ever To T.I.N.A.?

One sees only 14 sub-Saharan African countries out of 48 are concerned by June 2005's debt relief decision.

What about the remaining African nations, which are heavy debt-laden as the "happy" ones? Would the debt cancellation decided on June 11, 2005 by G-8 finance ministers help the beneficiary countries improve the economic situation, create jobs to cope with demand and build up riches to alleviate rampant poverty?

Click here to read more about Debt's Cancellation: Is June 11, 2005 A New Start For African Countries?

- Contributor's Guidelines are here to review. Your contribution on "How emerging nations and particularly African countries / entrepreneurs could bridge the developing gap" is welcome.

Your feedback / objection / contribution is welcome. Visit WorldWide BizCenter, and choose General Information (as topic) to create a thread for discussion. On the top of the WorldWide BizCenter page, there is a HELP link to assist you making an efficient use of the discussion board. This link also is useful

Many thanks for dropping by and see you here on July 15, 2005.

Dr. B.M. Quenum
Editor of AFRICABIZ

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA

- Several business opportunities - component parts of the Integrated Developing Scheme described in Africans, Stop Being Poor! are listed in following table.

a- SHEA BUTTER (5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13) b- BLUE GOLD (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) c- FREEZE-DRIED PAPAIN (20, 21, 22 and here) d- KENAF (23, 24) e- VEGETABLE OIL (25, 26, 27, 28) f- CEREALS (30, 31, 32, 33) g- FRUITS (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46) h- ESSENTIAL OILS (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52) i- ROOTS & TUBERS (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64) j- FOWL BREEDING (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74,

- FOWL BREEDING AS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: PART X - INTRODUCTION TO THE BREEDI NG OF RATITES AS ALTERNATIVE TO CLASSIC LIVESTOCK: B - CONTINUATION TO THE INTRODUCTION TO THE EMU

Starting from issue N° 73, another kind of fowl is discussed that is different from the ones considered in previous deliveries. They are called Ratites and are represented by two families: the Ostrich and the Emu that produce flesh similar to four legs' animals. They are running birds. They do not fly.

The emu industry is in its infancy and now is the time to become involved.

- PARTICULARITIES ABOUT EMU BREEDING

Emus are monogamous animals. One male and one female used to pair for life. The female begins to breed between 18 months and three years of age, and may continue to produce eggs for more than 15 years. It is the male who incubates the eggs which hatch in about 50 days. The emu grows to full size within two years standing five to six feet tall and weighing as much as 150 pounds. With powerful legs similar to the ostrich, it can run up to 40 mph. An emu lives about 30 years.

Currently, emus are mostly bred in monogamous pairs with a ratio of 1 male for 1 female and sometimes 2 females for 1 male - the latest being against the native behaviour of the animals and disturbing during the period of eggs' incubating.

Anyway, either ratio requires the retention of excessive males in the flock. Males that are not productive consume feed and capital resources that could be used to manage more females to producing more eggs and growing chicks.

In addition, at long last, owing to the lifetime of the pairs (30 years), monogamy progressively triggers flock's genetic degeneracy.

Therefore, researchers had explored artificial insemination technology with the aims of improving genetic stocks, boosting productivity and controlling (and lowering) production's costs. For more on the matter click here

Consequently, one could consider two kinds of breeding operations:

1- Natural (mating) breeding operation with a ratio of 1 male to 1 female or 1 male to two females. 2- Artificial insemination breeding operation that permits to considerably lower the ratio of male present in the flock and boost productivity.

In the near future, Africabiz Online forthcoming consecutive deliveries will deal with both kinds of breeding operations in tropical areas' conditions.

- EMU'S DIET

 Emus eat fruits, flowers, insects, seeds and green vegetation; they are fond of caterpillars. They ingest large stones into gizzard to aid the grinding process. They need water daily. In short, from baby emu chick to animal ready for slaughterhouse (approx.68 kg within 2 years), emu consumes about US$ 85 dollars a year in feed; figures given by a Peruvian based breeding operation that could be substantially lowered if the operation is combined with opportunities related to following links 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 .

The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) stands for how many pounds of feed are necessary to make one pound of weight's gain.  For emus, FCR is an average from the baby chick to the animal ready for slaughterhouse. Indeed, emus experience "growth spurts" during the various growing cycles of the breeding period.

By one year of age, FCR equals to 6:1 is average; higher than that indicates a problem.   Emus experience growth spurts between 2 to 7 months that leads to higher FCR's (4:1, 3:1 or even 2:1). Adult emus on a good, balanced ration will eat around 1 1/2 pounds of feed per day, averaged out over the year.   Growing chicks and coming 2's may consume 2 pounds per day, averaged out over a year. For more on the matter click here.

- MORE ON EMU PRODUCTS

As already stated in previous delivery (73) Emu's products include leather, meat, feather, decorative egg shells and emu oil.

The oil in particular has great profit potential. Dr. A. Zemtsov (Assistant Professor in Dept. of Dermatology and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University’s Health Science Centre) discovered the emu oil to be highly penetrating; it is a good emulsifier, bacteriostatic (does not promote growth of bacteria), hypo-allergenic (has a low irritating potential), and is non-cosmedogenic (non-pore-clogging).

Currently many cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies are implementing researches about (artificially chemically engineered) liposomes, which are highly penetrating and can go through the skin barrier carrying any medication with it. Emu oil is a natural substance with these qualities. One gallon of Emu oil may cost $1,000 compared to one ounce of liposome costing $2000. For more on the matter click here

- Interested parties - private African and international investors / companies, government agencies, international development agencies - to make contact through the Free Access Support Console available at this link

Contact through the support console will get quickest reply from Africabiz Online's staff, than contact by emails. Click here for contact information. Be advised that first contact should be through the support console to be followed by phone calls. If you are a VIP-Member, use VIP-Members Support Console available here. Before you consult please click here to review this clarification

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