The increasing demand for food safety stimulated research regarding their nutritional content as well the risk associated with consumption of foodstuffs contaminated by heavy metals and/or toxins. This study was designed to determine heavy metal content and proximate composition of Capsicum annuum (Pepper) and Onions (Allium cepa L.) obtained from two farming communities of Kazaure Local Government, Jigawa State, Nigeria. The heavy metals were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), while the proximate compositions were carried out using standard methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 1980). The heavy metal levels determined were based on plants dry weight, the mean level of Pb, Cd and Mn were not detected from the pepper obtained from Gada farming community, while Zn, Cu and Fe were found to be 1.5±0.10, 0.74±0.02 and 4.21±0.33mg/kg respectively. Onion obtained from Gada area showed no any detectable level of Pb, however, Cd, Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe were found to be 0.002±0.001, 0.11±0.001, 1.8±0.20, 0.91±0.03 and 3.85±0.36mg/kg respectively. The soil sample of this area showed that the mean heavy metal level of Pb, Cd, Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe were found to be 0.20±0.002, 0.16±0.02, 231.1±7.00, 47.4±4.11, 32.2±5.00, 200±8.00mg/kg respectively. The proximate analysis of the two varieties of vegetables Capsicum annuum(Pepper)and Allium cepa L (Onion) from two farming areas revealed that the onion showed higher ash, moisture, carbohydrate, fibre, crude fat and protein content than that of pepper as well the Gada farming area has higher proximate content than Firji farming area. The ash, moisture, carbohydrate fibre, crude fat and protein content for onion obtained from Gada were 6.10±0.20, 9.30±1.00, 64.00±5.00, 4.47±1.00, 14.60±2.10 and 13.70±0.01 respectively. While for pepper were found to be 4.35±0.10, 5.70±0.15, 62.94±0.0, 2.61±0.01, 12.70±0.10 and 11.70±0.13 respectively. The ash, moisture, carbohydrate fibre, crude fat and protein content for onion obtained from Firji were 5.20±0.20, 8.20±1.00, 60.00±5.00, 3.89±1.00, 11.50±2.10 and 11.60±0.01 respectively and that of pepper were 3.34±0.10, 3.90±0.15, 59.34±0.01, 1.91±0.01, 10.40±0.10 and 9.80±0.13% respectively. Conclusively, the levels of metals in the vegetable samples differed between the two sampling site but were found to be within the permissible level set by FAO/WHO specifications and the vegetables can be used as sources of nutrients based on the proximate analysis obtained.

Flying Fish is an important fishery source in the tropics and sub-tropics because of its high economic value, so that exploitation continues to be carried out even some waters in Indonesia have experienced high fishing pressures. This study aims to identify the biological factors of Flying Fish (Decapterus spp) that catches purse seine in the waters of the South Buton Regency. The method of collecting data uses the method of observation (observation) of the catch of purse sein vessels every day for 3 (three) months. Analysis of growth parameters, mortality, length first captures, using RStudio software. From the analysis results obtained asymptotic length (L∞) of 27.10 cm and the value of growth rate (K) of 0.196, t0 of -, 0471. Total mortality was 0.311, natural mortality was 0.257, arrest mortality was 0.054, and the rate of exploitation was 0.175. The growth rate is relatively slow with a K value of 0.196. The exploitation rate value (E) has not exceeded the optimum value of 0.5 meaning that Flying Fish in South Buton waters is suspected to have a low exploitation rate and a high spawning potential. The length of the first gonad (Length of the first maturity) (Lm) at 14.2 cm, while the length of the first fish caught (Lc) at 16.6 cm, the optimal length (Lopt) of 18.3 cm. This indicates that generally Flying Fish caught in South Buton waters have matured.

This study was conducted in order to assess the perception of Farmers on Deforestation and its impact on agricultural production in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State. Stratified random sampling was adopted for this study where the study area was partitioned in to 11 wards, three districts were selected at random through balloting, and proportional sampling was used in selecting villages from the selected wards. One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to farmers. Data collection was through interview with the farmers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. Charts, frequency distribution and percentages were used in presenting demographic information while chi-square test of association was used to test the association between socio-economic characteristics with ideas and causes of deforestation. The result of demography showed that, majority of the respondents fall between 48-58 years, about 91% are male and 9% are female, 94% are farmers and 92% are married. Chi-square result revealed that there was no (P>0.05) significant association between socio-economic characteristics and the ideas on deforestation, on the other hand the test revealed (P<0.05) significant relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and the causes of deforestation with the exception of sex.