International Contemporary Journal of Science Education and Technology

Economic viability of fish farming compared to crop cultivatio

2023-06-21T16:49:34-07:00

The low consumption of fish in Pakistan prompted an economic analysis of fish farming, which was conducted in two districts with the highest number of fish farms: Muzaffargarh and Khanewal. A random selection of 50 fish farms from each district was made to estimate the profitability of fish farming. To compare with crop cultivation, data from 50 farmers in the crop sector were also collected, and an economic analysis was performed. The study found that fish farming was more profitable than crop farming in the study area, with net income per acre estimated at Rs. 252,426 for fish farming, compared to Rs. 58,612 for wheat-cotton, Rs. 72,662 for cotton-rice, and Rs. 53,290 for sugarcane cultivation. The benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of fish farming was calculated at 1:1.52 and 1:1.74 with and without land rent, respectively, indicating that the enterprise yields 1.52 rupees and 1.74 rupees for every rupee invested. These results suggest that promoting fish farming, especially in areas with saline soils, could enhance food security and improve the socioeconomic conditions of small farmers.

Economic Factors Affecting Milk Production on Dairy Farms Between 2016 to 2020

2023-06-21T16:25:39-07:00

Due to ongoing improvements in genetic breeding and changes in farm management and the economic environment, there is a need to reassess factors related to milk production economics. This study aimed to evaluate economic indicators between 2016 and 2020 on Czech dairy farms that kept either Czech Fleckvieh or Holstein breeds and had varying milk yields. Data from 66 dairy farms in different regions of the Czech Republic Were collected using a questionnaire. Farms Were categorized into four groups based on breed and 2016 milk yield. Production costs increased by 13% to 17% across all groups due to higher milk yields, increased feed consumption, and input prices. Farms with above-average milk yields showed a higher annual growth rate of costs per liter of milk compared to those with below-average yields. Holstein farms with above-average milk yields Were the most profitable before subsidies. Groups with higher milk yields consistently showed higher income over feed costs. Low farm gate milk prices resulted in lower profitability across all groups in 2016 compared to other years.

Factors Influencing the Performance of Farmer Groups in Eastern Uganda: A Study on the Agricultural Extension Approach and Advisory Services

2023-06-21T16:51:45-07:00

The success of the farmer-led Agricultural Extension approach in Uganda relies heavily on the performance of farmer groups. This research investigates the factors that impact the performance of farmer groups in Eastern Uganda when accessing agricultural extension and advisory services from the National Agricultural Advisory Services. The study involved gathering data from 200 members belonging to 19 farmer groups in the region. The dependent variable in this study was the performance of the farmer groups, which was believed to be influenced by several factors, including individual members' objectives, participation culture, power distance, task structure, perceived equity, reward allocation, and engagement in group activities. The results of the study revealed that power distance and perceived equity had a statistically significant positive correlation with farmer group performance. On the other hand, group participation culture and task structure exhibited a statistically negative relationship with group performance. Additionally, the members of the farmer groups tended to attribute group losses to factors beyond the seasonality of group activities, the quality of farm inputs, and inadequate training provided by advisory service providers. To enhance support and collective participation within the community farmer groups, both the advisory service providers and farmer group members should leverage the political and social capital possessed by local leadership, groups, and community members. Recognizing that farmer groups are a subset of the larger community, this empirical study sheds light on the role of community culture in influencing the performance of farmer groups in smallholder farming communities.

Effects of amino acid dietary supplementation on growth performance and blood profiles of broiler chickens during the starter period

2023-06-21T16:32:23-07:00

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation of amino acids on the blood profiles and growth performance of broiler chickens fed a low-protein diet during the starter period. One hundred and sixty unsexed broiler chicks, aged one day, were randomly divided into five groups, each with four replications and eight chicks per pen. The control group (T1) was fed a basal diet, while the other four groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with varying amounts of lysine, methionine, threonine, and valine. Growth performance and blood parameters were evaluated. Results indicated that there were significant differences in live body weight (LBW) and body weight gain (BWG) between T1, T2, and the other supplemented treatments (T3, T4, and T5), with the highest LBW observed in T5. However, there were no significant differences in the plasma levels of total protein, albumin, AST, uric acid, T3, T4, IgM, and IgG between the supplemented groups and the control. The findings suggest that the addition of extra amino acids to a low-protein diet during the starter period can enhance broiler chicken performance.

Importance of Smart Farming Practices for Sustainable Agriculture

2023-07-08T14:14:46-07:00

Smart farming is a development that has emphasized information and communication technology used in machinery, equipment, and sensors in network-based hi-tech farm supervision cycles. Innovative technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing are anticipated to inspire growth and initiate the use of robots and artificial intelligence in smart farming. Such groundbreaking deviations are unsettling current agriculture approaches. This paper investigates importance of smart farming practices for sustainable agriculture. This paper explores the development of agriculture into smart farming and technologies in smart farming. It was concluded that every piece of farmland is important to enhance sustainable agriculture by dealing with every inch of land using smart farming technologies. It has to be noted that transformation of agriculture in to smart farming in Africa will take some time as the nature of the sector is different and it was once a traditional sector. Issues such as communicating with older farmers, who could often not understand the technicalities of new technologies will also need to be addressed. However, with the rapid industrial revolution, every player in different industries will eventually need to embrace and adopt the change.