The Importance of trees and fruits

Big trees and small trees

Trees are the natural vegetation in large parts of the tropics, in particular,
in humid regions. The importance of trees stems partly from their
large size and perennial character. Trees shape the landscape and
frame buildings; they cast their shade over man and beast. They protect
the soil against the hot sun, heavy rain and strong winds, especially
during seasons when there are no annual crops in the fields. The
roots explore deep soil layers, recycling water and nutrients that cannot
be reached by the roots of field crops. In these ways, trees ameliorate
their immediate environment.

There is increasing evidence that trees protect and exploit the environment
more effectively than annuals. Evergreen trees have the advantage
over seasonal crop plants in that the canopy of leaves is present
throughout the year. Agrodok 16: Agroforestry, explains the role
of trees in more detail, both in the environment and in the farming system.

As a fruit grower you harvest fruit, not leaves and wood. Unfortunately,
the so-called ‘harvest index’ – that is the share of fruit in the
total amount of organic matter produced – is often quite low, especially
for most freely branching fruit trees. The tomatoes, eggplants,
cucurbits, etc. of the vegetable grower may not exploit the environment
nearly as well as the tree fruits, but they yield many more tons of
fruit per ha than most trees. Perhaps you should grow vegetables...

People think it natural that trees grow to a large size, but in fact trees
grow big because poor flowering and fruiting leave enough energy for
ever more shoots to grow. As a fruit grower your aim should be to
produce fruit with a minimum of wood! If you could make a tree bear
a full crop – in relation to its size – each year, starting within a few
years from planting, it would never grow big.

Cleaning And Washing The Fruits Or Vegetables

First, the fruits or vegetables have to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any dirt or insecticide residues. The outer layers of onions also have to be removed. This cleaning process usually involves washing the products under a faucet with running inking-water or in a bucket with clean water that is regularly refreshed. When cleaning leafy vegetables,
it is best to first remove the stems. Some types of fruit, such as cherries, strawberries and mushrooms are not washed, because this would actually increase the spread of micro-organisms. It is also not
advisable to wash cucumbers, because this shortens their shelf-life.

Dried beans and nuts are soaked in water for 16-20 hours before being processed further. To prevent the beans and nuts from turning black, a
stainless steel pan or bowl, or other galvanized material, should be used. The temperature of the soaking water should remain constant.

What do micro-organisms do to fruits and vegetables?

Micro-organisms take from food products the various substances they
need to survive and multiply. Their secreted waste products can have
either a negative or positive effect on the affected food and the humans
who eat it.

The Positive effects of micro-organisms in food

The waste products secreted by some micro-organisms can have a
positive effect on food. Lactic acid bacteria, for example, are used to
make cheese and yoghurt from milk, and sauerkraut from white cabbage.
Moulds are used to make tempeh from soy beans, and yeasts are
used to make beer and bread. These substances influence the taste and
structure of the food products and generally increase their shelf-life.
The products can be kept longer because the desired micro-organisms
decrease the food’s pH level or because they are present in such huge
numbers that other micro-organisms have no chance to grow. This use
of micro-organisms for the preparation of food is called fermentation.

The Negative effects of micro-organisms in food

Sometimes the negative effects of bacteria are clearly apparent, such
as when milk has turned sour and curdled, when meat is covered in
slime, when moulds and gasses have formed, and when food has a
distinctly putrid smell. However, food spoilage is not always this obvious.
There are bacteria whose presence in food does not always
cause a change in its taste or appearance. In any case, it is important to
avoid eating rotten food, because it can make a person seriously ill.
Eating rotten food can cause contamination or poisoning. A food con-
tamination occurs when a person consumes a large number of living
micro-organisms in a meal. These can multiply rapidly in the person’s
gastrointestinal tract and severely disturb the digestive system. The
result is often diarrhoea and sometimes also bleeding. The symptoms
appear between 3 and 24 hours after eating the rotten food. A food
contamination can be prevented by frying or boiling the food thoroughly,
since sufficient heating will kill the micro-organisms.

Food poisoning occurs when a person consumes food containing the
poisonous waste products secreted by the bacteria. Heating the food
does not help in this case: the bacteria will be killed, but the poisonous
waste will remain unharmed. Both food poisoning and food contaminations
can be lethal, but usually they only make a person sick.

What are micro-organisms, and what factors affect their growth?

There are three types: bacteria, moulds and yeasts. Bacteria and yeasts
cannot be seen with the naked eye, but moulds are often visible because they form
visible thin threads (filaments) or a solid cluster. Just like humans,
micro-organisms require certain minimum living conditions. They
cannot survive without:

* sufficient water
* oxygen
* the right degree of acidity
* nutrients
* the right temperature
Water is essential for maintaining many physical processes. Where
there is a shortage or lack of water micro-organisms cannot grow, such
as in dried legumes. Drying is therefore one way to prevent spoilage.
Meat and fish do not have to be 100% dry in order to preserve them.
By adding salt, the remaining water becomes unsuitable for microorganisms.
The same effect can be achieved by adding sugar to fruit.
Enzymatic spoilage is also inhibited by drying.

Most micro-organisms need oxygen. If there is a shortage of oxygen,
it is difficult for bacteria to survive, let alone multiply. But there are
always a few that manage to survive. As soon as the oxygen supply is
increased, these remaining bacteria will again grow and multiply.
Some types of micro-organisms even thrive in an oxygen-poor environment.

Bacteria grow best in an environment that is not too acidic. Less
acidic products are therefore especially susceptible to bacterial spoilage.
Examples of such products are meat, eggs, milk and various types
of vegetables. Beer, yoghurt, wine, vinegar and fruit are less sensitive
because they are more acidic. Adding acidity to products slows down
the process of microbial spoilage. The degree of acidity is measured as
a pH level. A neutral product like milk has a pH of 7; meat has a pH of
about 6, carrots have a pH of 5 and oranges about 4. The more acidic a
product is, the lower the pH value will be.

Just like humans, micro-organisms also need nutrients: sugars, proteins,
fats, minerals and vitamins. These are rarely in short supply,
because they can be found in all food products.

To thrive, micro-organisms need a temperature of between 5 and
65°C. At temperatures above 65°C it becomes very difficult for them
to survive; and they definitely die if boiled, as long as they are boiled
for a certain length of time, such as 10 minutes. When heated, the
micro-organisms slowly die off, but not all at the same time. Heating
at temperatures lower than 100°C thus has to be sustained for a longer
period. The growth of micro-organisms is also slowed down significantly
at temperatures between 0 and 5°C (as in a refrigerator), which
makes it possible to store the food products for a few additional days.
At temperatures below 0°C microbial growth is stopped completely,
but the micro-organisms themselves remain alive. They will become
active again as soon as the temperature rises above 0°C.

To preserve food, it is sometimes necessary to make drastic changes to
the micro-organisms’ living conditions. We can remove water (drying),
increase the acidity, or first heat the products (to kill the bacteria)
and then store them in air-tight containers to prevent oxygen from
entering (preserving/canning). These and other methods will be discussed
later in this booklet.

Do micro-organisms grow differently on vegetables and fruit?
Vegetables and fruit have a lot in common. But there are also important
differences, which determine the type of spoilage they are most
susceptible to. Damaged fruits, which are usually somewhat acidic,
are very susceptible to the growth of yeasts and moulds. Vegetables
are generally less acidic, and their spoilage is usually caused by bacteria.
Though not visible to the naked eye, bacteria can still be present
in large numbers.

What is food spoilage

Every change in food that causes it to lose its desired quality and
eventually become inedible is called food spoilage or rotting. As noted
earlier, this Agrodok focuses specifically on fruits and vegetables. As
long as they are not harvested, their quality remains relatively stable –
if they are not damaged by disease or eaten by insects or other animals.
However, the harvest cannot be postponed indefinitely: when
the time is right, it is time to act. As soon as the fruits and vegetables
are cut off from their natural nutrient supply, their quality begins to
diminish. This is due to a natural process that starts as soon as the
biological cycle is broken by harvesting. Once it is harvested, the agricultural
product is edible for only a limited time, which can vary from
a few days to weeks. The product then begins to spoil or ‘rot’. We
distinguish between various types of spoilage:

1 physical spoilage
2 physiological aging
3 spoilage due to insects or rodents
4 mechanical damage
5 chemical and enzyme spoilage
6 microbial spoilage

Physical spoilage is caused for example by dehydration. Physiological
aging occurs as soon as the biological cycle is broken through harvesting.
Neither process can be prevented, but they can be delayed by storing
the agricultural products in a dry and draft-free area at as low a
temperature as possible.

Insects and rodents can cause a lot of damage. Not only by eating the
products, but also by passing on micro-organisms through their hair
and droppings. The affected parts of the plants are then especially
susceptible to diseases.

Chemical and enzyme spoilage occurs especially when vegetables and
fruit are damaged by falling or breaking. Such damage can release
enzymes that trigger chemical reactions. Tomatoes become soft, for
example, and apples and other types of fruit turn brown. The fruit can
also become rancid. The same processes can also be triggered by insects:
the fruit becomes damaged, which causes enzymes to be released.
Enzymes can be deactivated by heating the fruit or vegetables.
The same effect can be achieved by making the fruit or vegetables
sour or by drying them, but the enzymes become active again as soon
as the acidity is reduced or water is added.

The peel of a fruit or vegetable provides natural protection against
micro-organisms. As soon as this shield is damaged by falling, crushing,
cutting, peeling or cooking, the chance of spoilage increases considerably.
Crushing occurs most often when fruits or vegetables are
piled up too high.

To prevent harvested products from spoiling, they can be preserved:
physiological aging and enzyme changes are then stopped and microorganisms
are prevented from multiplying on the product. To retain
the desired quality of a product longer than if it were simply stored
after harvesting, it must be preserved. To preserve food it must first be
treated, with the goal of stopping physiological aging and enzyme
changes and preventing the growth of micro-organisms.

Before discussing the specific treatment methods, we will first focus
on the subject of micro-organisms. What are micro-organisms? Why
are they dangerous? How can you prevent them from making you
sick? The answers to these questions will help you understand the
steps required to safely preserve food.

The Food spoilage: causes, effects and prevention

Every change in food that causes it to lose its desired quality and
eventually become inedible is called food spoilage or rotting. As noted
earlier, this Agrodok focuses specifically on fruits and vegetables. As
long as they are not harvested, their quality remains relatively stable –
if they are not damaged by disease or eaten by insects or other animals.
However, the harvest cannot be postponed indefinitely: when
the time is right, it is time to act. As soon as the fruits and vegetables
are cut off from their natural nutrient supply, their quality begins to
diminish. This is due to a natural process that starts as soon as the
biological cycle is broken by harvesting. Once it is harvested, the agricultural
product is edible for only a limited time, which can vary from
a few days to weeks. The product then begins to spoil or ‘rot’. We
distinguish between various types of spoilage:

1 physical spoilage
2 physiological aging
3 spoilage due to insects or rodents
4 mechanical damage
5 chemical and enzyme spoilage
6 microbial spoilage

Physical spoilage is caused for example by dehydration. Physiological
aging occurs as soon as the biological cycle is broken through harvesting.
Neither process can be prevented, but they can be delayed by storing
the agricultural products in a dry and draft-free area at as low a
temperature as possible.

Insects and rodents can cause a lot of damage. Not only by eating the
products, but also by passing on micro-organisms through their hair
and droppings. The affected parts of the plants are then especially
susceptible to diseases.

Chemical and enzyme spoilage occurs especially when vegetables and
fruit are damaged by falling or breaking. Such damage can release
enzymes that trigger chemical reactions. Tomatoes become soft, for
example, and apples and other types of fruit turn brown. The fruit can
also become rancid. The same processes can also be triggered by insects:
the fruit becomes damaged, which causes enzymes to be released.
Enzymes can be deactivated by heating the fruit or vegetables.
The same effect can be achieved by making the fruit or vegetables
sour or by drying them, but the enzymes become active again as soon
as the acidity is reduced or water is added.

The peel of a fruit or vegetable provides natural protection against
micro-organisms. As soon as this shield is damaged by falling, crushing,
cutting, peeling or cooking, the chance of spoilage increases considerably.
Crushing occurs most often when fruits or vegetables are
piled up too high.

To prevent harvested products from spoiling, they can be preserved:
physiological aging and enzyme changes are then stopped and microorganisms
are prevented from multiplying on the product. To retain
the desired quality of a product longer than if it were simply stored
after harvesting, it must be preserved. To preserve food it must first be
treated, with the goal of stopping physiological aging and enzyme
changes and preventing the growth of micro-organisms.

Before discussing the specific treatment methods, we will first focus
on the subject of micro-organisms. What are micro-organisms? Why
are they dangerous? How can you prevent them from making you
sick? The answers to these questions will help you understand the
steps required to safely preserve food.

Quality Agriculture Machineries And Tools Suppliers

Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers specialize in the manufactures of agricultural implements and specialized equipment for a variety of farming needs. The manufacturers like Toro, Coronet, New Holland, Unverferth, Woods Equipment Co., Worksaver Inc., Yetter Farm Equipment Co., Ag-Chem, AGCO, Automatic Ag Products, Beard Industries, Orthman, Seedburo, Bigham Brothers, Blu-Jet, Bomford Turner, Brillion Iron, Northwest Tillers, Stover Equipment Co. Inc., Sukup Manufacturing Co. Brownie Manufacturing Co. and Butler Mfg. Co. have an established presence in this niche market and are standing up to competition from the majors. The Agricultural Suppliers have some of the latest and most modern models of equipment in their stocks. These models have been well received in the market and are worth the money.

Since agriculture farming equipment is considered a market for consumer durables, the market also looks at the price. The American and European markets are quality conscious and are not very price sensitive. The market capturing depends on the quality of the product. There are other Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers like Case, Murray and Snapper. These manufacturers are very popular in the North America segment and in Europe. Most of the suppliers are good with the quality and production range they have. Also they have the capacity to make it big and stand up to the giants like Honda, Ford, John Deere.

The farming equipment makes the tasks associated with farming easier and the operations more productive. Such equipment mostly includes Tractors, Combines, Hay Equipment and the like. Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers offer many listings for equipment used in agricultural farming, cattle ranching, dairy and poultry to name a few. From planting all the way through to harvesting these farm equipment dealers have the proper equipment that farmers need. Whether the buyers are searching for new or used tractors by John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Agco, Massey Ferguson, Kubota, McCormick or others, along with combine, forage harvester, planter, tillage equipment, or other agricultural equipment, you can find the listing at Fuzing.

The fuzing agriculture chemical suppliers directory is a leading B2B portal for global buyers searching manufacturers, exporters and suppliers. There is an agriculture chemical page bringing you to our handpicked agricultural chemical manufacturers, exporters and suppliers from various regions. If you are an agricultural chemical supplier, exporter, manufacturer, factory, vendor or trading company/agent, and want to list in this supplier directory, please click Fuzing.com.

Global Agriculture and Cold Storage

Each year, 80 million people are added to the global population. In this growing populace, food consumption rates are soaring. As global agriculture grows, there is a worldwide demand to expand the cold storage industry. Perishable foods are the largest, most profitable and fastest growing sector of agricultural trade.

Additionally, the frozen and refrigerated food categories for both the retail and food service industries are on the rise. Given these dynamic increases, the cold chain is quickly becoming central to all kinds of global trade in just about all commodities. In turn, refrigerated warehouses are growing to keep up, and offering more specialized and individualized services to those in the food manufacturing industry.

Globalization has made the relative distance between areas of the world much smaller; however, the physical separation of these same regions is still a very important reality. The greater the physical separation, the more likely freight becomes damaged moving in the import and export processes. To ensure that shipments are not compromised during transport, many businesses are turning to, and relying on cold chain technology.

The cold storage industry is expanding and moving beyond a traditional freezer unit. The market consists of many quality warehouse facilities, but the ones that offer individualized, added value services as part of a complete package succeed far beyond competitors. In the current market, customers are demanding services such as inventory tracking, recall efforts, exporting and transportation services throughout the cold supply chain. They are looking for a single refrigerated warehouse company to perform all functions.

Factors such as high service levels, lower cost, faster inventory turns, quicker reporting and the ability to provide customers with faster and more efficient service have also prompted change. Instead of simply operating as overflow warehouses, refrigerated warehouses are offering much more to customers.

Refrigerated warehousing companies are consolidating services, making it more convenient and cost effective for their clients. The storage facility is no longer just storage. The facility receives fresh products, blast freezes them, obtain certificates of export and USDA stamps of approval. Certified third party logistics professionals pick and pack the containers, consolidate the load for distribution, and make all arrangements until the shipment leaves port.

Food companies are also being pressured to address the challenges that arise in food transportation. Fortunately, increasingly efficient global transport networks are making it possible to bring food from distant places to stores, restaurants and homes before it spoils. In turn, the manufacturers benefit from a further developed, more optimized, more streamlined cold supply chain. This link in the chain ensures that they are not burdened by the large investment of holding onto loads of inventory.

Since cold storage businesses carry such flexibility, their potential is unlimited. As cold storage services become more important with each passing day, the growing future of such facilities is difficult to deny. A cold storage warehouse that offers third party logistics is one of the most important links in the cold chain. It guarantees the most fresh and sanitary food and produce make it to shelves and onto kitchen tables.

The Reasons Agriculture is Important

Why is agriculture important? The concept of 'food security' is fundamentally important, and for that reason, agriculture is important. The task of feeding its people has been perhaps the first priority of its rulers throughout history. As such, agriculture is considered to be the very basis of political and social stability of a nation since times immemorial.

Moreover, the agricultural sector plays an important role in the sphere of providing large scale employment to people. Large and moderately large farms employ workers to undertake the various jobs relating to cultivation of crops and care of farm animals. In most of the countries of the world, agriculture still remains the biggest sector responsible for the employing and feeding a large percentage of the population.

Agriculture is also important from the point of view of appraising the standard of a country's development, based on the competence of its farmers. Poorly trained farmers cannot apply the advanced methods and new technologies. The prominence of science and technology in the development of agriculture is quite clear from the words of Deng Xiaoping -

The development of agriculture depends first on policy, and second on science. There is neither any limit to developments in science and technology, nor to the role that they can play in the field of agricultural growth'.

Though agriculture often plays a contributory role in the 'Gross Domestic Product' - GDP - of most countries, it nevertheless requires a substantial boost from both the local and the international community.

Agriculture is traditionally based on bulk manufacturing. Harvesting is done once a season, most of the times, and stocked and used later. In fact, some thinkers opine that people have begun to adopt 'batch processing' and 'stocking' in manufacturing, as a result of the practices from agricultural thinking. Before industrialization, people with the biggest stocks of food and other supplies were considered more stable, and they were able to face challenges of nature without having to starve.

So important is the role of agriculture that new concepts keep 'cropping up' to give the traditional activity a modern turn. One such new concept the world is raving about these days is - the importance of 'organic farming'. There is evidence that, apart from their numerous other benefits, organic farms are more sustainable and environmentally sound, giving agriculture a new dimension.

The importance of agricultural practices was further established when 'Organic food' began as a small movement decades ago, with gardeners and farmers rejecting the use of conventional non-organic practices. With the growth of the Organic food market now outpacing much of the food industry, many big companies have ventured into it. With the emergence of multi-national companies, and with the creation of a legal certification framework such as the Soil Association, there is every doubt that the very definition of organic food will change, making it more of a commercial activity than ever before!

In fact, modern agriculture has already undergone a sea-change from the ancient times. Today, the importance of agriculture lies in the fact that it is practiced both for subsistence as well as commercial reasons!

Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences. One of his latest ongoing projects can be viewed at http://www.whyisagricultureimportant.com

Organic Agriculture - The Way to Progress

Seeing our society from the past centuries up to the present, it is very much evident that there are several developments that took place. Due to these developments, life has become complicated. As a result of complication, people have overlooked the problems brought about by developments because of the glittering gold and silver that supposed developments offer.

Among the problems that have been overlooked for the past decades are the environmental problems which are becoming worse as the years passed by. Several environmental problems which we are facing right now are the results of agricultural malpractices due to lack of education.

Among the environmental problems is the continuous destruction of the soil because of excessive use of inorganic fertilizers which has resulted to soil infertility. An evidence to justify this fact is the gradual extinction of wild plants which were in the past, just sprout from the soil without human interventions. Another problem is the contamination of the water source and air because of excessive use of pesticides and other chemicals which are being used to spray the plants. As a result, clean water are becoming lesser which also contribute to the spread of communicable diseases. One thing more, is the increasing number of pests and diseases to both plants and animals and even humans. Because of all these problems, some people from the agricultural industry propose organic agriculture believing that this would at least lessen these problems.

Organic agriculture is a holistic production management that discourages the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified organisms. Purposively, it would contribute to the lessening of air soil and water pollutions, and maximizes the health of the interdependent communities of plants animals and humans. This means that there should be a balance in the environment whereby none of these living organisms would out number the other. This is because through organic agriculture, the lives of the beneficial micro-organisms are preserved to avoid the flourishing of pests and diseases that destroy the said interdependent communities. They are called interdependent communities because as the word "interdependent" imply, plants, animals and humans rely on each other in order to survive. Plants give off oxygen and food to humans and animals. On the other hand, animals and humans give off carbon dioxide and waste products for the plants to use in food processing or photosynthesis. Another thing to be given attention is the balance number of preys and predators in the environment. In other words the food chain cycle should not be disturbed because if that will happen there'll be a dominance of one population which results to food scarcity for the other population. For instance, if the farmers continuously use synthetic pesticides, small organisms will be killed which results to growing number of pests because no other organisms that would eat them. Because of this, plants that serve as the food for humans and animals will be destroyed by these pests. That is why organic agriculture is said to be the solution for food scarcity in the future to come.

For organic agriculture to come in reality, farmers should be educated about the proper practices in agriculture. In fact, in the Philippines, there are certain radio programs and television programs allotted for the promotion of organic agriculture. Other than that, seminars are also conducted by experts in agriculture. There are also cooperatives that are being established to cater to the needs and address the problems of the farmers. Other than that are the various government programs that are implemented to different regions of the country. But most importantly is the cooperative effort among the sectors in the society in promoting and supporting the implementation of organic agriculture practices. Among the sectors in the society that should exert more effort is the education sector with the facilitation of educational institutions especially with State universities or any university that offers agricultural courses.

Sustainable agriculture and the environment

History of Agriculture

When we talk of history of agriculture we talk of centuries gone by and a different era in and around 10000 BC. The most interesting part is that agriculture actually started from a region, which now is a dessert. Far back in 8000 BC farming started from Iran all around to Iraq further on to Syria all along the valley of the Nile, then Israel to India from the Nile to Danube in Europe and then to the Indus and Ganges region.

Agriculture is the biggest cultural innovation that happened years ago. Man was basically born a hunter who would be roaming from place to place. And would be eating whatever nature provided them with and some animals and birds too. Agriculture gave man a base and they were no more wanderers. And also they got more to eat than only what they got from the forest.

Then man learnt to tame and domesticate animals and bingo . . . they hit jackpot. You know the pig has been domesticated since last 9000 years. Wow isn't that a wonder. And then came sowing of seeds, growing and harvesting too. And so came wheat and barley and other cereals. The word cereal is actually the name of the roman goddess Ceres which means grain in general. Man learnt how to grow crops and for better growth they started removing weeds, which gave a boom to the crops.

The history of agriculture has shown us a period where man started to clear up forests for light and killing animals that harmed their crops. So then came an efficient way of living, which was under control, and then they started settling down and that gave rise to farming villages. From the Neolithic times people continued to live in farming villages till the industrial age.

Man was attacked by loads of diseases and famines and floods and also wars that wiped out generations. The history of agriculture takes us to pottery and cooking and craft later on so man then had proper food to eat and made homes too. Made villages and farming a lifestyle. Man settled around Ireland around 7000BC. They used trees for wood to burn and build. Agriculture became a strong base. In 4000BC farming began here. They used Stone Age technology for basic living.

As the history of agriculture grew over the years from here to the Bronze Age and through the Iron Age, they also domesticated the cattle, sheep and the horses too. This was like a major invention and led agriculture places.

Then the history of agriculture grew in the coming centuries and made amazing progress. And major changes overtook this field. Farmers became high tech and biotechnology ruled. Man started creating fields in agriculture and it grew in bounds and leaps. Genetics also took over and laboratories manufactured crops and seeds to suit human needs.

History of agriculture is so vast and detailed and so interesting. Must be explored to the fullest. It has grown from the Stone Age to the bronze age to the industrial age to biotechnology agriculture has taken the world in a storm and ruled ever since.

Source: http://www.whyisagricultureimportant.com/

IT Support in Agricultural Sector

IT support in the agricultural value chain

During the last decade, use of fragmented IT systems and support for agricultural purposes in Norway has increased dramatically. However, very little analytical and empirical research has been carried out to determine current situation of IT in animal and plant production.

The aim of this research was therefore to investigate the effectiveness and functionality of using IT support in agricultural value chain. For this reason one conducted qualitative research study, which was contained the depth interviews and questionnaires in order to map certain actors processes and tasks and their degree of IT utilization. The modeling languages were used to present the IT support in the processes and tasks at the farm and certain companies in the value chain. Results of the assessment showed significant differences between using IT tools in animal and plant production. Presenting the statistics gave a better understanding about the correlation between the treatments. However one observed that there is no significant effect of one given variable over the other except in one observed situation that is the degree of experience in IT utilization may help a farmer to get a part time and full time job which adds more value to their income and as a result in the entire chain. Another interesting observation was that senior farmers were more experienced and expert in IT utilization than the younger ones. The various complicated systems appear to be confusing for some farmers. This suggests that the effective utilization of IT support may increase flow of information and knowledge among farmers if they are implemented and tested efficiently with better functionality. One proposed several new mechanisms in certain systems that farmers apply mostly in order to spare their time, add more value to the value chain and users satisfaction. There was also suggested an attempt which may be employed in a pilot project for the process improvement purposes. A simple system may give the users a better usability and satisfaction in the agricultural sector.

Note:

Please note that I have presented IT solutions for software and business process improvement in the value chain. The more detailed analysis will be given upon your request.

This is a short report about my investigation on this problem approach.

Many companies that experience a few negative results do not have a program for controlling risk. Take some Norwegian companies in agricultural value chain as an example. Having conducted many interviews, several uses of IT technology emerged as consistent. Framers in remote locations found the IT programs varied in their usefulness, but all agreed that in the areas of knowledge and efficiency, the technology was preferable to the way things were done in the past.

The breakdown summary concerned four major areas: IT Support, Accounting, Sales and Delivery and the health of the crop.

IT Support

All found IT Support helpful and use it frequently. It is faster and easier to track crops and animals, production and sales using various programs. It's also easier to track government regulations, international trends and purchasing.

It was also made clear that these programs should be as simple and user friendly as possible. Their more advanced uses, requiring more knowledge of computers and applications, were almost universally not being used and certainly not being used to the potential envisioned by the programmer.

Accounting

The farmers interviewed represent a viable random sample. Without exception they preferred to use an outside source for accounting. For many, this was a safeguard to ensure compliance with governmental regulations. For all of them it was simply an area with which they were unfamiliar and therefore not comfortable. Many of them lack the education necessary to use an IT accounting program and they do not possess sufficient time in which to learn one.

Sales and Delivery

One area where everyone used and greatly appreciated the programs was in sales and delivery. All of the programs afford the farmers the ability to check market conditions to ensure the best price, keep current on trends and even check international trends and markets. This helps boost sales and increase profit. As a side benefit, it helps make decisions that also save in transportation by informing a farmer of the places where the market is saturated and where there is a need. This increases the profit margin all around.

It was also very useful in tracking what items needed to be purchased and to make the necessary purchases. This was seen as one of the most favorable aspects to these programs.

Health of the Crop

With the ability to check current problems and look for solutions quickly and easily, using various IT solutions, these programs earned high marks from the farmers. For animal crops, they were able to track diseases and perhaps prevent diseases. It also helped in culling sick animals from a herd.

For plant crops it afforded the ability to use aggressive preventative measures well in advance of destruction. The loss is often incalculable.

In short, all concluded that the basic aspects of IT Technology are helpful while the more advanced applications are not as useful as hoped.

Summary of gathered questionnaires:

o Nearly 31% of the farmers (who replied to the 26 questionnaires) use IT tools but they are not very proficient in it.
o Nearly 65% are comfortable using IT tools and around 54% use them in practice.
o 30% of the farmers produce corn and 38% out of corn producing farmer's use IT tools while producing corns.
o 58% of the farmers producing plants use IT. Nearly 77% of the animal producing farmers use IT.
o 76% were men and 24% were women.

A farmer in animal and plant production does not use all types of IT tools. That is why they did not answer to some alternative questions connected to various tools. We illustrated graphs for each question and estimated the numbers of replied questions.

In my statistical analysis I attempted to show the results of my investigations. The variables were captured and evaluated against each other. One found that they are related but there is no significant effect of one variable over the other. However in one case I explored that there is a direct relationship between IT utilization and getting a part time or full time job. This may add value not only to farmer's income, but also the entire chain. Another significant finding was that senior farmers are more experienced in using IT support than the younger ones. This helps younger farmers to learn how to apply certain programs properly in order to fulfill the farm tasks.

It is essential to mention that as opposed to experimental investigation, the results apply to some company's first layer infrastructure, which is information and communication technology and farmers, IT utilization in Norwegian agriculture sector. One may not carefully control the value as it may be done in formal experiment. Thus the results are not generally applicable to a wider range across many organizations in Norway. However the outcome of this investigation may help us to do the analyses in order to explore the systems that have better and less IT support along with improvement possibilities in IT support.

IT Support comparison and their quality in the value chain

Quality is a difficult property to measure, in itself. Since it applies to the eyes of the holder, it is hard to define an absolute measure with which the whole audience may agree. Similarly with value, it depends on whose viewpoint, from which a person is looking, as to what the value may be. For the purposes of this study we will use the International Standard Quality Vocabulary

(ISO 8402-1986) definition:

"The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to meet stated or implied needs" (Hofman et. al, 1999)

The purpose of using IT in a value chain is to:

a) Increase efficiency
b) Reduce costs
c) Provide a functional and efficient communication

One identified some of the actors in an agriculture sector in Norway. These actors have various IT solutions in order to reduce their own costs, have a better communication with their users and improve their efficiency. However, does this contribute to the value chain in a way to produce results along with the complete chain in Norway? The answer is yes. Because some of the actors in meat production, such as Gilde, have a process in which they exchange information about how many animals are slaughtered, frozen or distributed in the year to the market with the other concurrent actors in the meat industry. The purpose is to maintain the balance in the market. This is a positive property that helps actors add more value in the value chain. One may observe that such positive quality in the Norwegian agriculture market is not practised in some industrial

countries where high and intense competitions are the key factors to increase the capital and the internal quality of production in order to be the best in the market. They try to weaken the other concurrent rivals that have the same production in the market.

Bondelaget has annual meetings to find better ways in order to increase the quality of information and communication. They attempt to find ways for developing better coordination tools in order to make the communication and flow of information easier among farmers, retailers, suppliers and the other actors in the value chain. Such effort will be a great help in increasing the quality of information technology in such a value chain.

Felleskjøpet provides courses such as electronic learning, filed injection course ( åkesprøytekurs) and courses for planning the cowshed/cow house for the farmers. The purpose is to aide farmers to increase the production and knowledge in animal and plant manufacturing. The user interface quality of this actor's website due to shared knowledge with the farmers is good. However in their online web site where farmers may log on and purchase a product or surf around, there is a tool that is missing. This tool may be designed to give technical support to the farmers without logging on to their account on the site. It is important for a company to share knowledge and increase the user interface quality. This is one of the factors in common information spaces through formal and informal communication. One observed the same logging function in order to access the information on the other actor's web site, such as previously mentioned, Gilde, Animalia and that they should provide knowledge and information for the farmers on line that requires logging on the website. Would such authenticity be necessary for sharing the information?

Sharing knowledge will increase cognizance among farmers in animal and plant production. This quality of knowledge sharing will add value to the value chain.

Many of the farmers, irrespective of their age, have limited time to spend regularly on the computer for interacting with IT, and limited exposure to IT systems in general. They either work on their farm or are occupied with their part time and full time jobs. For this reason they need easier IT tools in order to use in the farm and better communication with retailers and actors. There is also a need for a decrease in the number of fragmented IT tools and systems. Automating the systems that farmers employ may be a solution to this issue.

Sending the same information to various actors several times year results dissatisfaction. Farmers receive a certain schema for example from Mattilsynet or the other actors and must write the same information every time. In such a case it is required to register the general information about each farmer in the database and ask for supplementary information or a change of information to save time and frustration.

One argues further that, if these requirements are not met, much of the advantages of the value chain are lost, as the end-user is not contributing to the expected gains in the business process.

The most significant factors are:

a) A high degree of technical competence of systems support staff
b) User's understanding of the system
c) Ease of access for users to computing and technical facilities
d) User confidence in systems

IT tools utilization measurement

The trend of using the various IT services and tools is progressing in the Norwegian Agricultural sector, especially in the last two decades as this trend has geared up. Development of a good deal of software has occurred in order to help farmers to increase production. We measure quality of IT support by analysing inherent characteristics in programs and systems that fulfils the market's demands according to ISO 9000-20001

To measure the effectiveness of IT support in the value chain, we need to design questions and provide the answers in such a way that we may determine if these goals are being met. We determine whether these tools are used effectively by seeing how many users employ such programs.

Usability, degree of complexity & functionality of current tools

Companies have achieved to present the necessary tools and programs on the web sites in order to offer them to the farmers. They have the basic functions in their programs and system. However the quality of communication systems differs from each other. Some companies in the value chain have a better invoicing support system than the other actors. For instance Felleskjøpet's online order system has a missing SMS system that may simplify the invoicing process through sending the text messaging. However Gilde has fulfilled such a task by providing a text messaging system for making an appointment. Such a function makes it easier for farmers to send and make an appointment by simply using a cell phone.

The accounting programs are meant to simplify the accounting task. However the complexity of the various accounting software make the accounting task difficult for a farmer.

The following table shows an overview of the complexity of using various accounting programs used by farmers in plant and animal production. Those who are able to use the program are shown by "1" and those who do not use the program and believe it is complex are shown as empty space.

As one investigated through various software to explore the functionality of the programs, they all seem to have necessary functions. However the more a program is made secure with more functionality, the more there is complexity in using the program.

From the analysis, it holds those farmers who use more computers with their usage of the planting planners (Fertilizing program), Storfekjøttkontrollen, and then their sheep volume increases. However they decrease their usage in some accounting programs, such as Duett, as a farmer gets more familiar with the other programs. As we have the reason is complexity of the programs, another reason is unfamiliarity of rules.

There are also other elements that contribute to the value of IT. A summary of these comments is:

a) In the plant production software planning value is achieved by expediting the slower process of using consultants to advise on planting programs. The consultants are still required in some more complex requirements.

b) The numbers of various software products offered by IT vendors take a lot of time to install, look at, and then try to evaluate its usefulness. Farmers are reluctant to keep doing it.

c) The amount of time a farmer is prepared to invest in learning a new program is limited, because of their time pressures. Therefore a program with strong introductory and simple installation instructions would do a lot better in the market.

d) It may be argued that there is evidence of value for the farmers if they have adopted the technology. There are factors that determine the likelihood of this adoption shown in the statistical results of the report.

e) The farmers have readily embraced low-level automation, such as farm equipment, and whether the need to have off-farm jobs requires this technology, or off-farm jobs may now be taken. . Having an off-farm job increases the likelihood of a farmer adopting more IT processes in order to manage their farm tasks.

I received few responses from farmers over the age of 58. This means it is difficult to determine if age alone affects the adoption of IT.

Improving IT support for the value chain

Farmers require having automated tools that make the IT tools easier. Many of the companies have their automated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Felleskjøpet, Animalia and Gilde's Slaktweb system, with their assistance provisions and additional training, indicate that farmers feel they need support to help with the adoption of IT in their daily working life.

With only 50% of farmers generally using the Internet to contact with actors, it shows that implementation of many IT value chain processes through this medium needs additional training to assist farmers to make the change to this method of conducting business. While it is very efficient for businesses to offer these services, they will truly achieve those cost savings when more farmers accept this medium of interaction. In fact if companies in the value chain find ways to support the end-users, they stand to add more value in the entire chain.

The coordination tools are various on the websites of some actors. These tools may be email and text messaging. Felleskjøpet has a habit of attracting farmers and increasing their awareness in some aspects such as production and planning along with providing the goods. Gilde's slaughtering registration processes and farmer's tasks for making appointments for the slaughter have sufficient functionality and usability. That is why 57 to 69% of farmers employ the system more than using the telephone 3, 8% in animal production.

Having the same items and programs for the farm introduced on websites of companies, in order to show farmers how to use the system available as a parallel dialogue while the system is being used, will greatly increase the confidence of the end-user (the farmer) resulting in an increased usage of the system and more widespread efficiency gains from the value chain's business process transformations.

Practical Quality evaluation of processes in value chain

To evaluate the reliability of productivity in various departments at each value chain's company requires having some documentation from those companies to place a number on their reliability and quality of their products. It will allow us to learn the exact data in order to evaluate and compare results between IT products and software among various companies. Also required is an annual benchmarking report for comparison of IT systems and tools among the various companies. It is also required to measure quality according to ISO certifying. It is proposed that the ISO certifying be evaluated by a neutral position in order to not influence productivity and quality.

It is significant to control the processes by measuring them step by step. Each company in the agricultural value chain needs a constant process improvement by using the quality standard.

One proposes that actors in the agricultural sector apply process dimension in ISO/IEC 155041 in order to to insure the quality of processes in the value chain.

To improve all these processes a company needs to identify their significant problems and possible solutions for processing improvement in order to implement the desired solutions.

The IT companies that provide software for the agriculture sector in Norway need to adopt their IT solutions for improving the programs according to the Norwegian adjustment.

Farmers real need and processes maturity level in the value chain

As we mentioned earlier in this report there are many fragmented systems in the market for helping farmers to perform their daily tasks in the animal and plant production. These programs have almost the same functionality such as reporting, inbox, outbox, calendar and some systems have online coordination tools with the value chain's companies' advisors and consultants. (See the attachment software)

IT companies are aware of the farmer's desire to use easier products. However developers have more focus on technical aspects of developing such programs instead of concentrating on the real needs of farmers in using software. It is desirable that analysts and designers focus on making integrated packages that contain all these functions and decrease the number of manufacturing various programs in the market. A farmer wants to use a program that helps him to add more value to his products and bring more income to yearly earnings.

Norwegian agriculture's goal for farmers is to increase productivity in plant and animal production and provide healthy food for the market along with adding value to the value chain. The tools that are provided in the market are not utilized as much as expected. The reason is that farmers have a tendency to employ easier programs. For example, the fertilizing program is used a great deal, which proves that the program is user-friendlier than the other programs such as Duett.

Business process improvement in the value chain

It is significant to take the business processes improvement in consideration. The improvement of processes will be cost effective. If a company in the value chain wish to change processes dramatically, they might receive the profit, although the risk is always involved. One may not address these issues directly since one does not have the exact and detailed mapping of each company's processes and tasks in the value chain. However one proposes the improvement attempt for the processes and tasks, which are presented and mapped earlier in this report.

Companies do not need to change the processes dramatically in order to improve business processes. We focus on coordination and communication support in the value chain. As I presented earlier farmers employ various communication tools due to order a product such as grain feed or make an appointment for the slaughtering proposes or sample analysing or delivery. One of such tools is text messaging by mobiles, which may be used effectively. We may apply text messing for ordering or making an appointment. I propose to integrate a certain mechanism in the ordering system in order to ease the flow of information and better communication.

Harmonizing the work processes & IT support

Harmonizing the work processes and IT support plays a significant role in agricultural sector. One presented the present situation in the value chain. It is relevant to explore the right balance in work places and IT usage. It was proposed applying a pilot project for harmonizing the processes for coordinating and communicating purposes among actors in the value chain. However one wish to mention that process improvement may happen through applying various plans in each company in the value chain. We may utilize the right functionality in processes without doing the total change.

One utilized modeling languages in order to show the processes and tasks. We understand each company have their several goals, tools, culture and standardization. Applying merely one modeling language to illustrate these needs may not be applicable for all actors in agricultural sector. We should pay attention how actors operate in each process in order to make the right balance.

The best modeling solution to start the process improvement is to model a process from high level.One proposes to consider the following in harmonizing and process improvement:

o Adopting business reengineering
o Finding the real customer's need
o Tasks should be adding more value in the value chain
o Adjusting processes with business
o Changing fast and directly the processes that need to be altered
o Specifying IT platforms in form of high level
o Identifying the necessary problems which should be changed in the start phase
o Predicting the outlook of change by doing a simulation

Conclusion

One employed the objective and subjective discussion to investigate farmer's work processes and tasks, which are supported by appropriate IT systems. One evaluated and analysed the degree of IT utilization among farmers in agriculture sector and their usability and efficiency. There were presented qualitative research method such as questionnaires and depth interviews with executives and farmers in order to evaluate and analyse the current situation.

In order to have a better environment, the IT tools should be functional and efficient. It also should be available simple and cheap method of communication.

In conclusion, therefore, it is fair to say that farmers will lose focus and interest if a complex application is utilized without safely conducting better implementation and testing on the system's usability, functionality, simplicity and efficiency, then all the effort and workload will not be conducive to bettering the business. This will in the end, lead to a less success, and the value chain will face many challenges.

For future success for data communication among actors in the value chain, constant control and measuring must be maintained, while at the same time, increasing usability with new technologies may only help to improve an already satisfactory system.

http://www.maria-johnsen.com

US Agriculture Federal Grants

The US government issues agricultural grants to manufacturers and producers of agricultural commodities to aid agricultural development and improve the agricultural industry as a whole through various grant programs

Some of these include

1. Aiding producers of agricultural commodities to carry out sufficient research to aid the production and cultivation of better agricultural commodities and products. This would help in facilitating proper methods of cultivation and thereby increase agricultural yield.

2. Grants to facilitate better methods of agricultural production and thereby improve the quality of commodities resulting in an increased consumption of agricultural products.

3. Grants to improve and maintain the health of animals engaged in agricultural activities. Healthier farm animals will lead to increased agricultural activities.

4. Federal grants to maintain and conserve the wetlands, grazing lands and other farm lands that are key to the production and cultivation of agricultural commodities. Conserving such lands will also reduce environmental damage and thereby improve production

5. Grants to construct better water management facilities and irrigation plants thereby improving the overall quality of water.

6. Reduction of salt load on in the land by carrying out necessary environmental practices. This would lead to better production of agricultural commodities.

7. Improve farm income levels by stabilizing the balance between supply and demand for agricultural produce. This stabilization will lead to better national welfare and less inconsistencies.

8. Grants for establishing agricultural teaching capacities including faculty preparation, instrumentation for reading, development and selection of curriculum and materials.

9. Establishing projects and communities to meet the food and nutrition requirements of people in lower income groups and to assist in improving their general nutrition.

10. Promote national welfare and economic stability and strength in the agricultural industry by establishing strong crop insurance programs.

Source

http://www.governmentgrantmoney.info/agriculture-grants

The Importance of Agriculture

Agriculture Plays a big role in the economy of every nation that exists. Not only for the reason that it tends to feed the entire population of a country but also in the respect that agriculture correlates and interacts with all the related industries of that country. A country is usually considered to be a social and politically stable nation if it possesses a very stable agricultural basis.

A stable agricultural industry ensures a country of food security. Food security is considered to be one of the primary requirements of any nation. No nation can effectively grow with a stable agricultural base while harboring a nation of "hungry people", as these hungry people can do nothing what-so-ever towards helping develop their country. Food security prevents starvation which has traditionally been considered one of the largest problems being experienced by the small developing nations. Most countries depend upon agricultural products and related industries for their major source of income. Even the newly developing countries will find that they depend upon and can benefit greatly from their agricultural industry.

Aside from the crops and animals that are produced by the farmers who make up a country agricultural sector the agricultural field represents the main source of employment within most countries. The larger farms usually find it necessary to hire additional hands in which to successfully cultivate the lands and to take care of the related farm animals. Most of these large farms have processing plants located in nearby facilities for finalizing their agricultural products and developing the by-products. It goes without saying that these sub-industries employ considerable man-power within their operations. Most of the modern farms and agriculture-related industries make good use of today's modern equipment as well as the principles of science and technology.

The use of technologies in farming is determines by the competence of the various farmers towards coping with these advancements relating to the technologies. The country's farmers who can utilize the modern technologies involved with farming can assure a good production of their products which benefits their country as a whole. Modern farming technologies would be useless if the farmers are not competent enough to use any of the technology that they have available to them.

Most of the older industrialized cites have begun their growth primarily through the development of agriculture. These cities have done well on an agriculture basis before they fully begun to embrace the industrialization process. Most of the principles currently in use within our modern businesses have their roots stemming from the principles of agriculture. Bulk manufacturing is one of the practices that have been patterned from the seasoned harvesting often found in the area of agricultural practices. This method has saved many ancient cities from destruction during times of plague and drought. During the ancient times the countries harvested crops which were not merely used for immediate consumption but were often harvested and stored for future use. The same thing is practiced within the modern business procedures to ensure its stability.

Agriculture is usually common in rural areas which have the most arable lands, however with the modern technologies involved in farming agricultural activities are totally possible even in the urban areas. These activities can be accomplished to sustain personal or family needs or even for commercial purposes.

Can Agriculture Be Replaced by Industries?

Civilization began with agriculture, our nomadic ancestors settled once they began to grow their own food. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through growing of plants, animals and other life forms on land. As of 2006, 45 percent of the world's population is employed in agriculture. However, the relative significance of farming has dropped since the beginning of industrialization. Even though agriculture employs one-third of the world's population, agricultural produce accounts for less than 5 percent of the gross world product.

Agriculture is important for not only providing food but also for providing raw materials for other industries like textile, sugar, jute, vegetable oil and tobacco. Besides being an occupation for people, agriculture is also a way of living. Most of the world's customs and culture revolve around agriculture. A number of festivals and holidays around the world are in conjunction with reaping or harvesting or any other aspect of farming. It increases the supply of food and tax revenue to the government. "Investable surplus" is generated which further can be expanded to other industries and provides foreign exchange.

Due to the apparent abundance of food owing to technologies for growing, transporting and storage; modern day human has overlooked the fundamental dependence on agriculture. Agriculture provides nutrition which is a key determinant of health; it alleviates poverty and individual livelihood. Some other benefits are:
o Water - agricultural crops are the largest users of fresh water. Forests maintain the groundwater we draw from for our everyday uses. Husbandry affects the health of coastal waters.
o Energy - wood is a major source of fuel and energy. Modern biomass plants are fast growing in most countries. These provide clean energy and also aid economic growth.
o Health - agriculture provides nutrition to humans. We cannot live on meat, milk and poultry for more than 2 days without consuming grains or vegetables or fruits. Imagine what lack of agriculture could do to us.
o Biodiversity - ecological balances are maintained, changed or destroyed by agriculture alone. These are critical to sustaining development and health of our planet.
o Climatic changes - reduced agricultural growth adversely affects climate. Extreme events and ecological dysfunction will ultimately affect our planet and the human race.

It is a vicious cycle where environmental degradation is affecting agricultural productivity and agricultural practices are affecting the environment. To conclude agriculture, agricultural science and technology aids in reducing hunger, improving livelihood and increasing economic growth.

Indigenous and local agricultural practices need to be used along with scientific research and developments. There should be a co-ordination of international scientific programs for enhancing agriculture and agricultural produce. Policies and technologies that are conducive to sustainable use of natural resources must be shared internationally. It is imperative to alleviate hunger and look for the causes of nutritional insecurity and degraded natural resources. Productivity of crops, livestock and fisheries need to increased in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner which is acceptable to both the farmers as well as the consumers. Agriculture is an important aspect of every society for its social, economic and environmental growth.

Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences.

Source

http://www.whyisagricultureimportant.com/