Three main factors that contribute to agricultural growth are
the increased use of agricultural inputs, technological change and
technical efficiency. Technological change is the result of research and
development efforts, while technical efficiency with which new
technology is adopted and used more rationally is affected by the flow
of information, better infrastructure, availability of funds and
farmers’ managerial capabilities. Higher use and better mix of inputs
also requires funds at the disposal of farmers. These funds could come
either from farmers’ own savings or through borrowings. In less
developed countries like Pakistan where savings are negligible
especially among the small farmers, agricultural credit appears to be an
essential input along with modern technology for higher productivity.
Credit requirements of the farming sector have increased rapidly over
the past few decades resulting from the rise in use of fertiliser,
biocides, improved seeds and mechanisation, and hike in their prices.
The agricultural credit system of Pakistan consists of informal and
formal sources of credit supply. The informal sources include friends,
relatives, commission agents, traders and private moneylenders etc.
Presently, the formal credit sources are comprised of financial
institutions like Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL)—formerly known as
Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP), Commercial Banks, and
Federal Bank for Cooperatives. Recently, some non-government
organisations (NGOs) are also advancing agricultural credit to the rural
communities.
In this study, the changes in enzyme activities, total polyphenols, phenolic profile, and physicochemical properties from thermally (25–75 °C) and high-pressure carbon dioxide (HP-CO2) (25–65 °C/20 MPa)-treated apple juice were investigated. The HP-CO2 exhibited complete inactivation of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) at 65 °C, whereas PPO was still active at 75 °C under thermal processing (TP). Similarly, the relative activity of peroxidase (POD) significantly decreased by 71% at 65 °C under HP-CO2 processing, whereas TP was less effective. HP-CO2 and TP treatments at 65 °C reduced the browning degree (BD) value to 0.47 and 0.89, respectively. Thus, HP-CO2 inhibits the browning reactions caused by PPO and POD enzymes at each operating temperature. The concentration of epicatechin and catechin increased significantly with increasing temperature above 45 °C in TP-treated juices. HP-CO2 treatment increased the same phenolic compounds at 35 °C and 9 MPa, whereas high-temperature and -pressure conditions caused insignificant changes in concentration of epicatechin and catechin. Changes in others phenolic compounds were insignificant under TP and HP-CO2 treatment. Overall, HP-CO2 is a promising technology to get high-quality juices with lower enzyme activity.
Far-reaching changes in the domestic and global markets are crafting big avenues for farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs. This study examines the agriculture entrepreneurship and farmers’ performance in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A survey was conducted to collect primary data from three agricultural zones adjacent to the under-construction CPEC in Pakistan. According to the results, market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, innovation orientation, and opportunity recognition positively influence agriculture entrepreneurship thereby facilitating timely distribution of food commodities in ensuring food security. Our findings also indicate that uptake of entrepreneurship complements farmers’ marketing, operational and economic performance. These findings do imply that improving farmers’ entrepreneurial skills is the essential element for their improved performance in terms of locating potential markets and timely delivery of primary commodities, such as food items. It suggests that farmers might seek enormous economic opportunities arising from improved infrastructure, output linkages, connectivity and access to global markets through the CPEC. Based on the findings, the study provides implications for policymakers to channelize the potential endeavors for facilitating the farmers’ access to new markets and getting the foremost advantage of Belt and Road Initiative. The study also extends the existing literature on agriculture entrepreneurship-opportunity recognition and access to new markets in a befitting manner.
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