Magodi project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Magodi project - Essay Example .higher level of employees involve more in mental calculation while physical jobs are take up by lower level workers. The objective of the work is a key element and should be given utmost importance. It is the most important planning aid which assists an organization in achieving success. An objective has more importance than a goal and a manager should be keen on this aspect. Operational need is also an important aspect to be considered before a certain job or work plan is drawn into action. This concentrate on different activities to be carried out to make the plan successful. The resources needed to fulfill a particular work are materialized and plans are made to put them in practice. Efficiency of the worker and the plan has a great role to play. The machines and equipments involved in the work should be of high quality so that minimal energy is consumed with high out put. Workers have to be efficient in their field of activity. A good organization of the activities will ensure more efficiency in the working plans. The plans should be studied intensively and negative and positive activities have to thoroughly check before implication. Time has to be utilized well and there should be good quality of communication between all people involved in the work plan. Cost factor is a major element to be given utmost importance. The plan should be economical and should not impose great financial burden on the firm. A proper estimation has to conduct in order to find the costs involved and their respective outcome. Cost refers to the value of the resource spend on particular activities involved in the business. Cost involved in the process of work should be studied with the aid of professionals and estimation should be created. â€Å"Cost-effectiveness values are a useful tool for comparing the relative merits of Consultation is to be done before initiating any plan or work. The appropriate professionals have to approach to take valuable advice and

Why Golf Is a Sport Essay Example for Free

Why Golf Is a Sport Essay A matter of opinion has separated a variety of sports enthusiasts apart, due to the ongoing debate of whether golf is a sport or simply a skill. Famed golfer Arnold Palmer declared, â€Å"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented. (ThinkQuest. com)† These words state what every athlete experiences and feels when he/she is turning a double play, making the game winning three point shot, or throwing a hail mary pass for a touchdown. Golfers are athletes too, they train for that big moment just like any other athlete, but they do it individually and gain the glory for themselves. Golf has increasingly become known not as a sport, but as a skill, which is a huge misconception that I intend to set the facts straight. The definition of a sport is narrowly defined, and to one its own opinion, but Golf is a competition just like every other sport, winning is its pinnacle. Golf requires the number one characteristic that is vital to all sports – hand-eye coordination. These men and women use their athletic ability to reach the top of their game. Golf takes sports to a different level and is played on its own terms. To each his own opinion, but why has the definition of â€Å"a sport† being termed as so narrowly? The NCAA defines a sport as: An institutional activity involving physical exertion with the purpose of competition versus other teams or individuals within a collegiate competition structure. Furthermore, sport includes regularly scheduled team and/or individual, head-to-head competition (at least five) within a defined competitive season(s); and standardized rules with rating/scoring systems ratified by official regulatory agencies and governing bodies. Baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and even golf display these qualities of what is defined as a sport. There has been a considerable amount of people who tend to disclose golf as a sport, only a skill or activity. Yet, many people object the physical exertion aspect with golf, that it does not require any. These objectors who say golf should not be included in that defined group are ignorant to athletics and its regulations. My definition of a sport is a competition that involves athletes who play to win within a certain structure of rules and regulations. Anyone can be an athlete; they do not have to be good to play a sport, as long as they try with some effort. A sport requires certain qualities of an individual too that it can not be without. Hand-eye coordination is vital to every sport out there. A basketball player has to shoot the ball into the hoop, a football player has to throw the ball to an open receiver, a baseball player has to swing a bat to hit a 95 mile per hour fastball, and golfers have to swing their club and hit a tiny ball a couple hundred yards. It is the number one aspect that is required in all sports. Although it is common to associate sports with many other qualities. The â€Å"manly† qualities of other sports such as cheerleaders and fights usually are not included in golf, some figure because it is missing these qualities, that it should not even be considered a sport. â€Å"Cheerleaders are important to sports. They keep the crowd excited; they keep the participants enthused about winning; and they give you something else to look at when the action on the field of play grinds to a halt. With golf theres not a lot of action to begin with. (Irvin)† Although golf is missing the appendages that invigorate other sports with such audacity, the onlookers respect their golfers need for silence and concentration. It is a sport which requires a massive amount of concentration, just like any other sport. Irvin states his idea that cheerleaders are important to sports, when in fact; cheerleading has nothing to do at all with the style of play. He is right that they keep the crowd excited, but that is the only reason why they are there, they do not play, they yell and dance. It makes me wonder why one would think that Golf needs to have cheerleaders to keep the crowd excited when the golfers need a massive amount of concentration. Yet regular sports fans forget that each sport is different, and that is what makes them stand out and appeal to others. Golf does not appeal to some, but a lot of people play the sport religiously, reason being – one does not have to be the typical in shape athlete that most are. Golfers are athletes too, and train to be good ones. Swinging a club and hitting a ball three hundred plus yards requires muscle strength in the torso and upper body. Golfers are just the kind of athletes who do not need to negotiate long-term big money contracts, and scratch themselves while being interviewed after play is over (Lowe). Golf is not a team sport either; it is an individual sport and the glory is captured for them, and they take pride and honor after an amazing feat as any athlete would. The honor and competitiveness of this sport has trickled down to the much supportive fan base. After exposing the truths and presenting evidence about one of the greatest sports ever to be played, we can no longer dispute golf as just a skill or activity, but declare Golf a real sport. It is important to sports enthusiasts everywhere that they have to look beyond the typical definition of a sport and expand their minds. Golfers are athletes too, playing for the top prize every time they step onto the course. Golf is gaining popularity by the second, no longer can it be said to be â€Å"not a real sport†. Golf justifies what every sport should be, the way it is played, the professional maturity that every golfer shows, and competition. Merriam Webster defines a sport as 1): physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2): a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in. Golf qualifies as a sport according to this definition and until it is changed, it will remain one of the legendary sports to play.

Comparison of Chicken Feed Effects on Development

Comparison of Chicken Feed Effects on Development All six significant domesticated agricultural animals today chicken, cow, goat, horse, pig and sheep had been domesticated in Eurasia by 5000 BP. (Thompson, 2002) The earliest evidence of domestication of chickens relies on interpretation of archaeological discoveries of bones and artefacts. (Crawford, 2003) Archaeological discoveries in China indicate that chickens had been domesticated by 5400 B.C. (Crawford, 2003) People of Cishan Culture (Neolithic Yellow River culture in northern China) had chickens then, but it is not known whether these birds made much contribution to modern domestic fowl. (Crawford, 2003) The jungle fowl (G. gallus), has without a doubt been a major contributor to domestic fowl (Crawford, 2003). The chicken (Gallus, gallus or Gallus domesticus) is generally considered to have evolved from the jungle fowl (G. gallus). (Kennth Kriemhild, 2000) The jungle fowl (G. gallus) ranges throughout the area between eastern India and Java. (Kennth Kriemhild, 2000) There are four key steps to domesticating poultry which were that in early stages of domestication poultry had to forage on their own. (Crawford, 2003) They had to be able to reproduce in captivity (Crawford 2003) the ability to imprint was important in initial taming. (Crawford 2003) and the species had to have a social order that allowed the keeping of large numbers of individuals. (Crawford, 2003) The main role of chickens now is to produce eggs and meet for the market. In 2004/2005 the gross value of production in Australia for the chicken meat and egg industries was estimated at approximately $1.3 billion. (Department of Primary Industries, 2008) Poultry meat is now the most consumed meat in Australia. . (Department of Primary Industries, 2008) Although chickens are strongly associated with egg production, they also have very different associations. (Kennth Kriemhild, 2000) In much of Southeast and East Asia they have been bred both for fighting and as a decoration. (Kennth Kriemhild, 2000) There are four different types of poultry enterprises: broilers (production of chicken for meat), layers (birds producing table eggs), rearing farms (production of point of lay pullets) and breeder farms. (Department of Primary Industries, 2008) The layout of the shed and type of housing differs between the types of poultry operation. (Department of Primary Industries, 2008) The aims of this experiment are to monitor and assess the development of chickens on different feeds using a feed conversion ratio, and to observe and describe their physical and behavioural development over time. On appointed days chickens were to be fed and given water on a daily basis. Excess foods were weighed and recorded so ratios could be calculated and obtained. Chickens were weighed on a weekly basis, on Wednesdays, so that the calculation of growth rate could be put monitored and observed. Along with this observations were made of chickens on various days, if not everyday for behavioural studying purposes. It was hypothesised that chickens fed on broiler feed would have a greater weight gain than chickens fed on layer feed over the 5 week period. METHODS The chickens were obtained from a poultry farm known officially as Wagners Poultry Enterprises. The chickens given were White Leghorn cross New Hampshire at the age of one or two days old. The chickens were divided into groups of six and student groups of approximately sixteen students were assigned to one group of chickens each. Chickens were placed in pens and in turn students were assigned to the pens where the chickens were kept through out the five week duration. The chickens pens located at La Trobe Universitys Agricultural Reserved housed a total of twelve chicken pens. The type of feed given to the chickens was decided by the group number the pen was given. Groups assigned to even number pens were to feed their chickens broiler feed, brand named Brastoc Turkey and Meat Chicken Starter, and odd numbered pens were to feed their chickens layer feed, Barastoc Pullet Starter. The pens were isolated, self-contained and about 1 x 1 x 2 m in size. The floor of the pens was concrete which was covered in black lining and contained a sawdust base. The top of the pen had a plastic mesh over it to prevent escape. The chickens were provided with heat lamps, feeders and water dispensers all attached to a chain and hooked to a pole above the mesh. The feeders and water dispensers along with the heat lamps were adjusted in accordance with the chickens age. Observations were carried out as much as possible, sometimes even twice in the one day, but generally all days except Tuesday was observed in accordance with the students university timetable and their availability. The duration of the observations under went intervals of fifteen minutes, where all aspects of behaviour and development were documented. Observations were done under the least amount of outside influence as possible, in respect to this only two students were allowed in the shed where the chicken pens were being kept and students were encouraged to keep noise to a minimum. As the weeks went on chickens behaviour that was recorded included those such as grooming, resting, drinking, interacting, alarming, ambulatory and aggressive. Above all the behavioural and developing attributes the hierarchy if any of chicken formation was also documented. All observations were recorded and documented into a plain exercise book by each student of the group, with clear indication of whom the observations were done by. Chickens were feed every second day, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with enough food given on each day to last the chickens for days not fed and on Fridays for the weekend. Initially a total of 240g were placed in the feed dispensers to accommodate the 20g required for each individual chicken and to compensate for the day the chickens would not be fed. The amount given to the chickens on feeding days was adjusted to accommodate for their growth further along in the project. Along with accommodating for the size of chickens the amount of feed to be given to chickens in further weeks was also based upon amount of feed offered and refused, all of which was weighed and kept a record of. Food was weighed on an electric scale in a container provided. The amount of food given and refused was always recorded on a sheet given to us indicating the date and feed given and refused. The sheet was stored along with our observation book, hooked onto a nail on the outside of the allocated chicken pen. Chickens were checked on a daily basis and were given fresh water daily if needed, except for weekends, providing the chickens with fresh drinking water. Replenishment of water was recorded alongside on the same sheet of paper where the feed record was being kept. Table 1. A timetable showing jobs carried out each day over the 5 week period Monday Feed, water check and observations Tuesday Water and chicken check Wednesday Feeding, weighing, water check and observations Thursday Observation, chicken and water check Friday Food, water and observation RESULTS Table 2. Composition of feeds Composition:Â  Crude Protein (minimum) (%) Layer feed:Â  19.5 Broiler feed:Â  22 Composition:Â  Crude Fat (minimum) (%) Layer feed:Â  2.5 Broiler feed:Â  2.5 Composition:Â  Crude Fibre (minimum) (%) Layer feed:Â  6 Broiler feed:Â  5 Composition:Â  Salt (maximum added) (%) Layer feed:Â  0.3 Broiler feed:Â  0.3 Composition:Â  Copper (added) (mg/kg) Layer feed:Â  0.8 Broiler feed:Â  8 Composition:Â  Selenium (added) (mg/kg) Layer feed:Â  0.1 Broiler feed:Â  0.3 Composition:Â  Calcium (minimum) (%) Layer feed:Â  1 Broiler feed:Â  1 Table 2. Shows that layer and broiler feed had the same amount of crude fat, salt and calcium. Broiler feed has more crude protein, copper and selenium than layer feed, whereas Layer feed has more crude fibre than broiler feed. DISCUSSION The results support the hypothesis that chickens fed on broiler feed would have a greater weight gain than chickens fed on layer feed over the 5 week period, as table 3 and figure. 1 show that chickens fed broiler feed had a higher average weight gain then chickens fed on layer feed. The aims of this experiment to monitor and assess the development of chickens were carried out over the five weeks and observations were made describing their physical and behavioural development over time. The experiment was carried out on chickens with different feeds and a feed conversion ratio was calculated. We also provided the chickens with clean drinking water, sufficient food amounts of food according to their age and feed refusal and a suitable environment in which they could grow and develop certain behaviours. The broiler chickens had a higher growth rate, as shown by table 3 and fig. 1. By the end of the 5 weeks, the broiler chickens reached a live-weight of 467 ÂÂ ± 58 where as chickens who consumed the layer feed for the duration of the experiment reached a live-weight of 429 ÂÂ ± 61. The difference between the growth rates of the broiler and layer chickens is closely related to live-weight. Through out the process, beginning in week one, chickens being fed broiler as opposed to layer maintained a higher growth ratio and remained heavier that the chickens being fed the layer product. In respect to this broiler chickens are capable of higher growth rates and greater weight gain than layer chickens. In the poultry industry, broiler chickens are selected for their carcass processing characteristics and meat density, whereas layer chickens are genetically bred to achieve smaller body weights than those of the broilers (Department of Primary Industries, 2009). Another factor of the growth and weight gain in chickens could also be the composition of the feeds. As seen in table 2 the broiler feed contained 2.5% more crude protein, 7.2 mg/kg more copper and 0.2 mg/kg more selenium than the layer feed. All these factors couldve influenced the growth in chickens and could be why chickens fed broiler feed would gain more live-weight as well as maintain a higher growth ratio. The increase in growth rate found within broiler chickens has been found to be linked to an increase in the deposit of fats and the use of energy. (Geraert et al 2006) All ingredients fond within the chickens feed contributes some part to their growth and weight gain. Coppers influence on health and growth within a chicken is present as the antimicrobial properties found within Cooper help to improve an animals performance such as; increase growth in poultry, improved growth rate, feed intake and feed efficiency (Forbes Shariamatdari 1993). Crude protein also influences the diet energy of a chicken when they are still young (Hayashi et al 2000) as well as their metabolic ability. (Hayashi et al 2000) From the experiment as show in table 4, it shown that broiler chickens have a slightly better feed conversion ratio of 1.5 ÂÂ ± 0.129 g but also maintain a higher feed intake 3889 ÂÂ ± 534 g than that of layer chickens, whose feed conversion ratio is similar to that of the broiler chickens at 1.52 ÂÂ ± 0.051 g and less of a feed intake at 3549 ÂÂ ± 247 g. Calcium levels also differ between that of the layer and broiler feeds. Layer feed has 0.5% more calcium than broiler feed. Calcium ratio plays a vital role in the quality of an egg produced, (Department of Primary Industries) As the chickens grew and developed more, so too did their behavioural characteristics. To begin with the chicks were hardly active at all being under the heated lamp majority of the time, however after a fortnight the chickens activity level was significantly higher, showing signs of flapping wings and a lot more running around within the pen. This behaviour of flapping of the wings is a mechanism known as break used by chickens. (Rogers 2006) Within the second week it was observed that chickens were preening one another, this type of behaviour was commenced whilst the chickens were flocked together in a group always near a wall. Preening aids in the removal of lice and is done using the beak (Gush 2006). As the chickens progressed with age in the 4th week a lot of the time was spent sitting perched up above the food and water dispensers. This type of behaviour is normal and is to be expected after four weeks of age. (Rogers 2006) Through out the five week period and supported by table 6 interactions was the most common behaviour during the experiment. Among these interactions were behaviours such as pecking and scratching, which were major contributors to the interaction database. The behavioural interaction of pecking and scratching are present during all ages of a chicken (Rogers 2006) and are the major ways in which chickens interact and assimilate with their surroundings. (Gush 2006) Through out the 5 week period no formal hierarchical establishment appeared to be present. However there was the mild sign of aggression where chickens would kick at each other within the third week but this type of behaviour was rare and unseen after later dates. A hierarchy within chickens is not formed up until about the sixth week or onwards within domestic chickens (Rogers 2006) and thus no aggressive behaviour was present either as aggression is derived from the sequence of the hierarchy. (Rogers 2006) It was found that roosters were among the chickens which were handed out to us. Roosters in general like male and female humans tend to be heavier than that of their female counter. The inclusion of roosters within the results could be erroneous to the over all weight gain results. This experiment could be improved by regulating the gender of the two strains of chickens being introduced to the artificial environment thus giving more accurate and reliable end results and will nullify the problem of genetic variability.

Invincible :: essays research papers

Invincible   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the age of ten, most boys either scrape their knees playing kickball or break their wrists playing football. I had it a little worse than most, I died, twice. I can remember that terrible day, when I was riding my bike down my street, and I was having a grand time going up people's driveways and speeding back down. It was a warm summer's day around noontime, and I was on my way home for lunch. I was alone, and I was no more than a mile from my house. I went up this very steep driveway and began to turn around to get that omnipresent rush of going so fast down a hill that I felt like I was flying. I opened my eyes to see a car pulling up the driveway just ahead of me. I jammed on my handlebar brakes, but it was too late, and before I could do anything, I was actually flying through the air. I landed on my head, and to this day I don't remember what happened after my collision with that very inhospitable surface known as the road. I awoke to several nurses rushing around me and a doctor asking me what day it was. It was a few days later, and I had the worst headache and an upset stomach. It turned out that I had given myself a severe concussion, and I was in a comatose state for several hours and had to be revived from death twice. I was now paying for my adolescent stupidity as I threw up for what seemed like hours. I was vomiting profusely like this because of the beating my brain took from its impact with the road. A few days after the accident, I was reunited with what used to be my shiny, new, midnight blue Huffy BMX bike. The front tire was flat, and the rim was bent up beyond repair. My seat was bent back and would probably take a machine to fix. In essence, my new bike was â€Å"totaled.† When I was feeling a little better, I learned that an elderly man was the first one to my side as he drove by my accident, and he had called the ambulance. He wasn't even the person who had been turning up the driveway and had hit me. That person had taken off, and to my knowledge, was probably just turning around at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Afghan-war prisoners Essay

Some insurgents’ failed attempt on an US military convoy was provocation enough for them to gun down 16 civilians, leaving another 25 severely wounded. The groups – dead and alive, contained woman and children. It is an event of March 4, 2007, took place in Iraq, on the Jalalabad highway in eastern Nangarhar province. The day next US army again responded the terrorist attack by 2000-pound aerial bombing in the civilian area, killing five women and three children. This happened at the Kapisa outpost. These are regular features in Iraq; between January 2006 till date, more than thousands of civilians were killed by US attack. Back home, US authorities are no less active under the ‘anti-terrorism’ movement. Ahmed Alenany, an Egyptian physician, was picked up from the road of New York City and was detained for five months, charged with overstaying, in spite of his valid ground of filing for its extension well before the expiry. His fault was that the police found two pictures of WTO in his car and he held a roadmap when arrested. That was one bubble on the sea. The United States securely took away 650 Afghan-war prisoners to their military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they are reportedly passing their days in small single-person cells. India: On July 2005, four Kashmiri youths went to attend a wedding in Vilgam, Kupwara, and while out in the open at night for smoking away from the disapproving adults, three of them were gunned down by the Indian army all on a sudden. Later army admitted its mistake and wanted to compensate, though there was enough effort to suppress this news. India is also experiencing zero tolerance in counter-terrorism, especially after the militant attack on its parliament on December, 2001. They have even created a special law, â€Å"POTA† , which is capable of detaining anyone under the slightest suspicion on any ground of terrorism, that would later arrest 131 Muslims for the Godhra carnage of Hindus in 2002, who later retaliated with the killings of 2000 Muslims throughout the Gujrat state, were mostly able to slip past this law. China: Charged for â€Å"crimes of terror† and â€Å"incitement to separatism†, the popular religious leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was arrested in Sichuan on a night in December 2002 and sentenced to death. He was linked to the series of bombings. Same fate met his co-defendant Lobsang Dhondup, even quicker as he was executed. Now the open secret was that the authorities were up against his activities all the time, as he was a known supporter of the Dalai Lama. Egypt: This country has a track record of arresting hundreds of people either for their proximity to the Muslims, or for possessing â€Å"suspicious† literature. In a known case, 94 such victims, allegedly belonging to an â€Å"Islamic Group† though none heard about its name), were arrested in May, 2001. It was before the September 11 attack and after the attack, they were charged additionally for plotting to kill the government officials! The hapless victims belong to almost all rank and file – Doctors, engineers, professors, to name a few. They were dragged into the military courts whose norms, understandably conform to the trial standards set internationally. Accordingly, 51 were convicted! Georgia: Armed by the US support Georgian authorities have targeted the Chechens at Pankisi Gorge, a place which Russia also labelled as a â€Å"haven for the terrorists†. Here the governmental approach to the human rights violations is indicative of non-caring, as it is echoed by the words of its President Eduard Shevarnadze, who, right after extraditing five Chechens to Russia (October 5, 2002) without holding any court, said, â€Å"International human rights commitments might become pale in comparison with the importance of the anti-terrorist campaign†

Agricultural Mechanizasion as a Solution to Food Insecurity in Africa Essay

Achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge for ever increasing population of Africa. A approaches are employed in developing countries but with less success due to a number of factors . this paper examines the causes of food insecurity in African. Scanning through researchers works ,it was noted that over seventy percent of the food insecure population in africa live in the rural areas. The paper therefore recommends that, if the ever increasing population of the african countries is to be fed, then mechanization of all agricultural operations should be embrace. In conclusion, efforts to words the development of the rural communities in Africa should be increased. Key words: agriculture, mechanization, food security, Africa, rural development. Introduction : Agriculture is the practices of cultivating the soil and raising livestock to produce plant and animals useful to humans and sometimes animals {S. N, Asogwu and O. A Asogwu,2007}, Agriculture is an important occupation in Nigeria with over 7o% of her population depending on it directly for livelihood. It provides the bulk of employment, income and food for the rapidly growing population as well as supplying raw materials for agro-based industries. World current agricultural production as an average growth rate of 1. 8% as compared to the 3% in the 1960s and therefore at a lesser pace than the demographic growth. The world bank has shown that in sub-saharan Africa (to which Nigeria belongs)the annual food increase needs to reach 4%, i. e. more than double the current figure in order to achieve food security. She suggested that this can be reached through a significant progress in plant and animal breeding that plays a key role in the development of the agricultural sector as well as a significant impact using appropriate farm mechanization {Pawlat et al , 2002}. Due to number of factors, which include rising population, increasing pressure on land resources, natural and man-made disasters such as drought, desertification, soil erosion and degradation (Raoult-Wack and Bricas, 001), the problem of sustainable agricultural production in Nigeria has assumed greater importance than ever before. Agricultural development involves three approaches namely bio-chemical, socio-economic, and engineering known as the trio of technologies (Mrema and Odigboh, 1993). The bio-chemical approach includes the development of improved animal and plant species, animal and plant nutrients (fertilizer and feed) and plant and animal protection (veterinary drugs, pesticides and herbicides). The socio-economic approach includes financial packages and management programmes (economic, business management, accounting, sociology, extension services, agricultural machines and equipment (be they human, animal or mechanically powered) for production and post harvest systems handling and storage systems and farm structures, erosion control measures, water resources development as well as irrigation and drainage structures, meteorological systems, and the technologies for optimally utilizing the above and their proper and economic use and management. Ani and Onwuala, 2002; Ampratwum et al, 2004; Onwuala and Pawa, 2004). Agricultural mechanization implies the use of various power sources and improved farm tools and equipment, with a view to reduce drudgery of the human beings and draught animals, enhance the cropping intensity, precision and timeliness of efficiency of utilization of various crop inputs and reduce the losses at different stages of crop production. The end objective of farm mechanization is to enhance the overall productivity and production with the lowest cost of production. The contribution of agricultural mechanization has been well recognized in enhancing the production together with irrigation, biological and chemical inputs of high yielding seed varieties, fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical energy. Different researchers have concluded that farm mechanization enhances the production and productivity of different crops due to timeliness of operation, better quality of operations and precision in the application of the inputs. According to NCAER (1980) survey covering 815 farming households in 85 villages, the increase was 72 percent in the case of sorghum, and 7 percent in the case of cotton as compared to traditional bullock farms. ITES, Madras (1975) found that the productivity increase on tractor owning and hiring farm ranged between 4. 1 and 54. 8 percent. The percent increase was comparatively low on custom hiring farms as compared to tractor-owning farms due to higher level of inputs and better control on timeliness of operations. These productivity increases, thus, were attributed to higher doses of fertilizer, irrigation and mechanization. Degree of mechanization is the ration of machine or technological work input to total work input (machine plus manual) into agricultural production. The importance of food security to any nation cannot be over emphasized. The issue of food security became prominent in the 1970s and had been given considerable attention since then. The World Food Programme Report in 1979 conceptualized food security, equating it with an â€Å"assurance of supplies and a balanced supply-demand situation of staple foods in the international market†. The report also emphasized that increasing food production in the developing countries is a panacea to food security. The concept of food security proposes that food is available, accessible and affordable, when and where needed in sufficient quantity and that this state of affair will continue and be sustained (Agboola, P. O. , 2002). It is a situation in which sufficient food us available at all times in the right quantity and quality, at affordable process. To accomplish this, we must have a production system that produces enough food in the short run, sustainable in the long run and does not place undue risks on agricultural producers and must respond rapidly to disruptions in the food supply due to disease epidemics, natural disasters, civil disturbances, environmental imbalances and other cause (Agboola P. O. 2002). With these objectives in mind, various efforts at the international, national and local levels had been put in place at one point in time or another to boost agricultural production to make food available to the teaming population and the ever-increasing world population. The world population. The world population explosion witnessed as at the end of 1999, further increased the fear of those concerned about world food security. During this period, the global population exceeded 6 billion. Leisinger, (2002), stated that never before in human history had the population of the earth been as great as it is today, and never before had it grown so rapidly within one century. He stated further that the doubling of world population over the past 40years had put enormous pressure on the natural systems that support all life on Earth. This pressure on natural resources also increased the burden of assuring food security for the entire world’s people international Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI, 2001) stated in one of her reports, that about 73 millions people would be added to world’s population every year between 1995 and 2010 increasing it by 32 percent to reach 7. 5 billion. However, much of this population growth is expected to occur in the developing world. If this prediction is to go by, then the food security situation of the developing world needs constant assessment via empirical research. Joachim et depal (2004), wrote that these was a strong direct relationship between agricultural productivity, hunger and poverty. He stated further that three quarter of the world’s poor people lived in rural areas and made their living from agriculture. He therefore, concluded that the higher the proportion of the rural population that obtained its benefits from subsistence farming (without the benefit of pro poor technologies and access to markets) the higher the incidence of food insecurity. Challenges to Food Security in Africa The root cause of food insecurity in developing countries is the inability of people to gain access to food due to poverty. While the rest of the world has made significant progress towards poverty alleviation, Africa, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa, continues to lag behind. Projections show that there will be an increase in this tendency unless preventive measures are taken. Many factors have contributed to this tendency including the high prevalence of HIV/AID; civil war, strive and poor governance; frequent drought and famine; and agricultural dependency on the climate and environment. Food security on the continent has worsened since 1970 and the proportion of the malnourished population has remained within the 33 and 35 percent range in Sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of malnutrition within the continent varies by region. It is lowest in Northern Africa (4 percent) and highest in Central Africa (40 percent) Over seventy percent of the food insecure population in Africa lives in the rural areas. Figure 1 shows the distribution of food insecurity in Africa. Ironically, smallholder farmers, the producers of over 90 percent of the continent’s food supply, make up the majority (50 percent) of this population. The rest of the food insecure population consists of the landless poor in rural areas (30 percent) and the urban poor. Throughout the developing world, agriculture accounts for around 9 percent of the GDP and more than half of total employment. In countries where more than 34 percent of the population is undernourished, agriculture represents 30 percent of GDP and nearly 70 percent of population relies on agriculture for their livelihood. This fact has in the past been used in support of the argument as to why developing countries should move away from agriculture and invest in technology. Because over 70 percent of the poor live in rural areas, where also the largest proportion of the food insecure live, it is evident that ;we cannot significantly and sustainably reduce food insecurity without transforming the living conditions in these areas. The key lies in increasing the agricultural profitability of smallholder farmers and creating rural off-farm employment opportunities. The objective of this paper is to h8ighlight the challenges to food security in Africa while providing alternative solutions to the problem that would not only allow for poverty alleviation but also wealth creation. While the focus of this paper is in alleviating food insecurity in the rural areas, effort has been made to address the plight of the urban poor.

The Challenger Tragedy Essays - Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

The Challenger Tragedy Essays - Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster The Challenger Tragedy Introduction to the Accident It was a clear sunny day at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a temperature of 36 degrees which was 15 degrees cooler than NASA has ever sent a shuttle to space. Aboard the space shuttle was a civilian school teacher which made the Challenger such a publicized event. After being delayed five times from bad weather the Challenger was schueled to be launched at 11:38 AM Eastern Standard time on January 28, 1986. Seventy-three seconds after leaving the launch pad 39B the Challenger would explode. The Challenger Tragedy The problems started .6 seconds after ignition. With the temperature at 15 degrees below the NASA experience mark, a black smoke started to come out of the bottom field joint of the right SRB. The black smoke was the O-Rings and the joint insulation being burned. The smoke averaged at about three puffs per second. Then the last puff of smoke was seen was at 2.7 seconds which was an indication that the field joint was not sealed correctly. The arrow points to the black smoke. The second problem was at forty-five seconds when three bright flashes were seen on the Challenger's wings. Each flash lasted approximately one thirteenth of a second. When the film was enhanced it is clearly visible that the flashes were coming from the right SRB. The three hundred and five degree flame was coming from the aft center of the aft joint of the SRB. The flame was the gas burning that was coming out of the SRB. At fifty nine point three seconds the flame was clearly visible with the naked eye. As the flame increased in size, the flame had begun to push against the external tank by the rushing air around the orbiter. This made the struts that held on the SRB very weak because of the heat. Sixty four point seven seconds was the first sight that the flame was hitting the external tank. The color of the flame changed. The flame color change indicated that the flame was mixing with the hydrogen substance that the external contained. The top tanks we re oxygen and the bottom was hydrogen. The flame also indicated that there was a leak in the hydrogen portion of the external tank. A small glowing light appeared between the external tank and the Challenger's black tiles forty-five milliseconds after the color change. The small orange glowing light is visible. When the clock was at 72 seconds there was a sudden chain of events that destroyed Challenger and the seven crew members on board. All of these events happened in less than two seconds. By now the lower strut, that connected the right SRB to the External Tank was very hot and very weak. With the amount of force given by the SRB, the lower strut broke off and away from both the right SRB and the External Tank. Which allowed the right SRB to rotate freely around the top struts. The SRB was out of control, the bottom of the SRB swung around hitting, burning and denting Challenger's wing. At 73.12 seconds into flight a white vapor was seen from the bottom corner of the right SRB. The External Tank was weak because of the intense heat which the flame had produced. The dome structure under the External Tank failed and fell. The hydrogen inside the external tank acquired a hole and started to release liquid hydrogen contents. Since the hydrogen was out of it's tank the tank shot forward hitting the oxygen tank which also burst. The white vapor seen was the hydrogen and the oxygen mixing. Milliseconds after the white vapor was seen there was an explosion. The challenger was traveling at the speed of Mach 1.92 and at 46,000 when the hydrogen and oxygen exploded. Before the challenger exploded there was a cloud of gray smoke that engulfed the challenger which grew larger but under the gray cloud there was a red smoke which was the control system burning from the wreckage of the challenger . All sorts of debris was falling off of the challenger towards the ocean. Both of the SRB's flew off of the challenger in opposite directions. The