Agricultural Changes in Pakistan: An In-Depth Analysis of Agricultural Policies Comparing Military and Civil Governments (1971-1989)
Agriculture is the life line of Pakistan. It plays a major role in contribution for the GDP. Pakistan has seen a lot of change in government policies from its advent. Agriculture is the most important economic sector of Pakistan. In this paper it was analyzed the agricultural policies of Zia-ul-Haq and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. This comparison was in order to critically analyze the military and civil governments for their contribution to Pakistan and its future. This paper is a pure Qualitative research on route of exploration. In addition to exploratory, this study also used ethnographic, explanatory, descriptive and historical methods to gain contextually grounded insights into functioning of Pakistan’s agricultural policies. It was found that mostly the rulers of Pakistan emphasized upon extending their rules and for this extension they used every negative means. Instead of being remembered in the history for their high-end results and futuristic approach they controlled the masses by un-achievable promises and vague goals. If the previous rulers would have done something good for the economy of Pakistan after 1971, there would have been quiet a boom in the economy and the economic and energy crisis we are facing now wouldn’t have been our fate. Key w ords : Agricultural Policies, Economic Impact, Military regimes, Civil Regimes
Current status and overview of farm mechanization in Pakistan – A review
Economic growth in Pakistani agricultural sector lags behind growth in industry and services, creating an ever widening rural-urban income fissure.  Agricultural mechanization plays a strategic role in improving agricultural production and productivity in developing countries. The average farm size in Pakistan is small (2.5 acres) and small and marginal land holdings (less than 2.0 ha) account for 85% of land holdings.  Mechanizing small and non-contiguous group of small farms is against ‘economies of scale’ for individual ownership of farm machinery. It was observed that there was a direct correlation between farm power availability and productivity during the past six decades. Being an agrarian country, mechanization can be called as back bone of Pakistan’s economy as it optimizes the use of biological, chemical and hydrological inputs.  So far, Pakistan has only experienced selective farm mechanization as this concept has remained limited to use of tractors only and at the country level, the temporal analysis shows that an increase in tractor population from 1975 -1984 was about 341% while it was 61% from 1984-1994.  At present there are about 0.94 million tractors in Pakistan, which alone provides 0.84 hp/acre.  Land preparation is the only operation that is nearly 100% mechanized in the country for almost all crops with 901 thousand chisel plough and 108 thousand Mould board ploughs.  The market of planting and spraying machinery has grown from 70 and 21 thousands in 2004 to 295 and 1438 thousands in 2014 respectively due to the inclination of the farming community towards mechanized sowing and spraying.  The thrasher’s market in Pakistan is estimated at 20,000-30,000 units annually by sales resulting in nearly 100% mechanized threshing operation for cereal crops. By increasing the available horse power per hectare and by the proper management of agricultural machinery the average crop yield can be enhanced.
Effects of diet on urine composition of cats with calcium oxalate urolithiasis.
Ten client-owned cats with calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolithiasis were evaluated to determine the effect of diet on urine CaOx saturation. Two dietary treatments were evaluated in each cat: the diet consumed just prior to urolith detection and a canned diet formulated to prevent CaOx uroliths. This study revealed that hypercalciuria is a consistent abnormality in cats with CaOx urolith formation. When urolith-forming cats consumed a diet formulated to prevent urolith formation, activity product ratios for CaOx (which estimate the degree to which urine is saturated with CaOx) were significantly lower. These results suggest that consumption of an appropriately formulated urolith-prevention diet will reduce recurrence of CaOx urolithiasis.