Seeding development potential and prospects of NASA 29 hybrid corn in North Sulawesi Province

North Sulawesi is one of the areas with great potential in supporting the production and productivity of hybrid maize seeds. The land available for the cultivation of hybrid maize seeds is very wide, the requirements for agro-climatic are simple, the technology is readily available, so that the prospect of profits for the cultivator is quite large. Most of the maize farmers in North Sulawesi tend to use hybrid seeds. This is because the yield obtained is very high, however, the availability of hybrid seeds is very limited, even if available, the price is quite expensive. Farmers are currently still dependent on seed assistance from the Government. Production of seeds through breeder farmers as a solution in order to increase corn production. NASA 29 variety is a new superior variety derived from male parents G102612 and Mal 03 as female parents. The results of the interview showed that 86% of the 25 respondents of maize farmers gave an average rating score of 3.8. This shows that they really like the characteristics of the plant. The production data for NASA 29 seed candidates is 3.6 tons / ha. These results indicate that the prospect of hybrid maize seeding business is profitable for breeder farmers.

Profitability of broiler production in Cross River State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to determine profitability of broiler production in Cross River State, Nigeria. A three stage multi sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 180 respondents. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, ranking and percentages, as well as budgeting techniques tools such as net farm income (NFI), return to naira invested (RNI), gross and operating ratios (GR and OR) respectively. Result of analysis showed that socio-economic attributes of broiler farmers - age, sex, marital status, education, experience, business size and training studied influenced on broiler production in the area. Furthermore, the study revealed that broiler production is a profitable venture in the area. This is arising from the difference between a total revenue of N704, 000 and total cost of N419, 153 respectively, representing a net profit of N284, 646.6 or 67.90% of the total amount of money invested, within a production season of eight weeks. The return per naira invested ratio was 1.64, this meant that for every naira invested, N1.64 profit was made by the broiler farmer, this further indicated that the business is profitable. The gross ratio, which measured the overall financial success of the business recorded 0.61. However, cost of feeds, lack of extension services, financial constraints, cost of day old chick’s medication among others are the constraints affecting effective broiler production in the area. Based on the findings of this study, the following are recommended: regular extension training on broiler production should be carried out by the relevant government agencies, feeds should be subsidized and made easily available by government, production of day old chicks should be subsidized by government to cushion the effect of their high cost and livestock farmers should be encouraged to invest on the poultry subsector for it profitability.

The European Aesthetics of Khedivial Power

This chapter focuses on the creation of spaces which brought a new political aesthetics—the European political aesthetics. Strikingly different from Muslim patriotism, images of Ismail Pasha as a sovereign ruler were created according to western European styles of representation. This representation system was a tool to fabricate the sovereign image of the khedive, to obscure his Ottomanness. The government production of a history of “independence” started at this moment with the instrumentalization of European art. The chapter then looks at the life of Paul Draneht Bey, who helped to fabricate this “internal Europe” and directed the theaters between 1869 and 1878. It concludes with an exploration of the “portrait of the pasha” and the main product of early khedivial culture: Giuseppe Verdi's opera, Aida (1871).

Barriers to IT Industry Success

Information technology (IT), which has evolved from the merger of computers, telecommunications and office automation technologies, is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world. In Bangladesh, IT use is still in a backward stage in terms of information generation, utilization and applications. A dependable information system has not been developed for the management and operation of the government machinery and large volume of data transactions in the public/private sector organizations. There is a lack of locally and externally generated information needed for the efficient performance of the government, production, trading, service, education, scientific research and other activities of the society. This case study of the IT scenario in Bangladesh discusses the challenges, analyzes the key issues that may be barriers to thesuccess of its IT industry and discusses the inherent strengths which can be used as the launching pad for making Bangladesh a potential offshore source of software and data processing services. Recommended actions have been proposed under ‘short term’ and ‘medium term,’ depending on the priority and importance, and categorized by the fiscal, human resource development, infrastructure and marketing functional areas. The necessary ingredients to become a potential exporter of computer software and data processing services do not currently exist in the required quantum in Bangladesh. If Bangladesh wants to enter into this market, it needs to cross a number of hurdles within a very short time span. Concerted efforts from everybody concerned have to be put in on a war-footing basis, as this sector has the potential to generate the highest revenue for the country.