Agriculture-related Industries Research Articles

Research on Tax Policies to Promote Agricultural Modernization Development

Agriculture constitutes a fundamental sector of national economic development, and the steady growth of agriculture-related industries has contributed significantly to job creation and increased value output in the Chinese economy. The central government has consistently prioritized the healthy and sustainable development of agriculture, implementing various policies to support agricultural enterprises in enhancing their market competitiveness. This includes a wide range of tax support measures. On the other hand, the effectiveness of policy incentives in encouraging enterprises to improve their operations is unclear, given that most agricultural enterprises in the country face challenges such as small size, outdated information, weak management capabilities and poor resistance to market risks and uncertainties. This paper aims to examine the role of tax policy in the industrialised management of the agricultural sector. This paper seeks to provide new insights into governance in this area by exploring the moderating role of tax policies on the relationship between Chinese agribusinesses and their management. The findings will provide policy makers with responsible recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of tax policies and other agriculture-related policies.

중국의 식량안보와 경쟁력

Judging from existing research results such as grain strength and security index, China’s food security capabilities are on the rise. In order to explore the influencing factors of food security, this study investigated the competitiveness of China’s grain sector. As a result of analyzing China’s agriculture-related industries using the agricultural value chain framework, it was confirmed that China is improving the competitiveness of the food industry by cooperating in the front and back sectors of agriculture, similar to developed countries such as the United States. In particular, China is acquiring mature agricultural companies in developed countries and playing a global leadership role in the seed and chemical sectors, thereby improving domestic grain production and expanding the global influence of Chinese agricultural companies. The results show that with the high integration of my country’s grain sector industrial chain, my country’s food security capabilities are also constantly improving, and the improvement of China’s grain industry competitiveness is directly proportional to its food security capabilities.

Multi-frequency microwave dielectric properties-based method coupled with SPA-PLSDA algorithm for rapid discrimination of grain mildew

To achieve in-situ monitoring of the occurrence of grain mildew and ensure food safety, this study took paddy grains as the object and carried out the discrimination of paddy mildew based on microwave dielectric properties. The multi-frequency swept measurement technique was used to acquire the dielectric constant (DC) and dielectric loss factor (DLF) spectra (2.00–10.00 GHz) of healthy samples and samples with different moldy paddy content. To choose the most effective frequencies, 20 frequency subsets (DC subset 1–10, DLF subset 1–10) were generated by an algorithm coupled with the successive projections algorithm and partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Afterward, four key frequencies were determined from the 100 pairwise combinations of the two types of frequency subsets by exhaustive method. Dielectric properties at key frequencies and sample thickness were used as the input variables to establish the discriminating model for paddy mildew. The established microwave dielectric properties-based model achieved 100% accuracy in distinguishing healthy and moldy samples, showing perfect discriminant validity. Moreover, only 4.4% of those samples whose MPC was at a low level (≤30%) were misclassified by the model, and the discrimination model achieved 97.29% overall accuracy. The results of this study should encourage future research on dielectric-based mildew detection in food processing and agriculture-related industries.

Relationship between Diversification, Institutional Environment and Growth: A Study of Agricultural Companies in China

China’s economic growth has been heavily driven by its agriculture-related industries. This growth has been attributed to several factors, including government policies, technological advancements, and changing consumer preferences. This research aims to shed light on the underlying mechanisms that have enabled agriculture-related listed companies to thrive in China’s rapidly evolving economic landscape. Specifically, this study examines the role of the institutional environment, diversification strategy, and Confucian culture in the growth of these companies. Based on the institutional basic view theory, transaction cost theory, principal–agent theory, brand theory, and enterprise growth theory, this study uses empirical research to analyse the diversification strategy and growth of 204 agriculture-related listed companies from 2010 to 2019. The study selected companies listed as Class A in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery with complete data and more than three years of history. The selection also covered those whose income from agriculture accounted for more than 50% of the total in 2021, or those with the highest income related to agriculture accounting for over 30% of the total income. The collected data is analysed with SPSS and Stata. The results showed that the formal institutional environment significantly suppresses the diversification strategy of agriculture-related listed companies, while the Confucian culture in the informal institutional environment significantly promotes it. The interaction between the formal and informal institutional environments has a complementary effect on the choice of diversification strategy. The study also finds that diversification strategy significantly suppresses the growth of agriculture-related listed companies, and the formal institutional environment has a more significant inhibitory effect on the diversification strategy of agriculture-related listed companies. In the informal institutional environment, Confucian culture plays a more significant role in promoting the diversification strategy of agriculture-related listed companies. The output of this study is an empirical investigation of the level of institutional setting and diversity production, which could aid in sustainable development and revitalisation of rural communities. Applying the results of this study could help managers anticipate future policy changes and adjust their strategies accordingly, while also assisting companies in developing new products and services that meet changing demand.

Biotechnological Production of Sustainable Microbial Proteins from Agro-Industrial Residues and By-Products.

Microbial proteins, i.e., single-cell proteins or microbial biomass, can be cultivated for food and animal feed due to their high protein content and the fact that they represent a rich source of carbohydrates, minerals, fats, vitamins, and amino acids. Another advantage of single-cell proteins is their rapid production due to the growth rate of microorganisms and the possibility of using agro-industrial waste, residues and by-products for production through this renewable technology. Agro-industrial residues and by-products represent materials obtained from various processes in agriculture and agriculture-related industries; taking into account their composition and characteristics, as well as vast amounts, they have an enormous potential to generate sustainable bioproducts, such as microbial proteins. This review aims to summarize contemporary scientific research related to the production of microbial proteins on various agro-industrial residues and by-products, as well as to emphasize the current state of production of single-cell proteins and the importance of their production to ease the food crisis and support sustainable development.

Thickness-Independent Measurement of Grain Moisture Content by Attenuation and Corrected Phase Shift of Microwave Signals at Multiple Optimized Frequencies

Inadequate drying and overdrying of grains due to the absence of timely and reliable information on moisture content (MC) aggravates grain postharvest loss. In this study, we investigate the real-time acquisition of MC using microwave free-space transmission measurements. A multifrequency swept signal is used to acquire the attenuation and phase-shift spectrum (2.00–10.00 GHz) of the paddy samples (9.553%–29.633% w.b.) for six thicknesses (1–6 cm). Based on the four rules that are followed in the phase-shift measurement, a phase-shift correction algorithm without any restrictions on the sample thickness is proposed to solve the phase-shift ambiguity that occurs when the sample thickness exceeds the wavelength. To choose the most effective frequencies, 17 candidate frequency subsets are generated by the recursive feature elimination algorithm, and the optimal frequency set, containing eight individual frequencies, is selected by using the Friedman and Nemenyi post hoc tests. The sample thickness and microwave characteristics are used as the input variables to establish the prediction models to achieve a thickness-independent measurement of the MC, and the support vector machine model yielded the best performance ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R^2$</tex-math></inline-formula> = 0.992, RMSE = 0.555%, and MAE = 0.398%). The results of this study should encourage future research on the real-time acquisition of reliable MC information in food processing and agriculture-related industries.

The Digital Economy Empowers the Sustainable Development of China’s Agriculture-Related Industries

Firstly, based on the data of China’s noncompetitive input–output tables from 2002 to 2017, this paper comprehensively grasps the integration trend of China’s agriculture-related industries and digital economy industries by constructing integration contribution and interaction indicators. Secondly, the correlation between the two industries is analyzed more intuitively with the help of the APL (Average Propagation Length) model. Finally, it analyzes the coordination of the digital economy industry and the transformation of the agriculture industry with the help of the grey correlation method. The results show that the digital economy industries contribute the most in absolute terms, compared to other industries, to the agro-processing industry and have the highest degree of integration and interaction with the agricultural product transportation and marketing industry. In terms of the breakdown of the digital economy industries, digital product manufacturing is weakly linked to agriculture-related industries, but the coordination among the transformation and upgrading of agriculture is gradually improving. Compared to digital product manufacturing, the digital technology application industry has a higher direct contribution to the agriculture-related industry. After 2012, the overall driving and pulling effect on the agriculture-related industry is basically the same, and the coordination with agricultural transformation and upgrading is optimal. The contribution of the digital factor-driven industry to agriculture-related industries experienced an explosive period after 2012, with the highest overall contribution and strongest industrial linkage between the two, while coordination with the transformation and upgrading of agriculture decreases. Therefore, in combination with the No. 1 document of the Central Government in 2022, which specifically calls for the implementation of the “digital business to promote agriculture” project and the promotion of e-commerce in the countryside, this paper puts forward suggestions to give full play to the role of digital technology in the sustainable development of agriculture-related industries.

Copper nanoparticles mediated physiological changes and transcriptional variations in microRNA159 (miR159) and mevalonate kinase (MVK) in pepper; potential benefits and phytotoxicity assessment

The cytotoxicity assessment of nanomaterials has become a global concern for diverse disciplines, including agriculture. This study explored the physiological and molecular responses of pepper seedlings to the foliar application of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs; 50, 100, and 200 mg L−1) compared to the bulk control. The CuNPs treatment at 50 mg L−1 increased the shoot biomass by 20%, whereas the treatments at concentrations above 100 mg L−1 adversely influenced biomass (25%), chlorophyll content (21%), and starch concentration (23%). Moreover, the CuNPs treatments at the toxic doses increased H2O2 concentration (60%) and lipid peroxidation levels (27%), implying oxidative stress and potentially impaired membrane integrity. However, the phytotoxicity risk associated with the CuNPs application was lower than the bulk control. The CuNPs treatments upregulated the activities of catalase (2-folds), peroxidase (85%), and polyphenol oxidase (70%). The toxic doses of CuNPs increased the protease activity by 16%. The Cu supplementation influenced the transcription of microRNA159 (miR159) and Mevalonate kinase (MVK) genes in concentration and material type-dependent manners. Toxic concentrations of CuNP transcriptionally upregulated miR159 by approximately 2-folds. The expression of the MVK gene displayed a downregulation trend (5-folds) in response to the bulk Cu, while the CuNPs treatments slightly downregulated this gene. With increasing the concentration of CuNPs, the accumulations of protein and non-protein thiols displayed an increasing trend by approximately 45%. The CuNPs-treated plants contained a higher concentration of proline (59%) and phenols (34%). This study underlines the potential cytotoxicity risk associated with the application of CuNPs as a fertilizer or pesticide in agriculture-related industries.

Re-Focusing Human Relationship with Environment: Development of TOPHI Model and Expedition towards Sustainable Development

The above maxim makes it evident that human and environment are very closely related and an important part of each other. As human need to interact with environment to obtain our food, water, fuel, medicine, building materials and many others things, thus, protecting the environment is essential to our health, quality of life and ultimately for survival. Humans have been interacting with the environment since, people first walked the earth. Humans have been cutting down forests to clear land to grow crops and building residents. Later on, with introduction of industrialization during 18th century in the UK and slowly spreading in Europe and America and then across the world. Such industrialization indicates technological intervention in organizations related to agriculture, animal husbandry and agriculture related industries. Much of massive production stated taking place and subsequently, the production of wastes as sewage, agricultural run-off, industrial chemicals etc. also started which leads to pollution. Aim of the Study: The present paper proposes the TOPHI Model to draw a holistic picture of relationship between human and environment. The model focuses upon how each parameter are related itself to human existence with mother nature. The model also tries to provide both positive and negative perspective of these relationship. Finally, the paper also tries to lighten the pathway of sustainable development describing its need for ensure better future. The paper not only provide a comprehensive framework covering all the possible elements of nature and human but also hopes to serve as a base for future study.

Model of Success: Extension Services Helping Ugandan Youth Find A Career in Agriculture

As the world continues to experience a population boom amidst growing food insecurity concerns, the need for well-trained and competent youth in agriculture-related industries is on the rise in Sub-Saharan African countries, specifically Uganda. With 78 percent of Uganda’s population below the age of thirty, the number of unemployed and unskilled workers presents a challenge to a country that relies heavily on jobs within the agricultural sector to thrive. Due to the increased number of unskilled youths, extension-based services such as the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) and the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) are needed to connect with youth organizations to provide training and direction for those seeking careers in agriculture. This study sought to better understand the phenomena of competency development through various communication channels used to facilitate leadership development and agricultural literacy within a youth organization known as Nokia Farming Agricultural Innovation Platform (NOFAIP). A single instrumental case study was conducted to assess the career preparedness of youth within the NOFAIP group and opportunities that exist for employment within agriculture-related industries. Results found that upon receiving training from UFAAS, the NOFAIP group had increased their credibility amongst Ugandan farming communities and supported the growth of agricultural competencies, such as soil testing, using backpack sprayers to spread fertilizers, and managing citrus groves. Through hands-on experiences and engagement with appropriate training, the NOFAIP group established communication channels that were critical to experience personal growth and the invigoration of an entrepreneurial spirit within agriculture.

OM2S2: On-Line Moisture-Sensing System Using Multifrequency Microwave Signals Optimized by a Two-Stage Frequency Selection Framework

In this article, an on-line microwave moisture sensing system (OM2S2) based on a multifrequency swept technique was developed to monitor the moisture content (MC) of corn in the fresh to dry state (MC ranged from 10.89 to 63.64%) in real time. Attenuation and phase shift data were collected under a frequency swept signal containing 801 frequencies from 2.00 to 10.00 GHz with a 10 MHz interval. To remove the inefficient frequencies, the optimized frequencies were selected by a two-stage frequency selection framework: 1) 17 frequency subsets were generated using the random forest-recursive feature elimination algorithm, and then 2) the optimal frequency set (including eight individual frequencies) was determined using voting strategies according to the results of tenfold cross-validation. The attenuation and phase shift data corresponding to the optimal frequency set were utilized as the input variables of six regression algorithms for MC prediction. A deep neural network (coefficient of determination( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R^2$</tex-math></inline-formula> ) = 0.997, root mean square error (RMSE) = 1.087, mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.868) performed best according to the Friedman test and Nemenyi <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">post hoc</i> test and thus, was employed for the OM2S2. These results showed that the OM2S2 could measure the MC of corn changing from the fresh state to the dry state in real time, and it showed potential for utilization in the on-line determination of high MC in food processing and agriculture-related industries.

Powdered ALLODUST/ALLOCHAR Augmented Single Batch Aerobic Reactor (SiBAR) for High Concentration Phosphorous Removal from Agricultural Wastewater

Phosphates enter the surface waters from agricultural sources has been regarded as an important cause of eutrophication. Excess of phosphate concentration can cause severe health problems such as kidney damage and osteoporosis. The adsorption is one of the most popular removal methods used for treating wastewaters containing agricultural nutrients. The challenge is the time that phosphorous concentration is very high in agricultural related industries and is higher than the adsorption capacity of the system. This research investigated the treatment of agricultural wastewater by developing and adding two novel media (ALLODUST, ALLOCHAR) to a Single Batch Aerobic Reactor (SiBAR). ALLODUST and ALLOCHAR consisted of allophanic soil mineral material sourced from either a Horotiu soil (Allophanic soil) or a Craigieburn soil (Allophanic Brown soil). Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were hired to design the experiment and model the nature of the response surface of the novel media in the experimental design and to analyze the optimum operational conditions. The SiBAR design was optimized for three ranges of P contamination: 1-50 mg L-1 (low range); 51-175 (mid-range); and 176-300 (high range). The ALLODUST novel media demonstrated a higher P adsorption capacity compared to the ALLOCHAR media and Allophane compound itself. The ALLODUST adsorbent dosage of 3 g L-1 was the optimum: being able to remove 100% of P up to 50 mg L-1 in 30 minutes with the lowest aeration rate (1.5 L min-1) and remove 76% of P up to 300 mg L- 1 in 450 minutes with the highest aeration rate (7.5 L min-1).

Tracing the sources of lead (Pb) in Brunei Bay, Borneo by using integrated spectrometry ICP-MS and chemometric techniques

The present study aims to define the possible sources that contribute to the level of Pb into the Brunei Bay, Borneo. The cluster analysis has classified the bay into the northern part with heavy and agriculture-related industries; the southern area with a moderate rural human settlement as well as the southwestern area with a more pristine environment and a low level of human settlement. The score plot of spatial discriminant analysis verified a significant influence of the river system toward the estuary, whereas the temporal discriminant analysis has discriminated the seasonal changes. In comparison to elsewhere, the stable Pb isotopic ratios in Brunei Bay showed a fingerprint similar to coal-related sources and of aerosol input. Briefly, even though Pb in the Brunei Bay ecosystem proved to be at a low level, the stable Pb isotopic ratios showed that human and industrial activities are slowly contributing Pb into the bay ecosystem.

Establishment Impacts Assessment of the Industrial Units on Rural Economy (Case Study: Central District of Firouzabad County, Fars Province)

The main aim of the present study is an establishment impacts assessment of the industrial units on rural economy in two rural zones at central district of Firouzabad township, Fars province. On this basis are applied the methodology of Environmental Impacts Assessment and the technique of Leopold Matrix. Implemented variables of this study include twelve economical dependent variables and six independent variables related to industrial units. Then the spatial alternatives in this study include two rural zones of Ahmadabad and Jaydasht. Ahmadabad rural zone in the present conditions is the location and concentration center of the agriculture-related industrial units, while Jaydasht rural zone is the established host of non-agriculture productive industrial units without direct relation to agricultural progresses. In the present conditions for establishment of agriculture-related and non-agriculture productive industries in Ahmadabad and Jaydasht alternatives respectively, the results of Leopold matrix indicated the values of the economical impacts equal to 83 and 67, respectively. Whereas changing the established pattern of industrial units in to alternatives, the predictive impact values will have decreased to 38 and 58 in Ahmadabad and Jaydasht rural zones, respectively. This decreasing trend from 83 to 38 (more than two time levels) will have had more importance and intensity in Ahmadabad rural zone. Therefore to strength of economical fundaments has been proposed the preservation of the present established pattern of industrial units and the perfection of the major useful impacts of economical indicators including employment ratio and per capita stored capital in the study area

Prevalence and Psychosocial Risk Factors of Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Pain in Industries of Taiwan: A Nationwide Study

Prevalence of upper extremity disorders and their associations with psychosocial factors in the workplace have received more attention recently. A national survey of cross-sectional design was performed to determine the prevalence rates of upper extremity disorders among different industries. Trained interviewers administered questionnaires to 17,669 workers and data on musculoskeletal complaints were obtained along with information on risk factors. Overall the 1-year prevalence of neck (14.8%), shoulder (16.6%), and hand (12.4%) disorders were higher than those of the upper back (7.1%) and elbow (8.3%) among those who sought medical treatment due to the complaint. Workers in construction and agriculture-related industries showed a higher prevalence of upper extremity disorders. After multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, education, and employment duration, we found job content, physical working condition, a harmonious interpersonal relationship at the workplace and organizational problems were significant determinants of upper extremity disorders in manufacturing and service industries. Male workers in manufacturing industries showed more concern about physical working conditions while female workers in public administration emphasized problems of job content and interpersonal relationships. We concluded that these factors were major job stressors contributing to musculoskeletal pain of the upper extremity.

Estimated Risk of Death Among Employees in Agriculture and Agriculture-Related Industries in Georgia, 1985-1994

ABSTRACT Farming has an enormous impact on the economy of Georgia, with as many as one in six Georgians working in agriculture. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of death of white and black farmers to non-farmers in Georgia. Mortality data stratified by age and aggregated by race were retrieved from the Georgia Office of Vital Statistics for the years 1985-1994. The classification system used to code occupation on the death certificate was W473-489, which includes farmers and most all other agricultural occupations. For each cause of death, the Breslow-Day Test was used to determine homogeneity of risk across all age strata (a = 0.05). A common odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for all homogenous causes of death using the Mantel-Haenzel procedure. Among white farmers, the risk of death was significantly high for tuberculosis [OR = 1.64 (1.01, 2.65)], fires [OR = 1.60 (1.15, 2.22)], and accidental drowning [OR = 1.52 (1.01, 2.28)]. The leading causes of death among black farmers were accidental drowning [OR = 1.53 (1.03, 2.26)], cerebrovascular disease [OR = 1.27 (1.18, 1.38)], and ischemic heart disease [OR = 1.21 (1.14, 1.29)]. Causes of death reported to be significantly low were also investigated. The findings of this study are varied, but trends related to risk of death appear to be similar to observed national trends.

Globalization and response of large statedowned enterprises in agricultural related industries: Company case studies from central China

By using interview data from three large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in agriculture related industries, this paper reveals that SOEs in inland area are much slow in response to globalization. Although they pursued some strategies to adjust themselves, they are far behind the position to utilize the opportunities generated by economic globalization. Most of them are still out of the networks of transnational corporations. The strategies they adopted are quite different from SOEs in the coastal area. They overlook the importance of information infrastructure, well-educated personnel, and collaboration with the competitive leaders in their industries. The lagging situation is related to isolated location, traditional culture, and slow progress in enterprise reform. International comparison shows that the case companies did follow the general patterns that globalization promotes extension of company’s networks of linkages but in a rather slow phase. The decision makers should encourage intra-regional linkages between SOEs, between SOEs and private, foreign owned companies, as well as inter-regional linkages among them. The latter appears particularly important given the enlarging gaps between coastal and inland areas.

Occupation and prostate cancer risk in Sweden.

To provide new leads regarding occupational prostate cancer risk factors, we linked 36,269 prostate cancer cases reported to the Swedish National Cancer Registry during 1961 to 1979 with employment information from the 1960 National Census. Standardized incidence ratios for prostate cancer, within major (1-digit), general (2-digit), and specific (3-digit) industries and occupations, were calculated. Significant excess risks were seen for agriculture-related industries, soap and perfume manufacture, and leather processing industries. Significantly elevated standardized incidence ratios were also seen for the following occupations: farmers, leather workers, and white-collar occupations. Our results suggest that farmers; certain occupations and industries with exposures to cadmium, herbicides, and fertilizers; and men with low occupational physical activity levels have elevated prostate cancer risks. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and identify specific exposures related to excess risk in these occupations and industries.

New density-independent calibration function for microwave sensing of moisture content in particulate materials

Microwave techniques have been considered for a long time for moisture sensing in many food processing and agriculture-related industries. They are suitable for on-line real-time monitoring and control. However, with particulate materials, bulk density fluctuations cause significant errors in moisture content determination. To overcome this shortcoming, density-independent calibration functions are needed. In this paper, a new approach is presented in which both bulk density and moisture content are determined directly from measured microwave dielectric properties. A simple relationship between bulk density and the dielectric properties is identified, and a new density-independent function for moisture content prediction, exclusively dependent on the dielectric properties of the material under test (/spl epsiv/', /spl epsiv/"), is proposed. The validity and applicability of this function are demonstrated with an extensive data set obtained from measurements on a granular material (wheat), over wide ranges of frequency (11-18 GHz), temperature (-1/spl deg/C-42/spl deg/C), moisture content (10.6%-19.2%, wet basis), and bulk density (0.72-0.88 g/cm/sup 3/). Explicit calibration equations for moisture prediction at different frequencies and temperatures are provided. Although data obtained by a transmission microwave measurement technique were used, this new approach remains valid in general for other techniques, provided that /spl epsiv/' and /spl epsiv/" are determined accurately.