The State of Food Security in Pakistan: Future Challenges and Coping Strategies

Pakistan is a low income developing country. Agriculture is the most important sector of the country meeting food and fibre requirements of the fast growing population. Although the rate of population increase has considerably slowed down from over 3 percent in 1980s to 2.09 percent in 2009-10, it is still considered high.1 With the current rate of population growth, the population is expected to get doubled by 2050—making Pakistan 4th largest nation by 2050 from current status of 6th most populous state of the world [Pakistan (2010)]. The total cultivated area has increased by just 40 percent during past 60 years, while there has been more than 4 times increase in population with urban expansion of over seven-fold—resulting into mega-cities2 as well as rising population pressure on cultivated land. Wheat production, a major food crop, has increased five-fold during the same period—yet the country is marginal importer of wheat. Tremendous efforts are needed both advances in technology and population control to narrow the food supply-demand gap

Natural Resource Conservation, Poverty Alleviation, and Farmer Partnership

Agriculture has now been seen in its multiple roles like contributing to development as an economic activity, source of livelihood, provider of environmental services and a unique instrument to overall development. As an economic activity, it is a source of growth for national economy, food security, foreign exchange as well as provider of investment opportunities for agro-based industries and rural non-farm economy. As source of livelihood, it provides jobs to majority of the people, especially the small holders, landless and the poor. In terms of environmental services, being the major player in underground water depletion, agrochemical pollution, soil exhaustion and global climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture can create good and bad environmental outcomes. Its environmental contributions in managing watersheds and preserving biodiversity are generally unrecognised and unremunerated. Agriculture has well established record as an instrument for poverty reduction1 as well as a leading sector for overall growth in the agriculture-based countries of the world [World Bank (2007)]. In future, agriculture has to commit more promises (e.g. bio-fuel) to the nation without compromising over primary responsibility of food security along with poverty alleviation, conservation of natural resource base, environment protection etc. Unfortunately, the agriculture has been vastly underused for development

Determinación mediante pruebas aceleradas y a temperatura ambiente de la actividad antioxidante de varios extractos de plantas en aceite de girasol

The present study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant potential of 11 medicinally or economically important plant materials indigenous to Pakistan. The materials were extracted with 80% methanol and examined  for their antioxidant activity under different storage conditions using sunflower and soybean oils as oxidation substrates. Preliminary antioxidant activity assessment among the extracts was conducted with the TLC-test and by measuring percent inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation. The rhizome of Iris germanica, leaves of Lawsonia alba, and M. oleifera, coffee (Coffee arabica) beans, rice (Oryza sativa) bran, wheat bran and oats (Avenis sativa) groats and hull, which showed higher antioxidant activity among the extracts, were further evaluated using soybean and sunflower oils as oxidation substrates. The vegetable oils were stabilized with extracts at a dosage of 0.12% (w/w), and individually subjected to accelerated (65 oC, 15 days) and ambient (6 months) storage. The oxidative deterioration level was monitored for the measurement of antioxidant activity index (AI), peroxide value (PV), conjugated dienes and trienes contents. Overall, the extracts of coffee beans, oat groats and hull, Iris germanica and M. oleifera leaves were found to be the most effective in extending oxidative stability, and retarding PV, primary and secondary oxidation products of soybean and sunflower oils. The order of efficiency of the plant extracts for stabilization of the subject oils was as follows: oat groats and hull > coffee beans > M. oleifera leaves > Lawsonia alba > Iris germanica > rice bran > wheat bran. Significant differences in the antioxidant potential of some of the extracts for stabilization of substrate oils were observed under ambient and accelerated storage conditions and thus demonstrated a variable antioxidant prospective of the extracts under different analytical protocols.El presente trabajo se ha realizado para investigar la capacidad antioxidante potencial de once plantas medicinales o económicamente importantes autónomas del Pakistán. Las plantas se extractaron con metanol al 80% y se estudia su capacidad antioxidante bajo diferentes condiciones de almacenamiento, utilizando aceite de girasol y soja como sustratos. Los ensayos previos de capacidad antioxidante se llevaron a cabo con la prueba TLC-test y midiendo el porcentaje de inhibición de la peroxidación del ácido linoleico. El rizoma de Iris germanica, las hojas de Lawsonia alba, y M. oleifera, las semillas de café (Coffee arabica), el salvado de arroz (Oryza sativa), el salvado de trigo y salvado, granos y cáscara de avena (Avenis sativa), que fueron las que tuvieron una mayor capacidad antioxidante, de todos los extractos, se ensayaron después usando los sustratos de girasol y soja. Los aceites vegetales se estabilizaron con una dosis de 0,12 (peso/peso) y se sometieron a ensayos de almacenamiento acelerados (15 días a 65º) o temperatura ambiente (6 meses). El deterioro oxidativo se siguió mediante la medida del índice de actividad (AI), índice de peróxido (PV), así como por el contenido de dienos y trienos. En general, los extractos de semillas de café, partículas y cáscaras de avena, y Iris germanica y hojas de M. oleifera fueron las que mostraron una mayor efectividad para extender la estabilidad de los aceites, y retardar la elevación del PV, así como en la prevención de la aparición de productos de oxidación primarios y secundarios. El orden de eficacia fue: partículas y cáscaras de avena > granos de café > hojas de M. oleifera > Lawsonia alba > Iris germanica > salvado de arroz > salvado de trigo. Se detectaron diferencias significativas en el potencial antioxidante de algunos extractos tanto a temperatura ambiente como en condiciones de las pruebas aceleradas. Ello demostró una amplia gama de propiedades antioxidante de los extractos frente a los diferentes procedimientos analíticos empleados

Livestock Farming in Cholistan Desert of Pakistan: Setting the Development Strategies

Identifying and developing the potential areas of livestock production in the country is part of the overall developmental strategy for this sector. Livestock in Cholistan represents a notable proportion of total animal population of Punjab province where livestock farming is primarily practiced under very difficult environment as no other livelihood opportunities prevail in the area. Herders with their animals keep moving from one toba to the other. It was found that due to lack of coordination, institutions of the area are working in isolation and much duplication in their work can be easily noticed. The average herd sizes are fairly large, mainly maintained to cover the diseases and drought risks. Besides this physical capital, low quantities of other capitals like human capital, natural capital and financial capital are present in the area. However, social capital is found to be quite strong. Other characteristics of the area are livestock production in isolation from amenities/necessities of life. Split grazing and natural breeding methods are observed in the area. Relatively more peculiar problems noticed include limited supply of forage and fodder, more physical exertion of animals while grazing, frequent incidence of diseases and drought, difficulties in getting health services and vaccination, least opportunities of getting children educated while moving from one toba to the other, poor health of the animals, low milk productivity per animal, highly limited milk marketing opportunities, non-existence of milk preservation facilities with the herders leaves few options like early consumption of milk, feeding to young stock, and/or processing for making ghee and low prices of live animals received when sold. A number of short-term or high priority, as well as long-term or low priority areas are delineated for the researcher, development planners and policy makers for the overall development of livestock farming in the desert

Food Security and its Constraining Factors in South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities

Since 1961, significant progress in terms of increasing food supplies has been made in South Asia (SA). Yet, per capita availability of cereals faces either declining trend or stagnated most recently. Currently per capita daily consumption ranges from 2440 calories in Pakistan to 2673 calories in Nepal - substantially lower than the world average. There is wide spread poverty in the region and ranks low merely above the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in most of the development and food security indicators. Micronutrient deficiency is also pervasive in the region. The situation highlights the fact that enhanced food availability on its own cannot guarantee good nutrition status at the household level. HIES data does not show any increase in daily intake of total calories per person in Pakistan— hinting at poor access to nutritious food. Major causes of food insecurity in SA include faster growth in population, unplanned urbanization through rural to urban migration, reduction in arable land, declining average farm size besides skewed distribution, low productivity, slow process of structural transformations and poor institutions, and changes in climate. The latter has emerged as a new real threat to food security, since most of SA is already hot and growing of cereals is under heat stress. Further rise in temperature could reduce he yields of some crops significantly. The adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture can be dealt with mitigation and adaptation strategies. The structure of farming and poor resource as well as poverty could be the major hurdles to adapting to climate change. It is anticipated that SA is likely to face severe food crisis by 2050 and food security shall be the critical issue in the years to come. The good news is that the countries in the regional have started emphasizing on assuring food security to masses by moving step forward from agricultural and food policies to food security and nutritional policies—accessibility, and utilization aspects. To effectively deal with the food crisis in coming decades, various strategies like paradigm shift from the policy of national level self-sufficiency to regional self-reliance in staple foods; sharing food production technologies and experiences; seed banking and exchange of genetic material; revising SAARC food banking mechanism; and, devising more effective strategies for dealing with disasters, are suggested

Outcome of Topical Epidural Methylprednisolone Versus Control in Lumbar Disc Surgery Patients

Objective:  The use of topical intraoperative methylprednisolone in lumbar disc surgery leads to significant improvement in pain relief and early resumption of daily life activities. The study determined the outcome of topical epidural methylprednisolone. Materials & Methods:  60 patients included with diagnosed cases of the herniated lumbar disc with ASA Grade 2 and below. Group A was for patients who had to receive topical methylprednisolone while group B was the control group where no topical methylprednisolone had been used. The outcome was measured from OLBI and VAS scores. Results:  In Group A, the mean hospital stay was 2 days, mean OLBI score was 35%, mean VAS score was 3, mean time to resumption of ADL was 7 days, mean dose of paracetamol (per day) was 3 mg, mean dose of Ketorolac (per day) was 90 mg. Whereas Group B, mean hospital stay was 3 days, mean OLBI score was 45%, mean VAS score was 5, mean time to resumption of ADL was 10 days, mean dose of paracetamol (per day) was 4 mg, mean dose of Ketorolac (per day) was 100 mg. In Group A, 91% of patients had a favorable outcome and 9% of patients had an unfavorable outcome. Whereas in Group B, 83% of patients had a favorable outcome and 15%of patients had an unfavorable outcome. There existed insignificant results in outcomes concerning diabetic/non-diabetic, and hypertension/non-hypertension. Conclusion:  The use of topical intraoperative methylprednisolone in lumbar disc surgery leads to significant improvement in pain relief and early resumption of daily life activities as compared to without the use of topical methylprednisolone. Keywords:  Outcome, Epidural Methylprednisolone, Lumbar Disc Surgery, OLBI (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory), ADL (Activities Of Daily Life)

The Efficacy of Surgery for Supra-Tentorial Gliomas in Preventing Seizures

Objectives:  The study examined the surgical outcome of supratentorial gliomas in terms of improvement in seizures in patients who presented to a tertiary care institution. Material and Methods:  A descriptive case series was conducted in Neurosurgery Department at Northwest General Hospital & Research, Peshawar. Patients (n = 95) with supratentorial gliomas with seizures between 18 – 70 years were included. Supratentorial gliomas were diagnosed by neuroimaging as MRI brain with contrast, diffusion-weighted, Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The patient was observed for seizures postoperatively. Data was stratified for age and gender. Results:  The majority of patients (36.8%) were in 41 – 50 years. 55.78% of patients were males whereas 44.21% of patients were females. 42 (44.21%) involved the frontal lobe, 16 (16.84%) involved the parietal lobe, 26 (27.36%) involved the temporal lobe, and 11 (11.57%) patients involved the occipital lobe. According to Engel’s classification, 53 patients were in class I, 16 in class II, 10 in class III, and 5 in class IV. 84 (88.42%) experienced post-op seizure reduction. An insignificant association was found with the seizure improvement (yes/no) with different age groups and gender. Conclusion:  The frontal lobe was the most prevalent location for supratentorial gliomas. After surgery, a large proportion of patients improved in terms of seizure management. Keywords:  Seizures, Supratentorial gliomas