Agricultural Economics

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of crops and livestock production on Somali exports, data found from world development indicators1980-2010 and analyzed in regression using OLS method in EViews7 Software. The study found that crops and livestock production have positive relationship with Somali exports, so an increase in crops and livestock production increases Somali exports and vice versa.Somalia since the collapse of central government had only an export of agriculture sector including livestock. While they account more than 65% of the country's GDP and more than 50% of the Somali export the productivity of crops and livestock is very important for the country's economic growth.

The process of industrialization is often associated with an important time period in a nations's economic development as it shifts from small-scale agriculture to prosperity. Historically, the rise of the manufacturing sector in a country has foreshadowed subsequent growth and power, and many countries in Eastern Europe have seen these newfound opportunities to progress economically since the Cold War ended. Asian countries have similarly experienced newfound economic development because of the shift of production to underdeveloped areas along with the rise of outsourcing and offshoring in international manufacturing. While many studies have been conducted assessing the rise of industry as it relates to state and regional growth, comparative assessments of the contributions of the manufacturing sector to the economic rise among underdeveloped Asian nations as compared to Eastern European countries as a region have not been quantified. This study will analyze these two economically evolving areas in an effort to compare the overall economic growth since the fall of the Soviet empire as well as the extent to which that economic growth that can be attributed to the manufacturing sector. Trends in domestic manufacturing labor rates in these areas will also be assessed for this time period.

The low crop yields, increasing costs of cultivation, and the low price realisation have been important concerns in smallholder agriculture like that of India. Institutional innovations are important for inclusive agricultural development in India as they go beyond products and technology and are about ways of doing things. Contract farming has been studied as an institutional innovation in agribusiness but not agrifranchising though it is also an innovation in the field of agribusiness as it is about reaching farmers differently. This paper examines the effectiveness and inclusiveness of agri-franchising with the help of a case study from Bihar which is based on interviews with the franchisor (GAPL), its franchisees and a primary survey of its buying farmers and non-buying farmers in Bihar's two districts -Vaishali and Muzaffarpur -where it has substantial presence. It is found that the Dehaat (franchised outlet) farmers in general were larger than their non-Dehaat counterparts both in owned and operated land holdings. Very few farmers (9 per cent) reported that they could cut down the cost of cultivation due to the Dehaat based extension. But, more than 92 per cent farmers reported an increase in yields. The extension contribution of Dehaat is noteworthy as is its role in smallholder market linkage for output in the context of abolition of APMC Act in the state.The functioning of the Dehaat centres and the farmers uptake of it shows that the new channels can lead to more informed farmer level input use and realisation of higher prices in the smallholder context.

The impacts of Internet use on farming productivity in China have been extensively examined. However, existing studies focus on non-grain crops and often do not distinguish between Internet access and Internet use. This study investigates the effects of both Internet access and Internet use for farming purposes on farmers' technical efficiency (TE) using data collected from 855 grain-farmers in Central China. The TE is evaluated following a stochastic frontier analysis approach. Endogenous switching regression models are used to address the potential endogeneity issue associated with Internet access or use. Our empirical results show that the use of the Internet for obtaining farming-related information is crucial for improving farmers' TE. Having access to the Internet itself does not necessarily improve TE. This is also true when considering the effects through the two channels of technology adoption and risk management. Furthermore, using the Internet for non-farming purposes could impede the improvement of TE. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the Internet can help to reduce the discrepancy of TE among grain farmers.

Chile has become a major actor in the blueberry industry as the most important supplier of off-season fresh fruit for the northern hemisphere. Blueberry exports passed from US$ 30 million (around 4,000 tons) in 2000 to US$ 380 million (94,000 tons) in 2011. The characteristics of the major blueberry growing regions (North, Central, South-central and South) are presented in terms of acreage, varieties, management practices, extension of the harvest season, and soil and climatic conditions. Most fruit is from highbush varieties, picked by hand and exported fresh by boat to United States. Largest proportion of fruit is exported from mid December to late January, which coincides with lowest prices. The south-central region (latitudes 34º50' to 38º15' S) was in 2007 the most important one with 5,075 ha (51.1% of area planted). Among the challenges for the Chilean blueberry industry in the near future are: 1. Lower profitability due to lower rates of currency exchange and higher c...

This article analyses the prevailing situations of the agricultural sector in Bangladesh using both secondary and primary data. Findings show that agriculture was the main economic sector with an employment of 95% of total population with a share of 78% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1971. After the first few years of independence, education policy was concentrated for the development of agriculture education from secondary to tertiary level because government considered agriculture as potential to economy. Currently, 75% of the populations' professions are agriculture industry and contribution towards GDP is only 22%. While the decline of employment is not notably dropped, contribution towards GDP shared by agriculture sector is dramatically descended. The article examined the probable underpinning reasons causing agriculture as a less productive industry. With many reasons, it is noted that education system is not currently supporting the development of agriculture industry. With narrations, this article proposes a policy change towards agriculture education aiming an improvement of agriculture economics of the country which ultimately will bring national development.

 Roads have both positive and negative impacts in the areas surrounding them. With the expansion of roads growing at an inexorable speed in Ethiopia and all Sub-Saharan Africa, these impacts need to be well understood. A questionnaire was used to gather information on road-related impacts on the rural population. A total of 529 sample households were selected in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. The three most common consequences cited by respondents in order of importance were dust, flooding and erosion. Close to 44% of the respondents said that the occurrence of dust has increased after construction of the road. The reduction of yield estimated by farmers ranges from 10% to 50%. Close to 11% of the sample households faced decline in crop production and income due to dust lifted up from roads. The breakpoint for road dust occurred approximately at 200 to 280 meters from the road. Roadside plantations along rural roads have proven to mitigate road-related impacts and restore the ecological...

Porang is a tuber plant that has the potential to develop because it has export market opportunities as industrial raw material. Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency is one of the areas that produces porang, to cultivate porang requires a large enough capital to become one of the obstacles to porang farming. This study aims 1) to determine the amount of acceptance and income of porang farmers in Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency and; 2) to obtain information on the profit and loss of porang farming in Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency. The research method used is a case study. This research was conducted from June to July in Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency. Sampling technique using saturated sampling method. Data collection uses primary data and secondary data. The analysis used is revenue, revenue, R/C, revenue BEP, production BEP and price BEP and payback period. The results showed an average total cost of IDR 67,126,783 per planting season, an average revenue of IDR 15...

Rain-fall shortage constrains production in small-holder agriculture in developing countries and with ongoing climate change these shortages may increase. Rain-water harvesting are interesting technologies that decrease this risk. Therefore, one would expect an increasing use of these technologies in drought-prone areas. However, data collected in Ethiopia shows that the share of irrigated land in total landholding declines with farm size. This study investigates why the share declines with farm size using panel data collected in 2005 and in 2010. A random-effect tobit model is estimated for the share of irrigated land as a function of variables affecting returns, market prices, source of finance and expectation formation. The findings show farm-specific factors such as credit per hectare, distance to market, ease of selling output, landholding, regional differences, aridity and distance of plots from natural water sources significantly affect the share. Thus, encouraging investment has to consider farm-size, and also geographical, environmental and regional diversity.

This paper estimates a quadratic stochastic frontier production function to examine the determinants of technical efficiency in rice farming in Bangladesh using the computer program FRONTIER 4.1. Primary data has been collected using multi-stage random sampling technique from twelve villages in north-central and north-western regions in Bangladesh. Rice cultivation displayed much variability in technical efficiency ranging from 0.16 to 0.94 with mean technical efficiency of 0.83 which suggested substantial gains in output with available resources and existing technologies. The analysis of the determinants of technical efficiency revealed that the age and education of the household heads, availability of off-farm incomes, land fragmentation, access to microfinance, extension visits, and regional variation were the major factors that caused efficiency differentials among the farm households studied. Hence, the study proposes strategies such as providing better extension services and farmer training programs, ensuring access to agricultural microfinance, reducing land fragmentation and raising educational level of the farmers to enhance technical efficiency.

Actually, Romanian vegetable crops field has some difficulties such are: most of farmers have small area with vegetables, where is not possible to have a good level of mechanization. Provide with necessary water is in many places very difficult or too expensive. Some farmers do not have enough money to buy the best seeds of varieties, fertilizers, crop protection chemicals, or they have not information about all of these. In addition, price of vegetables from farm are small, though quality is very good. Researchers in vegetable field recommend for the next years a choice of proper land for vegetable, use of best varieties or hybrids, good extension network. In order to provide necessary quantity of vegetable for 19 million habitants in Romania, researchers recommend increase of area with plastic tunnels and extension of results of national and international research in the farms.

Conventional agricultural research approaches have generated research results with limited adoption rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Recently, a new research approach – integrated agricultural research for development (IAR4D) was introduced in SSA. The IAR4D approach goes beyond the conventional research focus on agricultural production technologies, as it includes marketing and development activities. This paper analyses the impact of IAR4D in the East and Central African region using panel data of 2 229 households drawn from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda. Country-level comparison of the IAR4D and conventional research approaches shows a non-significant difference in the two approaches for crop income, but a significant and positive impact when all countries are combined. Households participating in IAR4D showed significantly greater livestock income than households in conventional villages in Rwanda only. Given that the IAR4D impact assessment was d...

Papers contain preliminary material and research results. They have not been subject to formal external reviews managed by IFPRI's Publications Review Committee, but have been reviewed by at least one internal or external researcher. They are circulated in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment.

was established in 1975. IFPRI is one of 15 agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IFPRI's research, capacity strengthening, and communications work is made possible by its financial contributors and partners. IFPRI receives its principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IFPRI gratefully acknowledges the generous unrestricted funding from

William Lane Craig ve J. P. Moreland'in derlediği Naturalism: A Critical Analysis, çağdaş analitik felsefenin baskın konumlarından biri olan natüralizmi sistematik bir incelemeye tabi tutar. Natüralizm, gerçekliğin yalnızca doğal dünyadan ibaret olduğunu ve doğaüstü hiçbir varlığın bulunmadığını savunan kapsamlı bir görüştür. Kitap, bu görüşün ontolojik ve metodolojik biçimlerini ayırt ederek bilinç, yönelmişlik, ahlaki olgular ve aklın güvenilirliği gibi alanların salt doğalcı bir çerçeveye sığıp sığmadığını farklı yazarların katkılarıyla tartışır. On bölümden oluşan eserin Türkçe çevirisi on ayrı çevirmenin ortak emeğiyle tamamlandı. Bu bölümlerden birinin çevirisini ben üstlendim, kitabın çeviri editörlüğünü ise Zikri Yavuz'la birlikte yürüttüm.

In today’s highly competitive, globalised, and technology-driven environment, organisational success
is rarely a product of chance but the outcome of deliberate and systematic strategic planning. Strategic
management has emerged as a critical mechanism through which public organisations identify and
leverage core competencies, build comparative advantages, optimise resource allocation, and adapt
proactively to dynamic external conditions. This paper examines the indispensable role of strategic
management as a growth and performance-enhancing tool in Nigerian public organisations. The study
clarifies fundamental concepts of strategy and strategic management, highlighting strategy as a long
term, future-oriented plan focused on achieving competitive advantage through differentiation, core
competence development, and dynamic capabilities. It further explores the intricate relationship
between strategic management practices and organisational growth, emphasising how effective
formulation, implementation, and evaluation of strategies drive efficiency, innovation, service delivery,
and sustainability. The paper proposes practical pathways for embedding strategic management
practices into public sector operations, including capacity building, digital transformation,
performance management systems, and alignment with national development priorities. It concludes
that full adoption of strategic management is no longer optional but imperative for Nigerian public
organisations to overcome entrenched inefficiencies and contribute meaningfully to national
development goals. Key recommendations focus on continuous staff training through workshops and
seminars, institutionalisation of strategic practices in daily operations, leadership certification in
strategic management, and the development of organisation-wide strategic plans. Ultimately, this study
underscores strategic management as a catalyst for sustainable efficiency, innovation, accountability,
and citizen-centred service delivery in Nigeria’s public sector.

This study examined the influence of institutional variables (long working hours and physical environment) on the instructional delivery of business subject teachers in public secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. The research was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. A correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 476 business subject teachers in 169 public secondary schools across the three Education Zones (Ikom, Ogoja, and Calabar) in Cross River State. Using proportionate stratified sampling technique, a sample of 309 teachers was selected. Data were collected through a validated researcher-made questionnaire titled "Institutional Variables and Instructional Delivery Questionnaire (IVIDQ)". The questionnaire was validated by three experts and its reliability coefficient, determined through Cronbach Alpha on a pilot sample of 30 teachers, was 0.72. A total of 286 copies of the questionnaire were successfully retrieved and used for data analysis, representing a 93% return rate. Simple linear regression analysis was employed to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses. Results revealed that long working hours had a significant negative influence on

The article presents the analysis of economic size of private farms in Poland in the years 2004-2012. The average farm in the province was adopted as the research unit. The main aim of the study was to assess the regional diversity of economic size of farms and its changes over time. However, changing the definition of a farm has caused an additional problem, due to the heterogeneity of data. Therefore, in the first part of the research, for each region and years 2004-2009, number of individual farms that have met the current definition was estimated. The next step was to evaluate the economic size of average farm. The economic size of farm determines production capacity of the farm, expressed as its potential income. Based on the economic size of the farm, estimated for each of the years of research, the rankings of regions were created. High concordance of rankings suggested that the division of provinces into groups with similar levels of development of agriculture would be stabl...

An experimental design using treatments of a voluntary contribution mechanism is used to test household efficiency. Efficiency is decisively rejected in all treatments contrary to the assumption of most household models. Information on initial endowments of spouses improves efficiency only in some treatments suggesting that the impact of information is context dependent. Actual and expected contribution rates of spouses are systematically different; husbands' (wives') expectations of their wives' (husbands') contributions are higher (lower) than actual contributions. These errors imply that equilibrium in a game theoretic framework is unlikely. Statistical tests indicate other considerations than efficiency are likely important.

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Tarım 4.0 teknolojilerinin incelenmesi ve bu teknolojilerin Türkiye’de uygulanabilirliğinin ortaya konulmasıdır. Çalışmanın birincil verilerini Türkiye’de Tarım 4.0 çalışmaları yürütmekte olan üç firmadan elde edilen anket verileri oluşturmaktadır. Ayrıca bu alanda daha önce yapılmış çalışmalardan yararlanılmış olup, bu çalışmalar anket verileriyle birlikte değerlendirilerek SWOT analiziyle Türkiye’de Tarım 4.0’ın uygulanabilirliği ortaya konulmuştur. Elde edilen bulgulara göre günümüzde Tarım 4.0’ın Türkiye’de uygulanabilirliği konusunda; Türkiye’de akıllı tarım teknolojileri sunan kuruluşların bulunması ve bu kuruluşların çalışmalarından olumlu sonuçlar alınması, çiftçilerin akıllı tarıma ilişkin bilgi ve farkındalık sahibi olmaya başlamaları gibi faktörler güçlü yönler olarak; bilgi teknolojileri okuryazarlığı eksikliği, üretici yaş ortalamasının yüksek olması, altyapı çalışmaları ve politikaların yetersizliği, dışa bağımlılık gibi faktörler ise zayıf yönler ...

Analysis of patterns of food consumption of carbohydrate-based society in the city of Bengkulu aims to determine the pattern of food consumption, identify factors - factors that affect carbohydrate-based food consumption in the city of Bengkulu and to determine the elasticity of consumption of rice and tubers at their own price, cross and income. This study uses analysis of almost ideal demand system (AIDS) and the elasticity of demand. The sample used in this study is the survey data SUSENAS (Socio-Economic Survey) In 2012 as many as 292 households. The results of this study were (1) Patterns of food consumption of carbohydrates in the city of Bengkulu showed that total rice consumption expenditures greater than the bulbs, which is USD 61.021,71 / week and tuber 26.617,43 USD / week. Factors affecting food consumption patterns of carbohydrate in Bengkulu city is the economic factor. The economic factor is the price of food consumed requirement itself. Price elasticity is performed ...

This paper analyzes the impact of a land price administration on structural change from agricultural sector to other sectors of the economy. We developed a two-sector recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model, in which the rural agricultural sector uses the land factor, in addition to labor and capital. The urban non-farm sector uses labor and capital. The mobility of the labor force from agriculture to the non-agricultural urban sector is favored by migration. The model is calibrated on the 2013 social accounting matrix of Morocco, built for this purpose. The empirical results show that the administration of land prices has a negative impact on labor demand in the non-agricultural sector, leads to a delay in structural transformation and has a positive and significant effect on rural wages.

-Smart Agriculture (CSA) strategies have been introduced in Nyando basin (comprising Kisumu and Kericho Counties) in Kenya, and farmers have comparatively taken up the practices. This has resulted in diversification of farming crops/livestock and incomes to bridge seasonal shortfalls under erratic harsh weather conditions due to climate change. The main objective of the study was to determine how smallholder farmers bridge seasonal incomes variations. This study demonstrates income diversification probabilities on four outcomes of climate-smart agriculture; agricultural practices, sales of goods and services, gifts/remittances, and savings (deposits/retrievals). Additionally, gender aspects were aggregated on the same in climate-smart villages (CSVs) and non-CSVs communities. The study used household-level financial diaries panel data, collected in 2019/2020 from 124 samples of farmers selected by a multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic model were used to determine risk/probability of income sources and mobility (livelihood diversification) from a set of strategies. Results indicated that agriculture diversification activities (sale of goods and services and agricultural practices) as income sources were seasonalsensitive and during droughts households diversified to gifts/ remittances and savings. Education, age and household size were noteworthy aspects that influenced the choice of livelihood diversification strategies there were gender differences in sources of contributions to household transactions whereby women mainly relied on Gifts/Loans/Credit/Advances while sales of goods and services were exhibited in men. CSVs predictors on all the income sources over the year were negative and not significant indicating greater probability of CSVs shifting incomes sources to sales of goods than the non-CSVs.

This empirical study uses 100 years of annual data on II agricultural commodities from Belgium to measure the impact of structural changes coinciding with economic development and changes in political institutions on agricultural protection. The analysis shows that changes in agricultural protection are caused by a combination of factors. Governments have increased protection and support to farmers when world market prices for their commodities fell, and vice versa, offsetting market effects on producer incomes. Other economic determinants were the share of the commodities in total consumer expenditures (negative effect) and in total output of the economy (positive effect). With Belgium a small economy, there was no impact of the trade position. Changes in political institutions have affected agricultural protection. Democratic reforms which induced a significant shift in the political balance towards agricultural interests, such as the introduction of the one-man-one-vote system, led to an increase in agricultural protection. The integration of Belgian agricultural policies in the Common Agricultural Policy in 1968 coincided with an increase in protection, ceteris paribus. Both institutional factors, related to changes in access to and information about the decision-making at the EU level, and structural changes in the agricultural and food economy may explain this effect.

The Nigerian economy has experienced uncommon up-and-down during last decades; "oil -boom" in 1970s and "oil-doom" in 1980s. This sharp fluctuations in economy had very strong influence even in rural society. This paper aims to show current agricultural production system which has experienced rapid economic change since 1970. Field survey was carried out in 1989 at an Igbira village called Ebiya which is located about 20 km east of Okene, Kwara state. At the field survey, the authors laid stress on two points. One is about agricultural production system which was done by questionnaire, and the other is about land use pattern for which the authors had measured the whole farm land of two households. The results of field survey can be summarized as follows. 1) Various crops, both root crops and cereals, are cultivated in Ebiya village, however, cassava has become the most important crop as a cash crop. 2) For land clearance and weeding, farmers are employing agricultural labor. On the contrary, traditional mutual-help-type of work has only little importance in farming. 3) Cultivated land of the two households are about 1.8 ha in extent, which are not so large even compared with the case of southern Nigeria. In both households, househeads and their sons play important role in farming. 4) There are various type of cropping, namely, cropping patterns range from single cropping to four crops combination. But cassava is planted in the largest area. The percentage of area planted cassava to total cultivated land today seems to be much higher than that of 1960s. 5) Basic pattern of annual agricultural work has not changed too much. Planting starts at the beginning of rainy season and harvesting work is done at the end of rainy season for almost all crops. However, the case of cassava is peculiar one. It is planted and harvested in various seasons. Agricultural production system and cultivation system in Ebiya village can be con-

Dynamics of production efficiency is a key factor in assessing resource-use patterns and production growth. Raising technical efficiency of smallholder farmers in rural areas would not only increase their income but also stimulate the rest of the economy. This study therefore assessed movement of smallholder farmers in and out of technical efficiency regime over time in Nigeria. Panel data from Living Standard Measurement Survey was analysed using stochastic production frontier model, Markov chain and multinomial logit model. Farm size, labour, cassava cuttings and the use of pesticides, significantly influenced the productivity of cassava production while age squared, household size, no access to extension services and membership of a cooperative society reduced the efficiency of the farming households. A higher percentage (64.83%) of cassava farms under mono-cropping system were efficient in 2010/2011, while a large proportion of about 92.91% were inefficient in 2015/2016. Further, the rate of entry into technical inefficiency (31.32%) was more than the rate of exit from technical inefficiency (14.89%). Transition into technical inefficiency was explained by age, age squared, farm size, gender, household size, marital status, secondary school education and farming systems. In the long run, the probability that rural cassava farmers will be technically efficient was higher than that of being technically inefficient in the future.

This paper estimates the effect of highways on land prices using the implementation of the west branch of a large beltway around Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area. This is a unique opportunity since the beltway is being implemented by branches. So, it is possible to use the zones surrounding the branches where construction has actually started as a treatment group to be compared with zones surrounding branches for which construction has not started yet. Since we have a proxy for land price data before and after construction, it is possible to estimate the impact by difference-in-difference. The evidence is that there are significant and asymmetrical effects caused by the highway construction. Parcels located close to ramps outbound of the track observed an increase in price faster than similar zones close to other (planned) branches. For parcels located inbound of the beltway, relatively far from the track (between 2.5 km and 5 km), the effects of construction and delivery/operation faced...

Indoor agriculture (IA) presents a pathway to producing leafy greens more sustainably by strictly controlling the growing environment, increasing the efficiency of water and land resources use, reducing pesticide application, and enhancing quality characteristics. However, the commercial success of adopting this production method depends on the technology's widespread consumer acceptance paired with a price premium for the improved quality it provides. American consumer preferences for leafy greens, reports a positive WTP for leafy green attributes, and estimates how consumer attitudes toward IA affect their leafy green choices. The findings are drawn from an online survey of over 2000 US leafy green consumers conducted in 2021. The respondents faced a hypothetical discrete choice experiment (DCE) designed to simulate purchasing leafy green produce. The alternatives presented in the DCE varied over production systems (IA, field farming, or greenhouses) and quality levels (taste, freshness, nutrient level, and food safety). Estimates

This study investigated the impact of rural credit markets on arable crop production in selected villages within Aliero Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi State, Nigeria. Specifically, it examined the socio-economic characteristics of credit market participants, analyzed the credit demand functions of rural borrowers, assessed the determinants of loan repayment, and evaluated the influence of credit utilization on input use in arable crop farming. A multistage random sampling technique was employed to choose120 respondents from six villages. Both primary and secondary data were collected through structured questionnaires and oral interviews. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) and linear regression analysis. The findings revealed that all respondents were male and married (100%), suggesting a gender imbalance in access to rural credit. Regression results indicated that educational attainment (70.6%), farming experience (7.8%), and interest rate (50.2%) significantly influenced the volume of credit demanded. Key challenges identified in rural credit operations included low literacy levels, limited access to formal credit sources, and poor organizational structures. The study concludes that while rural credit plays a significant role in enhancing input use and productivity in arable crop farming, access remains constrained—especially for women. It is therefore recommended that targeted policies be implemented to encourage female participation and improve rural financial inclusion.

The trade in soybean, an important animal feed product, exemplifies the environmental and socio-economic impact of global markets and global agricultural policy. This paper analyses the impact of increasing production of soybean in the exporting countries (deforestation and grassland conversion) as well as in importing regions (decrease in permanent grassland by substitution of grass as feed). Ecosystem services monetary values were used to calculate the environmental and socio-economic impact of observed land use changes. This is balanced against the economic value of the global soybean trade. The results prove that consumption choices in one region have real effects on the supply of ecosystem services at a large spatial scale. Conclusively, solutions to make this global market more sustainable are discussed.

Cashew after its introduction by Portuguese travellers in 16 th Century has very well adapted to the Indian climatic conditions and is presently grown in an area of 8.55 lakh ha with production of 5.73 lakh MT. Considerable progress has been made in cashew research since 1950. However, in view of the changing global scenario and liberalised economic polices of government of India, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) decided to bring out Perspective Plan 2020 of all its constituent institutes. Accordingly, analysis of the progress made and future strategies to meet the challenges in the international market have been made and documented in the publication 'Vision 2020' of NRC Cashew in the year 1997. In the WTO regime, events of far reaching implications have taken place in the last 9 years. Research in frontier areas has shown enormous opportunities; frontier sciences such as Bio-technology and Bio-informatics have progressed very fast and new protection regime has emerged. There is a need to harness the new opportunities available with the progress of science. Considering these developments, the specific issues suggested by Director General, ICAR, suggestions emerged during discussion meeting with Deputy Director General (Hort) in January 2005 and during 9 th meeting of Research Advisory Committee of the centre during February 2005, the Perspective Plan VISION-2020 of National Research Centre for Cashew, Puttur was revised in April 2005. As per the instruction of DDG (Hort) vide his communication dated 29 th September 2006 and the decision s taken and guidelines received during the meeting held under Chairmanship of Dr. G.Kalloo, DDG (Hort) on 23 rd October 2006 at KAB-II, Pusa, New Delhi and during another meeting held under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mangala Rai, Director General, ICAR on 5-11-2006 at NASC, Pusa, New Delhi, the Perspective Plan 2020 was revised and extended to cover the period upto 2025 . Accordingly, keeping in view of the growing demand for cashew and the likely change in the cashew scenario in years to come and to meet the challenges of attaining self sufficiency in raw cashewnut production , the VISION-2025 : NRCC Perspective Plan has bee prepared. Our grateful thanks are due to organizations like Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) and Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development (DCCD) for the published information on production, productivity, export -import and nutritional figures. Thanks are also due to all the Scientists of this Research Centre for providing the necessary input for this compilation. It is hoped that if all the programmes identified are implemented successfully, India would be able to attain self-sufficiency in raw nut production and maintain its supremacy in the international market.

Rice consumption in Indonesia has risen as the population increasing rapidly. The structure of the young age population will influence the amount of per capita of rice consumption. The rice cultivating and production will also determine whether or not it will fulfil the needs. The present research aimed at analyzing Indonesian rice import within the last decade (2010 – 2019). The research method used was a literature review. The research result shows that within the last 10 years, the width of the rice cultivating and production area have been declining as much as 1,8% and 1.6% respectively. However, the rice productivity rate is still in positive number at 2.0%. Eventhough the household consumption declined as much as 2% annually, apparently this was not enough for Indonesia to fulfil the needs internally. In short term period, an import would be a solution to fulfil the needs for domestic rice consumption. On the other hand, for a longer term, an import can be a problem because th...

This study aimed to explore the Challenges in Coconut Farming: A Case of Farmers in Quezon, Quezon. It determined the profile of respondents in terms of age, sex, type of coconut farmer, size of coconut farm, and years in coconut farming. It investigated the challenges in coconut farming in terms of climate-related issues, pest infestations, crop diseases, and fluctuating price of copra. This study used a mixed method to collect data. The researcher selected ninety (90) respondents through simple random sampling. The findings characterized the typical respondents as an aging male tenant (60 years and above) with over 15 years of experience, operating a small farm of 1-3 hectares. The most critical challenge identified is the severe fluctuation in copra prices (the highest mean), often forcing farmers to sell at a loss. This economic vulnerability is compounded by the high cost of pest control materials and increasing damage from climate-related events like strong winds and storms. A key statistical finding, derived from the Kruskal-Wallis H-Test, indicates a significant difference in the perceived impact of these challenges when farmers are grouped by age, while perceptions do not vary significantly by sex, farmer type, farm size, and years in farming. The study recommends that Local Government Units (LGUs) implement a Copra Price Stabilization Fund and establish ageappropriate succession and extension programs to address the economic strain and unique needs of this elderly farming population.

Food supply security is one of the most important problems facing the world today. Although fertile agricultural lands are decreasing day by day due to climate change caused by global warming, the demand for food is increasing with the increasing population from around the world. In addition, energy input costs in food production are increasing day by day. One of the energy input costs is the energy spent for agricultural irrigation. Meeting the energy required for agricultural irrigation from the Sun will both prevent environmental problems caused by fossil fuels and reduce agricultural irrigation costs. In this study, the province of Mus, which is one of the least developed cities in Turkey, with a high potential for agriculture and solar energy, is considered as a case study. In this study, firstly, the equipment that can be used in the solar-powered irrigation system was determined, after the necessary formulas and calculations were made in detail, finally, the cost analysis of ...

This paper compares the existing Nepalese agricultural extension system with other selected agriculture-led countries to explore the needs and opportunities of introducing an innovative agricultural extension system in Nepal. A review of various documents including journals, reports, and policy papers was carried out. The status of financial and human resources in agricultural extension of Nepal was assessed from 753 municipalities and 7 provinces through survey interviews and, additionally, expert consultations were done with 15 key personnel working in the field of agricultural extension in Nepal. We examined the major changes in the agricultural extension made before and after the federalization in Nepal and examined institutional arrangements and activities for agricultural sector governance after federalization. Further, three cases were selected from selected agriculture-led countries based on the working modality of research and extension either solely or jointly or in hybrid mode. The study found insufficient human resources for agriculture sector governance especially in provinces and municipalities with 37.4% and 29% of vacant positions, respectively. The recruited agriculture technicians were mostly engaged in administrative management and handout distribution rather than agricultural technology transfer. Most technicians were freshly recruited without any on-the-job training. The paper discussed about the agriculture extension approaches, service mechanisms and structure across the countries, and its relevancy in Nepal. Irrespective of operational modality of research and extension, technological advancement and application of Information Communication Technology plays an important role for the effectiveness of the extension services.

The productivity of potato production in Nepal is low compared to neighbouring countries because of a range of production constraints. Potatoes are an important staple crop and commodity for many communities throughout Nepal, thus imperative to improve their performance for the benefit of smallholder producers and consumers. This study aims to identify the technical efficiency and yield gap of potato farmers. Farm-level data from 300 potato farmers randomly selected from three districts of Nepal is used to estimate a stochastic frontier model. The model allows us to estimate the production elasticity coefficients of inputs, determinants of efficiency and technical efficiency of potato farmers. Results showed that among the production variables, seed rate and labour used were positive towards potato production, whereas seed source, extension contact, variety type, and irrigation used were negatively significant factors that influences the technical inefficiency. The mean technical efficiency value of potato farmers was 68%, and there was clear scope to increase potato production by 32% with the better use of available resources. The potential yield gap can be reduced if the adoption of proper agricultural practices such as the use of improved potato varieties with formal seed sources with recommended seed rates along with irrigation application. Such efforts from policymakers and other concerned stakeholders would help improve domestic production and reduce the dependency on potato imports.

There is a huge opportunity for acid lime farming in Nepal. The demand is much higher than domestic production resulting voluminous import from abroad. This research aimed to assess the economics of production of Sunkagati-1 variety of acid lime in Nepal. Morang, Sunsari, Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts were selected for this study after consultation with the concerned agricultural experts and nursery entrepreneurs producing Sunkagati-1 saplings. The primary information was collected through the field survey whereas secondary information was obtained reviewing the relevant literatures. All total 70 farmers were selected as the samples through simple random sampling for the field survey. Financial analysis of farms with plant age between 3 to 7 years, was carried out which estimated the NPV (12% discount rate) NRs.4,48,672/ha, BCR 1.09, IRR 19% and the Pay-back period of 5 years, 5 months and 26 days. The value of BCR being greater than one, IRR higher than discount rate, positive NPV and short payback period indicated that commercial acid lime farming cultivating Sunkagati-1 variety is a profitable enterprise in Nepal. The unpaired t-test showed that there is no significant difference in productivity of Sunkagati-1 across eastern (Sunsari and Morang) and central (Chitwan and Nawalpur) regions; however, the price of acid lime in central region (NRs.102/kg) was significantly higher (1 % level of significance) than that of in eastern (NRs.93.8/kg). Moreover, this study revealed that porous border and unorganized market (I= 0.81) was the most severe problem followed by infestation of disease and insect pests (I= 0.76), inadequate quality seedlings (I= 0.68), inadequate technical knowledge and trainings (I=0.41) and inadequate storage and processing facilities (0.34). There is need of government intervention which would assure access to quality inputs & technology, marketing & value chain development and appropriate plant protection measures for the promotion of commercial acid lime farming in Nepal.

Research was conducted to assess the economics of commercial acid lime production and prospects of lime farming in Nepal. Morang, Sunsari, Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of Nepal were selected as the study area after having consultation with concerned agricultural personnel. Altogether 70 farmers (19% of the sampling population) were randomly selected from the sampling frame to collect the primary information. The financial analysis of acid lime farming per hectare of land estimated NPV (12% discount rate) NRs. 4828734/ha, BCR 2.2, IRR 40% and the Pay-back period of 5 years, 5 months and 26 days. The BCR greater than one, IRR three times higher than discount rate, high NPV (return on investment more than cent percent) and payback period less than one-third of the total productive age of the lime orchard showed the financial feasibility of commercial acid lime farming in Nepal. The regression revealed that the import, production and productive area were found to be increased at  t...

Declining land productivity due to low soil fertility, resulting from continuous cultivation and inadequate use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, is a major cause of reduced crop productivity. To address this issue, a field experiment was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm of the Department of Crop Production Technology at the Federal College of Agriculture Ishiagu (FCAI) during the 2024 cropping season. The aim was to determine the influence of different rice husk ash (RHA) application rates on the growth, yield, and soil fertility of maize (Zea mays). The experiment was designed as a completely randomized block design (CRBD) with four treatments (0, 4.2, 8.3, and 12.5t/ha of RHA) and three replications, resulting in a total of twelve plots. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-20 cm before treatment application and after crop harvest, and analyzed following standard laboratory procedures. Data were analyzed using SAS software (version 9.0). The results indicated that the 12.5t/ha rate of RHA showed the greatest improvement in maize growth, grain yield, and soil fertility. Significant (p<0.05) increases in maize growth and grain yield were observed with the application of 8.3t/ha and 12.5t/ha rates of RHA compared to the control. From the results, it can be concluded that applying different rates of RHA led to short-term improvements in maize growth and grain yield. The control plots, which did not receive any RHA, exhibited poor performance in both growth and yield, highlighting the positive effect of RHA on maize production.

Gender differences in fish processors' willingness to pay for a group-owned fish solar tent dryer (FSTD) are being assessed by using the double hurdle model. Willingness to pay (WTP) responses from 382 randomly selected fish processors were elicited through a bidding game in a contingent valuation method. The findings show that the average probability that fish processors will be willing to pay was 74% (76% for females and 72% for males). Furthermore, the average level of WTP was US$29.45 (US$26.46 for females and US$33.51 for males). Females have a lower level of WTP than men because of their low endowment with assets that can assist them such as education, access to markets and productive assets. In view of these findings, the paper concludes that female fish processors have a higher probability of being willing to pay than male fish processors, but the levels of WTP are lower for female processors. The study suggests that when organising the community into cooperatives is possible, WTP for capital-intensive technologies can be assessed as contributions of individuals to the total cost of the technologies although the common property characteristic is suspected to lower the level of willingness to pay.

A bivariate probit model was employed to jointly and separately estimate banana market participation decisions of buying and selling households in Rwanda and Burundi using household survey data. Selectivity bias was corrected for estimating the transacted volumes using Heckman&#39;s procedure. The results showed that transaction cost‐related factors such as geographical location of households, market information sources, and travel time to the nearest urban center influence market participation. Non‐price‐related factors such as security of land tenure, labor availability, off‐farm income, gender of the household head, and years of farming experience had a significant influence on the transacted volumes. Output prices had a significant correlation with sales volume, indicating price incentives increased supply by sellers. Generally, the findings suggest that policies aimed at investments in rural road infrastructure, market information systems, collective marketing, and value additi...