Agricultural Economics

Drought is a reoccurring phenomenon which is considered as one of the topmost slow-onset disasters in the central Barind Tract of northwestern Bangladesh. Due to the consequences of drought, agriculture of this area is highly impacted as well as the farmers fall in multidimensional livelihoods disruption. The objective of the paper is to investigate the existing adaptive measures practicing by farmers to combat adverse impacts of agricultural drought in two representative drought-prone locations of Rajshahi District of Bangladesh. The present study is mainly based on semi-structured household questionnaire survey. Eventually, the survey was conducted in 2019 among 303 households out of 1421 by using Kothari (2004) sampling formula considering 95% significance level and samples are determined through simple random sampling. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyze the adoption options of the cultivators of the study areas from geographical perspectives. It is f...

The Farm and Horticultural Management Group comprises staff of the Applied Management and Computing Division at Lincoln University whose research and teaching interests are in applied and theoretical management and systems analysis in primary production. The group teaches subjects leading to agricultural/horticultural commerce and science degrees, though the courses offered also contribute to other degrees. The group is strongly involved in postgraduate teaching leading to honours, masters and PhD degrees. Research interests are in systems modelling, analysis and simulation, decision theory, agnbusiness and industry analysis, business strategies, employment relations and labour management, financial management, information and decision systems, rural development and also risk perceptions and management. Every paper appearing in this series has undergone editorial review within the group. The editorial panel is selected by an editor who is appointed by the Chair of the Applied Management and Computing Division Research Committee. The views expressed in this paper are not necessarily the same as those held by members of the editorial panel, nor of the Group, Division or University. The accuracy of the information presented in this paper is the sole responsibility of the authors.

The pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is a vital and economically significant sector worldwide, ranking second after the food industry. Access to essential and high-quality medicines remains a critical public health challenge in Afghanistan. Domestic pharmaceutical production currently meets only about 10% of national demand. The country lacks facilities for producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs); existing pharmaceutical factories, mostly private, manufacture only finished dosage forms. Afghanistan exports no medicines, and there is no research-based pharmaceutical industry. Most drugs used in the country are imported, with low-quality products raising concerns among prescribers and users. This article aims to provide a review of the spice production industry in the country, utilizing credible scientific sources, along with solutions for its development and support. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the development of the spice production industry in Afghanistan means improving access to high-quality spices within the country. The potential contribution of domestic spice production is seen as the only solution to increasing the availability of essential medicines in Afghanistan. Furthermore, government support, both in terms of incentives and financial assistance, is considered a major factor in the growth and development of the spice production industry in the country.

The article describes the availability of food in the traditional food system in a village in Andhra Pradesh before the advent of borewell. The borewell era has seen disappearance of water both underground and over ground and the article describes its impact on the food system. People have now become from net producers of food to net purchasers of food from the PDS and the market.

Produktivitas pertanian yang optimal merupakan tantangan besar bagi petani. Pengabdian masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan hardskill dan softskill kelompok tani "Malawo Sejahtera" di Kelurahan Jamaimo, Distrik Mariat, Kabupaten Sorong melalui sosialisasi dan pendampingan penyemaian benih sayuran. Kegiatan ini melibatkan 22 peserta dari kelompok tani "Malawo Sejahtera" dan difokuskan pada budidaya sayuran seperti terong, sawi, dan bayam yang dinilai mudah dibudidayakan serta memiliki nilai ekonomi tinggi. Sosialisasi dilakukan untuk memberikan pemahaman dasar tentang teknik penyemaian yang efektif, diikuti dengan pendampingan langsung untuk memastikan praktik di lapangan sesuai dengan teori. Evaluasi dilakukan melalui pre-test dan post-test untuk mengukur peningkatan pengetahuan dan keterampilan peserta, serta observasi langsung terhadap hasil praktik di lapangan. Hasil menunjukkan peningkatan pengetahuan dan keterampilan peserta dari 61,18% menjadi 85,56% dengan bibit yang lebih sehat dan siap tanam sebagai indicator keberhasilan. Dengan pendekatan partisipatif dan pendampingan yang intensif, diharapkan produktivitas kelompok tani "Malawo Sejahtera" dapat meningkat secara berkelanjutan.

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The economic contributions of the green industry in the United States were estimated for 2018 using information on industry employment and wages, and economic multipliers from a U.S. IMPLAN economic model. Direct industry output for all sectors was estimated at $159.57 billion (B), and total output contributions, including indirect and induced regional economic multiplier effects of export sales, were $348.08 B. The total value added contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $190.98 B, including labor income contributions of $121.55 B, other property income contributions of $16.01 B and business taxes paid to local, state and federal governments of $25.84 B. The industry had direct employment of 1,599,662 fulltime and part-time individuals, and total employment contributions of 2,315,357 jobs in the broader economy. The largest individual industry sectors in terms of employment and GDP contributions were landscaping and horticultural services (1

Produce growers in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee were surveyed in 2002 to gather information about their decision making in the areas of planting, postharvest handling, marketing, and expected changes. North Carolina has proportionately more respondents with large operations, and Kentucky and Tennessee were more similar and concentrated in smaller farms. Tennessee and Kentucky respondents were less likely to have engaged in activities that were associated with the commercial distribution system. Greater reliance on the commercial distribution system on the part of North Carolina growers is consistent with more produce export activity.

The paper explores determinants on rural labor's migration decision in Shaanxi province in northwest China. It adopts Probit regression and takes High Value Agricultural Products growers as an example. The econometric results suggest that great net family farm income and shift opportunity cost, rich farm experience, as well as large farm size mitigate grower's migration attitude, whereas poor rural infrastructure constructions and unclearly agricultural subsidy policies increase grower's willingness-to-transfer. Policy suggestions on enlarging family farm land holdings, targeting extension training at the older growers, improving telecommunications infrastructure and specifying agri-subsidy program are highly recommended.

The paper explores determinants on rural labor's migration decision in Shaanxi province in northwest China. It adopts Probit regression and takes High Value Agricultural Products growers as an example. The econometric results suggest that great net family farm income and shift opportunity cost, rich farm experience, as well as large farm size mitigate grower's migration attitude, whereas poor rural infrastructure constructions and unclearly agricultural subsidy policies increase grower's willingness-to-transfer. Policy suggestions on enlarging family farm land holdings, targeting extension training at the older growers, improving telecommunications infrastructure and specifying agri-subsidy program are highly recommended.

Agriculture-based policies for rural development and food sufficiency lead to the welfare of farmers. However, the implementation of these policies often cannot address these issues. This study examines the impact of implementing agropolitan area and Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) policies on paddy field farmers in the Ciwidey Agricultural Area. A review of the literature on regulations related to these two policies was conducted to identify their application in the Ciwidey area. Furthermore, a phenomenological qualitative approach was carried out to observe rice field farmers as the object of these policies. Agropolitan policies can create capital flows in agricultural areas that open opportunities to diverse farmers' livelihood portfolios. This capital inflow would be followed by activities of primitive accumulation that changed paddy field land tenure. In a strategic location, this change will increase the risk of the paddy field's conversion to non-agriculture...

This paper aims to analyze the impact of xed capital, variable inputs and labor and their interaction to the volume of the agricultural output in Greece, for the period 1981 -2021, using the estimation equation of a Cobb-Douglas equation form. At a second level, an attempt is made to investigate possible changes in this relationship over time, using the Bai-Perron structural changes method and their effect on the observed relationship between agricultural inputs and output. The existence of a structural break in 2006 was con rmed, which is accompanied by differences in elasticities before and after this year. During the period 1981-2005, positive elasticities of labor and xed capital were observed, indicating that the increase in these factors contributed positively to agricultural production, but with decreased returns to scale. In contrast, after 2006, negative elasticity of labor and xed capital was detected, while the elasticity of variable factors of production remained positive. This change in elasticities indicates the ine ciency in the use of xed capital and labor after 2006 and the increased in uence of variable production factors on agricultural production. These ndings highlight the need for continuous monitoring and analysis of factors affecting agricultural production, in order to enhance the competitiveness of the corresponding sector and ensure its sustainability in the future, offering new perspectives for the design and implementation of policies that will enhance agricultural development.

Farmers' markets presumably benefit local economies through enhanced retention of local dollars. Unlike other studies, the net impact of farmers' markets on the West Virginia economy is examined. Producer survey results are used in estimating annual direct sales ($1.725 million). Using an IMPLAN-based input-output model, gross impacts are 119 jobs (69 full-time equivalent jobs) and $2.389 million in output including $1.48 million in gross state product (GSP). When the effect of direct revenue losses are included (primarily for grocery stores), the impact is reduced to 82 jobs (43 full-time equivalent jobs), $1.075 million in output, and $0.653 million in GSP.

Smallholder agriculture dominates Kenya's agricultural landscape, accounting for 75 % of total agricultural output and 70 % of the marketed agricultural produce. As a result, the Government of Kenya, with the support of development partners, has invested in production and dissemination of productivity-enhancing technologies such as high-yielding varieties and inorganic fertilizers targeting the smallholders. Adoption of these technologies has remarkably improved, especially in the maize sub-sector. However, productivity has been declining or, at best, stagnating. Productivity is attributable to not only technological improvements but also technical efficiency. Consequently, this study sought to determine the technical efficiency of the country's smallholder food crop farmers and establish how it correlates with environmental factors. The study used a two-stage nonparametric approach on household panel data to estimate the efficiency levels of the smallholders and establish the sources of its variation across households. Controlling for endogeneity and incorporating geographic information system-derived measures of environmental factors in the analysis, the study finds that technical efficiency differentials are influenced by environmental factors, production risks and farmer characteristics. The policy implication is that the country has room to improve agricultural productivity by addressing environmental and farm-level constraints. Viable M. J. Ogada (&)

The development of the ecological agriculture sector in our country in the past decade has triggered the expansion of the research in the field, at both theoretical and experimental level. The research performed and presented in this paper contributes to the level of knowledge in this field by means of practical suggestions for economically and energetically streamlining the agricultural businesses in our country. These suggestions are materialised in projecting ecological production structures, economically and energetically viable ones. The methodology used in the projection was based on the data gathered at the level of a 700-hectare holding in the south of Romania and integrates specific calculation starting from the technological records and crop budgets. The results obtained allowed us to draw the following conclusions: the economic efficiency (profit rate of 111.1%) can be obtained with a crop rotation made up of 160 ha wheat, 300 ha sunflower, 140 ha maize, 40 ha alfalfa and 60 ha peas; the energy efficiency (energy yield of 0.171) is obtained in the case of the crop rotation made up of 340 ha wheat, 180 ha sunflower, 90 ha maize, 70 ha alfalfa and 20 ha peas.

Purpose: India’s MSP–procurement–PDS system, although framed as farmer support, functions largely as a consumer subsidy. With rice and wheat sold cheaply through the PDS and global prices close to the MSP, procurement mainly ensures price assurance. Expanding assured procurement to all MSP crops raises serious concerns regarding fiscal sustainability, administrative feasibility, and market distortions. This study evaluated the fiscal implications of alternative MSP reform pathways.
Methodology: Using 2024–2025 production, MSP, and wholesale price data, five scenarios were modelled: full procurement of all 23 MSP crops (upper bound); current-style procurement of 40% of paddy and wheat and 20% of others (baseline); baseline plus PDP at 10% of MSP for 20% of other crop output (partial PDP); baseline plus PDP at 20% of MSP for 40% of other output (enhanced PDP); and continued cereal procurement with universal PDP for other crops.
Results: Partial procurement results in payouts of approximately ₹3.7 lakh crore (USD 40.3 billion) (1.12% of GDP) while concealing large storage and inventory risks. Hybrid models provide comparable income support with lower logistical burden. Universal PDP moderately increases outlays but expands coverage and avoids procurement inefficiencies. Even a broadened PDP system would cost approximately ₹1.14 lakh crore (USD 12.4 billion).
Conclusions: Effective farmer price assurance does not require expanded procurement efforts. A gradual transition toward hybrid and PDP-based support can protect incomes, reduce inefficiencies, and clearly separate consumer subsidies from farmer income policy, offering a practical reform pathway for India and similar economies.
Limitations: This study uses a static, single-year framework and does not capture dynamic distributional factors.
Contributions: This study provides a fiscal comparison of MSP implementation pathways, introduces a hybrid procurement–PDP framework, and offers new evidence on extending income support to neglected crops and regions while minimizing fiscal expenditure.

The Institute's mission is to enhance the overall understanding o f economic and policy issues associated with commodity promotion programs. An understanding o f these issues is crucial to ensuring continued authorization for domestic checkoff programs and to fund export promotion programs. The Institute supports specific research projects and facilitates collaboration among administrators and researchers in government, universities, and commodity promotion organiza tions. Through its sponsored research and compilations o f related research reports, the Institute serves as a centralized source o f knowledge and information about commodity promotion eco nomics.

In sub-Saharan Africa, including Zambia, rising awareness of the nutrition and health benefits of traditional African vegetables (TAVs) has raised demand over the past decade. TAVs compete with conventional vegetables in most retail outlets such as supermarkets and small food stores. Yet, there is little information on the retail structure of organic traditional vegetables. This study sought to identify the trading structure of organic TAVs; the determinants of retailers' decision to sell these vegetables and the major bottlenecks to the growth of TAV retailing. Results indicated that it was the expected profits and consumer concerns over food safety that influence the retailers' decision to sell organic TAVs.

This study identifies consumer and household characteristics, geographical locations and opinions and views of the respondents that influence the expenditure on fresh fruit and vegetable, using a survey data collected from 1,100 female residents of seven urban centers in the Republic of Korea. Two separate equations for fresh fruit and vegetable expenditures were estimated using the OLS after determining that the Heckman's procedure was not applicable. Results provide insights for the formulation of profiles for consumers according to their expenditures. Calculated elasticities for household income, education, age and number of adults in the case of fresh vegetable expenditure are 0.21, 0.32, 0.39 and 0.31, respectively. Elasticities for income, education and number of adults in the case of fresh fruit expenditure are 0.30, 0.30 and 0.16, respectively. Knowledge from this study is useful for fresh produce strategies by food manufacturers and for public health education led by the government agencies.

This study identifies consumer and household characteristics, geographical locations and opinions and views of the respondents that influence the expenditure on fresh fruit and vegetable, using a survey data collected from 1,100 female residents of seven urban centers in the Republic of Korea. Two separate equations for fresh fruit and vegetable expenditures were estimated using the OLS after determining that the Heckman’s procedure was not applicable. Results provide insights for the formulation of profiles for consumers according to their expenditures. Calculated elasticities for household income, education, age and number of adults in the case of fresh vegetable expenditure are 0.21, 0.32, 0.39 and 0.31, respectively. Elasticities for income, education and number of adults in the case of fresh fruit expenditure are 0.30, 0.30 and 0.16, respectively. Knowledge from this study is useful for fresh produce strategies by food manufacturers and for public health education led by the go...

Agriculture plays a great role in the economy of many countries including Tanzania where the majority depends on agriculture-based activities for their livelihoods. Access to agricultural credit is vital for growth and development of agricultural sector in Tanzania, hence financing agriculture is a key issue in rural development. Despite effort of the Government to make agricultural credit services available and affordable to its majority, access to credit among smallholder farmers is still very low. The aim of this study was to assess the determinants of credit demand by smallholder farmers. A multistage sampling technique was employed in this study. Ten (10) wards were selected with 30 respondents from each ward making a sample of 300 smallholder farmers. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the influence of smallholder farmer's socio-economic characteristics on credit demand. The maximum likelihood estimates of the logistic regression revealed that access to agricultural credit among smallholder farmers was determined by age of the respondents, gender, number of years of schooling, household size, distance, awareness, collateral, type of crops, farm size, contact with extension services, membership to economic farm groups, location of the farm and interest rate. However, gender of the respondent, distance, collateral and interest rate though statistically significant, had negative influences on smallholder farmer's decision to demand and access agricultural credit. The study recommends that Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) should be strengthened and smallholder farmers be ensured to access agricultural credit with minimum and bearable formalities for agricultural development in Tanzania.

Розглянуто математичну модель просторового руху маніпулятора з мехатронним приводом. Для уточнення математичної моделі запропоновано ввести залежність, що описує зміну величини гідродинамічної сили, отриманої на основі апроксимації результатів комп'ютерного моделювання гідродинамічних процесів у вузлі гальмівного клапана гідророзподільника мехатронного приводу. Ключові слова: маніпулятор, мехатронний привод, математична модель, гідродинамічний процес, гідродинамічна сила. Останнім часом все більшого розповсюдження набувають мехатронні системи в машинах різного призначення. Такі системи включають виконавчі механізми та мехатронні приводи з системою керування на основі контролерів. Синергетичне поєднання переваг механічних приводів, електронних систем та програмних засобів керування дозволяє створювати машини та устаткування, що мають суттєво кращі показники продуктивності, економічності та довговічності [1-4]. Широкого розповсюдження набули машини, в яких як виконавчий механізм використовуються маніпулятори, що забезпечують виконання робочих операцій шляхом відтворення рухів операторів. Постановка задачі 134 иліндрами 5, в На кафедрі технології та автоматизації машинобудування (ВНТУ) розроблена конструкція маніпулятора з розширеними функціональними можливостями. На рис. 1 показана розрахункова схема маніпулятора. Маніпулятор складається зі стійки 1, стріли 2, рукояті 3, захватів 4, гідроциліндрів 5, 6, 7 та механізму повороту 8. Маніпулятор забезпечує переміщення захвата в циліндричній системі координат шляхом повороту навколо осей Z та Х на кути φ та ψ, відповідно. Поворот ланок маніпулятора забезпечується гідроц 6 та 7. Ефективність роботи маніпулятора та продуктивність його роботи залежить ід точності виходу маніпулятора на об'єкт, можливості пропорційного керування швидкістю його руху. Маніпулятори в таких машинах здійснюють просторовий рух по складних траєкто-Рис. 1. Розрахункова схема маніпулятора

This paper focuses on the status of ICT usage among agri-based entrepreneurs in Malaysia. The objectives of the study: 1) to know the purpose of using ICT among agri-based entrepreneurs; 2) to know the level of ICT usage among agri-based entrepreneurs; 3)to determine the contribution of ICT toward agri-based entrepreneur’s productivity; 4) to identify the obstacles for usage of ICT and 5) to identify the ICT networks and support services among agri-based entrepreneurs. A total of 450 respondents were involved in the study representing four fields of agri-based industry namely plantation, animal rearing, fisheries and food processing. Respondents were chosen based on the list of agri-based entrepreneurs provided by Department of Agriculture (DOA) Farmers Organization Authority and Agriculture Bank of Malaysia. A survey using a questionnaire developed for the study was used to collect data. From the study it was found that the most used ICT tools are phone, mobile phone, television an...

This doctoral thesis critically evaluates the impact of the Farm Service Center (FSC) model on agro-dealer performance and smallholder farmer outcomes in Rwanda. Employing a mixed-methods research design with a strong quantitative emphasis, the study applies statistical analysis to examine the relationship between FSC investment and key indicators including agricultural productivity, business performance, access to inputs and services, and farmer resilience. The research integrates survey data, inferential statistical techniques, and qualitative stakeholder insights to assess the operational and institutional effectiveness of the FSC model within Rwanda’s evolving agricultural and rural finance ecosystem. Particular attention is given to the role of FSCs in supporting climate-smart agriculture, rural market development, and inclusive agricultural commercialization. The findings contribute to both academic literature and development practice by providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, development finance institutions, donors, and agricultural investment practitioners operating in emerging markets.

This study aims at investigating the impact of regional integration on the agricultural trade development by focusing on wheat flour, maize grain, maize flour, potato, rice and soybean, fresh bean and dried beans sectors selected among priority foodstuffs in Rwanda. This is motivated by the lack of the studies comparing the competitive performance of all priority staple foods sub-sectors in Rwanda in the context of regional trade. The analysis used secondary data obtained through documentary reviews and those collected from the National Bank of Rwanda and FAOSTAT on imports and exports of Rwanda from 2007 to 2017. Apart from the literature review, the analysis was conducted using the Net Export Index (NEI) and the Grubel-Lloyd (GL) measure. The literature review and empirical results reveal that Rwanda benefited from its accession to regional and global trade blocks, especially in terms of the ease of access to external markets through the establishment of the Common Market, the Cus...

Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) production amongst smallholder farmers is constrained by bad odour arising from pig houses. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) treatment of deep litter floor in controlling bad odour emission from pig houses of IMO treated and untreated deep litter floor. Twenty four three-month old pigs (Large White x Landrace) were raised on deep litter floor; one floor type treated with IMO solution and control not treated. Significant (LSD≤0.05) differences were observed in bad odour intensity of extremely strong, very strong, strong, distinct, weak, and very weak at a distance of 0 to 40 metres from pig houses of IMO treated and untreated deep litter floor; with high intensity of bad odour (16.9%) arising from untreated deep litter floor houses than IMO treated litter floor (0.4%). Therefore, deep litter floor treatment with IMO solution does not eliminate bad odour from pig house but rather reduces the...

Landraces are the varieties nurtured and cultivated by the farmers through traditional method of selection over the decades. The "landraces" are the primitive cultivars grown by farmers and their successors since ancient times. The Directorate of Sorghum Research (DSR) has explored Tamil Nadu and collected 150 accessions during 2003-2010. DSR has collected important landraces during its exploration, among them are Deshi, Irungu cholam, Kaka cholam,

More than 15 years have passed since Mexico's Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program was introduced as a new targeted poverty reduction strategy. CCTs have two main objectives to alleviate 'present poverty' through cash transfers, and to reduce 'future poverty' by promoting investment in human capital. This paper will emphasize the former aspect by discussing the effects of the CCT program on the consumption of the rural poor in Mexico. In this respect, the causality between poverty degradation and the food price increases between 2003 and 2007 will be examined using household panel data. The empirical results show that poverty, measured by food consumption, worsened significantly. Moreover, the cash transfer of CCT served as a partial buffer, but could not protect the poorest of the poor completely from price shocks.

More than 15 years have passed since Mexico's Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program was introduced as a new targeted poverty reduction strategy. CCTs have two main objectives to alleviate 'present poverty' through cash transfers, and to reduce 'future poverty' by promoting investment in human capital. This paper will emphasize the former aspect by discussing the effects of the CCT program on the consumption of the rural poor in Mexico. In this respect, the causality between poverty degradation and the food price increases between 2003 and 2007 will be examined using household panel data. The empirical results show that poverty, measured by food consumption, worsened significantly. Moreover, the cash transfer of CCT served as a partial buffer, but could not protect the poorest of the poor completely from price shocks.

This research examines the effect of a government sponsored technology transfer program for small holder farms in Chile. The effect of family participation in the technology transfer program is evaluated with respect to a number of 'outcomes' including its effect on farm revenues, total family income, and household poverty status. The empirical examination uses maximum likelihood selection and fixed-and random-effects estimation techniques. By estimating the effect of program participation on crop selection, crop yields, farm use of certified seeds, and the scale of farming activities, the research examines the mechanisms through which the program appears to raise farm revenues. Estimation results show program participation had a positive and significant effect on farm revenues and total family income. The program prompted farmers to adopt nitrogen fixing bean crops, but did not have significant effects on crop yields or the likelihood a farm planted certified seeds or applied fertilizer. The primary mechanism through which the program increased farm income was by increasing the intensive scale of farming pursued by participants.

Risk is an important characteristic of decisions about weed control in crops. In this paper it is shown that risk can affect weed control decisions even if the objective of the decision maker is to maximise expected profits: that is, even if the decision maker is ‘risk‐neutral’ in the usual economic sense. This is shown for two decision frameworks: the optimal rate approach and the economic threshold approach. Empirical results are presented for control of ryegrass in wheat in Western Australia. It is found that, in general, risk reduces the optimal level of herbicide use under expected profit maximisation. Although individual sources of risk have a small impact on the optimal decision rules, combinations of uncertain variables can have a relatively large effect.

This paper outlines important lessons and experiences in successful development and use of the MIDAS whole-farm models in Western Australia. The paper includes discussions of whole-farm planning and whole-farm modelling in general and various aspects of the MIDAS experience, including the model's history, strengths and weaknesses, uses, positive outcomes and negative aspects. It is argued that the factors contributing to success of MIDAS include the choice of level of detail (with an emphasis on representing biological detail as well as financial factors), the strategies of MIDAS use (involving a high degree of collaboration with scientists and emphasizing understanding rather than prediction or prescription), a supportive institutional environment and the optimization framework.

In the modern market economy, agri-food chains were imposed and strengthened due to unprecedented evolving recorded by supply and demand of food in recent decades, dynamic driven by market fragmentation, on the one hand, and specific processes of consumption and consumer emancipation, on the other hand. The objective of the paper aims to bring to the fore the best practices for support the Romanian small farmers to facilitate their access to the market, which is often dominated by large distribution networks. Reality has shown that financial support is not enough, even if farmers use modern and efficient technological systems, and that it is a need for an efficient integration of small producers in the agri-food sector. To highlight the best practices that can be used by Romanian small farmers were used information derived from: literature study on problems regarding the food sector; analysis of studies conducted by the consulting companies specialised in this field; analysing the c...

Forecasting crop yield prediction is an very important decision support tool. Crop yield prediction is the process of using data and technology to estimate how much agricultural produce, such as crops, will be harvested in a specific area for a given period. This involves analyzing various factors like weather patterns, soil quality, historical data, and farming practices to make educated guesses about the future harvest. It helps farmers, policymakers, and food supply chain stakeholders make informed decisions regarding planting, resource allocation, and food security. Essentially, it's like forecasting the future of crop production to ensure efficient and sustainable agriculture. Forecasting crop yield is a complex and vital endeavor in modern agriculture, aiming to foresee the quantity of crops that will be harvested in a specific area during a particular growing season. This process relies on a synergy of data-driven analysis, technological advancements, and the integration of various factors that influence crop growth and productivity. In essence, it involves the art and science of anticipating nature's bounty, allowing us to make informed decisions, enhance food security, and optimize resource allocation.

The paper examined and brought to the fore the typical characteristic of urban and peri-urban farmers in Freetown and Bo communities which serves as major source of supply of agricultural products into the cities’ markets. The social and environmental aspect and perception of producers involved in urban and peri-urban agriculture was examined. Descriptive statistics and pictograms were used to analyze and present the data. Results indicate that 56.34% never went to formal school and mostly dominated by women, showing that farming became the alternative means of livelihood support for those groups. Crops grown are purely influenced by market orientation—demand and cost, as is evident in Gloucester (lettuce, cabbage and spring onions). Potato leaves were commonly grown in almost all communities, reason being that it serves as common/major sauce/vegetable cooked in every household in Sierra Leone. Maize and rice were featured in Ogoo farm—government supervised land set aside purposely ...

Backyards are family settings adjacent to the house, characterized mainly by being small-scale and diversified productive spaces. The research typologically characterized the backyards and their contribution to family food security in La Concordia municipality, Chiapas, Mexico. The research was descriptive and mixed, quantitative, and qualitative, and semi-structured interviews were applied to 130 families. For the typification, 21 variables were used, and the statistical techniques of Factorial Analysis and Clusters were applied. The cases studied were classified, according to the relevance of their production and contribution to food security, into two general groups: a) a group of backyards that is more productive and contributes to food security, which in turn includes three subtypes of backyards that differ from each other by their profile towards vegetable or poultry production for subsistence, and/or pigs as a form of savings; b) a group of less productive backyards in which other management strategies for food security are assumed and differ from each other by the level of expulsion of labor force and types of families, nuclear or extended. Poultry and plant species for multiple uses was the most frequently characteristic, regardless of the type of backyard.

the concept development, of development studies and of development geography. At the present early stage in the evolution of development geography, this part of the work may have some merit per se, in addition to explaining the choice of research approach. Over the years I have had recurrent useful discussions with Gerd Wikan. The arguments forwarded here have also benefitted from her penetrating question-marks. Sylvi Endresen has pointed at several fine nuances of meaning in the manuscript. I am grateful to both of them.

The American West is defined first and foremost by aridity, scarcity, and variability of water resources. In response to this geographic imperative, the region has evolved a robust menu of legal, institutional, and community-based approaches to managing water and conflicts at local, state, and national levels. While far from perfect, this framework may offer lessons to other regions throughout the world that are increasingly faced with water conflicts due to scarcity and variability of water resources. The resulting menu of approaches reflects an adaptive, collaborative, and nested system of governing water resources.

The American West is defined first and foremost by aridity, scarcity, and variability of water resources. In response to this geographic imperative, the region has evolved a robust menu of legal, institutional, and community-based approaches to managing water and conflicts at local, state, and national levels. While far from perfect, this framework may offer lessons to other regions throughout the world that are increasingly faced with water conflicts due to scarcity and variability of water resources. The resulting menu of approaches reflects an adaptive, collaborative, and nested system of governing water resources.

The paper investigates the linkages between technological change and production risk, with an application to corn. The effects of technology on risk exposure are analyzed. We define technological progress to be risk-increasing (risk-decreasing) if it increases (decreases) the relative risk premium. The analysis is applied to panel data from Wisconsin research stations. Conditional moments (including mean, variance and skewness) of corn yield, grain moisture and corn profit are estimated for different sites. We investigate how the trade-off between expected return and the risk premium varies over time and over space. The empirical results indicate that technological progress contributes to reducing the exposure to risk as well as downside risk in corn production, although this effect varies across sites. They also stress the role of the relative maturity of corn hybrids as a means of managing risk.

The paper investigates the linkages between technological change and production risk, with an application to corn. The effects of technology on risk exposure are analyzed. We define technological progress to be risk-increasing (risk-decreasing) if it increases (decreases) the relative risk premium. The analysis is applied to panel data from Wisconsin research stations. Conditional moments (including mean, variance and skewness) of corn yield, grain moisture and corn profit are estimated for different sites. We investigate how the trade-off between expected return and the risk premium varies over time and over space. The empirical results indicate that technological progress contributes to reducing the exposure to risk as well as downside risk in corn production, although this effect varies across sites. They also stress the role of the relative maturity of corn hybrids as a means of managing risk.