Together we stand,divided we fall? Smallholders' access to political power and their place in Poland's agricultural system

It has long been recognized that agrarian transformation can be seen as an outcome of struggles between politically influential interest groups. At the same time, numerous theoretical arguments suggest that small‐scale farmers are politically weak. Smallholders are commonly believed to comprise a particularly vulnerable group, which has only little influence on the pace and the direction of the ongoing restructuring. One may wonder, however, whether smallholders are able to affect the paths of agrarian development once they solve collective action problem and attain political office. In this paper, we try to improve our understanding in this respect by analysing smallholders in Poland. Our findings suggest that in municipalities in which smallholders had access to political offices, the rate of smallholders' exits from farming was significantly lower than elsewhere.     

Marketing Practices and Distribution System of Rice in Punjab,India

Abstract

The study focuses on the marketing practices, market structures, and firms' motives for vertical co-ordination of the paddy-rice distribution system during the post green revolution period in the Punjab state of India. The study is based upon secondary data taken from several published sources and intensive interviews with the market agents in the entire distribution chain from growers to the retailers. Study highlighted the emergence of public sector as a giant player in the paddy (non-basmati) wholesale markets, unscrupulous practices for paddy/rice supplies, wide disparities in the issue prices for the below and above poverty line families, reduced off take from the public distribution system, launching of several schemes to off load excessive stocks, and improve market efficiency. Open market segment of the industry is highly fragmented wherein a large majority of the market agents have confined at the levels they can be best managed, vertical co-ordination plays a pivotal role to cope up with market imperfections and supply agents constitute a strategic link for rice sales. However, private milling gains momentum particularly during the downward phase of the industry due to increased profitability.     

新疆农业发展新模式:中介组织主导型市场农业

文章从近年来新疆农业产量增长,而农民收入增长缓慢这一背景出发,在全面分析中介组织主导型市场农业的基本架构及运行模式的基础上,指出新疆应转换“强调生产,忽视市场”的以生产为主导的农业增长模式,将中介组织主导型市场农业确立为新疆农业的增长模式。并对政府如何构建中介组织主导型市场农业提出了政策建议。     

Eastern enlargement of the EU and its implications for agriculture and agricultural policies

In 2004 ten Eastern and Southern European countries will join the EU. Agriculture and agricultural policy is an important issue in this EU enlargement process, for several reasons. This paper assesses the implications of the enlargement process for agriculture and agricultural policies.     

不同项目治理模式对示范区农户带动的影响*——以农业标准化示范区项目为例

[目的]农业试点示范项目的实施在我国由来已久,其治理模式和制度体系正面临转型,发挥市场主体的能动性,辐射带动更多小农户参与标准化生产,尤为重要。[方法]以农业标准化示范项目为例,探讨示范项目治理模式的转型及对示范区农户的带动机理,并基于301个示范区的调研数据,实证分析不同项目治理模式对示范区农户带动的影响。[结果]我国农业标准化示范项目正在经历从政府主导模式向市场主导模式的转变;市场主导的治理模式在带动农户直接参与标准化生产方面,要优于政府主导的治理模式;具体而言,市场主导模式中,“公司+中介组织+农户+基地+标准”模式,要优于“公司+农户+基地+标准”模式。此外,该研究进一步发现,农业标准化宣传、产业化程度、技术准入门槛、集约化程度、农业机械化水平等因素同样会影响示范区农户带动。[结论]因此,应更好地发挥市场作用,撬动更多社会资本,鼓励新型经营主体参与、承担示范项目,并提升中介组织的协调和推广能力,从而积极形成市场导向的多元治理格局。     

Creating Value in the Supply Chain for Australian Farmed Barramundi: Whole of Chain Perspective

This article investigates 4 key areas of supply chain management to identify opportunities to create value for Australian farmed barramundi. These key areas are product attributes, material flow, information flow, and relationships. This exploratory study forms the first stage of a value chain mapping study. Based on data gathered from 13 in-depth interviews, 7 with farmers and 6 with wholesalers/retailers, a preliminary map of the value chain for Australian farmed barramundi was developed. From a producer perspective, 3 key issues emerged: lack of collaboration, inconsistency of product quality, and lack of knowledge of what consumers value. Although wholesalers/retailers identify product consistency as a key issue, they further identify product dumping and the growth of imports as areas of major concern. These findings laid the foundation for strategy development at both the individual and industry level. The insights from this case highlight the value of chain analyses as a diagnostic tool for strategy development.     

东北多功能农业功能价值实证分析

评述了农业多功能概念及东北多功能定位。根据农业多功能性相关理论、环境经济学价值评估方法,实证分析东北农业多功能性,得出东北农业多功能性价值为18863.48亿元,其价值大于当地的经济总值,说明当地的农业系统提供了更多的生态、社会、文化功能。东北农业在我国农业占有重要的地位,应重视农业多功能性并用以促进东北地区农业的健康发展。     

现代农业功能拓展中的政府责任

现代农业是市场机制中运行的多功能、有竞争力的产业。农业的现代化就是其功能不断强化和拓展的过程。农业的产业属性和市场失灵,使政府在农业功能的定位和拓展中负有规划责任、保护支持责任以及生态责任。