Farm Household Production Efficiency: Evidence from The Gambia

This article investigates the economic efficiency of farm households, with an application to The Gambia. The efficiency analysis is conducted not at the farm level but at the household level, thus capturing the importance of off-farm activities. Output-based measures of technical, allocative, and scale efficiency are generated using nonparametric measurements. An econometric analysis of factors affecting the efficiency indexes is then conducted using a Tobit model. Technical efficiency is fairly high indicating that access to technology is not a severe constraint for most farm households. The cost of scale inefficiency is modest. Allocative inefficiency by contrast is found to be important for the majority of farm households. On the basis of the Tobit results, imperfections in markets for financial capital and nonfarm employment contribute to significant allocative inefficiency.     

北京市主要畜产品生产成本分析

本文运用要素价格和概率优势两种方法，分别从成本构成、风险特性的角度对北京市及相关省份的主要畜产品(生猪、蛋鸡、肉鸡、奶牛)生产成本的优劣势进行了计算比较，并根据分析结果提出了北京市的上述主要畜产品在今后的发展中需要注意的问题，为北京市有关政府部门和企业提供决策参考。     

Comparative Advantage Indices of Selected Livestock Production Sectors in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

This study calculates the protection rates and comparative advantage indices of livestock industry in Brunei from an import substitution perspective. Four livestock sub-sectors were being evaluated: broiler, layer, goat and beef cattle. Two measures of government intervention indices were calculated, namely nominal protection rate (NPR) and effective protection rate (EPR). Domestic resource cost (DRC) and resource cost ratio (RCR) indices were computed to determine the comparative advantages of the livestock industry. In general, the results indicate that the livestock industry in Brunei was heavily protected. The study revealed the existence of comparative advantage only for very large farms producing poultry meat and eggs. Similarly in the ruminant sector, goat production appears to have comparative advantage over beef cattle. Small and medium poultry farms and large non-ruminant farms and cattle beef production possess comparative disadvantage despite being highly protected industries.     

Tracing the Pathways from Research to Innovation: Evidence from Case Studies

The complex process through which agricultural research stimulates innovation and achieves policy goals has commonly been treated as a ‘black box’ in the scientific literature. Statistical correlations between measured expenditure and impacts, where satisfactorily established, have mostly led to details of the research and innovation system being ignored. However, identifying and exploring causal chains of impact propagation can strengthen agricultural innovation. IMPRESA investigated impact mechanisms for research‐based innovations in six case studies using a Participatory Impact Pathway Assessment approach. Several suggestions result for improving performance and public support for agricultural research. Planning for impact is needed at the design phase of research so that expected advances in technology and their consequences can be explored. At that stage and throughout the research process, soft social skills are required to promote uptake. Greater impact can be achieved through the close involvement of key public and private sector stakeholders, using stakeholder mapping as a supporting tool. There is a strong argument for the close involvement of relevant social scientists and professional facilitators from the design phase of research through to its ultimate impacts. Funding frameworks and the specification of calls for tenders would function more effectively by giving more flexibility for stakeholder engagement.     

宋代牲畜价格考

北宋时期的牛价,经历了从2贯到10贯的清晰上升轨迹;南宋时期牛价大幅度上涨,一般价格在每头100贯左右,比北宋末期增长10倍。马的价格高于牛,但差价因马匹质量不同而悬殊,最低者7贯,高者100余贯。一匹驴子的价格约在10余贯到数十贯之间。南宋初的骡子约值100贯左右。西北游牧地区羊价十分低残,大约是每只500文;在内地约值三四贯。1头猪约值1贯到数贯。普通的狗价钱大约在数百文到2贯数百文之间,特殊品种的狗价钱高些。公鸡在南宋大约价值300文,善斗的公鸡价钱1贯。一枚鸭蛋价值10文钱。     

土地托管、规模经营与生产技术效率 ——来自山东省小麦种植户的证据

研究目的：基于山东省小麦种植户调查数据，以田间管理环节为例，探究土地托管通过规模经营对技术效率产生的影响，为更好地发挥出土地托管在推进粮食产业高质量发展中的重要作用提供参考。研究方法：得分倾向匹配模型与IV-Tobit模型等。研究结果：（1）土地托管通过形成适度服务规模对技术效率产生影响：田间管理托管服务规模与技术效率之间呈现“倒U型”关系，当服务规模在2～<13.33 hm2时，相比于农户自主经营具有提升技术效率的优势；使技术效率最大化的田间管理服务适度规模为7.5 hm2；托管中采纳绿色高效技术能够整体向上提升技术效率水平。（2）土地托管也会通过与农户土地规模相作用对技术效率产生影响：通过适度服务规模对技术效率的直接提升效用偏向于土地规模较大的农户；通过土地流入对技术效率的间接提升效用在较小规模农户中更为显著。研究结论：（1）发展土地托管应强调服务主体的适度服务规模，着力推进土地连片化；（2）运用绿色高效技术和机械有助于提升服务主体田间托管作业质量；（3）注重适度服务规模与适度土地规模之间的良性互动，在推进农业服务规模化的过程中也要满足小农户土地流转的需求。     

农业劳动力“老龄化”现象及其对农业生产的影响——基于辽宁省的实证分析

本文利用辽宁省农调队2003—2006年的农村固定农户连续跟踪调查数据,对辽宁省农业劳动力"老龄化"现象及其对农业生产的影响进行了实证分析。分析表明,辽宁省的农业劳动力已表现出"老龄化"现象,而且近年来农业劳动力"老龄化"趋势还在进一步加剧;农业劳动力"老龄化"总体上不利于农业生产发展。中国农业现代化和农村的发展不能长期建立在农业劳动力"老龄化"的基础之上,但农业劳动力"老龄化"是中国农业现代化过程中无法回避的一个难题,必须找到合理的应对策略。     

有机农业对农业生产环境影响的实证分析

常规农业所带来的环境破坏影响越来越被人们所认识，有机农业作为一种新型的农业发展模式，以保持农业可持续发展和环境影响最小化为其基本原则，已经成为实施农业可持续发展的重要举措。与常规农业相比，有机农业以利用农业本身内部的资源为最大特征，力求保持社会环境的良性发展。本文对有机农业生产所影响到的土地资源、水资源、大气资源及生态系统等方面进行探讨，并实证分析了有机农业和常规农业发展分别对农业生产环境的影响，结果表明，发展有机农业对环境的影响有优于常规农业的发展。     

Measuring Farm and Market Level Economic Impacts of Improved Maize Production Technologies in Ethiopia: Evidence from Panel Data

While it is often recognised that agricultural technology adoption decisions are intertwined and best characterised by multivariate models, typical approaches to examining adoption and impacts of agricultural technology have focused on single technology adoption choice and ignored interdependence among technologies. We examine farm‐ and market‐level impacts of multiple technology adoption choices using comprehensive household survey data collected in 2010/11 and 2012/13 in Ethiopia. Economic surplus analysis combined with panel data switching endogenous regression models are used to compute the supply shift parameter (K‐shift parameter), while at the same time controlling for the endogeneity inherent in agricultural technology adoption among farmers. We find that our improved technology set choices have significant impacts on farm‐level maize yield and maize production costs, where the greatest effect appears to be generated when various technologies are combined. The change in maize yield and production costs results in an average 26.4% cost reduction per kilogram of maize output (the K‐shift parameter). This increases the producer and consumer surpluses by US$ 140 and US$ 105 million per annum, respectively. These changes in economic surplus help to reduce the number of poor people by an estimated 788 thousand per year. We conclude that deliberate extension efforts and other policies that encourage integration of technologies are important for maize technologies to yield their full potential at both farm and market levels.     

Livestock intensification as a climate policy: Lessons from the Brazilian case

Brazil is trying to identify ways to ally economic growth with climate change mitigation. Productivity gains in livestock have been pointed out as a promising alternative to achieve that goal. Thus, this paper analyses the economic impacts of a policy of productivity gains in the Brazilian livestock. Besides, we evaluate if the policy may conciliate agricultural growth and deforestation control, bearing in mind the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land-use changes. The analysis was carried out through a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, tailored to represent land-use changes, GHG emissions and removals. Besides, it made progress modeling the heterogeneity of climate, soils, and emissions in inter-regional models with many regions. The results show that productivity gains can effectively “save” land and thus avoid deforestation, especially in the Amazon and Cerrado (savannah) biomes. The policy also may boost the economic growth, spreading it to other regions of Brazil, like Centre-West and North, and increasing income and consumption in those places. However, as a climate policy, focused on the reduction of GHG emissions, the results may be counterproductive. The net amount issued may increase, as a result of the positive stimulus of the policy on the economy, and GHG emissions are directly related to the economic growth.     

Structure and Dynamics of Livestock Marketing in Rural Uganda: Constraints and Prospects for Research and Development

ABSTRACT

The projected global expansion in consumption of meat and other livestock products potentially offers sub-Saharan African small-holder farmers opportunities to escape from the poverty trap. A necessary condition for exploiting this potential is the establishment of marketing systems that provide farmers with reasonable incentives to participate in the market. In this study, the functioning of livestock markets in rural Uganda is analyzed based on a survey of 401 livestock keepers, complimented with focus group discussions with livestock traders and policy planners. The first part is dedicated to the empirical analysis of key organizational and institutional arrangements. Constraints along the marketing chain as well as potential institutional solutions are illuminated. The second part is dedicated to propositions of new areas where more work and new results are needed to improve the functioning of the livestock marketing chain. Empirical findings indicated the following institutional constraints: a poor market information system, lack of grades and standards, lack of trade finance, poor contract enforcement and dispute settlement, disorganized actors, high transaction risks, and poorly developed marketing infrastructure. The study recommends a structured approach to livestock marketing, market infrastructure development, and emphasis on arbitration systems as specific ways of improving the efficiency of livestock marketing in Uganda and other developing countries.     

Estimating the Enduring Effects of Fertiliser Subsidies on Commercial Fertiliser Demand and Maize Production: Panel Data Evidence from Malawi

Most studies of input subsidy programmes confine their analyses to measuring programme effects over a one‐year period. This article estimates the potential longer‐run or enduring effects of fertiliser subsidy programmes on smallholder farm households' demand for commercial fertiliser and maize production over time. We use four waves of panel data on 462 farm households in Malawi for whom fertiliser use can be tracked for eight consecutive seasons between 2003/2004 and 2010/2011. Panel estimation methods are used to control for potential endogeneity of subsidised fertiliser acquisition. Results indicate that farmers acquiring subsidised fertiliser in three consecutive prior years are found to purchase slightly more commercial fertiliser in the next year. This suggests a small amount of crowding in of commercial fertiliser from the receipt of subsidised fertiliser in prior years. In addition, acquiring subsidised fertiliser in a given year has a modest positive impact on increasing maize output in that same year. However, acquiring subsidised fertiliser in multiple prior years generates no statistically significant effect on maize output in the current year. These findings indicate that potential enduring effects of the Malawi fertiliser subsidy programme on maize production are limited. Additional interventions that increase soil fertility can make using inorganic fertiliser more profitable and sustainable for smallholders in sub‐Saharan Africa and thereby increase the cost‐effectiveness of input subsidy programmes.     

新疆生产建设兵团宏观经济学会2008年研究选题指南

《新疆生产建设兵团宏观经济研究指南》(以下简称《指南》)是新疆生产建设兵团宏观经济学会根据兵团党委对经济工作的总体要求,结合发展改革工作实际.从学会自身特点出发制定和发布的     

新疆生产建设兵团宏观经济学会2008年研究选题指南

《新疆生产建设兵团宏观经济研究指南》（以下简称《指南》）是新疆生产建设兵团宏观经济学会根据兵团党委对经济工作的总体要求，结合发展改革工作实际，从学会自身特点出发制定和发布的。旨在动员和指导学会会员单位围绕发展改革中心任务，开展群众性研究和学术交流活动；旨在发挥学会自身优势，引导社会研究力量，营造良好的研究氛围，为兵团各级领导、决策部门和企业提供决策咨询服务。     

The Determinants of Remittances: Evidence from Moldova

This article explores the factors that account for the receipt of remittances by households in Moldova that have members who have migrated abroad, mostly temporarily. We approach our research question from the perspective of the recipient household and use it to interpret the econometric findings on the determinants of remittances. Our results show that a combination of household and migrant characteristics and some community-level variables are the key elements in explaining remittance behaviour. Drawing on these estimates, we argue that the results point towards altruism and investment as the two possible motives behind remittance flows to Moldova, which significantly affect the country's development prospects.