Adoption of food safety measures on milk production in Nepal: Impact on smallholders’ farm-gate prices and profitability

One way to ensure food safety is by enhancing compliance at the farm level. This study investigates the status, estimates the cost, identifies the determinants, and assesses the impact of compliance with food safety measures (FSM) in milk production in Nepal. The study is based on primary data collected from six high milk producing districts that captures the geographical and institutional diversity of milk production. Results show that the status of farm level compliance with FSM is not very encouraging. Also, the intensity of adoption of FSM exhibits significant inter- and intra-district variations. It varies positively with herd size but the additional cost of compliance with FSM varies negatively with herd size. Among other determinants, access to information, and incidence of inspection for conformity with safety and quality standards are also associated with higher adoption of FSM. Finally, we also estimate the impact of FSM on farm-gate prices and farmers’ profits and conduct several robustness checks.     

Impact of contracts in high yielding varieties seed production on profits and yield: The case of Nepal

Nepal’s population continues to grow, but the agricultural sector’s performance remains almost stagnant. This has led to a decline in the per capita availability of food. Increasing agricultural productivity is the key to agricultural growth, and one strategy for increasing agricultural productivity is to use improved seeds. This study investigates the impact of contract farming (CF) in high yielding varieties (HYV) of paddy seed production on costs, yield, and profits of smallholder farms in Nepal. Using farm-level data and a non-parametric propensity score matching estimator, the study finds a significant positive impact of contract HYV seed farming on revenues, profits, and yield, and a significant negative impact on total costs of production. Additionally, very small farms (⩽0.43 ha) with CF in HYV paddy seeds tend to gain the most when it comes to yield per hectare. Our estimates reveal that the average smallholder household in Nepal engaged in CF with input conditions receives higher profits. However, farmers engaged in CF with output conditions tend to have higher yields but smaller profits. Finally, farmers engaged in CF in HYV paddy seeds with both input and output conditions have the highest yield gains and significantly higher profits.     

高科技产业新产品定价策略研究——基于系统动力学

新产品的开发对于高科技产业来说日趋重要，需要不断的努力和巨大的市场意识，系统的价格监测对于分割市场和合理配置资源具有很重要的意义，企业应该认真考虑以确定最优定价策略。本文在不同竞争环境下建立了不同定价策略对企业综合影响的系统动力学模型，在对模型模拟分析的基础上，研究了不同定价策略对企业的影响。结果表明，高科技产业新产品采用撇脂定价策略相对于渗透定价策略具有更大的优越性，并根据企业实际的定价能力，适当地延长撇脂时间和增大撇脂价格可以带来更大的经济效益。     

Capitalism, profits and innovation in the new techno-economic paradigm

Innovative profits (of the kind conceptualized by Schumpeter) are today being increasingly created through international corporate networks for technological development. Such profits through innovation are encouraged by newer more flexible organizational forms, and further encouraged (unlike in the conventional perspective on profits and on the incentive to innovate) by knowledge flows between firms. Our empirical evidence, based on US patent data, shows that multinational companies are currently more likely to develop abroad technologies which are less science-based, and less dependent upon tacit knowledge. However, within the science-based industries firms may generate abroad some technologies which are heavily dependent on tacit knowledge, but normally in fields that lie outside their own core technological competencies. We find some evidence of a convergence in corporate technological diversification across large firms, facilitated by the now common spread in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) as an integrator of formerly separate technological systems. This has led smaller firms to diversify, but giant firms to consolidate activity around those technologies that have become most interrelated.     

城市紫线的经济学分析及对策

历史文化遗产是不可再生的稀缺资源,城市紫线划定了列入法定保护的历史文化街区范围.紫线范围内的历史保护工作产生成本,与其土地经济价值的矛盾难以平衡.在经济学的成本/收益理论的视角,怎样作出城市紫线最优选择方案.论文从成本-收益理论的视角,探讨了紫线范围与历史保护外部经济效益内部化之间关系的几种可能性方案,建议采用公开、透明的多层次、多角度的合作管理的策略,真正发挥历史文化资源的价值.     

The price normalization problem in imperfect competition and the objective of the firm

Summary. General equilibrium models of oligopolistic competition give rise to relative prices only without determining the price level. It is well known that the choice of a numéraire or, more generally, of a normalization rule converting relative prices into absolute prices entails drastic consequences for the resulting set of Nash equilibria when firms are assumed to maximize profits. This is due to the fact that changing the price normalization amounts to altering the objective functions of the firms. Clearly, the objective of a firm must not be based on price normalization rules void of any economic content. In this paper we propose a definition of the objective of a firm, called maximization of shareholders' real wealth, which takes shareholders' demand explicitly into account. This objective depends on relative prices only. Real wealth maxima are shown to exist under certain conditions. Moreover, we consider an oligopolistic market and prove the existence of a Nash equilibrium in which each firm maximizes the real wealth of its shareholders. Received: July 10, 1997; revised version: July 27, 1998     

基于VC视角中国企业盈利新模式：“主业＋基金”

“主业＋基金”将是中国企业发展的新的盈利模式。过去企业家是卖产品赚钱,而从事VC的投资家则是靠卖企业赚钱。投资家比喻说,主业是养儿子,做好主业是为了企业的百年基业,多余的钱过去往往是搞失败的多元化,今后将会投资基金,基金是养猪,养肥了再卖掉。本文介绍了VC在美国的演变过程,以及如何为国有企业改制提供增值服务,最后分析了VC涉及的几个具体问题。     

Adjustment of Profits: Evidence from Australian Manufacturing

Studies of industry profitability generally deal with long-run equilibrium models, making no allowance for slow adjustment to equilibrium. In this study, a cross-sectional analysis is carried out against a sample of Australian manufacturing industries at the Australian Standard Industrial Classification (ASIC) four-digit level between 1977–78 and 1984–85. Firstly, a profit model is estimated in equilibrium form as well as allowing for both uniform and variable adjustment rates across industries. The variable adjustment model is superior, with either model implying at least half adjustment to equilibrium within the seven-year sample period. Secondly, results are examined for the impact of firm homogeneity of firms within industries. Homogeneity of firms is found to have substantial impact,increasing both the estimated profits-concentration relationship and the estimated speed of adjustment.     

基于非线性规划的企业销售利润优化模型

针对企业销售利润最优化问题,分析了相关概念和相互之间的关系,以企业销售利润为目标函数,建立了非线性规划模型,说明了约束条件的构成,最后以实例对提出的模型进行了详细说明,有助于企业销售管理决策,具有一定的应用价值。     

非营利组织营利行为的成因与规范

营利行为日渐成为非营利组织获取收入的重要方式。但对于非营利组织来说，营利行为是一把双刃剑：太弱，运转资金不足，可能有生存危险；太强，易偏离非营利目标，改变组织性质。因此，规范非营利组织的营利行为，有利于增强其财务独立性，更好地为社会公益目标服务。