Determinants of smallholder farmers' perceptions of risk in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia

This paper reports findings from a study of 178 farm households from two contrasting areas in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia. It examines risk perceptions of smallholder farmers under varying contexts. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. It was hypothesized that human capital and household characteristics and orientation, access to resources, infrastructure, information and environmental factors influence perceptions of risks in different ways. Data reduction for independent variables was done by factor analysis (principal component extraction method). Factor analyses identified factors influencing smallholder farmers' perceptions of sources of risks. Logistic regression analyses were used to study the relationships of identified principal components to perceived frequencies of occurrences and consequences of various sources of risks. Logistic regression analyses revealed that asset endowments, locational settings and livelihood diversification strategies pursued determine smallholders' perceived risks. Key findings from the informal survey point out differentiation in perceptions of causes and sources of risks by different actors.     

武汉新港区域竞争优势培育及对策分析

武汉新港作为武汉航运中心的核心和武汉城市圈物流中心职能最主要的载体,其竞争力的提高对城市圈区域一体化的实现与区域地位的提升具有重要意义。作者通过分析武汉新港＂区域化＂发展过程中面临的长江经济带港口城市的竞争压力、内部资源整合、港区建设、航运服务业发展等问题,提出了＂高地＂、＂洼地＂、＂园区经济＂的区域经济竞争途径和形式。     

Estimating Policy Effects on Spatial Market Eff iciency: An Extension to the Parity Bounds Model

The standard parity bounds model (PBM) is extended to allow for dynamic shifts in regime probabilities in response to changes in marketing policy. The approach allows estimation of the length of the adjustment period and a statistical test for no policy effects. The extended PBM is applied to maize and wheat markets in Ethiopia. Evidence of a dynamic adjustment path is found and grain marketing reforms are found to have improved spatial efficiency in a few markets, worsened it in a few others, but generally to have had little effect on the spatial efficiency of Ethiopian grain markets.     

高原地区路面养护要点分析

高原地区的气候与一般地区的气候有着明显的不同,因此,高原地区公路路面养护的方法与要点与一般地区也存在差别。在实际的公路养护工作之中,应该充分的考虑各种环境的综合作用,积极采用各种手段进行公路路面养护,只有这样才能延长公路使用寿命,保证行车安全。     

The economic determinants of cereal crop diversity on farms in the Ethiopian highlands

In less favoured areas such as the highlands of Ethiopia, farmers manage risk through land allocation to crops and varieties since they cannot depend on market mechanisms to cope. They also grow traditional varieties that are genetically diverse and have potential social value. Supporting the maintenance of crop and variety diversity in such locations can address both the current needs of farmers and future needs of society, though it entails numerous policy challenges. We estimate a model of crop and variety choice in a theoretical framework of the farm household model to compare the determinants of crop and variety diversity, revealing some of these policy considerations. Farm physical features and household characteristics such as wealth and labour stocks have large and significant effects on both the diversity among and within cereal crops, varying among crops. Policies designed to encourage variety diversity in one cereal crop may have opposing effects in another crop. Trade-offs between development-related factors and diversity in this resource-poor system are not evident, however. Market-related variables and population density have ambiguous effects. Education positively influences cereal crop diversity. Growing modern varieties of maize or wheat does not detract from the richness or evenness of these cereals on household farms.     

The Ethiopian Immigrant Business Enclave in the United States: Perceptions of Residents,Consumers, and Entrepreneurs

This study investigates the Ethiopian immigrant urban business enclave and its infrastructure, aesthetics, and quality of life. These immigrants are revitalizing urban areas, and examining the perceptual differences among stakeholders in these neighborhoods is salient. Economic development literature suggests that stakeholders share a common vision in order for revitalization efforts to be successful. Surveys were administered in an urban area to statistically test hypotheses that stakeholder groups have different perceptions. The analysis of variance technique (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. Results indicate that stakeholders differ in their perceptions of the business climate and quality of life.