89 research outputs found

    Will Baltic Agriculture Survive After EU Accession?

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    International Relations/Trade,

    Subsistence agriculture in Central and Eastern Europe: how to break the vicious circle?

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    Subsistence agriculture is probably the least understood and the most neglected type of agriculture. In a globalised, market-driven world, it remains at the same time a myth and a marginal phenomenon. CONTENTS: Subsistence Agriculture in Development: Its Role in Processes of Structural Change; Franz Heidhues, Michael BrĂŒntrup. Institutions and Technologies for Subsistence Agriculture: How to Increase Commercialization; Zvi Lerman. Policy Options to Overcome Subsistence Agriculture in the CEECs; Joachim von Braun, Daniela Lohlein. Decision Making Patterns of Subsistence Farmers in Bulgaria; Plamen Mishev, Philip Kostov. Commercialisation of Subsistence Agriculture in Transition Economies: On Imperfect Competition, Market Development and Support Policies; Ernst-August Nuppenau. Development Perspectives of Subsistence Farms in Southeastern Poland: Social Buffer Stock or Commercial Agriculture? Martin Petrick, Ewa Tyran. The Market Potential and Patterns of Contemporary Agriculture in Romania's Northwestern Plain; Csaba M. KovĂĄcs. Subsistence Farming in Bulgaria: Between Tradition and Market Requirements; Diana Kopeva, Nivelin Noev. The Significance of Subsistence Farming in Georgia as an Economic and Social Buffer; Hannah Kegel. Agrarian Reform and Subsistence Agriculture in Russia; Vladimir Yefimov. Economic Background and Development Opportunities of Individual Subsidiary Holdings in the Ukraine: Some Empirical Evidence; Andriy Nedoborovskyy. Modeling Subsistence Agriculture in Russia: Effects of Total Productivity Changes and Reduction of Marketing Margins; Peter Wehrheim, Peter Wobst --

    Comparing measures of competitiveness

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    In their Europe Agreements with the EU, the Central and Eastern European countries stated their intention of joining the Union. To ease the process of accession these countries must adjust their economies already prior to becoming an EU-member. Agriculture requires special attention, because it still represents a large share of the total economy in these countries. A better understanding of the competitiveness of agricultural products at domestic and EU markets is essential for providing the necessary economic framework to make the process of joining the EU as smooth as possible.Competitiveness can be analyzed at various levels of the economy: at the enterprise level, the sector level, or the level of the entire economy. Several measures exist for each of these levels. This paper focuses on those used for sector analysis. Since the measures commonly employed for this purpose do not deliver the same results, a better understanding of the underlying causes is necessary. This paper discusses the differences between the various indicators. It identifies the factors leading to disagreement in the results obtained. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: In den Assoziierungsabkommen mit der EU haben die mittel- und osteuropĂ€ischen LĂ€nder ihr Interesse an einer EU-Mitgliedschaft bekundet. Um den Integrationsprozeß zu erleichtern, mĂŒssen diese LĂ€nder ihre Wirtschaft anpassen. Die Landwirtschaft verdient dabei besondere Aufmerksamkeit, da sie einen nicht geringen Anteil an der gesamten wirtschaftlichen Leistung erbringt. Kenntnis ĂŒber die WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit landwirtschaftlicher Produkte dieser LĂ€nder ermöglicht es, die ökonomischen Voraussetzungen fĂŒr einen möglichst reibungslosen Übergang in die EU zu erreichen. WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit lĂ€ĂŸt sich auf verschiedenen Stufen der Wirtschaft messen; auf betrieblicher Ebene, fĂŒr einen Sektor oder fĂŒr die gesamte Volkswirtschaft. Auf jeder dieser Stufen gibt es verschiedene Indikatoren. In diesem Diskussionspapier werden solche Indikatoren beschrieben, die zur Messung der WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit auf sektoraler Ebene herangezogen werden können. Da sich die Meßzahlen unterscheiden und auch nicht zwingend die gleichen Ergebnisse liefern, ist die Kenntnis der GrĂŒnde fĂŒr diese Abweichungen in den Ergebnissen sehr wichtig. Dieses Papier untersucht und beschreibt die Faktoren, die zu derartigen Unterschieden fĂŒhren.

    The Impact of Technical Progress in Milk Production

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    Advances in biotechnology research soon will become applicable to milk production. The gene responsible for production on the bovine Growth Hormone (bGH) has been isolated and transferred to ordinary bacteria cells by applying gene splicing techniques (Miller et al. 1980). The hormone is a naturally occurring protein produced by dairy cattle that regulates the volume of milk production. Although the functioning of bGH is not fully understood, injecting supplemental quantities into dairy cows results in additional milk production. Laboratory research has achieved production increases of up to 40 percent (Bauman et al. 1982). Response time following the injection is relatively short: production responses typically occur within two to three days. Given the strong potential for a substantial increase in dairy cow productivity, private firms are preparing for commercial production of bGH. Marketing this hormone, however, usually requires approval by the regulating agencies responsible for food safety. Since the hormone occurs naturally in dairy cattle, regulatory approval of bGH should not be difficult. It is expected that the hormone will be available for commercial use in the United States by 1989

    Properties of Flexible Functional Forms for Modeling Bilateral Export Supply and Import Demand in Multi-Country Agri-Food Models

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    This paper illustrates the opportunities of incorporating more advanced functional forms into multi-country trade policy models. It suggests the use of flexible forms such as the Symmetric Generalized McFadden Function (SGMF) or the Normalized Quadratic-Quadratic Expenditure System (NQQES). Particularly if issues namely trade in differentiated products, preferential trade and effects of standards and traceability on bilateral trade are considered the NQQES offers attractive properties since it allows estimating variety specific expenditure elasticities which might compensate for example increased certification costs. A second aim of the paper refers to the critique on the handling of model parameters in calibrated policy models. In general, employed elasticities violate the theoretical conditions. We describe the calibration procedure developed to obtain model parameters consistent with economic theory.bilateral trade modelling, flexible functions, calibration, International Relations/Trade, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, B41, C61, F13, Q18, Q17,

    Stochastic efficiency measurement: The curse of theoretical consistency

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    The availability of efficiency estimation software – freely distributed via the internet and relatively easy to use – recently inflated the number of corresponding applications. The resulting efficiency estimates are used without a critical assessment with respect to the literature on theoretical consistency, flexibility and the choice of the appropriate functional form. The robustness of policy suggestions based on inferences from efficiency measures nevertheless crucially depends on theoretically well-founded estimates. This paper adresses stochastic efficiency measurement by critically reviewing the theoretical consistency of recently published technical efficiency estimates. The results confirm the need for a posteriori checking the regularity of the estimated frontier by the researcher and, if necessary, the a priori imposition of the theoretical requirements.functional form, stochastic efficiency analysis, theoretical consistency

    Soil Fertility Management Choice in the Maize-Based Smallholder Farming System in Malawi

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    The paper analyses the factors that affect smallholder farmers choice of soil fertility management options in Malawi using a two-stage maximum likelihood estimation procedure. Using results from the Double-Hurdle model, the paper estimates the probabilities and intensities of fertilizer application conditional on choice of inorganic fertilizer. The findings indicate that relative wealthy indicators, human capital, credit and market access, food security index and land pressure are the main factors that greatly influence farmers choice and intensity of input investment. Although there is a high and positive correlation between probability of adoption and intensity of application, factors that influence adoption are not necessarily the same as those that influence the intensity of application, conditional on adoption. The paper concludes with policy and research implications aimed at informing the debate on enhancing sustainable soil fertility management among smallholder farmers in Malawi.soil fertility management, smallholder farmers, Double-Hurdle model, Malawi, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

    Documentation of the Central and Eastern European Countries Agricultural Simulation Model (CEEC-ASIM Version 1.0)

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    The Central and Eastern European Countries Agricultural Simulation Model (CEEC-ASIM) has been developed at IAMO. It is a partial equilibrium model for the agricultural sectors of 14 countries including demand of domestic consumers and is designed to analyse the impacts of agricultural policies on important target variables like producer and consumer prices, supply and input demand of agriculture, food demand, net trade and welfare. Particular efforts were undertaken to implement also the policy instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. These besides the market price support measures also include the different forms of domestic support as for example area payments and beef premiums. Also the set-aside obligations and production quotas can be taken into account. This discussion paper serves as a model documentation and describes the structure of the model along with the basic modelling assumptions. The model is essentially based on neoclassical theory. The main hypotheses are perfect markets, profit maximisation of producers and utility maximisation of consumers. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: Das Central and Eastern European Countries Agricultural Simulation Model (CEEC-ASIM) ist am IAMO entwickelt worden. Es ist ein partiales Gleichgewichtsmodell fĂŒr die Agrarsektoren von 14 LĂ€ndern und umfasst auch die Nachfrage der Verbraucher. Insbesondere ist es fĂŒr die Analyse der Auswirkungen von Agrarpolitiken auf wichtige ZielgrĂ¶ĂŸen wie die Erzeuger- und Verbraucherpreise, Angebots- und Faktornachfragemengen der Landwirtschaft, Konsumentennachfrage, Nettohandel und Wohlfahrt erstellt worden. Besondere Anstrengungen sind unternommen worden, die Instrumente der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik der EuropĂ€ischen Union in das Modell einzubeziehen. Diese umfassen neben den Maßnahmen der MarktpreisstĂŒtzung auch verschiedene Formen der internen StĂŒtzung wie zum Beispiel die FlĂ€chenzahlungen und PrĂ€mien im Rindfleischbereich. Auch können FlĂ€chenstilllegungsverpflichtungen sowie Produktionsquoten berĂŒcksichtigt werden. Dieses Diskussionspapier dient als Dokumentation und beschreibt die Struktur des Modells sowie die grundlegenden Modellannahmen. Das Modell basiert im Wesentlichen auf der neoklassischen Theorie. Die zentralen Hypothesen sind vollstĂ€ndige MĂ€rkte, gewinnmaximierende Produzenten und nutzenmaximierende Konsumenten.Sector Modelling,Agricultural Sector,Partial Equilibrium Model,Policy Analyses,Sektormodellierung,Agrarsektor,partielles Gleichgewichtsmodell,Politik Analyse

    Comparing measures of competitiveness

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    In their Europe Agreements with the EU, the Central and Eastern European countries stated their intention of joining the Union. To ease the process of accession these countries must adjust their economies already prior to becoming an EU-member. Agriculture requires special attention, because it still represents a large share of the total economy in these countries. A better understanding of the competitiveness of agricultural products at domestic and EU markets is essential for providing the necessary economic framework to make the process of joining the EU as smooth as possible.Competitiveness can be analyzed at various levels of the economy: at the enterprise level, the sector level, or the level of the entire economy. Several measures exist for each of these levels. This paper focuses on those used for sector analysis. Since the measures commonly employed for this purpose do not deliver the same results, a better understanding of the underlying causes is necessary. This paper discusses the differences between the various indicators. It identifies the factors leading to disagreement in the results obtained.In den Assoziierungsabkommen mit der EU haben die mittel- und osteuropĂ€ischen LĂ€nder ihr Interesse an einer EU-Mitgliedschaft bekundet. Um den Integrationsprozeß zu erleichtern, mĂŒssen diese LĂ€nder ihre Wirtschaft anpassen. Die Landwirtschaft verdient dabei besondere Aufmerksamkeit, da sie einen nicht geringen Anteil an der gesamten wirtschaftlichen Leistung erbringt. Kenntnis ĂŒber die WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit landwirtschaftlicher Produkte dieser LĂ€nder ermöglicht es, die ökonomischen Voraussetzungen fĂŒr einen möglichst reibungslosen Übergang in die EU zu erreichen. WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit lĂ€ĂŸt sich auf verschiedenen Stufen der Wirtschaft messen; auf betrieblicher Ebene, fĂŒr einen Sektor oder fĂŒr die gesamte Volkswirtschaft. Auf jeder dieser Stufen gibt es verschiedene Indikatoren. In diesem Diskussionspapier werden solche Indikatoren beschrieben, die zur Messung der WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit auf sektoraler Ebene herangezogen werden können. Da sich die Meßzahlen unterscheiden und auch nicht zwingend die gleichen Ergebnisse liefern, ist die Kenntnis der GrĂŒnde fĂŒr diese Abweichungen in den Ergebnissen sehr wichtig. Dieses Papier untersucht und beschreibt die Faktoren, die zu derartigen Unterschieden fĂŒhren

    Promoting CEA agricultural exports through association agreements with the EU: why it is not working

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    This paper analyzes why the Association Agreements between the Central and Eastern European countries, referred to as Central European Associates (CEAs), and the European Union (EU) have failed with respect to agriculture. In the first part of the paper the development and importance of agricultural trade in the CEAs is described. It is shown that the EU is the most important trading partner in agricultural and food products for the CEAs. However, in recent years the trade balance for agricultural and food products between these countries and the EU has changed in favor of the latter; this is contrary to the aim of these agreements. Important external and internal factors determining trade relations between the EU and the CEAs are identified and discussed in the second half of the paper. These include the development of the real exchange rates, restrictions in the levels of domestic production, inadequate food quality compared to EU products, and insufficient sanitary standards in and a lack of competitiveness of the processing industry. These factors offset agricultural and food policies which have been aimed at protecting and supporting agriculture and the food processing industry in all CEAs but Bulgaria and Romania. In the last two countries, agricultural and food policies have primarily protected consumers at the expense of these two sectors.Die Assoziierungsabkommen zwischen den Mittel- und OsteuropĂ€ischen LĂ€ndern (MOEL) und der EuropĂ€ischen Union haben im landwirtschaftlichen Bereich nicht den erhofften Erfolg gebracht. Der vorliegend Beitrag untersucht die GrĂŒnde fĂŒr dieses partielle Scheitern. Im ersten Teil des Papiers wird die Entwicklung und Bedeutung des Agrarhandels der MOEL beschrieben. Dabei zeigt sich, daß die EU fĂŒr die meisten MOEL im Agrarbereich der wichtigste Handelspartner ist. Die Handelsbilanz fĂŒr Agrar- und ErnĂ€hrungsgĂŒter zwischen den MOEL und der EU hat sich in den letzten Jahren jedoch zu Gunsten der EuropĂ€ischen Union verĂ€ndert; eine Entwicklung, die dem Ziel der Assoziierungsabkommen widerspricht. Wichtige externe und interne Faktoren, die die Handelsbeziehungen zwischen der EU und den AssoziierungslĂ€ndern bestimmen, werden im zweiten Teil des Beitrags aufgezeigt und diskutiert. Hierzu gehören die VerĂ€nderung der Realen Wechselkurse, Begrenzungen in der inlĂ€ndischen Agrarproduktion, unzureichende NahrungsmittelqualitĂ€t im Vergleich zu den in der EU erzeugten Produkten, unzureichende sanitĂ€re und phytosanitĂ€re Standards und mangelnde WettbewerbsfĂ€higkeit in der Verarbeitungsindustrie. Diese Faktoren können auch nicht durch die Agrarpolitik dieser LĂ€nder kompensiert werden, die mit Ausnahme von Bulgarien und RumĂ€nien in allen AssoziierungslĂ€ndern auf einen Schutz des landwirtschaftlichen Sektors ausgerichtet ist
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