The Philippine Duck Industry: Issues and Research Needs

The Philippine duck industry is dominated by balut (partially hatched embryos) production and by smallholder production that accounted for more than 75 percent of the total duck production. However, the commercial sector is gaining momentum in moving towards a higher degree of vertical integration and contract farming and there appears to be some increase in the demand for duck meat. At present, almost all of the demand for duck eggs is met by domestic production while about two percent of duck meat consumption is imported. As such, imports appear not to be a serious threat to the domestic supply at present. However, it is envisaged that as trade liberalisation continues, the Philippine duck industry will face increasing competition from overseas and other food products. Continuing survival and future growth of the industry depend on its ability to compete in a free trade environment, which, in turn, depends on efficiency of the production and marketing systems relative its competitors. The objectives of this paper are to provide an overview of the industry, identify industry issues and suggest areas for further research. The key issues identified in this paper include (1) a possible declining demand for duck products; (2) the absence of product standards and market information; and (3) the collection and consistency of BAS data. One suggestion is that expert opinions are needed to reconcile discrepancies in the published data. In addition, more research is needed on several areas, including identifying issues facing the smallholders, including the emergence of large scale commercial duck farms; better understanding of consumer demand; defining and establishing product standards, and generating more reliable market intelligence.duck, poultry marketing, trade liberalisation, balut, Industrial Organization, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

EAST ASIA´S GROWING DEMAND FOR PRIMARY COMMODITIES - MACROECONOMIC CHALLENGES FOR LATIN AMERICA

This paper analyses the macroeconomic impact of East Asia’s growing demand for primary and industrial commodities in four Latin American countries – Brazil, Chile, Peru and Venezuela. The paper shows that whilst the export boom has contributed to improved external accounts in these countries, it has posed the challenge of how to manage the surpluses. Policy makers in the region have responded by pursuing prudent macroeconomic management policies. Venezuela is the only country that has increased public expenditure significantly, mainly in the social sectors. A striking finding is that in Peru, government revenues from the mining sectors are very small. A further finding is that public investment in the four countries has not increased in line with the increase in surpluses. However, foreign investors have demonstrated interest in investing in the extractive sectors in these countries. This paper concludes that Latin American countries benefiting from the ongoing upward trend in commodity prices should do more to increase investment, especially in the infrastructure sectors. They should also avoid excessive currency appreciation, which undermines the competitiveness of their manufactured exports, which are the ones that really create jobs and value added, and through export diversification contribute to reduced variability in the terms of trade.

Research and Extension Capabilities: Program Economists in New South Wales Agriculture

In 1997 the economists in NSW Agriculture conducting applied economics research at its larger research stations were assigned to the Department's major programs of the Department. This report reviews some of their achievements since that time. The report begins with a section describing the role of Program Economists and their management. Then follows a brief review of the main areas of interest of each of the twelve economists. A large section of the report is devoted to outlining major areas of research and extension where program economists, often working cooperatively, have made a significant contribution. These areas include: Analyses of market conditions for agricultural products; Field crop economics; Grazing and pasture economics; Integrated weed and pest management economics; Farming systems economics; Provision of farm management information; Research and extension evaluation and policy. Aspects reviewed in these areas included the key findings from research, research objectives, future directions of research and for each area, a selection of the most significant publications produced by program economists. The final section of the report is a listing of publications by program economists since 1997. Since then they have written 9 book chapters, 57 refereed journal papers, 23 refereed research bulletins, 40 papers in conference proceedings, 94 invited and contributed conference papers, 56 miscellaneous reports and work papers; and 43 farm management papers.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

The vulnerability of the European agriculture and food system for calamities and geopolitics : a stress test

During the 1960s and 1970s, the EU succeeded in becoming largely self-sufficient in food production, thus assuring its food security for the most part. However, it is unclear which areas of food security are still vulnerable and/or whether there are there new vulnerabilities. In this report we have focused on emergencies and geopolitical shocks that can have a major impact on food security, i.e. food volume. We have not included emergencies that affect food safety (such as a nuclear disaster) or emergencies that have a much broader effect than on food chains alone (such as a flu pandemic or power failure)