Evaluation of Agricultural Policy in the Dairy Sector in Kosovo and Efficiency Analysis at the Farm Level

This thesis consists of two studies on the dairy sector in Kosovo. The first study evaluates the effect of the Subsidy per Head Scheme (SPHS) on increasing production, land use, gross income and number of dairy cows on dairy farms in Kosovo. Results from the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach using four alternative matching algorithms revealed that SPHS has not had any impact on increasing land use, gross income or the number of dairy cows per farm. Furthermore, SPHS had a negative impact on decreasing land use and number of cows for the participating dairy farmers in the program. In terms of milk production, SPHS has not had any meaningful effect on increasing milk productivity when compared to farms that did not participate in the program. Improvement in milk production per cow was found to be a statistically significant effect for two matching algorithms. However, two other algorithms revealed insignificant effect of SPHS on improving milk productivity. The second study provides estimates of the technical efficiency level for a random sample of 243 dairy farms in Kosovo over the 2014 farming season. Statistically significant determinants of technical efficiency are identified. A stochastic frontier production function was estimated using a two stage procedure. Results revealed that feeding rates (specifically of concentrates and silage), land use per cow, and the number of days that cows had been kept on pastures have statistically significant impacts on milk productivity per cow. The mean technical efficiency of dairy farms was estimated at 0.72. The major determinants that help to improve the efficiency are breed improvement, intensification of corn production on the farm, improving feeding rates, and using free range production systems. Given the results from the SPHS impact assessment and technical efficiency analysis, it is crucial for the Government of Kosovo to redesign their dairy policy, specifically their direct payment schemes and target technical assistance and investment support based on regional potentials

FIBROZA CISTIKE

Qëllimi i këtij punimi është të zgjerojmë njohuritë për fibrozën cistike si sëmundje dhe të marrim njohuritë e duhura rreth mënyrave se si duhet të qasemi ne ndaj femijëve dhe pacientëve të prekur nga kjo sëmundje, duke pasur parasysh diagnostikimin e hershëm dhe të saktë, fillimin e trajtimit, shkallën e prekjes pulmonare, si dhe edukimin e pacientit dhe të prindërve lidhur me këtë sëmundje dhe mënyrën e trajtimit. Një tjetër objektiv specifik i punimit është roli i infermieres në trajtimin dhe menaxhimin e sëmundjeve obstruktive respiratore. Këto objektiva kanë të bëjnë veçanarisht për kujdesin dhe menaxhimin që duhet t’iu bëhet të sëmurëve më këto sëmundje. Roli i infermierëve është shumë i rëndësishëm në këtë aspekt. Kjo do të thotë se me ofrimin e kujdesit adekuat nga ana e infermierëve dhe stafit mjekësor do të rritet edhe mirëqenia e pacientit. Të dhënat kryesore për këtë punim janë marë nga libri i protokoleve në QKUK dhe nga rishqyrtimi i literatures e cila është marrur nga autorët botëror. Subjekt i këtij puimi është numri i rasteve të personave të prekur nga fibroza cistike për tërë regjionin e Kosovës për periudhën 1 Janar 2019 deri më 31 Dhjetor 2019. Numri i të prekurve me fibrozë cistike është 44 raste, më e prekur është gjinia femrore me 23 raste,ndersa gjinia mashkullore me 21 raste. Ndër regjionet më të prekura janë: Fushë Kosova me 9 raste, Prishtina me 8 raste, Podujeva me 8 raste, Prizren 5 raste ndërsa vendet e tjera me nga 1 rast. Më të prekur me këtë sëmundje me fibrozën cistike janë fëmijët

Factors affecting the technical efficiency of dairy farms in Kosovo

A possible accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and an expected membership in the European Union raise significant opportunities and challenges for the agricultural sector in Kosovo. As a result of these changes, the sector will have to improve efficiency and competitiveness. This research is motivated by the need to understand better the forces that drive competitiveness in the Kosovo dairy sector. This study estimates the technical efficiency (TE) of 243 dairy farms in Kosovo and relates TE variation to farm size and other primary determinants of TE. A stochastic frontier production function is estimated using a two-stage procedure. Results reveal that concentrate feed intake, land use per cow, and the number of days cows had been kept on pasture have statistically significant impacts on milk productivity per cow. The mean technical efficiency of dairy farms was estimated at 0.72. The major determinants that increase efficiency are breed improvement, intensification of corn production on the farm, improving concentrate feed intake, and using free-range production systems. Given the results from the technical efficiency analysis, it is crucial for the Government of Kosovo to redesign their dairy policy—specifically their grant investment schemes—and target assistance on improving national herd genetics, promoting free range systems and expanding area planted in corn

Do coupled subsidies increase milk productivity, land use, herd size and income? Evidence from Kosovo

This study assesses the effectiveness of the Subsidy per Head Scheme (SPHS) in increasing milk productivity, land use, herd size and income in dairy farms across the seven regions of Kosovo. SPHS represents one of the largest coupled subsidy programs in the agricultural sector of Kosovo in terms of farmer participation and budget allocation. We use a Propensity Score Matching approach to assess the impact of this program by comparing a group of participants with a group of non-participants during the 2013–2014 farming seasons. We test the robustness of the impact results using four different matching algorithms. Results reveal SPHS was not effective in increasing land use, gross income and farm size (number of cows), although SPHS had a limited impact on improving milk productivity. In addition, the study highlights the need to reformulate coupled subsidies and develop new, complementary strategies that address farmers’ needs more efficiently

Economic Incentives Necessary for Adoption of Environmentally Friendly Cocoa Production in Ghana

Concerns about cocoa production in Africa at the expense of forests, biodiversity and its effects on sustainability necessitate the investigation of price premiums to incentivize cocoa producers to abandon the practices of plantation style cocoa for more sustainable practices shaded cocoa. Thus, this study first employs a multiple regression on a sample of 2,076 Ghanaian cocoa households over five cocoa growing seasons (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010), to estimate the yield difference among three varieties of cocoa. These yield differentials in addition to published yield curves are then used to simulate variety specific yield curves under shaded and unshaded cocoa production. These yield curves in addition to cost curves, are then used to estimate the price premium that reflects the opportunity cost of cultivating shaded cocoa. Results indicates that the mean price premium of approximately 4.95% currently offered by third-party production certification schemes (e.g. UTZ Certified) for biodiversity friendly cocoa are well below this study’s price premium of 20.5%. Estimating the opportunity cost of shaded cocoa production is important to producers to determine whether growing cocoa under shade is sufficiently profitable. For manufacturers and consumers, these premiums indicate the cost needed to secure a supply of sustainably produced coco

Wenn Migration unfreiwillig endet: Wie kann die Integration von Rückkehrern im Kosovo gelingen?

Der Kosovo steht derzeit vor der Herausforderung, tausende aus Westeuropa zurückgekehrte Migranten zu integrieren. Viele von ihnen hatten das Land im Winter 2014/15 in Scharen verlassen. Diskutiert wurde dieser ‚Exodus‘ im IAMO Policy Brief 24. Steigende Asylbewerberzahlen in den Zielländern führten zu einer Verschärfung der Asylpolitik, in deren Folge in den Jahren 2015 und 2016 mehr als 20.000 Personen in den Kosovo zurückgekehrt sind. Im Rahmen einer empirischen Befragung, die sich mit den Chancen und Problemen einer erfolgreichen Reintegration befasste, wurden Gespräche mit 179 dieser Rückkehrer geführt. Neben einem eher geringem Bildungsstand und geringer Qualifikation der Rückkehrer, wird die Wiedereingliederung vor allem durch die generell sehr schlechte Lage auf dem Arbeitsmarkt behindert. Erschwerend hinzu kommt eine zum Teil erhebliche psychische Belastung aufgrund der schwierigen, für einige Migranten sogar traumatisierenden Erfahrung von Migration und unfreiwilliger Rückkehr. Es ergibt sich die Gefahr eines Teufelskreises, bei dem auf die unfreiwillige Rückkehr Probleme bei der Reintegration folgen, welche dann wiederum in einem erneuten Wunsch nach Abwanderung münden. Die Ergebnisse der Studie weisen in der Tat auf eine geringe Bleibeintention unter den Rückkehrern hin

Migrimi i "Dështuar" dhe Kthimi Pavullnetshëm në Kosovë: Trajtimi i Sfidave për Riintegrim të Suksesshëm

Kosova aktualisht përballet me sfidën e riintegrimit të mijëra migrantëve të kthyer që u larguan nga vendi në 2014 / 2015. Kjo valë emigrimi u diskutua në IAMO Policy Brief 24 (Përmbledhje). Pas përballjes me politikat e kufizuara të azilit të vendeve të destinacionit në Evropën Perëndimore, më shumë se 20,000 njerëz u kthyen në Kosovë përgjatë viteve 2015 dhe 2016. Bazuar në rezultatet e një studimi empirik me rreth 180 migrantë të kthyer, kjo Përmbledhje diskuton një numër çështjesh të riintegrimit. Përveç niveleve të ulëta të arsimit dhe aftësive teknike, riintegrimi është penguar mbi të gjitha nga gjendja e vështirë e tregut të punës në Kosovë. Kjo gjendje përkeqësohet gjithashtu nga një barrë psikologjike që del nga përvojat (ndonjëherë) traumatike të migrimit dhe kthimit të pavullnetshëm. Migrimi i kosovarëve është në rrezik të bëhet një cikël vicioz; kthimi i pavullnetshëm dhe problemet e riintegrimit i shtyn njerëzit të përpiqen të migrojnë sërisht. Në të vërtetë, rezultatet e studimit tregojnë se shumë të kthyer nuk kanë ndërmend të qëndrojnë në Kosovë

Supply scale and demand for agricultural advisory services in Kosovo

The aim of the poster is to present the main findings of the research study on the supply scale and the demand of advisory services in the sector of agriculture in Kosovo. The study area covers ten municipalities and 120 farms coming from different sectors of agriculture. The data analyses show the supply scale of advisory services from 2007-2013; advisory sources, the importance of advisory services for farmers, and also identifies the methods and fields where these services should be focused in the future. Research findings show that almost half of the interviewed farmers did not receive advisory services and an interesting finding is that ten of the farmers did not her at all about these services. Farmers were drawing agricultural advices and services from different sources, where the highest percentage of offering advices for farmers was from private sector, specifically from different international organizations. The advisory services received from agriculture experts from public sector were significantly lower compared to the other sources. The derived results show that the advisory services were needed on all processes that accompany a farmer in agricultural production. In this regard the supply of advisory services in the future needs to be oriented mainly at pre-production phase, production, protection, processing, and marketing. Whereas, most favorable methods stressed by the farmers in receiving advisory services were oral advices, respectively experimental plots

Involuntary return migration to Kosovo: Tackling challenges for successful reintegration

Kosovo currently faces the challenge of reintegrating thousands of returned migrants who left the country in 2014 /2015. This migration wave was discussed in the IAMO Policy Brief 24. After facing restrictive asylum policies in the destination countries in Western Europe, more than 20,000 people returned to Kosovo in 2015 and 2016. Based on the results of an empirical survey of around 180 returnees, this policy brief discusses a number of reintegration issues. In addition to low levels of education and skills, reintegration is impeded above all by the precarious state of Kosovo’s labour market. This is compounded by a psychological burden that often arises from the sometimes traumatic experience of migration and involuntary return. The migration of Kosovars is at risk of becoming a vicious cycle composed of involuntary return and problems reintegrating, resulting in a further attempt at migration. Indeed, the results of the study show that many returnees do not intend to remain in Kosovo