Entrepreneurial Proclivity and the Performance of Farms: The Cases of Dutch and Slovenian Farmers

Farms are advised to be entrepreneurial, but empirical research showing that an entrepreneurial proclivity (EP) of farmers results in better performance is scant. This research will test empirically whether an EP contributes to the performance of farms. We provide a model with hypotheses about the relationship between EP and performance, which is tested for a sample of Dutch and Slovenian farmers. We find that EP has a universal positive influence on performance and performance expectations of farmers in The Netherlands and in Slovenia. The influence of the underlying dimension of EP, i.e. innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking, on performance are mixed and context specific.Entrepreneurship, innovativeness, proactiveness, Productivity Analysis,

Information exchange and future plans of Slovenian cattle farmers under EU policies

After accession to EU, farmers in the new-member states have to adjust to the EU agricultural policies and market. In Slovenia an analysis is made of the farm development plans and information exchange under quota and CAP. Three research questions were addressed: what information is received and how; how does the farmer prefer to receive information and what kind; how to make decisions to react to the new EU policies concerning farm management and future plans. These questions were linked to the base variables, being the farm and farmers’ characteristics. As tool a questionnaire was distributed to dairy farmers. 1114 questionnaires, 22% of the distributed ones have been returned anonymously, implying that 11% of the dairy farmers’ population is part of the analysis. It appeared that the research sample of farmers used represents the more future oriented farmers. As main factors describing the farm and farmers’ characteristics were found farm size, age and number of other activities than dairy. Results show that nearly all farmers did receive information about some specific aspects of the quota system. Communication channels dealing with this administrative info and also with farm management advice are divers, but frequency of direct contact with advisors may be less than predicted. Results also indicate a very significant demand for info about strategic planning, farm management aspects and EU premium programs, especially about CAP general policies and milk premiums, and a considerable activity in farm planning. About 40% of farmers choose for keeping the farm business the same and 50% intend to develop the farm further.CAP, Slovenian cattle farmers, information, decisions, future plans, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Q18,

Consumer attitudes to food quality productsEmphasis on Southern Europe /

Approx. 305 p. 79 illus., 18 illus. in color.onli

The farmer as a main factor of structural change in rural area’s: examination of slovenian farmers’ characteristics, perceived opportunities and threats and strategies as part of rural development in Slovenia

Agriculture in Slovenia is characterized by less-favourable natural and structural conditions. The degree of competitiveness of the whole agro-food sector will eventually decide whether farmers and industry will be able to compete on the EU market. Slovenian agriculture at the moment still lacks competitiveness Farmers that want to stay into business will have to further develop their farm. For farm development, besides craftsmanship and management skills increasingly entrepreneurial competencies are needed. To get insight into the entrepreneurial characteristics of Slovenian dairy farmers by investigating the opportunities and threats as perceived by farmers (external factors) to establish a future in rural Slovenia in the relation to internal factors (farmers’ and farm characteristics) and future strategy of the farmer

Entrepreneurial Proclivity and the Performance of Farms: The Cases of Dutch and Slovenian Farmers

Farms are advised to be entrepreneurial, but empirical research showing that an entrepreneurial proclivity (EP) of farmers results in better performance is scant. This research will test empirically whether an EP contributes to the performance of farms. We provide a model with hypotheses about the relationship between EP and performance, which is tested for a sample of Dutch and Slovenian farmers. We find that EP has a universal positive influence on performance and performance expectations of farmers in The Netherlands and in Slovenia. The influence of the underlying dimension of EP, i.e. innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking, on performance are mixed and context specific

The farmer as a main factor of structural change in rural area’s: examination of slovenian farmers’ characteristics, perceived opportunities and threats and strategies as part of rural development in Slovenia

Agriculture in Slovenia is characterized by less-favourable natural and structural conditions. The degree of competitiveness of the whole agro-food sector will eventually decide whether farmers and industry will be able to compete on the EU market. Slovenian agriculture at the moment still lacks competitiveness Farmers that want to stay into business will have to further develop their farm. For farm development, besides craftsmanship and management skills increasingly entrepreneurial competencies are needed. To get insight into the entrepreneurial characteristics of Slovenian dairy farmers by investigating the opportunities and threats as perceived by farmers (external factors) to establish a future in rural Slovenia in the relation to internal factors (farmers’ and farm characteristics) and future strategy of the farmer.rural development, structural changes, farmers, strategies, Slovenia, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Q18,

Analysis of Stakeholders’ Expectations for Dairy Sector Development Strategies from a Central Eastern and Western European Perspective

The development paths chosen by farmers and the critical success factors involved can be better understood when the business context in which these farmers operate is known. Also, interaction in the chain contributes to the strength of the chain. This raises questions such as do chain parties cooperate and is there a certain consensus concerning the future strategic route? This article provides a unique analysis of how stakeholders envisage the future of dairy farming in a period of radical policy change and what barriers they foresee to their objectives. The questionnaire used examined perceptions on development strategies, availability of resources, opportunities & threats (O&T), farmer skills and future expectations. In 2015 and early 2016, a total of 161 completed questionnaires were collected from stakeholders (leading persons in the dairy chain) in the Netherlands, Slovenia, Lithuania and Poland. Data were analysed by PCA, ANOVA, cluster and stepwise regression methods. Eight strategic clusters of stakeholders were found. Farm expansion and specialisation was the most expected development strategy (57% of stakeholders). Almost one fourth of the stakeholders took a wait and see approach, of which 15% looked for opportunities to activate at a particular moment in time, while 8% were generally pessimistic about the future. Diversification in combination with organic farming was chosen by 5% of the stakeholders, 10% of stakeholders focused on cooperation, service and high tech, and another 5% placed their trust in skills, subsidies and labour. The opinions of stakeholders were highly affected by the country of origin, while only minor variations in opinions were observed between different categories of stakeholders. Polish stakeholders showed the most specialised view on the dairy chain, but they scored relatively low on cooperation. Development towards diversification and organic agriculture received higher scores in Slovenia and Lithuania compared to the Netherlands and especially to Poland. Netherlands’ stakeholders were the most positive about the future e.g. they foresee expansion and market opportunities. It was shown that strategies, resources and O&T each directly affect future expectations, which was in agreement with the hypothetical model used

Information exchange and future plans of Slovenian cattle farmers under EU policies

After accession to EU, farmers in the new-member states have to adjust to the EU agricultural policies and market. In Slovenia an analysis is made of the farm development plans and information exchange under quota and CAP. Three research questions were addressed: what information is received and how; how does the farmer prefer to receive information and what kind; how to make decisions to react to the new EU policies concerning farm management and future plans. These questions were linked to the base variables, being the farm and farmers’ characteristics. As tool a questionnaire was distributed to dairy farmers. 1114 questionnaires, 22% of the distributed ones have been returned anonymously, implying that 11% of the dairy farmers’ population is part of the analysis. It appeared that the research sample of farmers used represents the more future oriented farmers. As main factors describing the farm and farmers’ characteristics were found farm size, age and number of other activities than dairy. Results show that nearly all farmers did receive information about some specific aspects of the quota system. Communication channels dealing with this administrative info and also with farm management advice are divers, but frequency of direct contact with advisors may be less than predicted. Results also indicate a very significant demand for info about strategic planning, farm management aspects and EU premium programs, especially about CAP general policies and milk premiums, and a considerable activity in farm planning. About 40% of farmers choose for keeping the farm business the same and 50% intend to develop the farm further

A composting bedding system for animals as a contribution to the circular economy

By-products from forestry, agriculture and nature areas are used in compost bedded-pack housing (CBP) systems for animals. In this communication, we discuss the application of a CBP system to animal farms and aspects related to the recycling and reuse of the materials in the context of a circular economy. This study is based on data from ongoing projects and literature. The following systems are discussed: (i) composting material applied to a specialized animal housing system(ii) adding a horticultural component to the animal farm by reusing the compost, and (iii) a cooperative mixed cattle and crop farming system. The success of integrating a compost bedding component in the system depends largely on the skills of managing the composting process, the application of the material in the field, and the cost of acquiring the material. When materials are amply available, then a real contribution to the circular economy can be made. Cooperation between farmers in the utilization of by-products is another route to a more circular economy. Moreover, the analyzed systems can be seen as a Greenhouse Gases (GHG) mitigation practice because they store carbon in the soil and improve soil quality