Analyse de la décision contractuelle des producteurs du lait en Tunisie

Analysis of the Contracting Decision of Milk Producers in Tunisia. The market is considered to be the best way of coordinating economic activities. Market imperfections however seem to justify the development of contracts between producers of the primary products (say milk) and collectors or milk processing units. In the present study the contract system between these different actors is analyzed in two main production regions (Beja and Jendouba) in Tunisia. Our main hypothesis is that producers choose to contract with milk collection centers in order to reduce transaction costs. Indeed, sales of milk raise high costs of transactions due to exante evaluation problems. This study aims at analyzing the contract decision by farmers to identify factors favoring contracting or not to contract with collection centers. The importance of the study stems from the value given to the contract system to resolve problems of irregularity and seasonality of milk supplies as well as the current efforts to improve the quality of milk

Irrigation et développement local Cas du périmètre irrigué du Garaat Enneam (Gouvernorat de Kasserine, Tunisie)

International audienceEn Tunisie, la quasi-totalité des ressources hydriques est affectée au secteur irrigué utilisant plus de 80% des ressources en eau disponibles permettant d'irriguer 370000 ha. La pauvreté se matérialise dans le Centre et le Sud par un milieu naturel difficile et une agriculture de subsistance à faible niveau de productivité et représentant souvent l'unique source de revenu pour la majorité des exploitants. La création de périmètres irrigués constitue le principal voire le seul moyen de développement agricole. La zone de Gaaret Enneam, située dans le Sud du gouvernorat de Kasserine, représente le cas de notre étude sur le rôle de l'irrigation dans le développement local. L'étude des systèmes de production agricole a pour objectif d'évaluer les changements économique, social et technique résultants de la création du périmètre irrigué. L'efficacité de l'intervention de l'Etat, créateur du périmètre irrigué, est mesurée à travers le développement local durable de la communauté objet de l'étude

Cost Structure of Irrigation Water in the Sultanate of Oman

Agriculture in the Sultanate of Oman depends mostly on irrigation and consumes more than 94% of the national water resources. Previous studies have regarded water supply as perfectly elastic and consequently have concentrated on water management issue. This Study relaxes the above hypothesis and constructs a separate cost function for irrigation water. Substitutability among capital, labor and energy in the production of irrigation water was investigated. Results show substitution possibility between labor and energy and reveal the existence of increasing returns to scale in water production

Production structure and Cost efficiency of irrigated agriculture: A shadow cost approach

International audienceThe improvement of irrigated agriculture needs sound performance assessment based on economic principles. This is particularly relevant to design adequate policies in terms of water allocation. In this paper we endeavour to assess irrigation efficiency using a behavioural approach in which the cost function (shadow cost) is based on shadow prices of inputs. This approach is useful to derive price distortion coefficients to indicate the level of allocative efficiency in two irrigated areas: Jendouba and Kairouan, in Tunisia. Results show that in the case of Jendouba price ratio shows an even distribution around one with 50% of farmers having values below one and 50% greater than one. In the case of Kairouan the same distribution is observed except that the magnitude of the distortion is greater (values around Two). This shows that inefficiencies are greater in Kairouan than in Jendouba. Such difference is explained by the prevalence of irrigation tradition which is older in Jendouba than in Kairouan

Simulation of a water market in Tunisia : A case study of GIC Melalsa – Kairouan

International audienceWater pricing has been a key concern in Tunisia for the last two decades. It is recognized that the average price of water remains very low as compared to the marginal value of water as well to the cost of mobilization of water. Alternatives to better allocation of water resources have been sought mainly with the increasing scarcity of this resource and the expanding irrigated lands. Failure to estimate a water price that reflects its real value would lead to sub-optimal allocation of water and in general to policy failure problems. Water markets have been a promising institutional arrangement for better allocation of water as demonstrated by diverse experiences of many countries. This paper attempts to examine the effects of the implementation of a market for water in Tunisia. Our hypothesis is that market allocation of water resources would improve the value of water (water price) and its distribution among farmers. Users will adjust their demand for water and then change production patterns, which lead to improved farm revenues (total farmers revenues). The paper compares the baseline (current) allocation to allocations based on alternative market structures extremes namely pure competition and monopoly

Performance de la gouvernance de l'eau d'irrigation par les groupements d'intérêt collectif, en périmètre public irrigué

International audienceDepuis la décennie 1980-1990 et au cours de la mise en oeuvre du programme d'ajustement structurel, la Tunisie a ajouté à l'objectif de modernisation de l'agriculture, d'autres objectifs de productivité et de compétitivité sur les marchés extérieurs. Ces transformations nationales ont été accompagnées d'un changement des politiques et du rôle de l'Etat qui se sont traduits par des reformes institutionnelles remarquables en matière de la gestion de l'eau d'irrigation dans les périmètres irrigués. Aussi, la raréfaction des ressources en eau, l'augmentation de la demande en eau, le maintien d'objectifs nationaux, notamment la diminution des charges de l'Etat la compétitivité modifié les objectifs de la gestion des ressources en eau, en termes de maîtrise de la demande et de l'efficacité de l'irrigation en particulier. Cette situation aura des conséquences sociales et spatiales importantes, qui pourraient être marquées par des difficultés de la petite agriculture irriguée familiale et l'émergence de conflits d'intérêts entre les différents acteurs. Notre étude propose de comprendre comment, en Tunisie, la politique hydraulique a réussi à s'adapter aux différentes transformations économiques et sociales. A partir d'un échantillon de groupements d'intérêt collectif et d'usagers, nous faisons une appréciation de la performance de la gouvernance de l'eau d'irrigation. Nous nous intéressons, d'une part, aux groupements d'intérêt collectif en tant qu'organisation disposant d'un objectif d'efficience à atteindre et d'autre part, aux déterminants de l'efficience de la gouvernance de l'eau d'irrigation par les groupements. La théorie des coûts de transaction et la théorie positive d'agence constituent le cadre d'analyse, afin d'identifier les coûts occasionnés par les conflits entre les acteurs lors de la transaction de l'eau et qui influencent leur comportement. La performance des groupements est appréciée par des variables reflétant la qualité de la gestion administrative, technique et financière. Une analyse factorielle de correspondance a permis de visualiser les relations de cause à effet, en termes de coûts de transaction et de coûts d'agence ayant une incidence sur la performance des groupements et sur l'efficacité d'utilisation de l'eau par les usager

Design and descriptive epidemiology of the Infectious Diseases of East African Livestock (IDEAL) project, a longitudinal calf cohort study in western Kenya

BACKGROUND: There is a widely recognised lack of baseline epidemiological data on the dynamics and impacts of infectious cattle diseases in east Africa. The Infectious Diseases of East African Livestock (IDEAL) project is an epidemiological study of cattle health in western Kenya with the aim of providing baseline epidemiological data, investigating the impact of different infections on key responses such as growth, mortality and morbidity, the additive and/or multiplicative effects of co-infections, and the influence of management and genetic factors. A longitudinal cohort study of newborn calves was conducted in western Kenya between 2007-2009. Calves were randomly selected from all those reported in a 2 stage clustered sampling strategy. Calves were recruited between 3 and 7 days old. A team of veterinarians and animal health assistants carried out 5-weekly, clinical and postmortem visits. Blood and tissue samples were collected in association with all visits and screened using a range of laboratory based diagnostic methods for over 100 different pathogens or infectious exposures. RESULTS: The study followed the 548 calves over the first 51 weeks of life or until death and when they were reported clinically ill. The cohort experienced a high all cause mortality rate of 16% with at least 13% of these due to infectious diseases. Only 307 (6%) of routine visits were classified as clinical episodes, with a further 216 reported by farmers. 54% of calves reached one year without a reported clinical episode. Mortality was mainly to east coast fever, haemonchosis, and heartwater. Over 50 pathogens were detected in this population with exposure to a further 6 viruses and bacteria. CONCLUSION: The IDEAL study has demonstrated that it is possible to mount population based longitudinal animal studies. The results quantify for the first time in an animal population the high diversity of pathogens a population may have to deal with and the levels of co-infections with key pathogens such as Theileria parva. This study highlights the need to develop new systems based approaches to study pathogens in their natural settings to understand the impacts of co-infections on clinical outcomes and to develop new evidence based interventions that are relevant