Efficiency of pig farm production in the Republic of Macedonia : data envelopment analysis approach

Pig production is one of the most important agricultural sub-sectors in the Republic of Macedonia, with a long tradition of production and a constant level of consumption. Starting from the farms, the livestock is sold on the market for consumption as fresh pork and for use in the processing industry and slaughterhouses for production of meat and different meat products. In recent years the country has experienced a continuous decline of the number of pig farms and pork supply. There are many reasons for this: high feed costs, small land area available for production, traditional technology and equipment used to perform the activities, lack of education of farmers and increased utilization of inputs for pork meat production. In order to increase the profitability and to be more competitive in the market, the farmer has to focus more on the production efficiency and sustainability of the sector. This study aims to analyse the (technical) efficiency of production activities of pig farms in the Republic of Macedonia. The empirical approach is based on collecting quantitative data through a questionnaire and establishing direct interviews with farmers. Pig farm data are analysed by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model. It estimates technical efficiency of production where the level of used inputs and produced outputs are the main subjects of analysis. Analysis give explanation of the efficiency from input-oriented and output-oriented perspectives by comparing the larger and smaller pig farms in the country. The results show difference between constant and variable return to scale. Technical efficiency analysed from the aspect of constant return to scale is always lower and average technical efficiency is 75%. According to the variable return to scale, average technical efficiency from input perspective is 90%, and from output perspective is 87%. The ratio between constant and variable return to scale gives average scale efficiency. However, technical efficiency does not depend on the input-output relationship only, but also, environmental and manager factors influence it as well. Accordingly, there is a difference between big and small pig farms in terms of the location, accessibility and size of the economic yard. The education of managers depends on the use of new technology of production that positively influences the increase of the number of obtained piglets per sow, and the decrease of the mortality and consumption of feed for kilogram growth

Analysis of the opportunities for development the rural tourism supply on mountain Skopska Crna Gora

Abstract Macedonia, as a future member of the European Union, is facing an important and difficult task: to promote its tourism supply according to the leading European Countries in order to achieve competitive advantage in tourism market. Alternative forms of tourism are an important part of a tourism supply that could satisfy the specific tourist needs. These include rural tourism for which there is an increased demand every day. Macedonia is a country rich in various resources that are essential for making unique, rich and competent rural tourism supply, created strictly according to the principles of sustainable development. The aim of this paper work is to indicate the importance of the development of rural tourism supply for Macedonia, whereas the objective is to analyze the possibilities of the development of the rural tourism supply in the area of mountain Skopska Crna Gora, in order to develop competitive tourism supply

Analysis of the opportunities for development the rural tourism supply on mountain Skopska Crna Gora

Abstract Macedonia, as a future member of the European Union, is facing an important and difficult task: to promote its tourism supply according to the leading European Countries in order to achieve competitive advantage in tourism market. Alternative forms of tourism are an important part of a tourism supply that could satisfy the specific tourist needs. These include rural tourism for which there is an increased demand every day. Macedonia is a country rich in various resources that are essential for making unique, rich and competent rural tourism supply, created strictly according to the principles of sustainable development. The aim of this paper work is to indicate the importance of the development of rural tourism supply for Macedonia, whereas the objective is to analyze the possibilities of the development of the rural tourism supply in the area of mountain Skopska Crna Gora, in order to develop competitive tourism supply

Social skills critical for success in elementary school: teachers and special educators’ perspective

Introduction Students with more advanced social skills are more likely to meet teacher expectations in terms of classroom behaviour and participation in the teaching and learning process. On the other hand, students with special educational needs (SEN) often have difficulties in developing these skills. Insight into social skills that teachers consider critical for the success of students in their classes enables better preparation of SEN students for inclusion in a mainstream environment. The purpose of this study is to determine which social skills are considered critical for classroom success by regular teachers who teach students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive classrooms and special educators in special schools. Method The sample consists of 33 regular teachers and 57 special educators. The Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Teaching Form was used for data collection. Results Both participant groups attributed the highest value to Cooperation skills, however skills related to Responsibility and Self-Control were also highly valued. Ratings of teachers and special educators differ significantly only for Empathy skills, with significantly lower values attributed by special educators. Significant differences between participants who teach in lower and upper elementary grades were found only for special educators, with a higher value for Assertion attributed by special educators in upper grades. Conclusion Teachers and special educators place significant emphasis on social skills such as Cooperation, Responsibility, and Self-Control, which facilitate unhindered teaching and learning processes

Applicability of procedures for the development and Improvement of social skills in primary school – the Perspective of special educators

Uvod: Pri definisanju programa učenja socijalnih veština učenika sa ometenošću važno je, između ostalog, uzimanje u obzir mišljenja profesionalaca o pojednim metodama i procedurama koje će potencijalno biti korišćene tokom tretmana, kao i mogućnostima njihove primene u praksi. Cilj: Cilj ovog rada je da se utvrdi perspektiva defektologa u pogledu primenljivosti pojedinih procedura za razvoj i unapređivanje socijalnih veština u školskom okruženju. Metod: Uzorak čini 57 defektologa koji rade u odeljenjima osnovnih škola za učenike sa smetnjama u razvoju u Srbiji i Makedoniji. Za potrebe ovog istraživanja konstruisan je poseban upitnik za procenu primenljivosti 25 procedura zasnovanih na dokazima za razvoj i unapređivanje socijalnih veština dece i mladih. Rezultati: Više od polovine defektologa smatra da su procedure, poput podsticanja (70,1%), socijalnih priča (68,4%), treninga socijalnih veština (66,7%), vizuelne podrške (63,2%) i potkrepljivanja (63,2%), video-modelovanja (57,9%) i modelovanja (56,1%) primenljive u velikoj meri ili u potpunosti. S druge strane, približno polovina njih (45,6%) veruje da se samousmeravanje ne može primeniti ili se može primeniti samo u određenim situacijama. Manje od trećine ispitanika smatra da su intervencije koje sprovode vršnjaci (31,6%), analiza zadatka (29,9%), funkcionalni komunikacioni trening (29,8%), samousmeravanje (28Zaključak: Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na potrebu dodatne edukacije defektologa u pogledu primene pojedinih procedura, kao i identifikovanja drugih faktora koji ometaju njihovu primenljivost.%) i skripting (26,3%) primenljive u velikoj meri ili u potpunosti. *Introduction: When defining the social skills learning program for students with disabilities, it is important, among other things, to take into account the opinions of professionals about certain methods and procedures that will potentially be used during treatment, as well as the possibilities of their application in practice. Objective: The aim of this work is to determine the perspective of special education teachers regarding the applicability of certain procedures for the development and improvement of social skills in the school environment. Methods: The sample consists of 57 special education teachers working in elementary school classes for students with developmental disabilities in Serbia and Macedonia. For the purposes of this research, a special questionnaire was constructed to assess the applicability of 25 evidence-based procedures for the development and improvement of social skills of children and youth. Results: More than half of special education teachers believe that practices such as incentives (70.1%), social stories (68.4%), social skills training (66.7%), visual support (63.2%) and reinforcement (63.2%), video modeling (57.9%) and modeling (56.1%) applicable to a large extent or completely. On the other hand, approximately half of them (45.6%) believe that self-management cannot be applied or can only be applied in certain situations. Less than a third of the respondents believe that peer-mediated interventions (31.6%), task analysis (29.9%), functional communication training (29.8%), self-management (28%) and scripting (26.3%) applicable to a large extent or completely. Conclusion: The obtained results indicate the need for additional education of special education teachers regarding the application of certain procedures, as well as the identification of other factors that hinder their applicability

Applicability of procedures for the development and Improvement of social skills in primary school – the Perspective of special educators

Uvod: Pri definisanju programa učenja socijalnih veština učenika sa ometenošću važno je, između ostalog, uzimanje u obzir mišljenja profesionalaca o pojednim metodama i procedurama koje će potencijalno biti korišćene tokom tretmana, kao i mogućnostima njihove primene u praksi. Cilj: Cilj ovog rada je da se utvrdi perspektiva defektologa u pogledu primenljivosti pojedinih procedura za razvoj i unapređivanje socijalnih veština u školskom okruženju. Metod: Uzorak čini 57 defektologa koji rade u odeljenjima osnovnih škola za učenike sa smetnjama u razvoju u Srbiji i Makedoniji. Za potrebe ovog istraživanja konstruisan je poseban upitnik za procenu primenljivosti 25 procedura zasnovanih na dokazima za razvoj i unapređivanje socijalnih veština dece i mladih. Rezultati: Više od polovine defektologa smatra da su procedure, poput podsticanja (70,1%), socijalnih priča (68,4%), treninga socijalnih veština (66,7%), vizuelne podrške (63,2%) i potkrepljivanja (63,2%), video-modelovanja (57,9%) i modelovanja (56,1%) primenljive u velikoj meri ili u potpunosti. S druge strane, približno polovina njih (45,6%) veruje da se samousmeravanje ne može primeniti ili se može primeniti samo u određenim situacijama. Manje od trećine ispitanika smatra da su intervencije koje sprovode vršnjaci (31,6%), analiza zadatka (29,9%), funkcionalni komunikacioni trening (29,8%), samousmeravanje (28Zaključak: Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na potrebu dodatne edukacije defektologa u pogledu primene pojedinih procedura, kao i identifikovanja drugih faktora koji ometaju njihovu primenljivost.%) i skripting (26,3%) primenljive u velikoj meri ili u potpunosti. *Introduction: When defining the social skills learning program for students with disabilities, it is important, among other things, to take into account the opinions of professionals about certain methods and procedures that will potentially be used during treatment, as well as the possibilities of their application in practice. Objective: The aim of this work is to determine the perspective of special education teachers regarding the applicability of certain procedures for the development and improvement of social skills in the school environment. Methods: The sample consists of 57 special education teachers working in elementary school classes for students with developmental disabilities in Serbia and Macedonia. For the purposes of this research, a special questionnaire was constructed to assess the applicability of 25 evidence-based procedures for the development and improvement of social skills of children and youth. Results: More than half of special education teachers believe that practices such as incentives (70.1%), social stories (68.4%), social skills training (66.7%), visual support (63.2%) and reinforcement (63.2%), video modeling (57.9%) and modeling (56.1%) applicable to a large extent or completely. On the other hand, approximately half of them (45.6%) believe that self-management cannot be applied or can only be applied in certain situations. Less than a third of the respondents believe that peer-mediated interventions (31.6%), task analysis (29.9%), functional communication training (29.8%), self-management (28%) and scripting (26.3%) applicable to a large extent or completely. Conclusion: The obtained results indicate the need for additional education of special education teachers regarding the application of certain procedures, as well as the identification of other factors that hinder their applicability

Development of a multiplex bead assay to detect serological responses to Brucella species in domestic pigs and wild boar with the potential to overcome cross-reactivity with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9

This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Themes in Brucella and Brucellosis.The aim of this study was to develop a multiplex bead assay using a Brucella rLPS antigen, a Brucella suis smooth antigen, and a Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 antigen that not only discriminates Brucella-infected from Brucella-uninfected pigs and wild boar, but also overcomes the cross reactivity with Y. enterocolitica O:9. Sera from 126 domestic pigs were tested: 29 pigs were Brucella infected, 80 were non-infected and 17 were confirmed to be false positive serological reactors (FPSR). Sera from 49 wild boar were tested: 18 were positive and 31 were negative. Using the rLPS antigen, 26/29 Brucella-infected domestic pigs and 15/18 seropositive wild boar were positive, while 75/80 non-Brucella infected domestic pigs, all FPSR, and all seronegative wild boar were negative. Using the smooth B. suis 1330 antigen, all Brucella-infected domestic pigs, 9/17 FPSR and all seropositive wild boar were positive, while all non-infected pigs and 30/31 seronegative wild boar were negative. The ratio of the readouts from the smooth B. suis antigen and Y. enterocolitica O:9 antigen enabled discriminating all Brucella infected individuals from the FPSR domestic pigs. These results demonstrate the potential of this assay for use in the surveillance of brucellosis, overcoming the cross-reactivity with Y. enterocolitica.We thankfully acknowledge the financial support of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 222633 (WildTech) entitled “Novel Technologies for Surveillance of Emerging and Re-emerging Infections of Wildlife”.Peer reviewe

Development of a multiplex bead assay for simultaneous serodiagnosis of antibodies against Mycobacterium bovis, Brucella suis, and Trichinella spiralis in wild boar

This article belongs to the Special Issue Farm Animal and Wildlife Zoonotic Microorganisms.The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a multiplex bead assay for the simultaneous detection of antibodies against Mycobacterium bovis, Brucella suis, and Trichinella spiralis. Sera from Eurasian wild boar of known serological status for TB (64 seropositive, 106 seronegative), Brucella (30 seropositive, 39 seronegative), and Trichinella (21 seropositive, 97 seronegative) were used for the development and evaluation of the assay. Magnetic beads coated with recombinant MPB83 antigen (TB), a whole-cell B. suis 1330 antigen, and an E/S T. spiralis antigen were used for the detection of specific antibodies using Bio-Rad Bio-Plex technology. The sensitivities (Se) and specificities (Sp) of the multiplex assay were, for M. bovis, 0.98 and 0.86; for B. suis, 1.00 and 0.97; and for T. spiralis, 0.90 and 0.99 (Se and Sp, respectively). The results show the diagnostic potential of this assay for the simultaneous detection of antibodies against M. bovis, B. suis, and T. spiralis in wild boar.We thankfully acknowledge the financial support of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 222633 (WildTech) titled “Novel Technologies for Surveillance of Emerging and Re-emerging Infections of Wildlife”.Peer reviewe

Pig Farms in Macedonia: Assessment of the Technical Efficiency

The aim of this paper is to analyse the technical efficiency of pig production farms in the Republic of Macedonia. The Macedonian pig production sub-sector become increasingly inefficient during the period of economic transition; the country is net-importer of pig meat from countries that produce at lower production costs. Farmers are faced with the challenge to increase their efficiency of production thus to become more competitive; this is affected by the decisions made with regard to the quantities of utilised inputs and produced outputs. In this study technical efficiency is explained from output oriented perspective, assessing the possibility of farmers to increase the efficiency by producing maximum output quantities. The technical efficiency is estimated by employing the parametric Stochastic Frontier Analysis. An empirical analysis was carried out on the data collected by questionnaires in 2010. The results show altered technical efficiency levels in each decision making unit