PRICE TRANSMISSION IN THE CATFISH INDUSTRY WITH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON THE ROLE OF PROCESSING COOPERATIVES

Demand and Price Analysis,

SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UGANDA: EVIDENCE FROM 2001 PRIMARY LEAVING EXAMINATIONS RESULTS

Effect of staffing, supplies and facilities on primary school performance in Uganda was estimated using OLS on district level data. Parameter estimates and significance tests show that textbooks have an important influence on performance under prevailing levels of staffing and facilities. In addition, performance in schools in the northern region was lower than in the central region. This study suggests that considerable improvements in performance can be attained by additional expenditure on school textbooks.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Empirical Evaluation of the Relative Forecasting Performances of Fixed and Varying Coefficient Demand Models

The forecast performances of the fixed coefficient demand model are compared with those of spline function and the Cooley-Prescott varying parameter demand models using consumption and price data for beef, pork, chicken and turkey. In general, the varying parameter models outperformed the fixed coefficient model and the spline function varying parameter model appears to be slightly superior to the Cooley-Prescott model. However, no single model was consistently superior over all the commodities in the capacity to predict either the turning points or commodity levels. Apparently, the explicit specification of structural change using spline rather than random coefficient model offers some improvement in commodity forecasting.Demand and Price Analysis,

Non-tariff barriers in EAC customs union: implications for trade between Uganda and other EAC countries

A key objective for the adoption of East African Community (EAC) Customs Union was to enhance economic gains through elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) within the member states. This study has established that several NTBs continue to exist, and some have persisted. The NTBs that have persisted for more than three years include a long list of customs documentation requirements, cumbersome formalities, and limited testing and certification arrangements. Other NTBs that still exist include: un-standardized weighbridges; several road blocks; lack of recognition of individual country’s standards; and the existence of several un-harmonised standards. The simulation results of spatial equilibrium model of maize trade with and without NTBs show that at the EAC level there are positive production, trade and welfare implications attributable to elimination of NTBs in intra-regional maize trade. The gains are greatest in trade and production in Uganda compared to Kenya and Tanzania. To eliminate the existing NTBs and to reduce the possibility of new ones being created, first and foremost, the EAC countries need to design effective mechanisms for identifying and verifying information about NTBs and ensuring their elimination. This will require giving the EAC Secretariat the mandate to compel individual countries to eliminate any identified NTB and to ensure that no new ones are created. Second, policy and legislative decisions made by, for example, Council of Ministers should be communicated in time for effective implementation...Non-tariff barriers, East African Community, EPRC, Uganda, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Financial Economics, Industrial Organization, Labor and Human Capital, Productivity Analysis, Public Economics,

Farm Family Household Production and Rural Development

Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management,

DOES CERTIFICATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS MATTER? THE EFFECTS OF CERTIFICATION STATUS ON INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND ON THE MATHEMATICS AND READING ACHIEVEMENT OF FIRST GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study examines teachers' certification status--emergency, standard, or advanced-- as a predictor of teachers' instructional practices and of mathematics and reading of first grade public school students. The study is a secondary data analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey (ECLS-K) and uses ordinary least squared regression as the primary statistical method. The chief finding is that certification, on its face, does not predict either the mathematics or reading achievement of first grade students when students' race, socioeconomic status, prior achievement, teachers' experience, and advanced degrees are controlled. The strongest predictors of first grade reading and mathematics achievement are students' prior achievement, SES, and race. Certification status did have noteworthy indirect effects (i.e. OLS interaction terms) on both mathematics and reading achievement. In reading and mathematics, when emergency certification status was considered with end-of-kindergarten achievement, the results indicated that the students of teachers with emergency certification made fewer gains in reading achievement than the students of teachers with standard certification. Similarly, in mathematics, when advanced certification status was considered with prior mathematics achievement, the results indicated that the achievement of students of teachers with advanced certification remained relatively unchanged. Likewise, certification status did not directly predict the types of instructional practices that first grade teachers utilize in the classroom. Similarly, certification status had significant indirect effects on the examined instructional practice variables in mathematics. Emergency certified teachers who used number sense instruction decreased mathematics achievement scores. The study concludes that the indirect effects of certification status on student achievement should signal educators that use emergency certified teachers may create inequities that result in diminished achievement for the most high need students. Therefore, the recommendations proposed encourage educators and policymakers to retool current certification practices and ensure that first grade students are taught by teachers with at least standard certification

Patterns of Consumer Expenditure on Fresh Fruits with Specific Emphasis on Fresh Peaches

Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

An Analysis of Market Integration for Selected Vegetables in Indonesia

IndonesianSayur-sayuran adalah salah satu jenis komoditas penting di Indonesia yang termasuk dalam penyurnbang devisa ekspor nonmigas di Indonesia. Studi ini bertujuan untuk menguji konsep integrasi pasar pada komoditas sayur-sayuran terpilih di Indonesia. Spesifikasi model digunakan merupakan aplikasi model yang kembangkan oleh Ravallion (1986). Empat jenis sayur-sayuran di antara 21 sayuran yang diproduksi di Indonesia dipilih untuk pengujian integrasi pasar. Pemilihan tersebut berdasarkan pada urutan rangking luasan tanam dan hasil panen yang diproduksi selama periode 1969-1990. Hasil uji statistik dengan F-test menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada satu pun kombinasi pasar yang tersegmentasi. Hal ini memberikan implikasi penting bagi petani dan pengambil kebijakan di Indonesia. Hanya beberapa kombinasi pasar sayur-sayuran yang terintegrasi dalam jangka pendek. Hasil lain juga menunjukkan bahwa fasilitas sarana transportasi diantara pasar produsen-konsumen dan sifat karakteristik sayur-sayuran yang mudah rusak (perishable) adalah hal penting dalam menjelaskan faktor yang mempengaruhi kecepatan transmisi harga. Integrasi pasar yang terjadi bersifat langsung (directional) di mana pasar di Jawa Barat dan Jakarta terintegrasi dengan pasar di Sumatera; sedangkan pasar di Jawa Tengah terintegrasi dengan Jawa Timur, Nusa Tenggara Barat dan Sulawesi Selatan

An Analysis of Market Integration for Selected Vegetables in Indonesia

IndonesianSayur-sayuran adalah salah satu jenis komoditas penting di Indonesia yang termasuk dalam penyurnbang devisa ekspor nonmigas di Indonesia. Studi ini bertujuan untuk menguji konsep integrasi pasar pada komoditas sayur-sayuran terpilih di Indonesia. Spesifikasi model digunakan merupakan aplikasi model yang kembangkan oleh Ravallion (1986). Empat jenis sayur-sayuran di antara 21 sayuran yang diproduksi di Indonesia dipilih untuk pengujian integrasi pasar. Pemilihan tersebut berdasarkan pada urutan rangking luasan tanam dan hasil panen yang diproduksi selama periode 1969-1990. Hasil uji statistik dengan F-test menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada satu pun kombinasi pasar yang tersegmentasi. Hal ini memberikan implikasi penting bagi petani dan pengambil kebijakan di Indonesia. Hanya beberapa kombinasi pasar sayur-sayuran yang terintegrasi dalam jangka pendek. Hasil lain juga menunjukkan bahwa fasilitas sarana transportasi diantara pasar produsen-konsumen dan sifat karakteristik sayur-sayuran yang mudah rusak (perishable) adalah hal penting dalam menjelaskan faktor yang mempengaruhi kecepatan transmisi harga. Integrasi pasar yang terjadi bersifat langsung (directional) di mana pasar di Jawa Barat dan Jakarta terintegrasi dengan pasar di Sumatera; sedangkan pasar di Jawa Tengah terintegrasi dengan Jawa Timur, Nusa Tenggara Barat dan Sulawesi Selatan

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MODEL OF COWPEA BASED PRODUCTS IN GHANA

An exploratory market study of cowpea products in Ghana using data from case studies of consumers, personal interviews of processors and market surveillance of retail outlets indicated that the cowpea processing industry has low milling capacity, low production level, and few small operators most of whom have been in the business for less than six years. Cowpea flour, the main value added product, is typically sold in bulk or unbranded small packages through retail and wholesale outlets and directly to consumers including individuals, institutions and the catering industry. Although a high proportion of processors are aware of the new cowpea utilization technologies, only a low percentage have capacity expansion plans within the next two years. A large majority is uncertain and a small percentage has no expansion plans in the next two years. Cowpea products are widely consumed but are facing increasing competition from soybean especially in weaning mixes. However, there are several dishes using cowpea flour produced in the household and these provide a varied nutritious diet and have added desirable attributes which include easy cooking, availability, and favorable taste. The cowpea products industry is a nascent industry, apparently in stage two of the product life cycle, the introduction stage, which is characterized by a limited number of competing firms, low profitability, and high prices. The full impact of new utilization technologies will be realized over several years following substantial private capital investments in processing, marketing and strategic promotional activities.Industrial Organization,