FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATING SHEEP AND CROPS WITH SMALLHOLDER RUBBER PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN INDONESIA

Diversified production systems are considered important tools for stabilizing the income of smallholder rubber producers in Indonesia. Based on empirical data collected from smallholder rubber producers in the Nucleus Estate Smallholder (NES) development project, estimations were made of the economic feasibility of integrating sheep and selected crops into smallholder rubber production plantations. The dynamic optimization procedure is used as an evaluation technique. This study finds that integration of sheep and crops into smallholder rubber production is economically feasible, particularly for those who utilize family labor for hand harvesting grass and grazing sheep. Integrating sheep alone increases the net present value of future income by 20%. The combination of sheep and soybeans with smallholder rubber production increases the net present value of future income by 38%.bioeconomic model, diversification, dynamic optimization, Indonesia, rubber, sheep, smallholder, Farm Management,

Structural adjustment, agriculture, and deforestation in the Sumatera regional economy

The Asian financial crisis led to a major devaluation of the Indonesian exchange rate, macro instability, and the need for a “structural adjustment” program. The real devaluation affects prices throughout the economy and has a major impact on growth, production, deforestation, and income distribution in the Sumatera region. This paper uses computable general equilibrium (CGE) models —a national model and a regional model of Sumatera— that focus on agriculture to explore the impact of a real devaluation on the economy of Sumatera. The model incorporates commodity and factor market linkages between Sumatera, the rest of Indonesia, and the world (through commodity trade). We analyze a possible policy response of imposing an export tax of 5-20 percent on processed wood to discourage further deforestation in the region. The results show that the proposed export tax reduces production of raw timber and processed wood, but at the cost of lowering exports and hence making the macro adjustment more difficult. Given the current situation, it is impossible to predict exactly how the resolution of the current macro crisis will unfold. We model two alternative macro adjustment scenarios that should bracket the likely response of the Sumatera region to the devaluation and structural adjustment program. In the first, we assume that regional investment is a proportion of regional aggregate income (or regional absorption), and that the adjustment burden is shared proportionately between aggregate consumption and investment. In the second, regional savings and investment are assumed to fall more, as the region's trade balance is forced to improve dramatically to reflect the large required changes in the national trade balance.Deforestation Indonesia. ,Economic conditions. ,Equilibrium (Economics) Models. ,Indonesia Economic conditions. ,TMD ,

Rice policy, trade, and exchange rate changes in Indonesia: a general equilibrium analysis

This paper presents an agriculture-focused computable general equilibrium model that can be used to analyze the economy-wide impacts of changes in technology, market structure, and the foreign exchange rate on resource allocation, production, and trade in Indonesia. The model includes a specification of the rice market and the government price-support, stocking, and trade policies for rice. Using a mixed complementarity approach, the model incorporates inequalities and changes in policy regime as prices and/or stocks move within specified bands. The model is used to examine the impact on the Indonesian economy of changes in rice yield and exchange rates given different assumptions about the operations of BULOG (National Logistic Agency). An important result is that there is inefficient allocation of resources within agriculture and the rest of the economy if BULOG operates to maintain the rice price when there are significant increases in rice productivity or changes in the exchange rate. With increased productivity in rice, the price support scheme retains resources in rice production that would be better used in other, high value, agriculture. With devaluation, maintaining a low rice price discriminates against rice producers and hence slows the process of structural adjustment. In addition, the price support program is costly and strains the government accounts, even if the administrative costs of operating the program are ignored.Econometric models., Rice Indonesia Marketing., Trade policy Econometric models., Price maintenance Asia., Computable general equilibrium (CGE). ,

Rice price policies in Indonesia: a computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis

This paper presents an agriculture sector focused Computable General Equilibrium (AG-CGE) model for analyzing the economy-wide impacts of changes in technology, protection, and market structure on resource allocation, production, and trade in Indonesia. The paper incorporates a specification of the rice market and models the government price-support, stocking, and trade policies for rice using a mixed complementarity approach. This approach allows the specification of inequalities and changes in policy regime as prices and/or stocks move within specified bands. The model is used to examine the impact on the Indonesian economy of changes in rice yields given different assumptions about the operations of Bulog (National Logistic Agency). The general equilibrium approach captures and quantifies the effects of the price support policies on resource allocation, trade, relative prices, and the government budget. An important result is that there is inefficient allocation of resources within the agriculture sector and the rest of the economy if Bulog operates to maintain the rice price when there are significant increases in rice productivity. Instead of releasing resources to other high-value agriculture uses and non-agriculture uses, the price support scheme attracts more resources into rice production. In addition, the price support program is costly and strains the government accounts, even if the administrative costs of operating the program are ignored.Rice Yields Indonesia., Price regulation Indonesia., Computable general equilibrium (CGE)., Agricultural resources.,

B825: A Comparison of Lowbush Blueberry Harvesting Technologies: Experimental and Economic Results from the 1988 Field Tests in Washington County, Maine

The describes research that evaluated the new mechanical harvesting technologies for wild blueberries and compared them to the traditional technology of hand raking under different assumptions about prices, costs, farm size, and yield. It provides information to growers about the circumstances where mechanical harvesting will be most useful and where the hand rakers can be used to the best advantage.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1040/thumbnail.jp

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Assessing Students’ Numeracy through Item Response Theory

The objectives of this study were to investigate the Grade 6 students’ numeracy and to develop a numeracy test by using the two-parameter logistic Item Response Theory (IRT). Questionnaire survey method was used to measure students’ numeracy. The data were collected in two regions and one state of Myanmar. Simple random sampling technique was used in this study. Alpha reliability for Numeracy Test for Grade 6 Students revealed at 0.85. In this study, gender related difference was found to be on number operation sense component, measurement and shape component, statistics component and the whole test of numeracy. In addition, results also revealed that the mean score of Grade 6 students from urban schools was higher than that of students from rural schools on each subcomponent of numeracy test as well as the whole numeracy tes

An Exploratory Study of Grade 6 Students’ Numeracy

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the grade 6 students’ numeracy. Then, gender difference on grade 6 students’ numeracy was explored. In addition, to examine the whether or not difference between rural school students’ numeracy and urban school students’ numeracy was next of interest. Design of this study was cross sectional in nature. Quantitative approach was used in this study. Questionnaire survey method was used to measure students’ numeracy. This study was conducted at Yangon Region, Ayeyarwaddy Region, and Rakhine Region, Myanmar. Simple random sampling technique was used in this study. The total of 546 grade 6 students from above mentioned Regions participated in this study. Numeracy Test for Grade Six Students was used as the research instrument. Alpha reliability for Numeracy Test for Grade Six Students revealed at 0.85. In this study the mean score of female students was higher than that of male students on three out of four subcomponents of numeracy test as well as the whole numeracy test. Gender related difference revealed on number operation sense component, measurement and shape component, statistics component and the whole test of numeracy. Looking across the four subcomponents, grade six students perform best on statistics component and the second highest was number and operation sense among four subscales of numeracy test. In addition, results also revealed that the mean score of Grade 6 students from urban schools was higher than that of Grade 6 students from rural schools on each subscale of numeracy test as well as a whole numeracy test

FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATING SHEEP AND CROPS WITH SMALLHOLDER RUBBER PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN INDONESIA

Diversified production systems are considered important tools for stabilizing the income of smallholder rubber producers in Indonesia. Based on empirical data collected from smallholder rubber producers in the Nucleus Estate Smallholder (NES) development project, estimations were made of the economic feasibility of integrating sheep and selected crops into smallholder rubber production plantations. The dynamic optimization procedure is used as an evaluation technique. This study finds that integration of sheep and crops into smallholder rubber production is economically feasible, particularly for those who utilize family labor for hand harvesting grass and grazing sheep. Integrating sheep alone increases the net present value of future income by 20%. The combination of sheep and soybeans with smallholder rubber production increases the net present value of future income by 38%