Economic feed utilization for dairy buffalo under intensive agricultural system

The national strategies for the irrigated intensive agricultural system in developing countries should focus upon Producing less expensive milk from dairy buffaloes that, efficiently, utilize the limited expensive produced feed resources. Therefore, planning for the least cost feeds combination is the most recommended approach to keep buffalo milk price at a competitive level and being low enough to make milk available for the major proportion of the low-income households, particularly “Vulnerable Groups”. Estimation of the least cost feed ration combination of the limited expensive feed resources were conducted from a recent farm survey of the dairy buffalo performances and the feed use pattern in Egypt. The estimated average production elasticity of fodder, concentrate feeds mix and straw, implies that their shares in generated buffalo milk income are 41.7%, 35%,and 23.3%, respectively.. The response of the human labor was of negative direction and statistically insignificant. This means that the labor used per dairy buffalo was beyond the economic level, that reflects the excess farm-family labor involved in such activity, because they have almost nil opportunity income of off farm work. The other capital inputs have small positive effect on milk production, The average marginal return from milk per onedollar expenditure reached $.1.08 for fodder,and$ 1.04 for concentrated feed mix, i.e. it isfeasible to expand the usage of fodder more than concentrates.The wheat straw has shown uneconomic efficiency. Therefore, it is recommended to limit its level in the ration. The least cost ration reduces feed cost of one ton of buffalo milk equivalent (4% fat) by 22%. The less costs of production will strength the competition of domestic supply either against in the international export market or against the dumping policies followed by exporters to the domestic market.Economic feed, Water buffalo, Intensive system.

The Regional and Multilateral Dilemna: Institutions Do Matter

The world trade has been p olitically framed towards liberalism and "openness". It is evident that this openness has its own grades and interests that command it. Developing countries have been directed, and pushed towards a playing ground they fear and ignore. But some would argue that even developed countries have to go through such stages. The whole difference here is the gap between where the latter stood when they decided to move toward openness and where developing countries do stand today. A simple and obvious proof of that is the increasing number of regional trade agreements (RTAs in following papers for convenience) that most countries have adopted. If we agree that regional networking should serve coordinating interests, RTAs came to answer a multilateral dilemma: multilateral negotiations are asking different and diversified countries, economies and cultures, to melt into a single frame defined by the "Triade", the world powers. In this paper we will examine the regional trade in the context of world trade (part 1) and contrast regionalism and multilateralism. My conclusion that regional agreements hinder the progress of a fair and dynamic multilateral governance and reduce its institutional progress.Institutional and Behavioral Economics, F13, O1,

Stock prices and monetary policy: An impulse response analysis

This paper analyses the relationship between monetary policy and the stock market with the aim of gaining new insights into the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. The empirical findings shed light on the importance of stock prices for money demand and therefore provide useful nformation to monetary authorities deciding on policy actions. A technique developed by Wickens and Motto (2001) for identifying shocks by estimating a VECM for the endogenous variables is employed. The reported evidence suggests that stock markets play a significant role in the money demand function

Economic problems of poultry production in Egypt

Marketing inefficiency in the poultry market, Consumer price spread, Comparative advantage criteria, Economic obstacles facing poultry industry, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries,

Population studies on gerbils of the western desert of Egypt, with special reference to Gerbillus andersoni DE Winton

Population studies on the gerbil, Gerbillus andersoni, were carried out in Omayed in the Western Desert of Egypt during the period from July 1976 through August 1978 inclusive. Studies included determination of the sex ratio in the different age and weight groups, as well as seasonal changes in this ratio. The mean weight and age at the onset of maturity and the reproductive activity of both sexes were determined. The study also included seasonal changes in mean body weights of both sexes, those of the testes in relation to body weights, as well as changes in the length of the testis and of the cauda epididymis. Changes in the age structure of the population were also studied

The Asymmetric Effects Of A Common Monetary Policy In Europe

This paper examines the monetary transmission mechanism in eight EU member states. It provides useful empirical evidence for assessing the impact of a common monetary policy in the early stages of EMU, and enables us to form a view on how the regime change represented by EMU is likely to be translated into changes in policy multipliers in the various EU countries. The empirical analysis applies techniques recently developed by Wickens and Motto (2001) for identifying shocks by estimating a VECM for the endogenous variables, and a stationary VAR in first differences for the exogenous variables. Our findings suggest that there are significant differences between EU countries in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy

Nonconventional Technology for Agricultural Development in Developing Countries

This paper concerns the economic assessment of a nonconventional technology to provide a cheap food and/or feed for many developing countries, using wasted resources, i.e. coastal arid areas irrigated directly with seawater to grow a halophyte crop(Salicornia-sos-7). It was cultivated for two successive years in Kuwait. The analysis showed that the harvested yield was 20 tons per hectare, which provided 12.42 MT of straw for sale and 1.7 MT of oil seeds for processing. Processed seeds of 1-hectare provide 425 kg of food oil and 1.1 MT of feed meal.Under Kuwait conditions, on per hectare basis, the total costs of production( fixed &variable costs)were $3088. However,simulation of this technology under a conventional developing country like Egypt with much less probability of sever sandy winds and less cost to adjust the irrigation network and much cheaper labor, much lower costs per hectare was achieved. Accordingly, the costs schedule would be$2903(investment costs), i. e. less than the current desert land reclamation costs in Egypt ($3000/ha)$1401 (variable costs)and 1588 (total costs of production).Under Kuwait conditions, the reached yield made a negative net farm income of 6.5% of the total costs of production. Under Egyptian condition, the same level of yield generated a positive gross margin of about 52% of the variable costs and a net farm income of 45% above the total costs of production. The ERR under Egyptian condition was 45% from investment in "Salicornia" production. Among several social benefits, such technology would introduce a much cheaper water resource. Under Kuwait condition costs was 1.2 cents/m3 of seawater, i.e. equivalent to 7% of the costs of brackish water production. Sheep-Hay Response Analysis showed that: At the current feed and livestock prices, to use salicornia hay is feasible up to 37% of the ration and the rest could be fulfilled from alfalfa hay. Cultivation of Salicornia at the wasted coastal area would save 1/3 of the berseem area in Egypt. This area could be devoted to produce 2000,000 tons of wheat. One hectare with livestock could provide sufficient livelihood for a family of five persons.Halophyte Crops, Seawater irrigation system, Salicornia as oil seeds crop, Scaling Up the experiments, Profit Margin, Production function, least cost Ration, Sheep fattning, Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries, Land Economics/Use, Livestock Production/Industries, Production Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

DIVERSITY OF ETHNICITY AND STATE INVOLVEMENT ON URBAN INFORMALITY IN BEIRUT

Urban informality has become the dominant feature of urban growth on Beirut City and its periphery. Beirut context, as the rest of Lebanese cities, sheds light on a new era of controversy on urban informality. The appearance of urban informality in Beirut is due to the ways that the state being involved on such areas and its affect on shaping the urban fabric, the ways that the influence of various sociopolitical circumstances the country being passed through by which informal areas being established, and the complexity of ethnicity structure within Lebanese society. Understanding the diversity of the state power and ethnicity structure of the society during various periods of the establishment of informal housing areas would enable the state and housing professionals to provide a clear policy strategy to tackle urban informality. Each marginal area needs special treatment according to its religion and ethnicity structure‚ to be remolded within the society.informality; urbanization; state; ethnicity; Lebanon.

Life-cycle of fatigue sensitive structures under uncertainty

Fatigue is the one of the main contributors to problems related to structural safety of civil and marine structures. Life-cycle management (LCM) techniques considering various uncertainties can be used to predict the safe service life of fatigue sensitive structures, plan for their future inspections and support the decision making process regarding maintenance and repair actions. This paper provides a brief overview of the LCM of fatigue sensitive civil and marine structures under uncertainty. Probabilistic performance prediction, inspection scheduling and maintenance optimization for such structures are discussed