Quantitative value chain analysis : an application to Malawi

The Government of Malawi has since 2005 been pursuing a growth strategy mainly based on increasing the volume of agricultural exports. This entails that Malawi should endeavor to improve the competitiveness of its agricultural commodities so as to gain an increasing share of the regional and international markets. This paper analyzes the competitiveness of the country's key agricultural commodities -- tobacco, maize, cotton, and rice -- using prices that prevailed in the 2007/08 agricultural season. The paper employs a quantitative value chain methodology to assess the country's prospects for competitiveness and suggest weak links along the value chain that require attention in order to improve trade competitiveness. The results indicate that Malawi has some competitive advantage in the production and exportation of tobacco and cotton, and that this mostly derives from its low labor cost advantage. However, the results indicate that based on 2007/08 prices and costs, Malawi does not have competitive edge in maize and rice production for export. As such, Malawi would better pursue an import substitution strategy in these cereals, and perhaps only aim at the export market when regional market opportunities arise. Key factors that underpin Malawi's narrow competitiveness include the high cost of inorganic fertilizer and other inputs, low productivity, and the higher trader margins and intermediation costs along the value chains. Furthermore, farm gate prices in Malawi are higher than in other countries, and this undercuts its trade competitiveness.Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Economic Theory&Research,Markets and Market Access,Climate Change and Agriculture

Rational Univariate Reduction via toric resultants

AbstractWe describe algorithms for solving a given system of multivariate polynomial equations via the Rational Univariate Reduction (RUR). We compute the RUR from the toric resultant of the input system. Our algorithms derandomize several of the choices made in similar prior algorithms. We also propose a new derandomized algorithm for solving an overdetermined system. Finally, we analyze the computational complexity of the algorithm, and discuss its implementation and performance

Redbird Buzz Episode 17: Tom Keyser, Feburary 6, 2023

Interview with Tom Keyser, the founding dean for Illinois State University\u27s College of Engineering. The interview was conducted by John Twork from University Marketing and Communications on February 6, 2023, for the Illinois State University Redbird Buzz podcast

SP701-B Using Switchgrass for Forage

Version 2.

SP701-B Using Switchgrass for Forage

Version 2.

SP701-B Using Switchgrass for Forage

Version 2.

SP701-B Using Switchgrass for Forage

Version 2.

Northern Bobwhite Survival, Nest Success, and Habitat Use in Kentucky During the Breeding Season

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have experienced protracted declines over much of their range. There has been an annual decrease of 2.61% since the 1960s in Kentucky, an area representative of the Mid-South where there is a lack of data on basic population parameters. Much of the decline is attributed to prevailing land-use practices and associated habitat loss. We monitored northern bobwhite on a 515-ha farm in Oldham County, Kentucky to assess survival rates, nest success rates, and habitat use in the Mid- South. The farm consisted of row crops, cool-season pastures and hay (primarily tall fescue), fallow native warm-season grass fields, and woods. We captured birds using baited funnel traps and fitted them with harness radio transmitters and monitored them daily during April–August, 2009 and 2010. We radiomarked 88 birds (40 females, 48 males) and monitored 24 nests, 9 (37.5%) of which were successful, over the 2 years. Survival rates were 25.3 and 27.9% for 2009 and 2010, respectively, based on estimates from Program MARK. Home range size (54.0, range 1⁄4 38.0–55.9 ha) did not differ by sex, age, or year (P .0.05). Quail favored food plots in both years and avoided developed areas

Incentivized time preferences, level of education in a household and financial literacy : laboratory evidence

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of financial literacy, level of education in a household and gender differences on time preferences of students at a university in South Africa. The study relies on a convenient sample of (N=85, female=48%) pursuing a financial literacy course. The study uses a questionnaire, a financial literacy test and a simple binary choice experimental game that elicited individual time discount rate to gather data. Ten percent of the participants were paid (in South African rands) for their time preference choices by way of quota random sampling. Female university students’ individual time discount rate was found to be on average higher than that of their male counterparts, indicating that female university students are generally impatient, especially those with low levels of financial literacy. Our results (using a Negative Binomial Regression analysis and Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis) show that time preferences of university students aresignificantly influenced by highest level of education in the household. The OLS regression model shows that financial literacy, measured using financial literacy test, significantly influence time preferences for all subjects. The study concluded that patience levels among male university students increase as financial literacy increases. Gender, income, age and family size significantly influence time preferences of university students. Highest level of education in a household, financial literacy and gender differences have a bearing on individual time preferences