THE ABBREVIATED WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN AGRICULTURE INDEX: AN APPLICATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Gender inequality has important implications for any society and is particularly important for developing economies because of their large reliance on the agricultural sector where it is especially pronounced. Women are often a crucial resource in agriculture and the rural economy but face constraints that reduce their productivity and hinder their competitiveness in the sector. In this study we measure the Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index, as a standardized methodology that directly capture women’s empowerment and inclusion of women in the agricultural sector, and quantify the level of women empowerment in the agricultural sector in the Republic of North Macedonia. Results show that women are disempowered in all domains in agriculture compared to men. More precisely, women are significantly disempowered in ownership of assets, input in decision making and control over use of income. Positive impact on the higher empowerment of the households and smaller gender parity gap is when women are responsible for farm accountancy within the agricultural household

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS – ACADEMIC LEVEL EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  Commitment to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is a segment of students’ positive or negative behavior in the academic community. We define the negative behavior as students’ commitment to plagiarism and copyright violation. The overall objective of this paper is to give a recommendation to the non-IPR institutions that potentially show similar results in the level of awareness of students and their behavior regarding their academic program and teaching activities. This follows an empirical testing and analysis of the relationship between knowledge and the level of IPR awareness, and their influence over students’ behavior at a non-IPR committed Faculty. In this regard, the paper tests if students that have higher level of awareness and knowledge tend to demonstrate a positive behavior towards IPR more frequently. We use an online survey to collect data and construct scales to measure the level of awareness, knowledge and the type of behavior. Treating the constructed scales as categorical data, we apply log-linear analysis. Results showed that the higher the awareness level, the more frequent the positive behavior. On the other hand, the analysis of the knowledge of students does not provide clear findings; however, it is associated with the level of awareness. The negative behavior, as concluded from the sample, arises from the high cost of acquiring the basic studying material. Nevertheless, understanding students’ knowledge, awareness and behavior towards IPR could assist Faculties to implement policies for decreasing students’ negative behavior, promoting academic integrity and improving students’ ethics

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON AGRIBUSINESS SME’S E-MARKETING STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF COMPANY AGRO JUNIKOM

The aim of this study is to compare differences that occur in SMEs E-marketing and E-business approach in the digital era since the advent of Covid-19. The events associated with the pandemic have forced more consumers to meet their needs online, and many businesses to adjust to this new reality. SMEs became most vulnerable, considering their dependency on the velocity of money from merchandise sales. The decreased demand disturbed companies’ cash flow. The same applies for agribusiness SMEs in North Macedonia. This paper is based on a case study for Agro Junikom, a medium-sized, agribusiness enterprise in North Macedonia. It shows the results of analytical and comparative analysis of the changes of company’s perception and approach regarding the digital space since the onset of the pandemic. The first interview was conducted in 2018, and the second one in 2022, after the Covid-19 forced digitalisation. The results are graphically displayed using a Business Model Canvas, and present the transition of a business model, from traditional to digital marketing approach. Results show that by increasing the online presence, with already existing technological infrastructure and staff readiness, the enterprise introduces an additional sales channel and targets an additional customer segment. By doing so, additional value is created. The positive response to this change is evident in terms of cost and income structure, where the cost structure remains unchanged, while an additional source of income is introduced. Therefore, the addition of e-marketing tools to the already established marketing strategy, was a necessary movement to maintain, and even improve enterprise’s performance and market presence, in an unexpected, critical occurrence had a significant influence on business operations

INFLUENCE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS ON THE INTRODUCTION OF E-BUSINESS AND E-MARKETING IN AGRIBUSINESS

The emergence of the Internet, the rise of technology and economic globalization stimulate changes in companies’ operations, including the inevitable changes in the marketing strategy. One of the main trends in modern marketing is focus on the Internet and social media as most significant tools for promotion. As in traditional marketing, in electronic marketing there are also internal and external factors that influence its implementation. The aim of this research is to analyse the various internal and external factors that influence the introduction of E-Marketing to companies’ operations. The sample includes 76 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the agribusiness sector in North Macedonia, interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Four groups of factors were isolated, and a detailed explanation was provided of the various aspects that affect the implementation of E-Marketing within the companies. Results showed that the acceptance of E-marketing by agrobusiness SMEs in North Macedonia is significantly affected by the third parties, customers, competitors, and suppliers. Although some E-Marketing tools are already being continuously used, it was noticed a lack of IT capabilities and insufficient management support. Most respondents rated high the need for E-Marketing, with an emphasis on the significant online presence of buyers. The obtained results are especially important for companies that want to encourage an initiative for E-Marketing introduction. It is apparent that there is awareness of E-marketing, yet the companies have to direct their human, financial and technological resources to facilitate the introduction of new technologies and attain support by management and professional team

Analiza konkurentnosti u duhanskom podsektoru u Republici Makedoniji

Tobacco production has a long tradition in R. Macedonia. It is an industrial crop with over 70% share in the total industrial crops area, and an average share of some 30%, in total agricultural export. As a labor intensive crop, it provides employment for the rural population and presents a social buffer for the economy and the current high unemployment rate in the country. The aggressive policies against smoking propose reduction of tobacco production, thus solution for its replacement ought to be considered for the tobacco producers in the country. The aim of this research is to investigate the competitiveness of the tobacco sector in the country based on the Porter Diamond competitiveness approach, complemented with the Ballasa index of comparative advantage. Based on the prevailing positive aspects in the competitiveness model, and the high values of the index ranging from seven to over nine for the period 2005-2010; much higher compared to selected countries in the region (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey), our findings confirm that the country has favorable conditions and competitive advantage for producing tobacco.Proizvodnja duhana ima dugu tradiciju u Republici Makedoniji. To je industrijska biljka s preko 70% udjela na ukupnom broju površina pod industrijskim i s prosječnim udjelom od oko 30% u ukupnom izvozu poljoprivrednih proizvoda. Kao zahtjevna biljka, osigurava posao ruralnoj populaciji i daje socijalnu zaštitu ekonomiji i trenutnoj visokoj stopi nezaposlenosti u zemlji. Agresivne kampanje protiv pušenja predlažu smanjenje proizvodnje duhana, stoga bi se trebalo pronaći rješenje čime bi ga proizvođači duhana u zemlji mogli zamijeniti. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bilo je istražiti konkurentnost duhanskog sektora u zemlji analizom konkurentnosti pomoću Porter Diamondovog modela, nadopunjenog Ballasa indeksom komparativnih prednosti. Na temelju prevladavajućih pozitivnih aspekata u modelu konkuretnosti visoke vrijednosti indeksa su u rasponu od sedam do preko devet za razdoblje od 2005.-2010.; puno više, ako se usporedi s nekim zemljana u regiji (Grčka, Bugarska, Turska). Naši rezultati potvrđuju da zemlja ima povoljne uvjete i kompetitivne prednosti za proizvodnju duhana

Disrupted Market Relations in Agriculture in North Macedonia: the COVID-19 Crisis

The Covid19 crisis has stressed the importance of, and need for, a stable and functional food system, able to provide consumers with a continous supply of quality food at affordable prices. The pandemic has also highlightened the role of agricultural producers in the food supply chain, with small farmers being the most vulnerable category. This global crisis has actually deepened the problems faced by farmers, especially those on the verge of sustainability. The purpose of this analysis was to provide an overview of the disrupted links in agriculture, as a result of the Covid19 crisis. A survey was carried out with 91 farmers and in-depth interviews were conducted with selected traders and processors. Farmers assessed that  the crisis negatively affected their economic operations. The critical parts of the supply chain derive from the disrupted link between farmers and traders/processors, lack of field technical support resulting from mobility restrictions, uncertainty in cooperation, lower production quantities, and varying quality of the agricultural products. Availibilty and cost of seasonal workforce was also pronounced as an issue. The dominant family fams small-scale structure and lack of  aggregation in the sector challenged the resilience and effective response to the crisis. From buyers'/processors' perspective, the crisis effect was marked through the disrupted communication with farmers, low awareness of the need for change, and drastic decline in the HORECA channel sales. The agricultural and rural policy is designed to address measures adjusted to the needs of the key actors in the sector. The priority set of measures should support the food supply chain, enhancing farmers' networking and aggregation, and on-farm and off-farm diversification, improved communication, information systems and digitalisation. Improving productivity and competitiveness is still an effective strategy for sustainable operations, greater resilience and risk adaptation in crise

Analiza konkurentnosti u duhanskom podsektoru u Republici Makedoniji

Tobacco production has a long tradition in R. Macedonia. It is an industrial crop with over 70% share in the total industrial crops area, and an average share of some 30%, in total agricultural export. As a labor intensive crop, it provides employment for the rural population and presents a social buffer for the economy and the current high unemployment rate in the country. The aggressive policies against smoking propose reduction of tobacco production, thus solution for its replacement ought to be considered for the tobacco producers in the country. The aim of this research is to investigate the competitiveness of the tobacco sector in the country based on the Porter Diamond competitiveness approach, complemented with the Ballasa index of comparative advantage. Based on the prevailing positive aspects in the competitiveness model, and the high values of the index ranging from seven to over nine for the period 2005-2010; much higher compared to selected countries in the region (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey), our findings confirm that the country has favorable conditions and competitive advantage for producing tobacco.Proizvodnja duhana ima dugu tradiciju u Republici Makedoniji. To je industrijska biljka s preko 70% udjela na ukupnom broju površina pod industrijskim i s prosječnim udjelom od oko 30% u ukupnom izvozu poljoprivrednih proizvoda. Kao zahtjevna biljka, osigurava posao ruralnoj populaciji i daje socijalnu zaštitu ekonomiji i trenutnoj visokoj stopi nezaposlenosti u zemlji. Agresivne kampanje protiv pušenja predlažu smanjenje proizvodnje duhana, stoga bi se trebalo pronaći rješenje čime bi ga proizvođači duhana u zemlji mogli zamijeniti. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bilo je istražiti konkurentnost duhanskog sektora u zemlji analizom konkurentnosti pomoću Porter Diamondovog modela, nadopunjenog Ballasa indeksom komparativnih prednosti. Na temelju prevladavajućih pozitivnih aspekata u modelu konkuretnosti visoke vrijednosti indeksa su u rasponu od sedam do preko devet za razdoblje od 2005.-2010.; puno više, ako se usporedi s nekim zemljana u regiji (Grčka, Bugarska, Turska). Naši rezultati potvrđuju da zemlja ima povoljne uvjete i kompetitivne prednosti za proizvodnju duhana

АНАЛИЗА НА ПАЗАРОТ НА ЛЕКОВИТИТЕ И АРОМАТИЧНИ РАСТЕНИЈА ВО РЕПУБЛИКА МАКЕДОНИЈА И ЕКОНОМСКИТЕ АСПЕКТИ НА ПРОЦЕСОТ НА КУЛТИВИРАЊЕ

Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) is important because of the possibility of jeopardizing the ecosystems and biodiversity in general, as a rezlut of growing demand for these crops. The aim of the paper is to analyze the market of MAP and the economic aspects in the cultivation of MAP. Through comparative analysis, the condition of the market in the Republic of Macedonia and the Balkan countries was presented, as well as exports and economic aspects of the cultivation and development of this area. Lately in the country efforts has been made in order to produce seedlings for several types, and in the coming years is expected an increase of the cultivated land. In neighboring countries there is a tendency of declining of the area because of the world prices for these products. Lack of technology for the final product is also present, contributing added value to end in countries that import the material

Ekonomika prava industrijskog vlasništva: primjena geografskog podrijetla kao marketinške strategije za konkurentnost u podsektoru vinarstva u Republici Makedoniji

We analyze the importance of the industrial property rights and the competitiveness of wine sub-sector in four wine-producing countries in order to present geographical indications as a powerful marketing strategy for competitiveness. In the Macedonian agricultural sector, there is a low level of awareness for the economic benefits of industrial property rights. Macedonia has a competitive wine sector, as result of the factor conditions, particularly in tradition, geographic and climate conditions (Balassa index 3.83), but unfortunately the bulk wine has the largest share in export of 87%. The consequences of neglecting the legal protection of industrial property rights could lead to losing the market position of the producers or unsuccessful promotion and export orientation of the products.U radu se analizira značenje prava industrijskog vlasništva i konkurentnosti podsektora vinarstva u četiri regije koje se koje se bave proizvodnjom vina, kako bi se prikazalo geografsko podrijetlo kao snažna marketinška strategija za konkurentnost. U makedonskom poljoprivrednom sektoru vrlo je niska svijest o ekonomskim pogodnostima koje donosi pravo industrijskog vlasništva. Makedonija ima konkurentan vinarski sektor, što proizlazi iz čimbenika uvjeta, posebice tradicije, geografskih i klimatskih uvjeta (Balassa index 3.83). Nažalost, glavnina vina se izvozi (87%). Posljedice zanemarivanja pravne zaštite u smislu prava industrijskog vlasništva mogle bi dovesti proizvođače do gubljenja pozicija na tržištu ili neuspješne promocije i izvozne orijentacije proizvoda

МЕТОД ЗА АНАЛИЗА НА МЕЃУНАРОДНАТА ТРГОВСКА СОСТОЈБА

For small economies, as in the case of the Republic of Macedonia, international trade presents a very important element in balancing the national supply and demand. International trade, at the same time, is a major component of the globalization process, where countries should make efforts to reduce barriers to trade and make their economies more open to foreign competition. The aim of this article is to test if the OECD’s method can be applied for analyses of the international trade of the Republic of Macedonia as well. This article is focused on the trade of apples, where countries are compared by using statistical indicators to depict their position in the international economic integration. The results show that the trade balance of apples in Macedonia has a high positive value, confirming that the export of apples significantly exceeds the import. It is obvious that the country is net exporter. The results also reveal that Macedonian apple producers are primarily export oriented.The main conclusion is that this method is applicable for analysis of trade in the Republic of Macedonia, but if the indicators are compared between different countries, the results should be interpreted cautiously since data are based on different databases