The Irrigation Service Fees and Affordability After the Management Transfer: Empirical Evidence from Ban Vuen- Tonhen WUA in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR

This study attempts to identify the cause of lowing rate of irrigation use fee's collection through the examination of the farmer affordability in paying the fee. The study chooses to investigate one of the nine pilot irrigation management transfer programs in the Lao PDR. The study scheme, Ban Vuen-Tonhen water user association, has earned remarkable reputation in outstanding operation and management, water distribution, and the fee collection. The irrigation service fee (ISF) affordable function and 45 degree plotting diagram are used in the analysis. The findings indicate that farmers, who cultivate rice only, have the least capacity to pay the fee. However, other farmers, who cultivate rice and cash crops or only cash-crop, are able to pay the fee and 11 times higher than current ISF charged. The study also confirms that ISF paid farmers actually line closely to the total average ISF. Finally, the role of commercialized farming has played a critical role in enhancing the payment and farmer affordability.Laos, IMT, WUA, Irrigation service fee, Affordability, Farm Management, O13, Q15,

Quality-Oriented Technical Change in Japanese Wheat Breeding

The article presents a productivity analysis of Japanese Wheat Breeding research. Given recent policy change, wheat breeders may breed high quality, i.e. high protein content, wheat. We regard breeding research as multi-output process, and examine breeding program with output distance function. Also, we will analyze the effect of gene recharge rate on breeding productivity, and withdraw the policy implication for property rights.Wheat Breeding Research, Induced Innovation, Wheat Quality, Gene Recharge, Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Economic Evaluation of Rice-Prawn Gher Farming System on Soil Fertility for Modern Variety (MV) Paddy Production in Bangladesh

This present study attempts to examine the economic evaluation of rice-prawn gher farming system on land fertility for modern variety (MV) paddy production in Bangladesh. Laboratory based experimental data and field survey data were used in the present study. To test the change of land fertility, soils were collected before paddy production (after prawn production) and after paddy production (before prawn production) and tested in the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) laboratory in Khulna, Bangladesh. The findings of the study indicate that the farmer applied comparatively less chemical fertilizers in MV paddy production under the rice-prawn gher farming system compared to MV paddy production. The input cost of chemical fertilizers for MV paddy farming was about six times higher than MV paddy production under the rice-prawn gher farming system. However, per acre MV paddy production of MV paddy farming was almost same to MV paddy production under the rice-prawn gher farming system. The rice-prawn gher farming is a cost-saving technology for MV paddy production.Rice-prawn gher farming system, Soil fertility, MV paddy production, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries, O13, Q55,

Agricultural Technology Adoption and Land Productivity: Evidence from the Rice-Prawn Gher Farming System in Bangladesh

Rice-prawn gher (RPG) farming system is an indigenous agricultural technology solely developed by farmers since mid 1980s. The present study aims to estimate the land productivity of modern varieties (MV) paddy production under RPG and (year-round modern varieties) YRMV paddy farming systems in the southwest Bangladesh. The RPG farming system has significant impacts on inputs used in MV boro paddy production. The findings of the study indicate that more chemical fertilizers were used in per ha MV boro paddy production under YRMV paddy farming in comparison with RPG farming. Similarly, per ha cost of irrigation, pesticides and land preparation were also higher in MV boro paddy production under YRMV paddy farming system compared to RPG farming system. The inputs usage for MV boro paddy production under two farming systems showed statistically significant difference with each others. Although fewer inputs were being used in MV boro paddy production under RPG farming system, yield was higher (statistically significant) than YRP MV paddy farming system. Therefore, it could be concluded that land productivity of MV paddy production under RPG farming system was significantly higher than YRMV paddy farming system. The TFP of MV boro paddy production was higher in RPG farming system compared to YRMV paddy farming system. Moreover, the TFP varied widely within the farms between the two farming systems.Rice-prawn gher farming, year-round MV paddy farming, land productivity, Farm Management, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,