Supporting Agricultural Extension: Could Farmers Contribute?

Is extension an effective tool for increasing social welfare? The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of farmer financial participation in extension as an alternative to increase its efficiency. While extension costs have been high, the impact at farmers' welfare has not yielded the expected results. Rice production in Nigeria and Benin is used as a study case. Rice is an important food crop and cash crops and both countries have conditions to produce it locally. Two concepts are used to evaluate private participation: farmers' capability to pay (CTP) and requirement to pay (RTP) for extension. Farmers' capability to pay is evaluated from the expected increase benefit due to extension work. Requirement to pay is deducted from extension costs. Results show that rice farmers could initially contribute with 25% of the extension costs in Nigeria and 10% in Benin. While financial participation from farmers is a possibility, the role of the government is still needed to guarantee social welfare.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Q16, O3,

PRIVATE PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION IN NIGERIA AND BENIN: DETERMINING THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR INFORMATION

A typical private good is defined by its excludability and rivalry characteristics. Information might not generate rivalry among its users. By contrast, excludability is certainly a characteristic of information and its delivery can generate incentives for private participation. This study examines farmers' preferences for seed of new rice varieties and their willingness to pay for related information in villages of Nigeria and Benin. Conjoint analysis is used to estimate the structure of farmers' preferences for rice seed given a set of alternatives. Farmers are considered to be maximizers of utility rather than profit, preferring one variety over another based on the utility they obtain from its attributes, which depends on their own social and economic characteristics. Contingent methods are used to elicit preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for rice seed. The marginal values of attributes, with and without information about the seed, are estimated with an ordered probit regression. WTP for information is derived from the analysis of WTP for rice seed. The results have implications for the best way to finance research and extension services in the areas of intervention, particularly for new rice varieties.WTP for information, conjoint analysis, rice attributes, farmers' preferences, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, O3, O33, C35,

Farmer willingness to pay for seed-related information: rice varieties in Nigeria and Benin

"A typical private good is defined by its excludability and rivalry characteristics. Information embodied in a technology might not generate rivalry among its users. By contrast, excludability is certainly a characteristic of this kind of information and its delivery can generate incentives for private participation. This study examines farmers' preferences for seed of new rice varieties and their willingness to pay for seed-related information in villages of Nigeria and Benin. Conjoint analysis is used to estimate the structure of farmers' preferences for rice seed given a set of alternatives. Farmers are considered to be consumers of seed as a production input, preferring one variety over another based on the utility they obtain from its attributes, which depends on their own social and economic characteristics, including whether or not they sell rice. Contingent methods are used to elicit preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for rice seed. The marginal values of attributes, with and without information about the seed, are estimated with an ordered probit regression. WTP for information is derived from the analysis of WTP for rice seed. The results have implications for the best way to finance research and extension services in the areas of intervention, particularly for new rice varieties. " Authors' AbstractWillingnes to pay (WTP), seed-related information, conjoint analysis, rice attributes, farmers' preferences, technology,

Deaths due to oral cancer in Chile in the period 2002-2012

Indexación: Scopus; Scielo.Background: Oral cancer is the 15th most common cause of cancer death in the world. In Chile, 1% of all cancer deaths are related to oral and pharyngeal cancer. Aim: To determine mortality rates for oral cancer in Chile and its regions between 2002-2012. Material and Methods: Deaths and their causes between the years 2002-2012 were obtained from the Chilean National Statistics Institute. Crude and adjusted rates by age and sex were calculated for the country and its regions. The denominator was Chilean population on June 30, 2012 and the WHO standard population. Results: In the period studied, 1,611 individuals with a mean age of 67.6 years (63% men) died because of oral cancer. The most common location of the tumor was the tongue in 27% of cases and the parotid gland in 16%. The adjusted mortality rate in Chile was 0.85/100,000 inhabitants (1.13 and 0.58 in men and women, respectively). The regions with the highest rates were Antofagasta (1.51), Aysén (1.22) and Magallanes (1.17). Deaths among men occurred at younger ages than women. Conclusions: Mortality rates due to oral cancer in Chile are lower than abroad. The highest rates observed in some regions may be influenced by environmental factors such as arsenic contamination in Antofagasta and the lack of specialists and specialized care centers in Aysén and Magallanes. © 2018, Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-98872018000400487&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=e

Vegetable Production and Pesticide Use in Ghana: Would GM Varieties Have an Impact at the Farm Level?

The objective of this study is to evaluate pesticide use as an important factor affecting potential adoption and farm level impact of genetically modified (GM) vegetable varieties in Ghana. Tomato is the most consumed vegetable and a food security crop. Cabbage is a vegetable of growing importance but limited cultivation and is produced in urban areas. Garden egg is a native African crop of wide consumption and importance for rural economies. Farm level information was collected in randomly selected sites in southern and central regions of Ghana. Partial budget analysis shows that investments in pesticides are rather low, especially for tomato and garden egg. Analysis of production using an abatement framework shows that insecticide amounts are significant in determining cabbage output levels only. Rate of returns of GM seeds however can still be high. GM varieties would need to show not only a high abatement rate and a high yield potential but mainly an affordable price, to reduce total costs and induce adoption.Farm, Genetically Modified, Ghana, Tomato, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?

Tomato, cabbage and garden egg (African eggplant, or Solanum Aethiopicum) are important crops for small-scale farmers and migrants in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. Genetic modification (GM) has the potential to alleviate poverty through combating yield losses from pests and diseases in these crops, while reducing health risks from application of hazardous chemicals. This ex-ante study uses farm survey data to gauge the potential for adoption of genetically-engineered varieties, estimate the potential impact of adoption on farm profits, and highlight economic differences among the three crops. Farmer's expenditures on insecticides are below the economic optimum in all three crops, and the estimated function for damage abatement shows that insecticide amounts are significant determinants of cabbage yields only. Nonetheless, yield losses from the pests and diseases affect insecticide use. Stochastic budget analysis also indicates a higher rate of return to vegetable production with the use of resistant seeds relative to status quo, even considering the technology transfer fee for GM seeds. Non-insecticide users could accrue higher marginal benefits than current insecticide users. Comparing among vegetable crops with distinct economic characteristics provides a wider perspective on the potential impact of GM technology. Until now, GM eggplant is the only vegetable crop that has been analyzed in the peer-reviewed, applied economics literature. This is the first analysis that includes African eggplant.Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

TXNDC5, a newly discovered disulfide isomerase with a key role in cell physiology and pathology

Thioredoxin domain-containing 5 (TXNDC5) is a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, acting as a chaperone of endoplasmic reticulum under not fully characterized conditions As a result, TXNDC5 interacts with many cell proteins, contributing to their proper folding and correct formation of disulfide bonds through its thioredoxin domains. Moreover, it can also work as an electron transfer reaction, recovering the functional isoform of other protein disulfide isomerases, replacing reduced glutathione in its role. Finally, it also acts as a cellular adapter, interacting with the N-terminal domain of adiponectin receptor. As can be inferred from all these functions, TXNDC5 plays an important role in cell physiology; therefore, dysregulation of its expression is associated with oxidative stress, cell ageing and a large range of pathologies such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, vitiligo and virus infections. Its implication in all these important diseases has made TXNDC5 a susceptible biomarker or even a potential pharmacological target

From "best practice" to "best fit": a framework for designing and analyzing pluralistic agricultural advisory services worldwide

"The paper develops a framework for the design and analysis of pluralistic agricultural advisory services and reviews research methods from different disciplines that can be used when applying the framework. Agricultural advisory services are defined in the paper as the entire set of organizations that support and facilitate people engaged in agricultural production to solve problems and to obtain information, skills and technologies to improve their livelihoods and well-being... To classify pluralistic agricultural advisory services, the paper distinguishes between organizations from the public, the private and the third sector that can be involved in (a) providing and (b) financing of agricultural advisory services. The framework for analyzing pluralistic agricultural advisory services presented in the paper addresses the need for analytical approaches that help policy-makers to identify those reform options that best fit country-specific frame conditions. Thus, the paper supports a shift from a “one-size-fits-all” to a “best fit” approach in the reform of public services... Based on a review of the literature, the paper presents a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches derived from different disciplines that can be applied when using the framework in empirical research projects. The disciplines include agricultural and institutional economics, communication theory, adult education, and public administration and management. The paper intends to inform researchers as well as practitioners, policy-makers and development partners who are interested in supporting evidence-based reform of agricultural advisory services. from Authors' AbstractAgricultural extension work, Pro-poor growth, Capacity strengthening,

Bases for the digital transformation of the productive sector: an exploratory study of key competencies in Peru

The main objective of this research is to determine the basis of the key competencies necessary to achieve the digital transformation of public and private organizations in Peru. With this objective in mind, the conceptual framework involves the definition of a digital transformation in organizations and their impact on those organizations. Secondly, the article presented the results of the exploratory fieldwork conducted through in-depth interviews with ten executives from different productive sectors and analyzed them through content analysis. From this exploratory study, it concludes that all the experts interviewed agree on: i) the urgency of initiating a digital transformation process in small, medium, and large companies; ii) the need for training in digital transformation for company employees in all functional lines, giving priority to the commercial area; and iii) investment in the implementation process starting with cybersecurity and big data due to the impact on the operational and commercial results of the companies.El objetivo principal de esta investigaci?n es determinar las bases de las competencias clave necesarias para lograr la transformaci?n digital de las organizaciones p?blicas y privadas en el Per?. Con este objetivo en mente, el marco conceptual implica la definici?n de la transformaci?n digital en las organizaciones y su impacto en las mismas. En segundo lugar, el art?culo presenta los resultados del trabajo de campo exploratorio realizado a trav?s de entrevistas en profundidad a diez ejecutivos de diferentes sectores productivos y los analiza a trav?s del an?lisis de contenido. De este estudio exploratorio se concluye que todos los expertos entrevistados coinciden en: i) la urgencia de iniciar un proceso de transformaci?n digital en las peque?as, medianas y grandes empresas; ii) la necesidad de formaci?n en transformaci?n digital para los empleados de las empresas en todas las l?neas funcionales, priorizando el ?rea comercial; y iii) la inversi?n en el proceso de implantaci?n a partir de la ciberseguridad y el big data por el impacto en los resultados operativos y comerciales de las empresas