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Technical and Economic Efficiency of Irrigation Water Use for the Farms of Blueberry and Raspberry in the Loukkos Area in Morocco
Nassreddine Maatala,
Younes Bekkar,
Oumayma El Hassnaoui,
Philippe Lebailly
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2020
Pages:
1-8
Received:
19 December 2019
Accepted:
30 December 2019
Published:
7 January 2020
Abstract: Water scarcity is a major constraint at national level, under the combined effects of irregular rainfall, the country’s growing needs to respond to demographic pressure and the call of competing economic sectors (agriculture, industry, drinking water, tourism, etc.). This situation is further exacerbated by the impact of climate change, so optimization and sustainable water management are a necessity. Within this framework, this research work aims to measure the performance of producers of red fruit farms at the Loukkos perimeter through an empirical analysis of their technical efficiency and efficiency of water use. To achieve this, a deterministic production frontier model (with a production technology represented by a translog functional form) has been specified using the software FRONTIER 4.1, allowing both the estimation of farm efficiency scores and the identification of the explanatory factors for technical inefficiency. Then the estimation of water use efficiency scores using the Reinhard derivative has been measured. Survey data collected from a sample of 40 raspberry and 20 blueberry farms in the Loukkos area were used for this purpose. The results show that a minority of the farms selected are below their production frontier and are characterized by technical inefficiency. The average technical efficiency is 91%, indicating a level ranging from 60% to 99% for raspberry and an average of 91% ranging from 80% to 99% for blueberry. Some of these producers could increase their technical efficiency without having to increase their input volumes. The technical efficiency of water use is higher than 80% for raspberry, for blueberry more than 98%. On the other hand, the economic efficiency of water use scores for both crops is high (99%). As regards the analysis of the determinants of the technical efficiency and efficiency of water use they were analyzed with GRETL using Tobit model, it follows that variables such as age of farm managers, level of education, and planting age for blueberries are significant and influence positively the level of technical efficiency and technical efficiency of water use in raspberry and blueberry operations. These various results were used to identify implications, in terms of development measures, with a view to improving the performance of these farms.
Abstract: Water scarcity is a major constraint at national level, under the combined effects of irregular rainfall, the country’s growing needs to respond to demographic pressure and the call of competing economic sectors (agriculture, industry, drinking water, tourism, etc.). This situation is further exacerbated by the impact of climate change, so optimiza...
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Assessing the Contribution of Micro Credit Financing to Maize Production in Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon
Boris Dinictri Soh Wenda,
Dorothy Fon Engwali,
Moses Abit Ofeh
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2020
Pages:
9-17
Received:
23 November 2019
Accepted:
24 December 2019
Published:
9 January 2020
Abstract: This study on the access to micro credits and maize production in Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon is aimed at determining the proportion of maize producers having access to credits and identifying the sources of micro credits exploited by maize producers. Using primary data collected from 300 maize producers, analyses were performed through descriptive statistics tools and the Logit model. The findings reveal that 6 8% of the respondents have access to credits and the informal sector agents serve as main sources of financing to farmers. The results equally revealed that from the logistic analyses, access to credits, farmers’ level of education and farm size among others positively and significantly contribute to maize production. Also, maize producers faced numerous challenges including low and fluctuating prices of maize and poor farm to market roads among others. It is therefore recommended that institutions in charge of providing farmers with financial, technical and commercial assistance should be established within the reach of farmers. That aside, more investments should be made in the construction and maintenance of rural road infrastructures.
Abstract: This study on the access to micro credits and maize production in Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon is aimed at determining the proportion of maize producers having access to credits and identifying the sources of micro credits exploited by maize producers. Using primary data collected from 300 maize producers, analyses were performed t...
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Impact from Productivity and State-ownership of Chinese Agricultural Firms on ODI Decisions
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2020
Pages:
18-29
Received:
8 January 2020
Accepted:
31 January 2020
Published:
11 February 2020
Abstract: Chinese agricultural outward direct investment has grown rapidly over the last decades. Neo-classical foreign direct investment theories can explain the reasons in motivation perspective reasons for the rapid growth, but cannot explain what types of agricultural firms would be most likely to undertake outward direct investment to together make the rapid growth. We use a Chinese agricultural firm level dataset matched from Chinese industrial enterprises database and Chinese outward direct investment enterprises database to empirically examine the relationship between firm heterogeneity and outward direct investment decisions. We find the estimation results support the Helpman-Melitz-Yeaple hypothesis that as the first firm heterogeneity the total factor productivity has a positive influence on the probability that a firm will undertake outward direct investment, which is in accordance with the past related research especially the recent theoretical research progress of international direct investment. In contrast, we find that as the second firm heterogeneity the state ownership has a negative influence on the probability that a firm will undertake outward direct investment, which is not in accordance with the past research on Chinese overall outward direct investment and could be explained by the domestic support obligations of the state-owned agricultural firms in China. Furthermore, we implement robust estimation and the results shows a significant robustness. Our research shows that firm heterogeneity dose matter and it is important to take this into account in analyzing Chinese agricultural firms' outward direct investment decisions.
Abstract: Chinese agricultural outward direct investment has grown rapidly over the last decades. Neo-classical foreign direct investment theories can explain the reasons in motivation perspective reasons for the rapid growth, but cannot explain what types of agricultural firms would be most likely to undertake outward direct investment to together make the ...
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Analysis of the Energy Balance in the Morus alba-Bombyx mori System in Cuba’s Sericulture
Adileidys Ruiz,
Beatriz Caballero,
Yamila Martínez,
Ramón Vega,
Abel Valdés,
María del Carmen Pérez
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2020
Pages:
30-35
Received:
12 February 2020
Accepted:
27 February 2020
Published:
18 March 2020
Abstract: The National Sericulture Project in Havana, started in 2011 to establish silkworm (Bombyx mori) rearing at a large scale in order to generate products to be used in the cosmetic, biomedical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. The feeding of Bombyx mori L. exclusively depends on mulberry (Morus alba L.), so turning this system into a sustainable one for its development in the country requires an efficient use of the energy mainly based on the energy input-output relationships, on having mulberry cultivars of a high photosynthetic efficiency, on increasing agroecological practices and introducing other agricultural activities to diversify the intensive mulberry production system. The analysis of the energy balance used the software Energía 3.01, designed to estimate the energy of agroecosystems. The management of the area was characterized by identifying conventional agroecological practices developed on it. The results of estimating the energy efficiency indicate a mean efficiency for a specialized system depending on very few external outputs. These results were compared to 2019 the energy balance made in 2017. The introduction of new productive activities leading to increased energy efficiency and the generation of new products with a favorable impact on the environment and on the energy balance of the system, were proposed.
Abstract: The National Sericulture Project in Havana, started in 2011 to establish silkworm (Bombyx mori) rearing at a large scale in order to generate products to be used in the cosmetic, biomedical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. The feeding of Bombyx mori L. exclusively depends on mulberry (Morus alba L.), so turning this system into a su...
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