No 2/2015, June | Agris on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics

Effects of Climate Change on the Production and Profitability of Cassava in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

J. O. Ajayi No 2/2015, June
pp. 3 - 11

ABSTRACT

Nigeria is the single largest producer of cassava in the world with the bulk of the cassava coming out from the Niger Delta region. Human, economic and agricultural activities are currently threatened in the region by vagaries in climatic factors. These vagaries affect the production and profitability of cassava. The study was therefore conducted to assess the effects of climate change on the production and profitability of cassava in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study made use of a multi-stage sampling technique to select three hundred and sixty respondents across the three highest cassava-producing states (Awka Ibom, Cross Rivers and Ondo) in the region. Data for the study were collected with the aid of well-structured questionnaires assisted with interview schedules. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression model. The determinants of cassava profitability were farm size, farmers’ experience in cassava cultivation, farmers’ experience in adopting climate change coping strategies, number of climate change coping strategies adopted, costs of input materials in Naira and labour cost in Naira.

KEYWORDS

Climate change, cassava, production, profitability, Niger Delta.

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The Law of One Price of Central European Countries – Analysis of Feed Barley

P. Bubáková No 2/2015, June
pp. 13 - 24

ABSTRACT

The paper examines the validity of the Law of One Price (LOP) in the international market for feed barley among selected Central European markets, namely the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. Monthly prices over the period June 1995 to December 2012 are used. Each country pair is tested for cointegration, and the hypothesis of LOP is tested in the Vector Error Correction model. The results show that the LOP holds for the majority of markets. Cointegration was confirmed among all pairs of countries except for pairs with Slovakia. For cointegrated country pairs, the LOP holds for 8 out of 10 pairs at a 5 % level of significance. Germany has a dominant position within the investigated international trade and determines the prices of other countries. Austria is the second most dominant market. Countries of the original Visegrad group, namely the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, are characterized by simultaneous price relationships.

KEYWORDS

Law of One Price, barley, European countries, Johansen test, Vector Error Correction model, price interdependence.

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Comparison of Technology and Technical Efficiency in Cereal Production among EU Countries

L. Cechura H. Hockmann M. Malý Z. Žáková Kroupová No 2/2015, June
pp. 27 - 37

ABSTRACT

The paper presents the analysis of cereal production in the EU. The analysis provides the comparison of production technologies and technical efficiency among EU countries using the country specific multiple output distance function models in the first step and metafrontier approach in the second step to determine the level and development of technical efficiency. The results show the high technical efficiency of cereal producers in the analyzed countries. On average, the differences in technical efficiency among the analyzed countries are not pronounced; however, the technologies used as well as the determinants of technical efficiency differ significantly.

KEYWORDS

Cereal production, multiple output distance function, technical efficiency, technology, metafrontier analysis, SFA.

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Benefits of Using Traffic Volumes Described on Examples in the Open Transport Net Project Pilot Regions

K. Jedlička T. Mildorf K. Charvát D. Kozhukh K. Charvát Jr.J. Martolos J. Šťastný No 2/2015, June
pp. 39 - 46

ABSTRACT

The paper describes the goals of the Open Transport Net project in the pilot regions for regional development and the motivation to use traffic volumes in order to reach the project objectives. In the introduction, a short overview of the Open Transport Net project is provided. It is followed by descriptions of the identified problems in the pilot regions and incentives to use traffic volumes for achieving good quality results. The basics of traffic volumes as well as their visualisation are further described and demonstrated including several examples.

KEYWORDS

Transport, open data, spatial data, pilot regions, applications, traffic volumes.

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Mobile Applications for Agricultural Online Portals – Cross-platform or Native Development

J. Masner P. Šimek J. Jarolímek I. Hrbek No 2/2015, June
pp. 47 - 54

ABSTRACT

There exist several possible approaches to the development of mobile applications. The paper treats the options of native applications for mobile devices. It analyzes economic aspects of two approaches - native applications development with the help of tools for individual platforms (Windows Phone, Android, iOS) and native applications developed by cross-platform tools represented by the tool Xamarin. In the paper basic variables and a formula for costs calculation are defined. The conclusions show that the utilization of the cross-platform tool Xamarin can lead to significant costs reduction. However, further research is needed mainly in the area of both the complexity development by cross-platform tools and meeting the requirements on UI and UX.

KEYWORDS

Mobile devices, applications, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Xamarin, expense.

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Community Co-design of a Geospatial Linked Open Data Platform for Environmental Management

J. O’Flaherty No 2/2015, June
pp. 55 - 67

ABSTRACT

SDI4Apps is an EU project that is building a cloud-based Geospatial Linked Open Data platform for data integration, to bridge from the top-down managed world of Geospatial Information to the bottom-up user-driven mobile world of Linked Open Data voluntary initiatives and micro SMEs developing applications using the information. To ensure its success, SDI4Apps has ensured the active participation of user communities in its co-design and validation through the implementation of 6 varied pilots involved in environmental management across Europe. Successful implementation of the SDI4Apps user communities’ participation and their social validation is described in this paper. The social validation methodology has included development of specific criteria for measuring the platform‘s success, methods for multi-stakeholder social participation, analysis for internal and external communities and a clear set of indicators, which are now being measured during the validation process based on structured pilot scenarios. This robust stakeholders’ involvement methodology, which is central to SDI4Apps, is not only generating sustainable economic returns through the interface between the users, SMEs, policy makers and scientific communities, but guarantees a solid contribution to the knowledge-driven economy and environmental management across Europe.

KEYWORDS

Geospatial Information, Linked Open Data, Environmental Management, SDI4Apps, Social Validation, Community Co-design, European Project.

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Software Tools for Movement Visualization in Agrarian Sector

J. Pavlík J. Vaněk M. Stočes No 2/2015, June
pp. 68 - 76

ABSTRACT

Development of information and communication technology also led to development in data visualization methods. There are many tools for monitoring of moving objects in agrarian sector, and also many different approaches on how to access and utilize location data. The suitability of given solution depends mostly on user requirements. Every user group has different demands and rights when operating software tools. The main objective of this article is to analyze different user groups and suitability of various GIS (geographic information system) for them.Three different approaches were experimentally evaluated: desktop, server and developer. Possibilities of these GIS solutions were ascertained with the target user group and required functionality in mind. Software was tested using standard movement visualization tasks, such as point location, movement paths, occurrence boundaries, and occurrence heat maps. Data used for the evaluation was procured from a long-term cooperation between Department of Information Technology and Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology.

KEYWORDS

GIS, Google Maps, movement visualization, geolocation, map services, user groups.

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Competitiveness of the EU Beef Sector – a Case Study

Z. Smeets Kristková J. M. García Alvaréz Coque No 2/2015, June
pp. 77 - 92

ABSTRACT

In this study, the elements of competitiveness of the EU beef sector are assessed using the value chain approach. Consequently, the impact of the external factors represented by domestic policy and foreign trade policy is discussed, with the aim of deriving recommendations for policy makers. It is shown that investing in collaborative supply chains can improve the disadvantaged position of beef producers, which have the least power in the supply chain. Furthermore, the domains of science and innovation provide several opportunities that could be further explored, namely improving the logistics of the supply chain and developing more tailored quality systems. The main threats stem from potential free trade agreements, climate change and the internal competition between other agricultural crops. Better targeting of the CAP and environmental aspects are suggested to maintain the competitiveness of European beef producers.

KEYWORDS

Beef and veal, exports, competitiveness, European Union, value chain, Common Agricultural Policy, trade liberalization.

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Public Support of Agricultural Risk Management – Situation and Prospects

V. Vilhelm J. Špička A. Valder No 2/2015, June
pp. 93 - 102

ABSTRACT

The aim of the article is to evaluate the development of risk management support in agriculture in the Czech Republic in the period 2001 – 2013. The article also tries to outline some possibilities for the future risk management scheme in the Czech Republic. Data provided by the Support and Guarantee Agricultural and Forestry Fund (PGRLF) and the Czech Insurance Association (ČAP) was described using descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation). The data sources for international comparison come from secondary sources made by the research centres for European Commission. Authors identify that risk management support in the Czech Republic after 2014 will not use EU funds from the Rural Development Programme. It will depend on national financial sources, either in the form of direct support (premium subsidies, ad hoc aids) or indirect support of prevention (disease fund, recovery fund). In order to eliminate unexpected need for ad hoc aid, it is highly desirable to establish and continuously contribute a fund for covering catastrophic risks which cannot be managed by farmers or insurance companies. Such fund should be eligible only for those applicants who continuously take risk management measures.JEL classification: Q10, Q14, G22

KEYWORDS

Agricultural insurance, public support, mutual funds, income stabilization.

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Potential of Open Data in the Agricultural eGovernment

V. Vostrovský J. Tyrychtr M. Ulman No 2/2015, June
pp. 103 - 113

ABSTRACT

The paper presents overview of current research on open data potential and use in the agriculture. Open data are described through the concepts of information need and transformation places in the agricultural enterprise. Opportunities and stimuli of open data for agriculture are discussed such as real use cases of open formats (Open Office XML, CSV, ODS and RDF) and suggestions of value-added analysis of data available at eAGRI Portal that is leading information source in Czech agriculture. Based on the literature review and secondary data analysis a series of further research questions is provided in the conclusion.

KEYWORDS

Open data, information need, information systems, Open data economy, Open eGovernment, Agricultural eGovernment.

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