Abiodun A. Ogundeji

Price transmission in the South African food market

Abstract This study investigated asymmetric price transmission between producer and retail markets in South Africa. The authors applied the traditional (Engle-Granger) and the standardised (Enders & Siklos) Dickey-Fuller procedures to test for cointegration and asymmetry in price transmission. Four competing models, namely the Engle-Granger (EG), Threshold Autoregressive (TAR), Momentum Threshold Autoregressive (M-TAR), and Momentum Consistent Threshold Autoregressive (MC-TAR) models, were fitted. Following the application of a standard model selection criterion, the MC-TAR was chosen as the best. The following results were obtained: price transmission between producer and retail prices is asymmetric; the direction of causation runs from producer to retail prices; retailers correct about 2 per cent of the negative and 4 per cent of positive disequilibria every month; and it takes fewer months for negative shocks than positive shocks to be eliminated. In general, the results suggest that retailers respond more quickly to shocks that stretch their market margin than to those that squeeze it. This is typical of positive asymmetric price transmission. We attribute this to the anticompetitive behaviour that characterises the food market chain.

Economics of climate change adaptation: a case study of Ceres – South Africa

Climate change and its impact on already scarce water resources are important issues being publicly debated in the world today. Water resources are of more concern because changes in the water supply will affect the water availability for household use, agricultural practices, and for the vast industrial water demand. With the view of helping famers to adapt to climate change, the Ceres Dynamic Integrated Model was developed to simulate the impacts and evaluate different adaptation strategies thereof. The results show that a substantial change can be expected in the profile of the farming community. However, with adaptation the welfare of the farmers can be improved. Depending on the availability of funds to make farm dams available for farmers, access to farm dam capacity and winter water allocations as well as increasing water use efficiency are potential adaptation options for the farmers. Improved water management practices that increase the productivity of irrigation water use may provide a significant adaptation potential under future climate. Therefore, farmers must be equipped with a collection of management or adaptation tools to overcome slight climatic differences.

Impact of access to credit on farm income: policy implications for rural agricultural development in Lesotho

ABSTRACT In this era of rapidly increasing food demand, a sustainable food supply is required to meet such demand. This suggests that capital investment through adequate access to credit is needed to develop the agricultural sector in developing countries including Lesotho. Therefore, this paper examined farmers’ access to credit and its impact on farm income using a three-stage model, namely: Probit, Tobit, and propensity score matching. The study was conducted in Lesotho with a sample size of 100 farmers. The empirical results reveal that access to credit increases net farm revenues by US

Efficiency of Rice Farming in Ghana: Policy Implications for Rice Sector Development : Efficiency of Rice Farming in Ghana

116.608 to US

Impact of European Union Generalized System of Preferences scheme on fruit and vegetable exports from East Africa: A preference margin approach:

136.894. Furthermore, savings, scale of production, membership of farmer associations and financial record keeping exert significant positive effects on access to credit, while higher interest rates reduce farmers’ likelihood of securing credit from a financial institution. We conclude that adequate access to credit is necessary to promote a sustainable agricultural development and the livelihoods of rural farmers in Africa.

EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY'S TRADE POTENTIAL AND PERFORMANCE WITH EUROPEAN UNION: A PERSPECTIVE OF SELECTED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE COMMODITIES

There is high demand for food commodities due to population growth in sub‐Saharan Africa. However, the agricultural productivity remains low making it difficult to meet this increased food demand. Therefore a need arose to improve agricultural productivity, including the productivity of the rice industry in Ghana. This study analysed the factors influencing the efficiency of Ghanas rice industry using the stochastic metafrontier model. A total of 470 smallholder rice producers from two districts in Upper East region were selected for the study. The empirical results reveal that the rice producers are technically inefficient and operating below the metafrontier. The results also indicate that the factors that influence farmers’ technical efficiency level are different between the two districts. Results also indicate that technology adoption or use of improved production practices increase the technical efficiency of rice farmers. Based on the results it is recommended that policy‐makers and researchers develop district specific recommendations, and determine how the adoption of improved technology can be increased.

Establishing the linkages between the South African agricultural trade balance and macroeconomic indicators

We evaluate the impact of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme on horticultural exports from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to the European Union (EU). The preference margin, computed as the difference between trade-weighted Most Favoured Nation’s rate and the ad valorem equivalents(, is used as a proxy for the GSP scheme. The zero-inflated Poisson estimator is used to control for overdispersion and excess zero trade flows, while time-invariant effects control for heterogeneity. The findings suggest that the EU-GSP scheme promotes bean exports from the three East African states as well as pepper from Uganda. Conversely, the results suggest that the scheme seems not to enhance export of asparagus from Kenya, vegetables from Tanzania and bananas from Uganda to the EU.

An error correction approach to modelling beef supply response in South Africa

During the treatment of this paper it is aimed the accurate characterization of natural objects that constitute the natural heritage of this region, as well as the proposals for new monuments. In this article it is conducted a genuine scientific work for the analysis of these monuments and the values associated with them. The basic method that is used in the treatment of this paper has been the one of direct field observations, analyzing these aspects; their physical condition, size, prognosis and photography. The paper has scientific value to researchers in the field of geography and local authorities. The main part in the paper is occupied by the results of the performed work in the following areas: The assessment of the natural conditions of this district, in function ofthe natural monuments. The classification of natural monuments; geomonuments, bio and hidromonuments. The physical analysis of the declared monuments,explaining their current situation and future trend.Their association with different views. Proposals for new natural monuments, for those objects that meet the criteria of being such. All these proposed monuments, are analyzed by the natural aspect, and accompanied by photos. At the end of this paper are given the conclusions, noting that the natural heritage of this district is a national asset. There are given some recommendations such as; their defence is responsibility of the state and of all the public opinion. Their good management requires strong legal measures in order to preserve these values.This article focuses in the azorean third tea period (1878-1879), time to learn and the first move towards tea industry. This time is made up of two periods: First, time to collect and make tea (March to July 1878); Second, time to collect and make tea (April to July 1879). With the hiring of two Chinese tea technicians, Lau-a-Pan (the master) and Lau-a- Teng (the interpreter) by the local agricultural society, locals rapidly acquired two things: how to grow and make tea and the value of his tea. Tea industry brought together first and second generation SPAM members, who, to cope with wine and orange crises, among other products, invested in tea. Industry mainly developed in Saint Michaels‘s Island.Military in Pakistan and Bangladesh has been deeply involved in politics all over the history. Since after the birth of both countries, the strong democratic government has not yet been established, due to the continuous involvement of Military in politics. The current research attempts to evaluate the main causes of Military Intervention in two countries. The utilized information of causes has been taken from books, journals, articles, on line materials and other secondary sources. The findings result with regard to the sources of military interventions in politics are the causes of weak political institution, vested interest of the military, legacy of the British army, political corruption and superiority.The subject of insurance law has been a very trickish and clumsy one to anybody who desires to know about it or conduct any research with regard to same. The general notion of the public against insurance companies is very negative when it comes to the aspect of payment of indemnity by the insurers. Perhaps based on a simple or very trivial excuse, the insurer may repudiate liability either on the basis of non – disclosure or non – possession of insurable interest e.t.c. In most cases, insurers have denied or repudiated indemnities on ground of non – disclosure which in all of the policies are made to be a ―warranty‖ or ―conditions‖ which goes to the root of the contract itself. The common law rule on this is very strict and therefore operates against the claim of the assured whenever the defence is raised by the insurer. However, the Nigerian Insurance Act, appears to have remedied this common law position by making the concept of non – disclosure equitable to both parties to an insurance policy. It is hereby suggested that other jurisdiction should follow suit for the development of insurance law.The need to own assets, whether in the form of long-term tangible or intangible assets, conditions a successful operation of an accounting entity in some cases. The objective of the article is to compare the asset structure defined for public sector accounting entities to the asset structure binding for business entities in compliance with the legislation valid in SR. Further objective of the article is to compare the legislation valid in SR in terms of long-term assets to the legislation defined under IAS/IFRS International Accounting Standards (applicable for businesses) and IPSAS (applicable for public sector entities). Our effort is to point out the differences on the grounds of the given comparisons, and to propose measures aimed at enhancing the legislation on the grounds of the analysis.Mass housing estates of the second half of the 20th century represent a poorly described and appraised topic of recent history. Mainly professionals overlook their garden design related aspect. It seems unbuilt areas within them were neglected by their authors; still, they represent an essential change in the urban structure in the 20th century and the rising significance of elements representing nature in urbanized environments. The present text focuses on housing estates in the Czech Republic that were built between the 1960s and 1989, especially their garden design related and landscape related aspects. First, circumstances of post-war building of mass housing and the role of modernist theories are introduced. Second, the development of forms of public areas in specific conditions of socialist central planning is observed. Our exploration concentrates on significant projects presented in the press of the time as well as housing estates that did not stand out from the average. The results, which we are presenting, are an overview of particular types of public spaces within mass housing estates with their basic characteristics and a definition of the roles of vegetation and other garden design means related to housing. In conclusion, we formulate a general development direction which the relation between landscape and housing took, as we can observe it in the example of housing estates of the second half of the 20th century.Our research is dedicated to the problem of the development of the future doctors’ subject competencies in Medical deontology by means of Cooperative learning structures. In this article we are going to review the findings on the initial level of the future doctors’ subject competencies in Medical deontology in terms of the motivational component within the framework of the experimental part of the investigation. Our main task is to reveal the gaps in the motivational component of the future doctors’ subject competencies in Medical deontology and to suggest Cooperative learning as a technique to improve the deontological education. The initial level of the development of the future doctors’ subject competencies in Medical deontology has been evaluated by us in terms of three components – motivational, cognitive and behavioral the essence of which is represented in criteria and the latter are reflected in indicators. In this article we will review the findings on the motivational component. The initial level of the development of the motivational component of the competencies in Medical deontology has been determined in terms of the professional needs and interests of the medical students, the indicators of which include awareness of a career choice, type of motivation to study at the higher medical educational establishment (“professional” motives, motives of “personal prestige”, “pragmatic” and “educational” motives, external factors), prevailing personality orientation (humanistic, professional, social, business, and antisocial), motivation for communication, self-improvement and selfdevelopment motivation, recognition of the practical significance of the academic course “Deontology in medicine”, an interest in ethical and deontological education.Nowadays, the number of stimuli reaching the consumers is underdrastic growth. At the same time, consumers are not able to or willing toprocess this amount of information. In spite of the educational level,informative campaigns and publications, the consumers‘ level of knowledgeremains low concerning the composition of food products. On the basis of aresearch carried out in 2013, in Hungary and involving 1,150 individuals, wecan state that consumers are not aware of the extent of carbohydrates andenergy contained in their food products. It is the responsibility of consumerprotection to work out a signalling for food products that is easy to beprocessed and can be immediately understood by the consumers. Such aninitiative could be the comprehensive and mandatory introduction of the―traffic light system‖.Agence France-Presse (AFP) is an international French news agency located in Paris. It is the oldest and largest news agency in the world. It is one of four most outstanding agencies together with “Associate Press”, “Reuters” and “Itar-Tass”. Information agencies originated from 1835 when a young French writer and translator Charles-Louis Havas established Agency Havas on the basis of which was established one of the greatest agencies France-Presse. A lot of issues were changed in the strategy of the Agency from the day of its foundation, but in XXI century, the epoch of modern technologies, it faced new challenges and accomplished changes in the sphere of its activities. Top management of Agence France- Presse managed to implement new technologies and become one of the most prestigious agencies in the world.The spectrum of the problems analyzed in the following article is based on the works by Merab Mamardashvili (1930-1990) dedicated to the theme of Europe, talks given in Paris and Barcelona, articles and interviews published in various French newspapers or journals. Mamardashvili clearly realized that the establishment of democratic regime in the society emerging on the ruins of a totalitarian state could create the most complicated problem to the state and culture; that the indigenous peoples of the former Soviet Union (including Georgians) who before October Revolution could not follow the time, modernity, would find themselves in a difficult situation in the process of formation of civil society and its members as citizens. The aspiration toward modernizing the individuals poses many difficulties to the politicians and citizens because we are simultaneously being transformed into free and independent nation, and the members of civil society. The situation is complicated by the fact that this process passes through the fog of post-totalitarian society. Merab Mamardashili’s critical analysis is due to a desire for better future of Georgia, the desire that in the era of globalization Georgian thinking could adequately respond to the challenges of time. In the process of desovietization of thinking and formation of civil society, the views developed by the philosopher Merab Mamardashili about the relationships between the individual and society are still valuable and relevant.The total world population is 7.093 billion of them 1.29 billion do live with absolute poverty [PPP below

Econometric estimation of Armington elasticities for selected agricultural products in South africa

1.25]. Around 4 million of people die cause of starving and malnutrition and 25 million without treatment/year. 100 million is homeless and further 100 million is hidden homeless. Around 200 million is unemployed, of them 75 million that is 13% of the total figure is between the ages of 15 & 24 [IMF-2012]. If dramatic changes are not happened in the world job markets and young jobless is remain stable, its impact would be very devastative for the forthcoming world.This paper analyzes the category of mediation from the point of view of humanisticoriented pedagogy. Mediation is discussed first in its presumably most popular context, that is, in the context of legal procedures, where Polish law is taken as an illustrative material. Against this background, the main functions and principles of legal concept of mediation are presented. Further investigations are devoted to the characterization of humanistic-oriented pedagogy, with emphasis on the main categories of this type of pedagogical inquiry. The very notion of category is also focused on. Finally, the research question concerning the understanding of mediation as a category of humanistic-oriented pedagogy is discussed. It is argued that certain important values underlying the legal concept of mediation are present in the research in pedagogy, but in the latter context, the category of mediation adopts a much broader meaning, for its elements are present in every stage of human development.Screening of oncologic pathology of gastro-intestinal tract by means of multicenter endoscopic examination has shown that phylactic esophagogastroduodenoscopy, сolonofiberscopy can be recommended as an obligatory component during planned examination. Despite all the achievements of modern medicine , the entry of new methods of diagnosis and healing, the disease incidence and death rate due to oncologic diseases has been constantly increasing in the world. It is well-known , that cancer is the second leading reason of death after cardiovascular system diseases death. If to summarize the cancer frequency of all organs of gastro-intestinal tract, it will take the first place (more than 50%), powering past larynx cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer1. Therewith disease and death rate are the cancer of approximately all digestive systems 2. Numerous research proves, that disease prognosis mainly depends on oncology diagnose promptness, which gives much meaning to the earlier diagnosis. Unfortunately, 60– 80% patients with for the first time oncology diagnose already have III–IV stages of disease2. Potential causes of such late diagnose are late application of patients, erased clinical performance, and also deficient oncological suspicion of doctors with primary stage of healthcare.

Assessing vulnerability and coping capacities of rural women to drought: A case study of Zvishavane district, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the long-run and short-run linkages between macroeconomic fundamentals, agricultural variables and the South African agricultural trade balance, using co-integration analysis and a vector error-correction model with yearly data from 1980 to 2011. The literature review shows that these linkages have not been empirically established for South Africa, despite the relative importance thereof in the policy process. The findings reveal that in the long run, the exchange rate, agricultural price, agricultural production and disposable income all have a significant impact on trade balance. The joint short-run dynamic impact of the lagged trade balance, lagged agricultural production, lagged exchange rate, domestic price and agricultural production explains the changes in the South African agricultural trade balance.