Simeon Kaitibie

Optimal Stocking Density for Dual-Purpose Winter Wheat Production

Dual-purpose winter wheat production is an important economic enterprise in the southern Great Plains of the United States. Because of the complex interactions involved in producing wheat grain and beef gain from a single crop, stocking density is an important decision. The objective of the research is to determine the stocking density that maximizes expected net returns from dual-purpose winter wheat production. Statistical tests rejected a conventional linear-response plateau function in favor of a linear-response stochastic plateau function. The optimal stocking density of 1.48 steers/ha (0.60 steers/acre) is 19% greater with a stochastic than with a nonstochastic plateau.

Willingness to pay for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia vaccination in Narok South District of Kenya

Highlights • About two-thirds of farmers in Narok South District of Kenya were willing to pay while one-third needed compensation to accept the preferred vaccine and vaccination.• The WTP for preferred vaccine and vaccination was high but since there was high level of uncertainty, further WTP studies are needed.• Willingness to pay for preferred vaccine and vaccination attributes and for the entire profiles was influenced by various farmer demographics and household characteristics.• Vaccination against CBPP was economically worthwhile using all programmes investigated.

Control of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia: Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices in Narok district of Kenya

Highlights • Pastoralists had traditional disease coping mechanisms.• Some pastoralists had no knowledge of any prevention method and others would not know what to do or would do nothing in the event of an outbreak.• Pastoralists perceived vaccination to be the solution to CBPP but vaccination was irregular.• Vaccination exhibited adverse post-vaccination reactions and consequently 25.2% of pastoralists may resist subsequent vaccinations against CBPP.• Pastoralists preferred CBPP vaccination at certain times of the year and that it is combined with other vaccinations.

Exploring farmer preferences for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia vaccination: A case study of Narok District of Kenya

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is an economically important disease in most of sub-Saharan Africa. A conjoint analysis and ordered probit regression models were used to measure the preferences of farmers for CBPP vaccine and vaccination attributes. This was with regard to inclusion or not of an indicator in the vaccine, vaccine safety, vaccine stability as well as frequency of vaccination, vaccine administration and the nature of vaccination. The analysis was carried out in 190 households in Narok District of Kenya between October and December 2006 using structured questionnaires, 16 attribute profiles and a five-point Likert scale. The factors affecting attribute valuation were shown through a two-way location interaction model. The study also demonstrated the relative importance (RI) of attributes and the compensation value of attribute levels. The attribute coefficient estimates showed that farmers prefer a vaccine that has an indicator, is 100% safe and is administered by the government (p<0.0001). The preferences for the vaccine attributes were consistent with expectations. Preferences for stability, frequency of vaccination and nature of vaccination differed amongst farmers (p>0.05). While inclusion of an indicator in the vaccine was the most important attribute (RI=43.6%), price was the least important (RI=0.5%). Of the 22 household factors considered, 15 affected attribute valuation. The compensation values for a change from non inclusion to inclusion of an indicator, 95-100% safety, 2h to greater than 2h stability and from compulsory to elective vaccination were positive while those for a change from annual to biannual vaccination and from government to private administration were negative. The study concluded that the farmers in Narok District had preferences for specific vaccine and vaccination attributes. These preferences were conditioned by various household characteristics and disease risk factors. On average the farmers would need to be compensated or persuaded to accept biannual and private vaccination against CBPP. There is need for consideration of farmer preferences for vaccine attribute levels during vaccine formulations and farmer preferences for vaccination attribute levels when designing delivery of vaccines.

Understanding Challenges to Food Security in Dry Arab Micro-States: Evidence from Qatari Micro-Data

Abstract Using Qatar as a case study, we exploit a novel micro-data set for 102 raw agricultural imported commodities on a shipment-by-shipment basis over the period January 1, 2005 to June 30, 2010. The data comprise over half a million individual observations, with a very rich set of characteristic specifications. Several interesting initial results emerge from the analysis. First, we find evidence of import-price volatility far in excess of world price volatility across a wide spectrum of commodities. Second, supply origins for virtually all commodities are highly concentrated. In many cases, commodities are sole sourced. Third, although less so, concentration is evidenced among Qatari importing companies for certain commodities. Fourth, we notice anomalies that lead to inefficient shipping methodologies and associated increased costs. The paper concludes by providing an empirical illustration of hedonic price modeling for barley followed by guidance for future empirical research.

More Efficient Production Subsidies for Emerging Agriculture in Arab Micro-States: A Conceptual Model

Abstract Import-dependent arid Arab micro-states such as those in the Persian Gulf are particularly vulnerable to food-security risk. Among the many remedial policy suggestions, some initiation or increase in domestic production is to insulate these countries from supply disruption, import price volatility, and high import prices. This article does not address the efficacy of domestic production but notes that such production will require government intervention in the form of production subsidies to mitigate market risk. The narrow focus of this article is to provide a conceptual structure of subsidies that avoids many previous problems in established subsidy systems. The model has two components: a calculation of the true economic cost of a unit of an agricultural product and a deficit payment that is calculated to bridge the gap between true economic cost and market remuneration. The structure of the deficit payment is crucial to the establishment of a beneficial incentive system but the article is limited to a few of many possible options. The deficit-payment option we suggest makes the most use of market signals, avoids perverse incentives, and provides a structure to encourage efficiency, quality enhancement, and product differentiation in agricultural products. The system is designed to be WTO compliant. A detailed numerical example is used for the economic price and simple analytics, and numeric examples are used to illustrate the incentive effects of deficit payments.

Determinants of Intra-GCC Food Trade

ABSTRACT Using panel data for six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from 1995–2014, we assess the impacts of several major economic variables on intra-GCC food exports, and on GCC food exports to the world. The GCC customs union had minimal impact on intra-GCC food exports, but occasioned a significant reduction in GCC food exports. Unlike GCC food exports, intra-GCC food exports occurred among countries with similar relative factor endowments, in agreement with the Linder Hypothesis. Rising incomes and exchange rates played significant roles in both intra-GCC food exports and GCC food exports, while distance has lost its once-dominant role.

Analysis of Food Imports in a Highly Import Dependent Economy

Abstract This analysis of food imports used an enhanced gravity model of trade, with food imports from approximately 136 countries from 2004 to 2014. Using improved panel data techniques, we show that total income, inflation in the food exporting country, corruption perception in the food exporting country, trade openness in the food exporting economy, GCC membership are important determinants of food imports by Qatar. In addition, we show that Qatari food imports mostly originate in countries with, on average, similar economic sizes. Finally, Qatar’s factor endowment is dissimilar to those of most of its trading partners, a situation that potentially fosters international food trade in accordance with the Heckscher–Ohlin theory of trade.