Advances in Food Science and Technology

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (11), pp. 001-009, November, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Developing participatory extension applications in Turkey

Orhan Ozcatalbas¹*, Ismet Boz², Kursat Demiryurek³, Dilek Bostan Budak⁴, Buket Karaturhan⁵ and Handan Akcaoz¹

¹Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, 07070 Antalya-Turkey.

²Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Sutcu mam, Kahramanmaras-Turkey.

³Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondukuzmayis University, Samsun-Turkey.

⁴Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Cukurova University, Adana-Turkey.

⁵Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University,Izmir –Turkey.

Accepted 20 July, 2018

Abstract

The purpose of extension is to increase the living standard of the farmers and their families in the rural areas. Extension services in Turkey have been implemented mainly by the Ministry of Agriculture since the 1940s and are currently organized by the administrative districts of the Provincial Agricultural Directorates. Agricultural extension approaches in Turkey have been mainly derived from extension applications in different countries and the previous projects of the World Bank and FAO. For that reason Turkey has tremendous experience on the application of agricultural extension approaches from many countries. Agricultural extension activities are implemented by several institutions; each of them has a different legal status. The extension programmes were accepted and implemented using six approaches during different periods in Turkey. During this period the dominant approach was the promotion of technology transfer by the ‘general agricultural extension approach’ until the 1990s. The ‘training and visit approach’ has also been used since the 1984s. The common characteristic of these two approaches was the lack of farmers’ participation. This was an important detriment to the effectiveness of extension services in Turkey. The implementation of participatory extension approaches was very limited but effective. The contribution of universities, NGO’s (e.g. producers’ organizations and farmers’ unions) and private firms to extension activities were limited. Thus, it will be very useful to apply the participatory approach where rural people have to take the initiative and think about their own problems with appropriate solutions by relevant extension organizations in Turkey.

Key words: Turkey, participatory extension, farming system, extension systems.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (10), pp. 001-006, October, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Costing on-farm conservation of crop diversity: The case of sorghum and wheat in Ethiopia and implications for policy

Edilegnaw Wale

Discipline of Agricultural Economics, School of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness, University of KwaZulu-Natal P. Bag X01 Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. E-mail: walee@ukzn.ac.za. Tel: +27 33 260 5410. Fax: +27 33 260 5970.

Accepted 05 August, 2018

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to estimate on-farm conservation costs based on household-level financial opportunity costs which, in turn, are estimated using sorghum and wheat household survey data from Ethiopia. The results suggest that opportunity costs need to be responsive to agricultural development opportunities, crop types and farmers’ characteristics which will all affect the national level conservation costs. Farmers have to be contextually targeted (for on-farm conservation) and treated based on their attribute profiles. Different levels and types of compensation schemes might be required for different groups. Institutionalizing on-farm conservation and optimizing costs calls for fulfilling farmers’ expectations based on the opportunity costs they forego.

Key words: On-farm conservation, crop diversity, opportunity cost, cost, sorghum, wheat, Ethiopia.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (9), pp. 001-009, September, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full length Research Paper

A time series analysis of structural break time in the macroeconomic variables in Ethiopia

Hailegiorgis Bigramo Allaro¹*, Belay Kassa² and Bekele Hundie³

¹College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, School of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.

²Agricultural Economics, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.

³Ethiopian Civil Service College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Accepted 13 May, 2018

Abstract

This research examines the structural break dates for export, import and GDP in Ethiopia using annual macroeconomic time series data spanning the years from 1974 through 2009. The study revealed that Ethiopia economy has been subject to a structural change and regime shift during the sample period. This paper reviews tests for structural change in linear regression models with Chow test which was formalised from Perron (1989) to perform tests on time series data on three assumed dates 1992, 1993 and 2003 to determine the date(s) at which there was a statistically significant structural break. The study infers that endogenously determined structural break time for the macroeconomic variables (export, import and GDP) of Ethiopian economy was found to be 2003. Noteworthy is that the structural break occurred after eleven years of the regime shift suggesting the policy change is not corresponding with the anticipated structural break in Ethiopian economy. This implies that structural break taken place endogenously well after policy announcement.

Key words: Ethiopia, macroeconomic variables, structural break.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (8), pp. 001-010, August, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Investigating the effects of targeting subsidies on macroeconomics variables of agricultural sector in Iran

Seyed-Ali Hosseini-Yekani

Department of Agricultural Economics, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. E-mail: hosseiniyekani@gmail.com.

Accepted 14 April, 2018

Abstract

The aim of this study is simulating the results of targeting subsidies on macroeconomics variables of agricultural sector in Iran. In order to achieving the objectives of this study, a multi-sector computable general equilibrium model with five quintiles of rural and urban households is developed to analyze the results of elimination and redistribution of subsidies according to the law of targeting subsidies in Iran. The results show that during targeting, high income and average income groups lose. Income rising (in the case of quintiles which their income rise) causes to increasing demand of agricultural products, food products and services in both urban and rural households. The level of factor demand in agricultural and food industrial sectors increases. Income of unskilled labors increase more than income of skilled labors. The produced commodities of petroleum, industrial and mineral sectors will be expensive and the other commodities will be cheap. The level of production in agricultural and food industrial sectors increase and in the other sectors decrease. Agricultural, food industrial and services exports rise and petroleum, industrial and mineral exports reduce. Agricultural imports increase and the level of imports in other sectors decrease.

Key words: Targeting subsidy, computable general equilibrium, agriculture, Iran.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (7), pp. 001-013, July, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Analysis of regional disparities and wage convergence in Alabama

James O. Bukenya*, Cedric Davis, Swagata Banerjee and Buddhi Gyawali

Department of Agribusiness, Alabama A&M University Normal, AL 35762, Alabama, USA.

Accepted 19 March, 2018

Abstract

This paper examines the degree to which real wages have converged in Alabama over the last thirty-seven years. The increase in government transfers, improvement in information technology and possibly, other government assistance programs would suggest that, wages in spatially dispersed counties within nation-state should become similar over time. However, the interrelation between business cycles, migration, employment structure and changes in per capita earnings over time reduces this possibility. To test the convergence hypothesis, comparable county-level real wage data are obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and analyzed using cross- section and time series techniques. Particularly, two hypotheses are tested: (1) whether real wages in poor economies (rural counties) are catching up with real wages in rich economies (urban counties), and (2) whether adjacency to urban areas has an effect on the transition from low wages to high wages for rural workers in Alabama. The results differ across the different measurement techniques, but in general, the findings do not confirm the convergence hypothesis within the different sub- periods, but rather patterns of fluctuating coherence. Similarly, the proximity hypothesis is rejected suggesting that, rural workers residing in counties that are contiguous to urban areas have not benefited from the potential spillover effect.

Key words: Real wages, convergence, divergence, unit root tests, time series, cross-section analysis.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (6), pp. 001-009, June, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Design and construction of a solar drying system, a cylindrical section and analysis of the performance of the thermal drying system

Ahmed Abed Gatea

Department of Agricultural Mechanization, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad, Iraq. E-mail: ahmedabd192000@yahoo.com.

Accepted 28 March, 2018

Abstract

In this work, a solar drying system of a cylindrical section which consists of a solar collector flat plate, drying chamber cylindrical section and a fan was built and designed for the purpose of drying 70 kg of bean crop. And there was an analysis of a thermal solar collector with flat plate absorption being obtained at the maximum temperature outlet of 71.4°C at 11 am. At radiation intensity, 750 W/m² for air flow rate of 0.0401 kg/s was obtained at ambient temperature of 34°C. The maximum average value of thermal efficiency of the solar air collector obtained from the calculation is 25.64% at air flow rate of 0.0675 kg/s, the maximum daily efficiency drying system was 18.41% at air flow rate of 0.0405 kg/s.

Key words: Solar energy, Solar Dryer Cylindrical Section (SDCS), thermal analysis, drying beans.