In Ethiopia, growth in cereal production is accompanied by a more than proportionate increase in the standard deviation of production. This study applies descriptive and variance decomposition procedures to determine the sources of increased instability in cereal production in order to show...

Underutilized plant species are defined as agricultural or non-timber forest species that are locally abundant in developing countries but globally rare. Scientific information about them is scant and their use is currently limited relative to their economic potential. Some are potentially...

Surveys on consumer acceptance of GM foods revealed differences in knowledge, risk perception and acceptance of GM foods in Japan, Norway, Spain, Taiwan and the United States. There were opponents and proponents of GM foods. However, even in the United States, one of the most supportive...

Though Thailand is the largest rice exporting country, its yield is relatively low. This might be a result of the under use of purchased input factors. Amongst other factors, high input prices and capital constraints could be some reasons. The latter could be removed by loans providing favorable...

Structural adjustments programs (SAPs) in the last two decades have eliminated all farm-support programs leading to low usage of fertilizers by Kenyan smallholders. One way of addressing this problem is use of organic nutrient resources. This paper examines their cost-effectiveness as capital...

Farming systems research for wet-season non-rice upland crops in Cambodia is being conducted with the overall aim of poverty reduction and food security for farmers in the Provinces of Battambang and Kampong Cham. Some of these cash crops exhibit low and variable incomes, especially when grown...

Through empirical simulations of the Taiwanese rice market, we estimate the effects of agricultural policies designed to ensure optimal levels of two multifunctional outputs, groundwater recharge and methane emissions. The settings of policy instruments differ by region to reflect land quality...

Beans are widely grown as a major food crop in Eastern and Southern Africa. It is the most important staple food crop after maize in Kenya (ECABREN, 2000). The beans industry in Kenya is faced with problems of shortages, seasonal supply and price fluctuations and inadequate information on...

In an effort to alleviate rice shortages, the Iranian government is attempting to encourage the private sector to become more involved in the rice market and trade of Iran. To this end, the multi rate foreign exchange system, which was adopted for several years mainly to support consumers, is...

Traditionally, agricultural forecasts, whether for the coming year or several years into the future, have been based on assumptions of normal weather and trend crop yields. That weather is seldom normal and that yields seldom fit trends are well recognized. However, relatively little attention...