Search

Climate change in developing nations has become a severe obstacle to extensive land productivity. Farmer's resilience to climate change impact can be boosted via adaptation measures. Smallholder farmers' expertise, however, can be fragmented and inconsistent, especially in times of climatic stress. It is worth mentioning that social networks play a part in how farmers decide how to adapt. Formal and informal social ties are the categories we use to categorize social networks. Using primary data obtained from banana growers on the island of Ngazidja in the Comoros archipelago, this study need to analyze the variable effects of social ties on farmers' adaptation decisions and further assess the impact of adaptation strategies on land productivity under climate change. According to the findings, less than 32% of banana growers used adaptation measures to lessen the effects of climate change on agricultural practices. Banana producers favored replanting trees, boosting sucker reduction, improving irrigation, and mixing crops. Farmers applied adaptation tactics at a higher rate when they were members of agricultural cooperatives and connected to sellers of agricultural inputs. The connection to local farmers, on the other hand, prevented farmers from taking proactive measures to counteract climate change. We also revealed that banana producers' land production increased dramatically due to adaptation measures. These results illustrate the significance of smallholder farmers' various social connections when formulating a policy package to improve land productivity and increase their responses to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All elements such as boxes, icons, pictures, and symbols have been extracted and compiled by means of the online software CANVA.

The aim of this study was to identify the long-term tendencies regarding the land use in farms of different sizes in Poland and Czechia, with special focus on small-scale farms. The article answers the question about functioning of small farms in Poland and Czechia, as they represent different structures of land use among farms. On the one hand, the land fragmentation in Poland, and on the other hand, domination of large farms in Czechia, with a lower share of small farms. To achieve the aim, the study used data from the Farm Structure Survey (FSS) and Agricultural Census (2010, 2020) from Eurostat for six periods (2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020) and selected data for recent years from the World Bank database. In the period under analysis, it can be observed that there is a significant decline in the number of small farms both in Poland and Czechia, while the decrease in utilized agricultural area was smaller. Hence, the average area of farm increased which helped them to improve the land productivity, while increasing the standard output per hectare of utilized agricultural area. The analysis showed that there are two different models of the position of small farms in the Polish and Czech agricultural sectors, however, some positive and desired tendencies occur in both systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated the land productivity of root crop farmers amidst pesticide application in southeast, Nigeria. 358 root crop producers were chosen using a multi-stage sample and given a questionnaire. The analysis of the data included the use of mean, frequency, percentage, total factor and partial factor productivity, analysis of variance, multiple regression model, and local average treatment effect (LATE). Data were acquired using primary means. The results show that root crop growers were mostly women (76.9%), married (85.1%), educated (mean=12.0), and in their prime working age (51). Estimates of total factor productivity (TFP) and partial factor productivity (PFP) gave 7.69 and 177.25, which indicates higher land productivity values across Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi State. Education, access to farm inputs, soil/land improvement practices, size of farm, and extension relations were important components of land productivity across the States. Use and application of pesticides according to specified recommendation increased land productivity by (727.07%) and (880.28%). Erosion problems (99.7%), pests and disease (96.9%), high cost of inputs (99.1%), climate change (99.4) and land fragmentation (93.0%) constrained land productivity in the States. Study recommends farmers to practice more of land improvement practices and adhere to specified pesticide use and application to increase land productivity

Agricultural production, including animal husbandry, is associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which have a negative impact on the environment. The purpose of this study was to determine methane and nitrous oxide emissions at the level of individual farms and to identify differences in emissions by type of production. Analyses were conducted using data from the FADN agricultural accounting system, covering the farms in Poland engaged in dairy production and the breeding of other grazing livestock for the period from 2012 to 2021. The relationships and trends of the indicators during the study period were also analyzed. The statistical analysis confirmed the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and economic performance. In the case of dairy farms, the emissions averaged 137.09 kg·ha−1 of methane and 94.05 kg·ha−1 of nitrous oxide, which were found to increase as the net-added value and farm income increased. The results of the presented research highlight the existence of a link between economic goals and GHG emissions, which is an important contribution to the development of mitigation strategies in livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main requirements for small-scale cultivators is that they can be used in small plots of land and have simple design and technology. However, many planting tools on the market today are not suitable for narrow land conditions. Therefore, this study aims to design and develop a corn seed planter that can be operated in narrow areas and can improve seed planting efficiency and accurate seed placement. The research parameters observed were the distance between plants, the depth of the planting holes, the number of seeds per planting hole, and the efficiency of using the tool. The results of the research show that the planting tools that have been designed and developed are very easy and practical to operate by farmers on narrow land. The distance between plants varies between 21.3 – 24.2 cm. The depth of the planting hole ranges from 5.4 – 7.1 cm. The distribution of the number of holes filled with 0 seeds was 3.00%, filled with 1 seed was 90.38%, and filled with 2 seeds was 6.62%. Planter efficiency data is 85.61%. This data shows that this cultivator meets the minimum standards for the manually operated cultivator category.

Adoption of improved agricultural technologies is crucial to improve land productivity, food security and economic development in low-income countries. In this paper, we examined the determinants of improved maize variety (IMV) adoption and the impact of adoption on land productivity of resource-constrained smallholder maize farmers in a semi-arid region of Ghana. Primary data on 340 respondents were gathered and modelled using an endogenous switching regression econometric model to evaluate the impact and determinants of maize technology adoption among the sampled farmers. From the results, adoption of IMV significantly improved land productivity by 10.7 – 14.1 percent. Furthermore, quantity of labour deployed by the household was found to be a key determinant of both adoption and land productivity, while factors which enhance soil fertility status positively influenced improved variety adoption. The authors make practical policy recommendations to enhance adoption and land productivity to improve food security and income of smallholder farm households.

In Poland, there is a significant diversification of efficiency in agriculture between voivodeships. Therefore, we expect efficiency convergence in line with the modernization process of agriculture in regions. The work aims to identify the scale and direction of changes in the efficiency of land and labor in farms in Poland in terms of voivodeships and to determine whether there is a convergence of the efficiency. Statistical data from Statistics Poland and data from the FADN on the results of farms for the years 2010-2020 were used in the analysis. In the period covered by the analysis, the average area of farms increased by 18% – to 11.6 ha, and the level of employment decreased by as much as 31% to 9.5 AWU/100 ha. On FADN farms, the area increased by 15% – to 40.4 ha, and the level of employment decreased by 10% – to 4.9 AWU/100 ha. Land efficiency did not change significantly in real terms, and labor efficiency increased by 15-18% in real terms, depending on the region. It was found that the convergence between voivodeships occurred only concerning labor productivity in agriculture (in value of GVA/AWU). Convergence was not confirmed for labor productivity (in value of production/AWU), and divergence was observed both for land efficiency and productivity. This means that differences in the effectiveness of Polish agriculture between regions are permanent, and progress in agriculture by regions is at a similar pace. In the future, the main constraint on agriculture development in some regions will be the strong fragmentation of agriculture.

Climate change poses significant challenges to agriculture and land productivity particularly in regions heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture like Ebonyi State, Nigeria. This study analyzed the effects of climate change on sweet potato production in Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 301 respondents. The drafted questionnaire was used for data collection following the specific objectives of study. Descriptive statistics, land productivity model, and multiple regression model were used for the data analysis. Results revealed that the majority of respondents (64.1%) were males, married (73.1%), young (42.2%), experienced (55.5%) and relatively educated (49.8%) with household and farm sizes of 7 and 1.8 hectares. The majority of the farmers (41.5%) were aware of changes in climate. Farm sizes of 1.1-2.0 hectares produced the highest land productivity (1769.831 hectares) in the state from about 51.5% of the farmers. Rising temperature, rainfall, and number of rainy days, influenced sweet potato production negatively; while sunshine hours and relative humidity had significant positive influences. Poor access to extension and services, land fragmentation, capital, inadequate information concerning climate change, and high cost of input resources constrained potato cultivation. The study recommends farmers to practice climate smart agricultural techniques and to seek early climate change information to mitigate negative effects of changing climate on sweet potato production.

One of the problems faced by farmers in Indonesia is capital. Based on Indonesian Central Statistics Agency survey results, the number of farmers who borrow capital from formal institutions such as banks is still small. This is because the process of applying for loans at banks is lengthy, farmers are considered high-risk and unbankable, and the rating of the agricultural sector is unattractive to banks. This study aims to determine the attributes and design a model of agricultural credit assessment. This study uses secondary data related to bank credit ratings and land productivity from banks in the Telagasari sub-district in 2018–2020 and Cipayung sub-district in 2020. Data were analyzed using random forests. The research process includes four stages: data collection, data pre-processing, model building, and model analysis and evaluation. This study produced five important variables that are relevant to farmers: planting costs, sales, land productivity, total production, and land area. The model built produces the most optimal accuracy of 83% with an AUC score of 81%. Based on the AUC performance classification, it can be concluded that the model that has been made is good at predicting the credit status of farmers because the AUC value is included in the good classification predicate.

Land degradation (LD) processes are widespread in drylands worldwide and are accelerated by climate change. As a result, food security and livelihoods are at risk. Thus, there is a need to monitor LD trends, especially in agricultural areas. Mediterranean countries, including Tunisia and Greece, are concerned due to the presence of drivers and pressures causing land degradation. Through the Trends.Earth plugin, the SDG 15.3.1 indicator can be implemented to map LD status. In this study, we mapped LD in Greece and Tunisia for the recommended baseline period of 2001–2015 and the selected reporting period of 2016–2020. The land productivity was assessed within Trends.Earth using the MODIS MOD13Q1 product, while the default datasets were used for the other sub-indicators. The main findings are: (i) the percentage of degraded land decreased from the baseline to the reporting period from 4.83% to 2.62% of total area in Greece and 9.97% to 6.26% in Tunisia—degradation rates that differ from those reported to the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) by the respective national authorities; (ii) the dominant land condition in Greece was improved, while in Tunisia, it was stable; (iii) land productivity presented a similar trend through the SDG 15.3.1 indicator over both countries, including the net land productivity dynamics over croplands; (iv) based on analysis using plant functional types performed with MODIS MCD12Q1, the highest portion of degraded land in Greece was located in grasslands and in Tunisia in cereal croplands (after desert areas); and (v) with a focus on LD over cereal croplands, the portion of degraded areas appeared to decrease in both Greece and Tunisia. The percentage was higher in Tunisia, representing 16.52% of the total degraded land during the reporting period compared to 10.83% in Greece. All the above stress the need to foster the adoption of sustainable land management practices, especially in Tunisia, and speed up the implementation of measures to achieve LD neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Enhancing land productivity is a crucial strategy for addressing key sustainable development issues, such as poverty reduction and ensuring food security. Farmers’ Internet use behavior offers the potential to improve land productivity. However, relatively little is known about the association between Internet use and land productivity. To fill this void, this study examines the impact of Internet use on land productivity and its mechanisms. The results indicate that farmers’ use of the Internet has a positive impact on improving agricultural land productivity. Internet use increases land productivity by 12.3%, and the conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests and endogeneity tests. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that Internet use significantly enhances land productivity in the central and northern parts of Jiangsu Province, while it does not have the same effect in the province’s southern regions. Without the addition of county fixed effects, the central sample regression results show that the coefficient for Internet use is 0.165 and significant at the 10% confidence level. When county fixed effects are added, the coefficient decreases to 0.117 and is not significant. The coefficient on Internet use for the northern sample is 0.128 and is significant at the 5% confidence level. Mechanistic analyses demonstrate that Internet use also enhances land productivity primarily by expanding the cultivated land area, facilitating mechanized production, and strengthening farmers’ social networks. The results of the study indicate that the positive effects of Internet use in improving land productivity should be fully released by strengthening the communication infrastructure, further enhancing farmers’ Internet use capacity, improving the land transfer system, upgrading the socialized service level of agricultural machinery, and strengthening agricultural financial support.

Soil quality (SQ) is critical to sustainable agricultural development. It is sensitive to the crop yield, especially in thin-layer black-soil regions, which have experienced severe degradation in recent years. However, how to evaluate the SQ and its influence on land productivity is not clear in regions with thin black-soil coverage. Therefore, an integrated soil quality index (SQI) was constructed using diverse datasets along a 30 km transect in a typical thin-layer black-soil region of China. The results showed that obvious soil degradation was observed in this area. Black-soil thickness (BST), soil organic matter (SOM), and the total nitrogen (TN) content were the most strongly correlated with corn yield among the 13 investigated indexes, with Pearson coefficients of 0.65, 0.39 and 0.34, respectively. The minimum-dataset-based SQI using six soil properties within 0–30 cm was the optimal solution for SQ evaluation in the study area. The good performance of the established SQI using the optimal method was supported by its strong correlation with the corn yield, with a Pearson coefficient and linear R2 of 0.75 and 0.56, respectively. The BST identified by differences in colour across the soil profile provided powerful information for the SQI, the value of which would be underestimated by 8% if this index were ignored. The linear R2 between the SQI and corn yield decreased from 0.56 to 0.49 when the BST index was removed. This study showed the significance of improving the SQ in thin-layer black-soil regions. The core of soil management is to prevent the losses of surface black soil and improve the SOM content in this region. These findings can help farmers and decision makers adopt proper measures to improve SQ and thereby crop yield.

Background: Terraces are structures consisting of ditches and embankments used to control erosion and increase land productivity. There is, however, little emphasis on the effects of the ditch dimensions on soil moisture and nutrient dynamics. Objective: To determine the effect of varying ditch depths on soil moisture and nutrient quantities and their variability within the terrace slope on hard-setting soils. Methodology: Soil samples were collected seasonally in 2014 and 2015 from terraces with different ditch depths (60, 30, and 0 [control] cm) for the determination of soil moisture content (SMC). The samples were collected from the upper, middle and lower slope positions of each terrace. Soil from the three slope positions of each terrace was also sampled at the end of the study and analyzed for total nitrogen (%TN), available phosphorous (Av. P), exchangeable potassium (K+) and % organic carbon (OC) contents. Data were subjected to a two-way analysis of variance and differences in means determined at a 95% level of confidence. Results: Significant interactions (P

Declining land productivity is a major problem constraining banana (Musa spp.) production in Tanzania. Banana fruit yield consequently reaches only 15% of the potential, primarily due to inadequate soil nutrient replenishment. Improving farmers’ soil nutrient replenishment strategy in banana home gardens, which relies on applications of cattle manure only, by mixing with inorganic fertilizer resources can increase land productivity and can improve the overall profitability of banana production in the country. Experiments were conducted at Tarakea, Lyamungo, and Tengeru to determine the effects of organic fertilizer resources (animal manure and crop residue) and their combination with inorganic fertilizer resources on the productivity and profitability of Mchare banana production. Banana fruit yield differed significantly among the experimental sites, with drier areas of Tengeru recording, on average, 19.6 t ha−1 year−1, while the more humid areas of Lyamungo recorded, on average, 39.3 ha−1 year−1. Mchare banana plants grown under sole inorganic fertilizer produced significantly low yields (33.0 t ha−1 year−1) compared with those fertilized with cattle manure only, which lifted the yields to 38.8 t ha−1 year−1, but the latter required more labor input. Soil nitrogen (N) fertilization via cattle manure + mineral fertilizer gave the highest average banana fruit yield (43.0 t ha−1 year−1) across the sites, and reduced fertilization costs by 32%. Subsequently, this integrated fertilization technique generated the highest average net benefits in all sites and both cropping cycles. Thus, the findings of this study form a basis to improve land productivity and profitability in banana-based home gardens in the study area by directing more labor input to good soil N management.

This paper analyses the regional impacts of direct payments on the labour and land productivity of European farms. The basic assumption of the research is that direct CAP subsidies have a positive effect on productivity and efficiency. This was tested by quantitative regression-analysis models, which were based on NUTS2- level regional data from 2008-2018. The results show that direct subsidies have a negative effect on labour and productivity in agriculture, a finding that can be attributed to a number of underlying factors. The direction and magnitude of these productivity effects differ markedly between old and new Member States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ukraine ranks among the largest global producers and exporters of a variety of agricultural commodities. Despite its importance, there is limited research on the effect of climate change on the future of Ukraine’s agricultural sector. We investigate how weather affects the yields of Ukraine’s five major crops: winter wheat, spring barley, sunflower, soybean, and corn. Using panel data on village-level surveyed crop yields and fine-scale weather data from 2004–2020, we estimate flexible statistical yield models to characterize the impact of temperature and precipitation changes on crop yields. A simple linear model of the effect of average temperature and precipitation on yields suggests warming is beneficial for all crops in Ukraine. However, a more flexible model of the temperature-yield relationship implies that the yields of two cold-season crops, winter wheat and spring barley, respond negatively to temperatures above 29 °C and 30 °C, respectively. We find no negative effects of high temperatures for the three warm-season crops. We conclude that both average temperature and exposure to high temperatures affect Ukrainian yields.

The aim of the research is to analyze economic aspects related to the use of water in agriculture, by evaluating the effect of irrigation on agricultural productivity in a sample of FADN farms in the Veneto region in 2018. Specifically, the change of the Gross Saleable Production (GSP) is analysed as against the binary variable use/non-use of irrigation by applying an econometric analysis. To estimate how irrigation might influence gsp we have considered, in addition to the variable use/non-use of irrigation, other explanatory variables that could leverage the gsp , in particular ‘variable costs’, ‘use of land’ and ‘uaa’. Results of the analysis show that a positive relationship exists between irrigation and the GSP . This result is considered relevant in the context of water resource management policies.

Intercropping plays an indispensable role in sustainable agriculture. The response of bandwidth row ratio configuration to crop interspecific relationships and land productivity in the maize–soybean intercropping system (MSI) is still unclear. A 2-year field experiment was conducted with sole maize (SM) and sole soybean (SS), two different bandwidths (2.4 m (B1), 2.8 m (B2)), two different maize and soybean row ratios (2:3 (R1), and 2:4 (R2)) for MSI. The results showed that intercropping had advantages for land productivity compared with sole planting. Intercropping cropping had significant differences on crop yield under different intercropping treatments. The 2-yr average land equivalent ratio (LER, 1.59) and group yield under the intercropping patterns of B1R2 were significantly higher than other intercropping treatments (p < 0.05). With a bandwidth of 2.4 m and planting four rows of intercropped soybean, the total LER and group yield increased by 7.57% and 10.42%, respectively, compared to planting three rows of soybean. Intercropped maize was the dominant species and also had a higher nutrient aggressivity than intercropped soybean. The complementarity effect was higher than the select effect in the MSI system, and intercropping advantage was mainly derived from the complementarity effect, which was significantly correlated with intercropped maize yield. Nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient aggressivity in intercropped maize showed significant correlations with group yield and intercropped maize yield. In conclusion, bandwidth 2.4 m, row ratio 2:4 was a reasonable planting pattern because of its superior land productivity, crop nutrients uptake advantage, and harmonious interspecific relationship, which could provide a reference for MSI promotion and application research.

The degradation of soil, vegetation and socio-economic transformations are a huge threat to Africa’s land production. This study aimed to (i) assess the soil and land productivity of standing biomass and (ii) determine the effect of rainfall on the standing biomass in Eastern Africa. Soil productivity was determined using the Soil Productivity Index (SPI) and a simplified model was developed to estimate the Net Primary Productivity (NPP). The SPI indicators used included soil-organic matter, texture, soil moisture, base-saturation, pH, cation-exchange-capacity, soil-depth and drainage. The inputs of the simplified model are: MODIS Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), soil erosion, soil nutrient content and input, rainfall, land-use/cover and agro-ecological zones. The findings reveal that the countries with the most productive soils are Mauritius, Rwanda and South Sudan—while, for standing biomass, the countries with the highest spatial extent are Mauritius (97%), Rwanda (96%), Uganda (95%), South Sudan (89%), Ethiopia (47%) and Kenya (36%). Standing biomass is dominant in biomes such as natural forests, woodlands, croplands, grasslands, wetlands and tree-plantations. High land productivity was attributed to soil quality and management, land policy reforms, favourable climatic conditions and sustainable land husbandry activities. Rainfall was significantly correlated with standing biomass in most of the studied countries (p < 0.05) except Djibouti and Rwanda. Therefore, monitoring soil health, use and land reforms are key to sustaining vegetative biomass.

• Farm size and productivity debate has been limited by land and labor productivity. • We synthesize five case studies that use total factor productivity and micro farm data. • We find that the relationship appears to evolve with the stage of economic development. The farm size and productivity debate has been limited by the focus on land or labor productivity, generally showing respective productivity advantages to smaller or larger sized farms. Our purpose is to provide new perspectives on the debate by bringing together evidence from a set of novel case studies in both rich and poor countries. Common to them are the adoption of total factor productivity (TFP) as the comparative performance measure, and the reliance on panels of farm micro data. The present article presents a synthesis of findings from five case studies in (i) Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda; (ii) Bangladesh; (iii) Brazil; (iv) Australia; and (v) the United States. The preponderance of evidence from these studies suggests that there is no single economically optimal agrarian structure; rather, it appears to evolve with the stage of economic development. Certain farm sizes face relative productivity advantages, such as small farms in Africa. But with economic and market growth, that smallholder advantage will likely attenuate, moving toward constant and eventually increasing returns to size. Yet, importantly, small farms may be quite dynamic, and need not be a drag on agricultural growth until perhaps well into the development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increased attention to organic agriculture's behavioral and spatial implications. However, research on the dynamics and diffusion of green knowledge among farmers after controlling large-scale certified fields and environmental variables in small peasant nations has yet to be thoroughly examined. This study presents empirical evidence to explore whether there is a spatial dependence on organic agriculture and identifies the critical elements for organic rice distribution in Taiwan. We utilized spatial analysis to assess and control the potential spatial correlations. There appears to be a neighborhood effect on certified areas per farm, indicating that the geographical spillover effect confers a natural advantage on organic cultivation. Additionally, our results showed that organic rice cultivation in Taiwan is likely to occur in agriculturally less-favored regions and water conservation zones, bolstering the idea that farmers in areas with less potential have lower opportunity costs and are more inclined to adopt organic farming. Sequential or simultaneous shocks to the natural productivity levels of farmland and improvements in inundation, strata subsidence, and landslides would benefit the certified area. The negative impact of the increase in the shortest distance from industrial zones raises possible concerns about conflict between industrial and agricultural sustainability for policy reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempted to investigate the factors that substantiate the agroforestry adoption decisions of the farm households and its effect on farmland productivity. For the analysis of the agroforestry adoption incidences, the study employed probit model. The findings of the study indicated that being male-headed household, family size, vulnerability of the plot to land degradation, the comparative economic incentive of cash tree plantation and farm size have positive effect on cash tree adoption; while non-food crop farming practices and experience of cash-tree plantation had an adverse effect on the agroforestry plantation practices. Using OLS regression technique, farmland productivity was estimated, in contrast to a large body of theoretical and empirical literature, male-headed households were found to be less productive than female-headed counterparts. As projected, cash tree plantation bear out a positive impact on food crop productivity. This, in turn, empowered farm households to acquire and employ better farm technologies since cash tree plantation could enable rural Ethiopia farmers to fill the gap of rural financial market failures. Cash tree and agroforestry adoption among small farm households were also found to help farmers to improve and recover the rural farmland management system and to maximise the farm households’ productivity and income.

The promotion of farm innovations, such as mineral fertiliser, is one of the strategies for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of zero hunger and poverty alleviation in developing countries. However, the adoption of mineral fertilisers has been low in Africa, particularly in Ghana. The present study not only analyses the impact of mineral fertiliser on the land productivity of rice farmers in northern Ghana but also determines factors that are associated with the adoption of mineral fertilisers using a primary dataset from 470 rice farmers. The study employs endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approaches in the empirical analysis. The result shows that the adoption of mineral fertiliser tends to significantly increase the land productivity of rice farmers by improving soil fertility and making nutrients readily available to rice crops. The empirical finding further indicates that the adoption of mineral fertiliser is positively influenced by land area, seed, improved rice variety and row planting whereas farmers’ location and market distance exert negative effects on mineral fertiliser adoption. To maximise the land productivity of farmers, it is imperative for agricultural policy interventions to promote mineral fertiliser application by targeting key policy variables such as getting fertiliser input market outlets closer to farmers.

There are considerable variations in the productivity of plots growing teff across Ethiopia. The major drivers for productivity differences appear to be the levels of input use, the management practices employed, the age of the operator, the ease of access to markets, and the level of engagement in extension efforts. The findings lead to a number of policy implications. First, there are high rates of return to investments in the development of better seed varieties. Second, the payoff to investments in extension efforts is also high. Third, targeting efforts to increase women's access to teff plots will improve incomes for women. Fourth, reducing the costs of remoteness through the construction of rural roads and increasing distribution outlets of modern inputs is likely to have a positive impact on teff productivity. Finally, innovations that reduce labour requirements for growing teff might satisfy the increasing demands for teff at an affordable price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research advances the hypothesis that natural land productivity in the past, and its effect on the desirable level of cooperation in the agricultural sector, had a persistent effect on the evolution of social capital, the process of industrialization and comparative economic development across the globe. Exploiting exogenous sources of variations in land productivity across (a) countries; (b) individuals within a country, (c) migrants of different ancestry within a country, and (d) individuals residing in regions within a country, the research establishes that lower level of land productivity in the past is associated with more intense cooperation and higher levels of contemporary social capital and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed to analyze the determinant factors affecting the agricultural land productivity of food crops sub-sectors in 25 provinces in Indonesia during the period of 2005-2009. Descriptive analysis is done to describe the agricultural land productivity of food crops sub-sectors in Indonesia. The Cobb-Douglas production function with the assumption of Constant Return to Scale on the food crops sub-sectors production is applied. To solve the heteroschedasticity problems and avoid the auto-correlation, then the Generalized Least Square estimator with Cross-Section Weight is done.The result shows that labors and fertilizer are two factors that do not affect significantly to the productivity of food crops sub-sectors; while capital, research, human resources and irrigation are factors that affect positively to the agricultural land productivity of food crops sub-sectors. The study also shows Java as the area with the highest level of productivity and Maluku has the lowest level of productivity.

Usando una variedad de nuevas series de información estadística para los cultivos mas importantes, este artículo analiza el desempeño del sector agropecuario durante la Era del Salitre (1880-1930), un periodo de rápida expansión y modernización económica en Chile. El trabajo muestra que en esos años, y especialmente después del cambio del siglo XIX, la producción y el valor real del producto agropecuario aumentaron en la mayoría de los cultivos más importantes, así como en la ganadería. Además, hubo importantes mejoras en la productividad de la tierra, las cuales reflejaron el impacto de cambios tecnológicos, como las innovaciones biológicas. En suma, al contrario de las interpretaciones convencionales que popularizaron la noción de "estancamiento agrícola", este trabajo demuestra que la agricultura de la Era del Salitre fue un sector mucho más dinámico de lo que se suponía.Using a variety of new statistical data series for the most important crops, this article analyzes the performance of the agricultural sector during the so-called Nitrate Era (1880-1930), a period of rapid economic expansion and modernization in Chile. The paper shows that throughout that period, and especially after the turn of the nineteenth century, the agricultural production and the real value of the output increased in the most important crops as well as in the livestock sector. In addition, there took place important improvements in land productivity, which reflected the impact of technological changes, such as biological innovations. In short, contrary to conventional accounts that popularized the notion of "agricultural stagnation," this work demonstrates that Nitrate Era agriculture was a far more dynamic sector than generally supposed.

Environmental degradation of the oil-rich Niger Delta region has been wanton and continuous with dire health, social and economic consequences for its peoples, for over three decades. Using a sample of 262 crop farmers drawn randomly from 10 communities and 5 LGAs in the oil producing agro-ecological zones of Delta State, the negative impact of oil spill on crop production was accentuated. Oil spill reduced crop yield, land productivity and greatly depressed farm income as a 10 percentage increase in oil spill reduced crop yield by 1.3 percent while farm income plummeted by 5 percent. In order to halt the continual degradation of the Niger Delta environment, the authors recommend the enactment and enforcement of stringent environmental laws to protect the area as well as the implementation of policies to reduce the crushing level of poverty and guarantee a better livelihood for the people.

Agriculture and rural life in the Middle East have gone through several changes in the past few decades. The region is characterized by high population growth, urbanization, and water scarcity, which poses a challenge to maintaining food security and production. This paper investigates agricultural and rural challenges in the Duhok governorate of Iraqi Kurdistan from biophysical, political, and socio-economic perspectives. Satellite data is used to study land use and productivity, while a review of government policies and interview data show the perspectives of the government and the local population. Our results reveal that these perspectives are not necessarily in line with each other, nor do they correspond well with the biophysical possibilities. While the government has been trying to increase agricultural productivity, satellite data show that yields have been declining since 2000. Furthermore, a lack of services in rural areas is driving people to cities to seek better opportunities, which means that the local population’s incentive to increase agricultural activity is low. Governmental plans suggest land extensification to increase production and self-sufficiency, but the land use classification shows little available land. Instead, we recommend supporting small-scale traditional agriculture development as a more sustainable and feasible alternative. Additionally, more resources need to be focused on improving rural infrastructure and services to increase access to education and health care as a means of gaining support from the local population.

In Asia, food security and poverty alleviation depends on sustainable rice production. The study examined factors determining irrigated and rainfed rice farming sustainability in Bangladesh. Data for the study were collected through a farm households survey, covering 390 rice growers (sample size was determined by using the Sloven's formula), and also via observation, key informant interview, and in-depth informal discussion with relevant stakeholders. Validity of the survey instrument was assessed by experts through contents examination; yet, reliability was estimated by a post-hoc reliability analysis (the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of reliability was 0.86). Based on stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the study found that (i) grower's knowledge, skill, and competency development are common influential factors affecting sustainable rice farming, (ii) the application of resource conservation technology in irrigated rice farming plays a leading role in increasing productivity and preserving natural resources, and (iii) raising land productivity is a decisive determinant for the sustainability of rainfed rice farming. The evidence-based policy implications deduced from the study are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional support for smallholders has been the motor for the expanding cotton production sector in southern Mali since the 1970s. Smallholder farms exhibit diverse resource endowments and little is known on how they benefit from and cope with changes in this institutional support. In this paper we explore farm trajectories during two decades (1994 to 2010) and their link with farm resource endowment and government support. We distinguished a favourable period for cotton production and an unfavourable period during which institutional support collapsed. A panel survey that monitored 30 farms in the Koutiala district in southern Mali over this period was analysed. Based on indicators of resource endowment and using Ascending Hierarchical Classification (AHC), farms were grouped into four types: High Resource Endowed farms with Large Herds (HRE-LH), High Resource Endowed (HRE) farms, Medium Resource Endowed (MRE) farms and Low Resource Endowed (LRE) farms. Average yield, labour productivity and food self-sufficiency status of each type were calculated. Farms remaining in the same type were classified as ‘hanging in’, while farms moving to a type of higher yields, labour productivity and food self-sufficiency status were classified as ‘stepping up’, and farms following the opposite trajectory of deteriorating farming conditions were classified as ‘falling down’. The LRE farms differed from all other farm types due to lower yields, while both LRE and HRE farms differed from the MRE and HRE-LH farm types due to a combination of less labour productivity and less food self-sufficiency. During those two decades, 17% of the farms ‘stepped up’, while 70% of the farms remained ‘hanging in’, and only 13% of the farms ‘fell down’. We found no obvious negative impact of the collapse of government support on farm trajectories. For MRE, HRE and HRE-LH farms, average N and P use intensity increased from 1994 to 2004 and then decreased during the following cotton crisis. On the other hand, organic fertilizer use intensity increased continuously over the entire monitoring period for HRE-LH and MRE farms. Crop yields did not change significantly over time for any farm type and labour productivity decreased. We discuss how technical options specific for different farm types (increase in farm equipment, sale of cereals, incorporation of legumes and intensification of milk production) and broader institutional change (improvement in finance system and infrastructure, tariffs) can enhance ‘step up’ trajectories for farming households and avoid stagnation (‘hanging in’) of the whole agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The farm size-productivity relationship has long been the subject of debate among development economists. Few studies address this issue for China, and those that do only with outdated data sets poorly representing the current situation after the past decade of rapid change, which includes the rapid development of land rental markets, village labor out-migration and use of farm machines. Meanwhile, many studies have researched this relationship for Indian, which is undergoing similar changes except for the development of active land rental markets. The purpose of this paper is to measure the farm size-productivity relationship under the situations of rapid transformation in China and India. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the data of 325 Jiangxi and 400 Allahabad rice farmers in 2011, the survey covered multiple plots of each household in one/multiple growing season(s). The authors use the production function approach and the yield approach, and control for farmland quality, imperfect factor markets, and farm size measurement error, to identify the farm size-productivity relationship. Findings – The regressions show that land yields increase with plot size both by season and over the year in China. This may be one of the reasons that farm sizes are growing in some areas. In India, however, the inverse farm size-productivity relationship is observed by the study, despite recent changes. Moreover, land yields increase with farm machine use in both China and India. This result contributes to the debate over whether mechanization improves yields or just expands the land frontier. Originality/value – The paper empirically estimates the farm size-productivity relationship under rapid agrarian transformation in both China and India based on a unique data set collected by the authors in a detailed primary survey. The paper considers measurement error in the analysis, which adds values to this type of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution deals with agricultural dynamics in late-Imperial Russia. Based upon a comprehensive micro-level data set on annual yields between 1883 and 1913, we provide insight into regional differences of agricultural growth and the development prospects of Russian agriculture before WWI. Making use of the fact that contemporary Russian statistics distinguished between mostly communally governed open fields and privately owned land, we are able to test the implications of different land tenure systems for agricultural yield growth. In a broader sense, we seek to challenge the common narrative of Russia as an exception to the pan-European picture of economic development during the era of industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]