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In order to meet the world's demand for food production, farmers and producers have improved and increased their agricultural production capabilities, leading to a profit acceleration in the field. However, this growth has also caused significant environmental damage due to the widespread use of herbicides. Weeds competing with crops result in lower crop yields and a 30% increase in losses. To rationalize the use of these herbicides, it would be more effective to detect the presence of weeds before application, allowing for the selection of the appropriate herbicide and application only in areas where weeds are present. The focus of this paper is to define a pipeline for detecting weeds in images through the use of a Mask R-CNN-based weed classification and segmentation module. The model was initially trained locally on our machine, but limitations and issues with training time prompted the team to switch to cloud solutions for training.

The present Research Article, "A Study on Arrivals and Prices of Major Agricultural Commodities at Largest APMC in Vidarbha Region" therefore, is a small attempt in reviewing the performance of the Regulated market by Analysing the trends in Arrivals and Prices and Marketing Channel of Major Commodities at the micro-level. This study, thus by way of evaluates the performance of market regulation through various dimensions. Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard, Hinganghat is on the forefront in business activities and on developmental aspects. The Hinganghat APMC has been ideally outlined on an area of 10.03 ha. The market provides all essential amenities to farmers and trader’s viz., auction platform, shopcum-godown, weighbridge, city bus service terminus. The market has spacious auction platforms, sale halls, parking space. It has built commercial shops. The Hinganghat APMC has 2 sub-markets with all amenities. The APMC is famous for Cotton and Soybean marketing. The main sources of income were market and license fees and the expenditure items were salary and miscellaneous. Market committee follows sale of produce by open auction method only which is prescribed in the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1963. The declining trend was observed in number of market functionaries over the study period. It is noticed that although trend of arrivals of some commodities viz., Cotton, Soybean and Gram was increasing but the prices of all the selected commodities showed the significant increasing trend during the period of 10 years i.e., 2012-13 to 2021-22. Further, it is observed that prices were more dependable upon lagged year prices in case of all commodities. The APMC Hinganghat need at this moment is efficiency and dedication of committee members to protect farmers' interests; suggestions may help to strengthen the organization and to achieve the objective of APMC Hinganghat for which it was brought in existence. Good management practices, honesty, and dedication of members of APMC Hinganghat will definitely help to achieve the pride, which it deserves.

This paper examines the impacts of education and the adoption of improved sesame seeds on productivity of sesame farms in Burkina Faso, using data from a sample of 4,726 sesame farmers. The estimated results from endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching show that education, especially formal primary education and agricultural training, increases productivity through the adoption of sesame technology. The estimated results further show that adoption of improved sesame seeds leads to significant gains in productivity. The study concludes with implications for policies to promote adoption of improved sesame seeds among non-adopters through education, such as formal primary education, agricultural training programs, and productive assets.

The ever-increasing urbanization to accommodate the growing population reduces substantially the agricultural land but poses a threat to meeting the requirement of proper nutrition for human health. Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is a unique gift bestowed by nature to mankind, which has the potency to make up the gap of protein shortage with an inexpensive cost, but due to its low level of production as well as productivity, which in a roundabout way influences the nutritional status of people resulting in malnutrition. Therefore, enhancement of the total area under mungbean cultivation is not permissible, and an increase in the total productivity per unit area is necessary. In this manner, screening and evaluation of improved genotypes for high yield are necessary to ensure food security. But at the same time seed yield being a complex character governed by several other contributing traits, selection for the characters proves to be quite challenging. As a prerequisite for any breeding program aimed at yield enhancement presence of significant genetic diversity in a given population is highly important. In the present investigation principal component analysis was performed and the results revealed two principal components contributing to the total variance in the population. While the PC1 was predominated by yield and its attributing traits, the PC2 was mainly comprised of growth-related traits. The hierarchical (UPGMA) cluster analysis using standardized data classified the fifty-two mungbean genotypes into 4 clusters, which showed 2 major, 1 minor and one outlier. Among them, cluster II is the most fascinating, as its individual had high seed yield plant–1 and related traits. The present work concluded that the identification of promising high-yielding mungbean genotypes through multivariate analysis has a good promise for future breeding programs with a view of food and nutritional security.

Groundwater resources are vital for U.S. and global irrigated agricultural production. In the United States, ground-water supplies water to approximately 65 percent of all irrigated acreage. The connectivity among irrigators pumping from the same aquifer--paired with growing concerns about groundwater depletion--led to the creation of many of the groundwater organizations currently active in the United States. Groundwater organizations perform a variety of functions to promote groundwater resource stewardship and address groundwater overdraft and quality concerns that impact groundwater irrigators and other nonagricultural users (i.e., residential and municipal groundwater users). The operations of groundwater organizations are shaped by State-level groundwater law, organization governance, and the other irrigation-related activities performed by the organization (such as delivering water directly to farms and ranches). This report leverages data from the USDA's 2019 Survey of Irrigation Organizations to characterize the unique institutions that steward much of the Nation's groundwater resources.

Digital agriculture (DA)—the ongoing transformation of farming that includes digitalization and automation of farming tasks, of which precision agriculture (PA) is a chief element—may be an impor-tant part of the solution to several challenges facing U.S. agriculture, including rising production costs, climate change, and labor shortages, among others. Adoption of digital technologies in row-crop production has generally increased since 1996, though use has varied widely by technology and crop. Using data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), we document trends in the adoption of digital agriculture technologies between 1996 and 2019, emphasizing changes after 2016. The adoption of yield maps and soil maps (i.e., maps that associate physical characteristics with geographic coordinates) and variable rate technologies (VRT), in addition to other technologies, has been substantial on corn and soybean acreage for many years. Though their use has been increasing in recent years, technologies such as yield maps, soil maps, and VRT have been adopted on only between 5 and 25 percent of total U.S. planted acreage for winter wheat, cotton, sorghum, and rice. However, adoption of automated guidance has increased sharply in the past 20 years, with application on well over 50 percent of the acreage planted to corn, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and winter wheat. Beyond documentation of trends, this report explores certain drivers of farmers’ uptake—including pricing, soil variability, USDA programs, labor-saving benefits, expected productivity impacts, and availability of consultant services.

Experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Science Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil and on a farmer’s field at Dambatta Local Government Area, with eight maize genotypes to assess the character associations among the genotypes for yield attributes. The experiment was conducted during February to June 2021 and also 2022, in a lattice design with three replications in both years and locations and are made to determine the performance of the genotypes in interacting environments. The genotypes differed significantly for most of the studied traits. Grain yield was significantly associated with plant height, anthesis silking interval, days to maturity, ear height, ears per plant, grain weight per plant in a positive direction and associated negatively with tassel blast, barren plant and leaf senescence. Path co-efficient analysis revealed that the maximum positive direct contribution towards yield was through grain weight per plant, plant height, and ears per plant whereas ear height showed negative direct contribution to grain yield due to negative indirect effects of several other parameters such as ear height via grain weight per plant, plant height via grain weight per plant.

Alfalfa hay is an important crop for the U.S., comprising 15.46 million acres on average over the last three years (2020-2022). In 2019, the farm value of alfalfa slightly exceeded wheat to be the third most valuable crop in the U.S., behind corn and soybeans. Alfalfa is crucial for the dairy industry, feedlot sector, equine industries, and agricultural exports. Alfalfa exports have been criticized as their source can be from water-scarce states. However, state-level export data are not readily available. Thus, we provide estimates of state-level alfalfa exports using port data (1994-2001) and Forage Products data (2002-2022) from U.S. trade online to help describe the amount of alfalfa that is being exported at the state level. We also provide estimates of the amount of water utilized by alfalfa exports for the seven exporting states using a range of water use estimates from various sources and USDA/NASS data.

The United States has historically been one of the largest exporters of agricultural crops in terms of volume and value. In recent decades, increased competition from countries, such as Argentina and Brazil, have threatened the current U.S. standing in the global arena. The purpose of this study is to examine export competitiveness—in terms of value—of the top five crop commodity groups exported: corn, soybean products, cotton, wheat products, and tree nuts. These commodities are widely produced in the United States and, in 2021, represented 38 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports. The first section of the report broadly discusses U.S. competitiveness, current trade agreements, and world events that impacted global markets. The report notes that not having signed new free trade agreements (FTA) from mid-2012 to 2020 has limited the U.S. presence in emerging economies such as those in Africa. The second section focuses on a commodity-specific analysis using export shares and trade indices for each of the five crop groups. Using data from the Trade Data Monitor (TDM) and the Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD) database of USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), this report identifies major competitors and trends in U.S. exports over the last 20 years. Within each commodity section, there is a detailed overview of the U.S. export position, a list of the top five competitors in that commodity, export-to-production ratios over time, and a history of significant changes within each market, such as the entry of a new competitor or reductions in exports to a particular country.

Ethanol manufacturers use about 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop for ethanol and related co-products, with the majority of the ethanol being consumed in the domestic transportation fuel market. After seeing strong growth for several years, ethanol-based demand for corn plateaued over the last decade. Recently, demand for fuel ethanol was reduced by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This report summarizes the current U.S. and international fuel ethanol markets and provides projections of future fuel ethanol demand in these markets.

Global economic and market conditions continue to challenge U.S. crop and livestock farming. Inflation, extreme weather events, supply chain disruptions, high input costs, and Russia's war against Ukraine have pushed commodity prices above historic trends. The situation in Ukraine has affected wheat and corn markets in particular. These conditions set the stage for the long-term outlook for U.S. and global supply, demand, and trade for major field crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, and upland cotton) and major meats (beef, pork, poultry), key commodities for gauging the performance of the U.S. farm sector.

Western Economics Forum - v.21, issue 1 overview

The expansion of the dairy industry in Idaho over the past two decades has impacted the supply and demand for feed crops in the State and Western U.S. This article presents a method for quantifying state level feed crop supply and demand on an annual basis. Results show that demand has exceeded supply for corn grain for the entire study period of 2003 to 2021, while supply and demand are largely at parity for alfalfa hay, corn silage, and barley. The extent to which feed demand is met by local or external supply has implications for risk management decisions for feed crop stakeholders in properly accounting for local production and external market risks.

Issue theme: The Economics of Forage Crops in the Western U.S.

The claim for food increases with the waste caused by its production. Rice is appetized but the agro-industrial residue, such as straw and husk, becomes a problem when they’re not properly managed. However, renewable source demands grew, indeed, the chains of rice residue as cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, carbon, and silica could be transformed into: fuel, power generation, gas production, paper manufactory, and fertilizer for the production of fungi and building material. The industrial implementation of rice residue management worldwide has a lack. In this case, it was observed more closely the rice cultivation in a local region of Colombia. The aim of this research was to present the current market, challenges and the proposal of a proper management residue on a circular economy incorporated into Córdoba department rice market. The study was conducted through scientific and comprehensive insights on rice crop waste management options. The selection criteria of the articles were rice production, major components of rice paddy, straw, and husks, and waste disposal in rice systems. Farmers, researchers, federations, administration, and management, need to work on, improving the nutrients of the soil, the quality of the crop, and the management of the residue, the one that remains in the mills and the one that remains in the fields. Finally, in all processes, the required investment to obtain a product that meets current market requirements on renewable fuels or raw materials.

Estimating farmers’ supply responses to changes in framework conditions is important to inform decision-makers on the expected impacts on production volume as well as the resulting land-use shifts. Existing agricultural supply response models generally require either larger databases with farm-level data for microregional analysis or are implemented with a coarse resolution (e.g., country level) due to the lack of data. While such approaches are suitable for regions with abundancy of data or for global-scale analysis, there is a need for an alternative for micro-level analysis in countries with low data availability. In addition, it is important to include the spatial component in the regional supply response analysis, allowing not only the quantification of the overall change in output but also the likely spatial land-use change. Against this background, this dissertation aims to answer the research question whether a combination of a biophysical model with farm-level economic data can be used to estimate farm-level profitability of individual crops and respective cropping systems and thereby simulate farmers’ supply responses in countries with limited data availability. To answer this question, a new modeling approach called Profitability Assessment Model (PAM) is developed, tested and validated. This new modeling approach follows the principles of minimum data, focusing on delivering timely and quantitative analyses with satisfactory accuracy to inform decision-makers. That is an important feature since the overall goal of the concept is to limit the data required by the model to a minimum, allowing quick implementation while accepting moderate accuracy. The PAM is a spatially explicit model with simulation units’ size of spatial resolution grid varying between 5 and 30 arcmin (10x10 to 50x50 km in area), following that used by the Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM). PAM estimates the profitability of each farming alternative at the simulation unit level and allocates the land to maximize farmers’ return to land. The PAM model is developed and calibrated for the Brazilian agricultural sector. Using Brazil as the case study is interesting due to its overall importance in the global production of agricultural commodities as well as the environmental impact of land-use changes. For this case study, four production system are represented in the PAM model: (a) double cropping of soybeans and maize, (b) soybeans with a cover crop, (c) sugarcane monoculture and (d) beef production. While the profitability of the arable crops is endogenously estimated, beef is considered as an opt-out option, which is modeled based on exogenous return-to-land information. Since soybean, maize and sugarcane production accounts for 84% of the total seeded area in Brazil, the current version of the PAM model represents the most important cropping alternatives to farmers in Brazil, but not all. An important methodological contribution of the dissertation is the development of routines for the extrapolation of each production cost component from the known typical farms’ data to all regions in the country. These routines are based on local expertise as well as existing information on yield levels, prevailing production systems and farming conditions. Each cost component is analyzed individually and, based on theoretical discussions, specific cost functions are proposed following the expected behavior of each cost item – e.g., linear relationship with yields or fixed per ha. That should improve the accuracy of the model in estimating production costs (and finally profitability) while also allowing the model to be adapted to simulate changes in framework conditions that may affect only selected cost items (e.g., a significant increase in fuel prices). In addition, the PAM model improves on existing models because it accounts for specific cost components such as the transport of sugarcane from farm to mill, which is required due to the perishability of the crop. Besides the important impact of inbound transport cost on the overall profitability of sugarcane production, the endogenous simulation of this cost item allows the model to spatially differentiate among regions depending on the current availability of mills. A major constraint for regional profitability analysis is the lack of information regarding farm input and output prices. To overcome this problem, the PAM model provides an interesting alternative by endogenously estimating prices via the transport module. By considering the different transportation costs of each crop and basing the distance estimation on the actual availability of roads, the model allows a straightforward conversion of reference prices to farm-gate prices. The ability to endogenously simulate transport cost is a useful feature for the simulation of scenarios based on price shocks. Apart from the development of the modeling approach, this dissertation focuses on the quantitative model validation as a key step to identify strengths and limitations of the concept. Projected yields are validated against regional statistics and production cost estimates are benchmarked against the two available datasets, with a suitable number of primary typical-farm data. Furthermore, the resulting land-use maps are evaluated against two simplified validation maps representing current land use. In the business-as-usual scenario, the PAM model estimates a national weighted average of returns to land of 248 USD/ha for double cropping and 188 USD/ha for sugarcane. This relationship, however, is different in the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, where, on average, sugarcane has a higher return to land than double cropping. Benchmarking PAM’s production cost estimates with observed local data shows a satisfactory model accuracy with a relative mean absolute error (rMAE) lower than 14%. The lowest error found in the production cost estimation is in sugarcane (rMAE of 8.7%) and the highest in second-crop maize (rMAE of 14%). The validation of the business-as-usual land-use map shows that the PAM model is able to satisfactorily reproduce the current land use in Brazil. The visual and quantitative validation results show a strong correlation between the available land-use maps, with PAM allocating the same crop as observed in 86% of total arable land. To test the ability of the PAM model to predict land-use and output changes due to changing framework conditions, a scenario analysis is carried out: What will happen in case yields of key crops change significantly as a consequence of climate change? Due to the strong reduction in the returns to land for grains (i.e., maize and soybeans) in the tropical region more than 24% of the current arable land is simulated to move from grains to sugarcane production. These results, however, vary significantly in the different regions, where the most affected states are Goiás, Paraná and Mato Grosso, jointly accounting for more than 55% of the total land-use change. This dissertation contributes to the overall development of regional farmers’ supply response models for countries with limited data availability, showing that it is feasible to combine a biophysical model and farm-level economic data as the basis for the profitability estimation in a high spatial resolution. The ability to estimate individual cost components separately gives the model the required flexibility for the simulation of market- and policy-related questions, providing timely and accurate information for decision-makers. The bottom-up approach based on local expertise is an important strength of the PAM model, avoiding unrealistic parametrization and ensuring that the majority of local features of production systems are included in the estimation. Finally, considering the overall goal of using minimum data, the model accuracy indicates a strong potential of the model to answer research questions, with additional parametrization and integration expected to further improve its performance.

Animal manure provides crop nutrients and improves soil quality. However, manure’s nutrient variability and low phosphorus and nitrogen content per unit weight reduce its market value relative to chemical fertilizers. While manure remains an important source of fertilizer in many farming systems, alternative uses are becoming important. Manure can be used to generate renewable energy in the forms of heat, gas, and electricity with further processing, but innovation is required to compete against other renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Entrepreneurs are also developing markets for fiber found in manure. Environmental policies related to animal farms, meant to protect air and water quality, can both raise manure management costs and increase manure’s value as an energy precursor. This study uses data from the USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) to describe current manure production, handling, storage, and use. An extensive literature review of manure-related research describes existing and emerging technologies that have the potential to increase the value of manure or reduce manure management costs. The study identifies potential government programs and policies for promoting the adoption of technologies that enhance manure value for farmers.

Organic agriculture can support global and domestic food needs, expand consumer food choices, enhance farm profitability, and increase agricultural sustainability. Public policy has played a key role in the development of the organic industry in the United States, beginning with the passage of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) subsequent publication of national organic rules in 2000. While U.S. organic acreage was still only 1 percent of U.S. farmland in 2019, organic farm sales accounted for about 3 percent of U.S. farm receipts. Consumer demand for organically produced products has driven an expansion in U.S. organic production since 2000. The premiums paid by consumers give farmers the opportunity to recover the cost of production and improve their financial well-being. This report describes U.S. organic policy initiatives since 2000 and examines the importance of investment in research on organic practices. The report also investigates key components of organic supply chains—including production, certification, farm-level costs and returns, wholesale markets, and industry structure—along with the evolving characteristics of organic food consumers and retail markets.

A demonstration of improved banana production and commercialization was conducted in the Nyanghtom district of the South Omo Zone to enhance the livelihoods of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in the area. One improved banana variety (Wiliyams-1) was used for the demonstration and planted on one hectare of land after training was given for purposively selected 25 trial pastoral agro-pastoral research and extension groups and 7 nontrial agro-pastorals from land preparation to harvesting. Relevant data through individual interviews and measurement of agronomic parameters were collected. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Likert scale measurement of agro-pastoral preference. Based on the results, the mean banana fruit produced was 28.4 ton ha–1 under agro-pastoral management and also agro-pastoral preference indicated that the variety Wiliyam-1 was the first choice of agro pastorals in all parameters except drought resistance. Cost-benefit analysis results indicated that the average net income obtained from banana production was 209,647 Ethiopian Birr ha–1. The cost-benefit ratio of 2.95:1 indicated that the benefit of production was nearly three times higher than the cost of production. However, agro-pastoral raised the frequent breakdown of water pumps, lack of operation and maintenance skills, and the high cost of fuel to operate generators and tractors were major bottlenecks to sustaining production. Therefore, strong efforts of respective stakeholders are needed to resolve irrigation water access problems for sustainable banana production and commercialization to ensure food security and improve the livelihoods of women and agro-pastorals.

This paper employs threshold cointegration technique that allows for asymmetric adjust-ment towards a long-run equilibrium relationship in order to examine the relationship between international and domestic prices of wheat in Algeria. The short-run adjustments are also examined with asymmetric error correction models. The analysis is based on annual series of international and domestic wheat prices. The time interval for the study runs from 1965 to 2021 using official data from national and international official organizations. The results indicate that the price transmission between the domestic and international price level of wheat is asymmetric, especially in the presence of structural breaks. The asymmetric error correction model with threshold cointegration provides strong evidence supporting asymmet-ric price behavior. Increases in the international price of wheat are transmitted more quickly to domestic prices than declines, which exhibit the increased vulnerability of the domestic market to be reconsidered.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted the grain flows from that region and worldwide. These changes are critical due to the war’s influence on logistical costs, routes and capacities. As a result of the invasion, Ukraine has evolved from having some of the lowest logistical costs in the world to having the highest logistical cost. Logistics are critical for international competitiveness in commodities, and due to the invasion, these functions have been severely affected. Essential features for a logistical competition include internal logistical functions and costs, quality, port capacity and ocean shipping costs, each compounded by seasonal demands. This paper’s purpose is to analyze the effects of the Russian invasion on the logistical functions and the costs for corn exports from Ukraine and its competitors using an optimized Monte Carlo simulation model. The findings indicate that before the invasion, Ukraine had logistical advantages for shipments to the European Union (EU) and was highly competitive in Indonesia and China; the United States had a logistical cost advantage over Ukraine to serve China, South Korea (from the U.S. Gulf) and Japan (from the Pacific Northwest (PNW)). The changes due to the invasion are substantial. Most important is the radical increase in shipping costs from Ukraine, reduced port capacity and export supplies. However, concurrent with the invasion were changes in some critical trade and marketing policies, thus influencing the international competition for corn.

Alfalfa is an important crop for the seven western states in the U.S. However, price reporting is inconsistent across the states and there is no futures market for alfalfa hay. This creates price uncertainty within these hay markets. This paper looks at how closely alfalfa hay prices in one state track with hay prices in another state. Further, the paper seeks to determine what factors have influenced alfalfa hay prices over time. Alfalfa prices for the last 30 years, 1992-2021, for each of the seven western states of Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Idaho (ID), Nevada (NV), Oregon (OR), Utah (UT), and Washington (WA) were analyzed and compared. The hay prices between the states are correlated between 0.85 and 0.96. California and Oregon had the highest prices over time and Idaho and Utah had the lowest prices. A regression model was developed to explain what factors influence western state alfalfa hay prices. The findings indicate that larger May 1 hay stocks for the seven-state total leads to lower alfalfa hay prices. Additionally, increased hay exports increase hay prices. Higher corn, feeder cattle and milk prices all positively impact alfalfa hay prices with corn having the biggest impact and milk prices having the smallest impact.

This study analyses the efficiency of rice producers in allocating the resources available to them for production by collecting cross-sectional data from 255 producers in west-central Côte d'Ivoire. A Cobb-Douglass type function is used to examine the determinants of production, and the elasticities from the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation results are then used in the marginal product value and marginal factor cost approach to determine whether or not farmers allocate their resources efficiently. The results indicate that seed has a positive effect on production, but is underutilised, while labour has a positive effect on production, but is over-utilised by producers. Farm equipment has a non-significant negative effect on production and is overused by producers. The study recommends a training programme for producers to improve their capacity to manage production resources, and the implementation of a programme to produce quality seed to increase yields.

Smallholder rice farmers in four target provinces surrounding Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia face problems of crop failures and low yields due to biotic and abiotic factors and a lack of suitable seeds and technologies. This paper reviews the status of rice production in the four areas and discusses the approaches to foster wide-scale dissemination and adoption of high-yielding, stress-tolerant rice varieties (STRVs) with resistance to biotic factors and tolerance to drought or floods. Baseline and endline surveys were conducted as well as extensive linkages with stakeholders, capacity-building activities, quality seed production at institutional level, field demonstration, and seed dissemination. The study summarizes data from 1,220 baseline respondents on demographic details, varietal use, knowledge assessment, and needs. The survey showed an aging profile, of which almost 25 percent are women, use of traditional and modern varieties with low yields of 2.5 t/ha, abiotic stress occurrence, and that only 14 percent of farmer respondents have heard about STRVs. In 30 months, training activities, varietal information, and diffusion of seeds reached 13,080 farmers. Results from 339 field trials showed the yield advantage of 1.0 to 1.5 t/ha of STRVs compared with those of farmer’s varieties. An endline survey from 424 farmers in 2018 showed recognition for government extension, better awareness of STRVs, high willingness to adopt STRVs at 92.4 percent of the respondents, preferred varietal traits, and additional training activities are needed. The barriers to adoption that were identified were concerns on low market price and marketability. Participatory trials and farmers’ field days were effective for early adoption as the visual performance of STRVs increased interest among farmer groups. Key government agencies are needed to promote and sustain registered seed production, availability of STRVs, and crop suitability. The support of the Royal Government of Cambodia and its new seed policy address problems on seed quality and availability.

This paper incorporates climate variables, including rainfall conditions and patterns, into an impact assessment of the Value Chain Development Project in the Maputo and Limpopo Corridors (PROSUL) in Mozambique. It focuses on activities targeting improved pasture management, supplemental feed sources and livestock value chain development. Results show weather and climate conditions significantly impact households’ adoption of project activities and livestock productivity outcomes. Project beneficiaries in drought-prone areas are more likely to provide supplemental feed in the dry season, though livestock birth rates are still lower in those areas.

There have been increase in the incidence of fake crop seeds in Nigerian market. This has multiple implications on crop yield and food security. In order to address this problem the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) in 2019 introduced a seed quality assurance tagging and tracking system named SEEDCODEX into the Nigerian seed induatry. Meanwhile, there is no knowledge about the impact of the new system on the industry. This study therefore assessed the impact of Seedcodex on the industry with the aim of understanding the level of awareness, use and constriants among key actors in the seed value chain. Also it has to identify socioeconomic variables affecting the use of seedcodex among end users and come up with recommendations which are capable of enhancing the achievement of the objectives of the system. Data were collected from 44 seed companies, 57 agrodealers and 211 farmers and analyzed with Contingent valuation willingness to pay (WTP), Logit and Tobit regressions. Results revealed that seed companies were aware of Seedcodex and posited that its introduction has increased cost of production, but believed it will sanitize agricultural seed market. All the agrodealers were aware of Seedcodex. Majority of the farmers plant seeds produced by companies and sold by agro-dealers, while few others source seeds from fellow farmers, or use previous year harvest. Only about 31% of the farmers were aware of Seedcodex, among whom majority usually scratch the code but some do not send such for authentication. The Logit estimation revealed that increase in age reduced the likelihood of using the code while education, farm size and access to credit increased the likelihood of using it for authentication. The contingent valuation of WTP revealed that farmers were willing to pay 26.82% extra to obtain certified quality seeds. The Tobit regression estimation revealed that farmers’ age and extension contact reduced WTP amount, while farming experience and farm size increased it. It is recommended that efforts be made to attend to companies’ complaints on the cost of seed labels and/or create labels corresponding to weight of seed packages in place of the present flat rate, ensure timely delivery and educate farmers more on SEEDCODEX.

This study investigates the issues that affect market access among smallholder maize farmers from a supply chain perspective. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used to test the relevance of access theory in assessing the effect of supply chain issues on market access. A total of 359 smallholder maize farmers were sampled randomly from Mbozi district in Tanzania for analysis. The effect of supply chain issues on market access were estimated by using marginal effects based on binary logit model. The study’s findings indicate that supply chain-related issues are significant predictors of market access among smallholder maize farmers in the surveyed area. Issues like long marketing and distribution channels, deficient supply chain infrastructure and intensive competition between the supply chains revealed a negative and significant effect on market access among smallholder maize farmers. Besides, better collaborations and networking, appropriate marketing skills and smallholders’ ability in meeting customers’ requirements revealed a positive and significant effect. Based on these results, authors recommend streamlined coordination and collaboration among agricultural multi-tiers, improve supply chain infrastructure and better quality of agricultural products as the important drivers toward enhanced market access among smallholder maize farmers. More specifically, this study enriches scholars and policymakers with information on the supply issues that affect market access among smallholder farmers, offers some managerial implications and direction for further studies

The past two decades have had times when grain cash and futures markets did not converge during delivery. What was the economic impact of this non-convergence on storage markets? To answer this question the supply of storage is estimated for corn, soybeans, and wheat. The lack of convergence is measured using a historical basis. The econometric model shows no relationship between the supply of storage and the lack of convergence. Thus, empirical results suggest that markets were able to adapt to the lack of convergence. Overall, the research indicates the resilience of storage markets to structural change.

Si l’agrofourniture n’est pas la composante la plus visible des systèmes agroalimentaires, elle peut néanmoins avoir des effets importants sur les marchés des produits agricoles destinés à la consommation alimentaire. L’étude des relations entre ces deux types de marchés permet d’identifier des formes d’imbrication, qui peuvent aller jusqu’à ce que nous qualifions de « cocréation de marchés ». Nous mettons en évidence ce type de configuration à partir du cas de la lutte biologique dans la production de tomates sous serre. La structuration du marché des insectes auxiliaires dépend de celui de la tomate où se trouvent ses principaux clients ; en retour, ceux-ci s’appuient sur cet approvisionnement pour construire leurs stratégies économiques et de santé des cultures. Nous mobilisons la sociologie des agencements marchands pour analyser les relations entre humains et non humains (insectes et dispositifs techniques) qui permettent d’articuler les dynamiques de ces deux marchés (Bonnaud et Anzalone, 2021).

In this issue: The economics of forage crops in the Western U.S.

This paper discusses which climate variables to collect, and from which sources, when incorporating them into an impact assessment. It finds that severe saline intrusion in Viet Name—caused by climate change and land and water use—had significant effects on crop choices and negative impacts on a range of production and livelihood outcomes.

Drought stress and heat stress are two major limiting factors affecting maize productivity in the tropical regions. High temperatures and changes in rainfall pattern can cause significant decline in maize yields under rain fed conditions with Africa being one of the worst affected areas. Heat tolerance can be accomplished through genetic management approach. The aim of the research is to assess the extent of variation in tolerance to drought stress and heat tolerant stress and their performance on growth and yield characters. The trials were conducted on genetic analysis of Maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines under combined (drought and heat stress) conditions. The parental materials comprises eight inbred lines that were crossed in a partial diallel pattern; thereafter, the checks, parents and resultant F1 generations were evaluated at two locations, Kano University of Science and Technology and farmers field at Dambatta local government area Kano state during 2021 dry seasons. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The results indicated the crossing of P4 X P9 and P3 X P4 to produce significantly to produce significantly better growth attributes like plant height ear height, plant aspect and grain yield. These parental lines might be used in maize breeding programs in Nigeria as sources of drought and or heat tolerance.

This study provides a broad overview of Puerto Rico’s agricultural sector, with an emphasis on observable changes between 2012 and 2018. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused severe damage in Puerto Rico, particularly affecting smaller farms with sales under $20,000 per year. Subsequently, the number of farms smaller than 10 acres decreased by more than 50 percent, and the number of farms with 10–49 acres fell by almost one-third. Crop sales in Puerto Rico decreased by $82 million from 2012 to 2018, with decreases occurring most notably for plantains (-$54 million), coffee (-$30 million), vegetables and melons (-$23 million), and fruits and coconuts (-$19 million).

The potato market in Brazil is unstable that results from the uncertainty of supply of and demand for, causing severe price fluctuations. The cost of production is high and average production is low, which resulting in low profitability and pointing to a lack of technical and economic efficiency. This study aimed to analyze the determinants of technical and economic efficiency in potato production in Brazil. A primary survey was done to collect primary data with a structured interview schedule. To measure technical and economic efficiencies, we use a stochastic method of the production frontier in which the inefficiency component is heteroscedastic, and to identify the determinants that affect these efficiencies we use a halfnormal model. We found that the average technical efficiency was 82%, cost efficiency was 83%, and profit efficiency was 40%. Harvesting, processing, and commercialization, as well as the use of systems and procedures for farm management, are found to be the main determinants of these efficiencies in potato production in Brazil.

Alfalfa hay prices vary according to premiums and discounts assigned by quality grade. Relative Feed Value (RFV) tests can be used to assess hay quality. Through a field trial in Southern Utah, we measure RFV quality differences from cuttings at various treatment times during the day and conduct a simulation analysis to evaluate expected changes to returns per acre between the cutting times. Outcomes indicate that alfalfa harvested at 12:00 pm compared to 8:00 am increases average RFV by 7.3 points. As a result, gross revenue increases by $16.95 per acre and an equivalent increase occurs in net returns for operations without cutting constraints.

Twenty-two rice varieties were evaluated in a field trial under rain-fed conditions at the National Agricultural Seeds Council, Sheda, Abuja (Latitudes 8°53'7'' – 8 o 45’3N and Longitudes 7°3'56'' – 7 o 3.01’E) in 2017 and 2018 cropping years to provide a comparative measure for seed yield and yield related components of cultivated rice varieties in guinea savannah agro-ecology of Nigeria. The experimental field was laid out using Randomized Complete Block Design in three replicates. Seeds of the 22 varieties were assessed for seedling emergence, days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of panicles/plant, seed yield/plot, seed yield/ha, 100 seed weight and seed weight/ plant. Data obtained were subjected to Analysis of Variance and means were separated using Tukey’s HSD at 5% probability level. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and principal component analyses were also used. Higher panicle length, number of panicles/plot, seed weight/plant and 100-seed weight were observed in year 2017 compared to 2018. FARO 48, FARO 59, FARO 58 and PAC 832 had highest seed yield (10.19 - 11.09 tha-1 ) while FARO 62, FARO 22 and FARO 21 performed poorly. Plant height, number of panicles/plant, panicle height, seed yield/plant mainly contributed to the variation within the rice varieties. Seed germination was positively related to other seed quality attributes (r=0.36 – 0.84**). The study concluded that FARO 48, FARO 59, FARO 58, PAC 832, FARO 44 and FARO 45 with highest seed yield components are recommended for cultivation and could be used for future yield improvement.

This study uses the choice experiment method with 570 grain family farms located in the Huang-huai-hai Plain and determine various support policy attributes and the attribute levels for the two dimensions of policy measures and policy communication channels. Ordering effects are eliminated by warming up subjects in advance and using information disclosure. This paper uses the inferred attribute non-attendance method to process attributes ignored by the grain family farms and analyzes grain family farms’ preferences for different support policies with a mixed logit model and then uses a latent class model to analyze how the characteristics of grain family farms relate to different preference types. We find that grain family farms have a strong preference for agricultural subsidies, credit support, and technical support (the mean coefficient is greater than 0.8). Moreover, the preferences of grain family farms over the policy communication channel (the mean coefficient is greater than 0.5) cannot be ignored. Faced with the same policy attribute combination, grain family farms with high education levels, reasonable scales of operation, and good understanding of support policies are more likely to improve their profit margins. There are four preference types of grain family farms: finance preference (43.2%), knowledge and technology preference (28.5%), land transfer preference (15.4%), and policy information preference (12.9%).

In 2018, the United States imposed Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from major trading partners and separately Section 301 tariffs on a broad range of imports from China. In response to these actions, six trading partners���Canada, China, the European Union, India, Mexico, and Turkey���responded with retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. exports, including agricultural and food products. The agricultural products targeted for retaliation were valued at $30.4 billion in 2017, with individual product lines experiencing tariff increases ranging from 2 to 140 percent. This report provides a detailed look at the impact of retaliatory tariffs on farmers at the State level by estimating the direct export losses associated with the trade conflict. Using the product-line econometric estimates from Grant et al. (2021) and the USDA, Economic Research Service���s State Exports, Cash Receipts Estimates, this report comprehensively assesses the direct effect of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural exports to these retaliating trading partners across States and commodities. From mid-2018 to the end of 2019, this study estimates that retaliatory tariffs caused a reduction of more than $27 billion (or annualized losses of $13.2 billion) in U.S. agricultural exports, with the largest decline in export losses occurring for exports to China. At the commodity level, soybeans accounted for the predominant share of total trade loss, making up nearly 71 percent ($9.4 billion of annualized losses) of the total, followed by sorghum (over 6 percent or $854 million in annualized losses), and pork (nearly 5 percent or $646 million in annualized losses). At the State level, losses were largely concentrated in the Midwest with Iowa ($1.46 billion in annualized losses), Illinois ($1.41 billion in annualized losses), and Kansas ($955 million in annualized losses), accounting for approximately 11, 11, and 7 percent, respectively, of the total losses. For soybeans, most of the trade lost by the United States was gained by Brazil. In 2020, U.S. agricultural exports to China significantly rebounded following the signing of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement (Phase One Agreement) and a separate retaliatory tariff waiver program; however, 1 year after the deal, U.S. market share still remained below pre-retaliatory tariff levels.

Finger millet is staple food crop in drought-prone areas of the world and often considered as a component of food security strategies in Ethiopia. However, its yield is low in South Omo zone due to different production problems such as lack of improved varieties, lodging, and moisture stress in dry areas. A participatory finger millet variety selection was conducted at Kaysa, Baytesimal and Alga kebeles of Debube Ari District, South Omo Zone during the 2019-cropping season to identify high yielding finger millet variety/varieties .The field experiments was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The combined analysis's of variance results revealed that there were significant (p

Both organic and chemical fertilizers play a vital role in enhancing crop productivity and maintaining soil health. However, inflated prices of chemical fertilizers also reduced their rate of application, hence, reducing crop productivity in Ethiopia. Therefore, to sustain the productivity of lands and crops, there is an urgent need to promote the use of organic fertilizers. Vermicomposting is one method of preparing enriched compost with the use of earthworms. With the support of the second phase of the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP-II), the introduction and promotion of vermicomposting technology were conducted. However, the production status and role of vermicomposting for smallholder farmers in the area are unclear. Therefore documenting the achievement and progress of vermicomposting is necessary. Both primary and secondary data (2018-2021) were collected by using snowball sampling techniques. The descriptive statistics reveal that in addition to potato production, farmers are using vermicompost for chat, enset, coffee, forage and vegetable production. Accordingly, the production, utilization, and sale trend of vermicompost increased from 2018 to 2021. In addition, vermicomposting created an opportunity for farmers to participate in earthworms and vermicompost selling. Due to this, those who had vermicompost in their home garden do not use inorganic fertilizers for any crop production during the last four years. In addition, the average cultivated cropland coverage by vermicompost-based production also increased from 2018 to 2021. Its preparation procedure is also consistent with the manual provided to them. Therefore expanding vermicomposting technology in the area has the potential to enhance sustainable crop and land productivity.

Whilst some studies explored the effect of food manufacturing foreign direct investment (FMFDI) on microeconomic and macroeconomic indicators, the human development effect, which is the ultimate for economic management, remains unexplored. This study does that with a focus on developing and developed countries. An unbalanced panel data of 44 (18 developing and 26 developed) countries from 1991 to 2018 with a fixed-effects and general method of moments estimators were employed. Developing countries' FMFDI positively influenced the human development of the total economy. Also, developed countries' FMFDI positively influenced the human development of the total economy. Developing country economic managers should improve the macroeconomic environment to promote foreign direct investment into the food manufacturing subsector. There is a need for a reallocation of FMFDI to developing countries. International bodies such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development would be useful in this direction.

62nd Annual Conference, Stuttgart, Germany, September 7-9, 2022