The role of fuel prices in spatial price transmission between horticultural markets: empirical analysis from a developing country

This article aims to analyze how fuel prices impact spatial price transmission between two Chilean horticultural wholesale markets. We implement a regime-dependent VECM where price transmission parameters depend on dynamics imposed by a stationary exogenous variable (fuel price). We identified two price transmission regimes characterized by different equilibrium relationships and short-run adjustment processes. This implies that fuel prices affect price transmission elasticities and intermarket adjustment speeds. Our results show increasing marketing costs as farm to market distance grows. This impact depends on each product’s attributes. Highlights This article analyzes the effect of fuel prices on the price transmission mechanism between the most relevant Chilean horticultural wholesale markets. A regime-dependent Vector Error Correction Model where price transmission parameters depend on fuel price was implemented. Clear evidence of the role played by fuel prices for in horizontal price transmission between the wholesale markets considered in this study was found. This situation supports the idea that regardless of quantities traded in regional markets, the major effect of price adjustment is a result of the high demand, distances and market concentration of a central market. This impact depends on each product’s attributes.

Factors influencing adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia (Macadamia spp.) among small-scale farmers in Embu County, Kenya

The study investigated the factors influencing adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia (Macadamia spp.) among small-scale farmers in Embu County, Kenya. Data was collected from a sample of 384 small-scale farmers obtained through multistage sampling procedure in ten sub-locations. Binary Logit model was used to determine the effect of selected institutional and socio-economic factors on adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia. The results revealed that education level (wald=26.160), access to extension services (wald=6.246) and farm size (wald=4.271) had significant positive influence on adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia while age of the farmer (wald=5.235) and market distance (wald=5.519) had a negative influence on the same. There is need to encourage the youth to embrace macadamia farming and to develop smart marketing strategies to promote adoption of improved cultivars.

Virtual learning environments for digital electronics using augmented reality

The 2020 pandemic represents another challenge for universities concerned with guaranteeing Educational Quality and the training of their graduates, which must be in accordance with the demands of the current global labor market. Distance Education, one year after becoming the global resource, has become monotonous and routine for many students. At the same time, augmented reality has become more accessible in many ways and represents a viable option that complements learning environments in a motivating way. Its application in education has been reported with success in various disciplinary areas and its advantages are listed in various investigations. In this work, a methodology for the development of virtual learning environments through augmented reality is reported, which can be developed and applied in any subject of higher education, with which it is presumed that AR can be a tool of general application for the creation of innovative learning objects and environments that improve learning outcomes.

Impacts of Asset Utilization, Market Competition and Market Distance on Stock Returns

To empirically study the effects of asset utilization, market competition and market distance on stock returns of 1961 US public firms of different industry categories over 2001-2015. The heterogeneous panel data set consists of 23,532 (N= 1961*T= 15) observations. Pedroni’s panel co-integration, panel vector errorcorrection model (PVECM), panel dynamic OLS (PDOLS), and panel generalized method of moments (PGMM) are implemented. Both asset utilization and market competition have short-run and long-run positive effects on stock returns. But the effects of market distance are negative. The evidence for convergence toward the long-run equilibrium is very weak. Firms should be strategic to improve asset utilization, be more competitive and expand market distance to maximize stockholders’ wealth.

Determinants of Women Participation in Income Generating Activities: Evidence From Ethiopia

This paper aims to examine the major determinants and challenges of women's participation in income-generating activities focusing on rural women of Ethiopia's practical evidence. To carry out this study both primary and secondary data was collected and analyzed. Randomly selected 161 households were the source of primary data for this study. Secondary data was collected from the review of related works of literature. A binary logistic regression econometric model was implemented to identify major determinants of women's participation in income-generating activities. Women in the study area are not allowed by their husbands to participate in high-income earning activities. They are considered as a housewife and the only husband is expected to participate in high income-generating activities due to the local customs. As a result, some women participate in small business activities like livestock product sales, vegetable and fruit sell, poultry, petty trade, hairdressing, and wage labor. In the study area, women's participation in the income-generating activity is determined by age, husband’s education, women's education, family size, land size, market distance, livestock holding, and access to credit. This paper contributes to the literature on women's participation challenges in income-generating activities, giving emphasis on rural women's perspectives. It provides the basis for further studies aimed at challenges hindering women's participation in high-income earning activities, particularly in developing countries.

Evacuation shelter suitability modeling under combined geo-hydrological hazards in Western Ghat region, India

<p>Geo-hydrological hazards like floods and landslides are common in mountain regions. During a disaster, evacuation shelters become a primary need of people. We develop a model to find suitable locations for emergency shelters in flood and landslide strikes in a rural mountain setting of the Western Ghat region, India. Firstly, susceptibility maps for flood and landslide hazards are prepared using a machine learning (Random forest) algorithm. Then location suitability modeling is done in GIS using the entropy method. The following entropy evolution factors are considered- flood susceptibility, landslide susceptibility, land use, distance from the road, distance from the hospital, distance from the market, distance from the fire station, distance from safe water sources, and the population of settlement cluster area. Model constraining factors like steep slope, high landslide, flood susceptible area, and protected area are accounted for using a cost matrix. The model is compared with community-based suitability mapping and evacuation centers during the past disaster of 2005. The study will contribute towards better disaster-resilient planning of rural mountainous settlements.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Evacuation shelter, landslide, flood, random forest, entropy method, GIS</p>

Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Penentuan Lokasi Strategis Perumahan di Wilayah Kabupaten Asahan

PT. Mitra Zetta Ugraha Lestari is a company engaged in the contractor and developer sector. Company goal to create quality housing with high quality and use value that gives satisfaction to consumers. This study uses the weighted product method. Some of the factors used as measurement tools are density in the population area, land heigh, distance between main roads, distance from shopping centers and market, distance betwen education or school place. The programming language used in this study are visual basic net 2010 and mysql data base Keywords: Decision support system, weighted product method, housing. Abstrak: PT. Mitra Zetta Ugraha Lestari adalah perusahaan yang bergerak di bidang Kontraktor dan Developer. Tujuan perusahaan Mewujudkan perumahan yang berkualitas dan memiliki nilai jualiyang tinggi serta nilai pakaiiyang memberikan kepuasan pada konsumen. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode weighted product. Beberapa faktor yang menjadi alat ukur adalah kepadatanidi area penduduk, ketinggihanitanah, jarak antara jalaniutama, ijarak dengan sentral perbelanjaan/pasar, ijarak antara tempat pendidikan disekolah. Bahasa pemograman yang digunakan pada penelitian ini yaitu Visual Basic NET (VB.NET) 2010 dan MYSQL. Kata kunci: Sistem pendukung keputusan, metode weighted product, perumahan.

LIVELIHOOD SECURITY DETERMINANTS OF THE ORGANIC FARM HOUSEHOLD IN SOUTH-EASTERN COAST OF BANGLADESH

Organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that that sustains the demands of production of healthy and safe food for the community. Bangladesh is now highly productive area for agriculture production in the world with large varieties of agriculture crops are vultivating here. The study employed ordered logistic regression to assessed the determinants of livelihood security of the organic farm households in the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh. The study was conducted in three upazilas of Chattogram district like Banskhali, Anwara and Sitakund. Multistage sampling technique was adopted for the study. Three upazilas were selected and from each selected upazila a cluster of 1-2 villages were selected at random. At the last stage 150 respondents were selected from a cluster of villages using random proportional sampling. Ordered logistic regression was applied to assess the determinants of the livelihood security. Landholding, distance access to market, possession of livestock were the significant determinants of livelihood security for the organic farm households in South-eastern coast of Bangladesh . Livelihood security of the organic farm households in coastal Bangladesh was influenced significantly by the determinants like landholding, access to market distance and possession of livestock.

Factors influencing the choice of marketing strategies among cassava microenterprises in Kenya

Cassava (Manihot esculenta L.) production and utilisation in Kenya face stiff competition from other major starchy food crops mainly maize, potatoes and wheat. This is due to the cyanide content in cassava which is lethal when roots are mishandled, leading to avoidance of the crop by potential consumers. This has affected the marketing of the crop and its products.The objective of this study was to analyse factors that influence the choice of marketing strategies among agripreneurs in cassava microenterprises in Kenya. A studywas conducted in Migori County (Kuria West, Suna East, Suna West and Uriri Sub-counties) in Kenya, using a semi-structured questionnaire, administered to a sample of 267 cassava micro enterprises. Results showed that the most used marketing strategies were pricing, product promotion, value addition and formation of a marketing alliance mostly in their combination. Multivariate Probit results showed that age, gender, education level, household size, major occupation (trading), marketing experience, seed money, entrepreneurial training, marketing information, market distance, group membership, farm gate and open-air marketing outlets significantly (P<0.05) influenced the choice of marketing strategies among cassava microenterprises. Therefore, cassava agripreneurs of microenterprises need to combine viable product lines and the marketing strategies that give maximum performance in order to increase their marketing shares and profits.

Rural households’ perception on the effects of Prosopis juliflora invasion: The case of Amibara District of Afar National Regional State, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, Prosopis juliflora (P. juliflora) becomes one of the worst invasive alien species threatening the livelihood and thus food security of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. However, up to the present, there have been few studies on the social aspects of the problem. This study explores households’ perceptions about the effects of P. juliflora invasions in Amibara district of Afar National Regional State, Ethiopia. The study used cross-sectional data collected from 130 randomly selected households based on probability proportional to household size. To measure households’ perceptions, a perception index was constructed based on a five-point Likert scale, and a two-limit tobit regression model was used to determine factors affecting households’ perception. The abundance of P. juliflora was perceived to have increased since its introduction in the study area, mainly due to the mobility of dispersal agents and the species’ ability to resist the harsh environment. Between the time when the first trees were planted and today, households’ mean perception about the effect of P. juliflora invasion has experienced a significant shift; whilst initially some 78% of the sampled households were in favour of the tree species, today, less than 1% still favour the tree and some 90% disfavour it. Empirical evidence indicates that gender, market distance, extension service and livelihood strategy had a significant negative influence whilst proximity to the bush land had a significant positive effect on households’ perceptions about the effects of P. juliflora invasion. Almost all sampled households had applied some form of control measure on their individually own land, including uprooting of seedlings or cutting and burning of trees. We recommend that government bodies should, in collaboration with other stakeholders, design P. juliflora management programmes, which take into account the households’ interests, demographic and socio-economic characteristics and institutional settings.