A Policy Impact Evaluation Model For Scotland: Decoupling Single Farm Payments

The purpose of this paper is to assess the impacts of decoupling single farm payments in Scotland. It focuses on aggregate impacts on the agricultural products in domestic and external markets and the spill-over effect of this on the non-agricultural sector as well as an aggregate impact on the Scottish GDP. In order to capture system-wide impacts of the policy reform, a CGE model was formulated and implemented using a social accounting matrix constructed for Scotland. The simulation results suggest that the Scottish agricultural sector may encounter declines in output and factor us as a result of the policy reform. However, this critically depends on two factors: (a) the price effect of the policy reform on Scottish agricultural products relative to the EU average as well as the conditions of changes in world agricultural market prices; and (b) the extent to which customers would be sensitive to price effects of the policy reform. As far as the spill-over effect to the non-agricultural sector is concerned, decoupling of direct payments seems to have a positive spill-over effect. Similarly, the aggregate GDP effect is positive under all simulation scenarios. Critically, the simulation experiments indicate that policy shock may have a symmetrical outcome across the two sectors, with contractions in agriculture being accompanied by expansions in the non-agricultural sector, mainly because of factor market interactions between the two sectors.Cap reform; single farm payments; spill-over effects; Scotland

THE EFFECTS OF SINGLE FARM PAYMENTS ON SCOTTISH AGRICULTURE: A CGE MODELING APPROACH

Using a CGE model calibrated on Scottish data, this paper examines two important issues related to evaluating impacts of the Single Farm Payment. These are specification of product transformation functions and investigation into supply elasticity parameter. Simulation results from a standard CGE were compared with those from an alternative optimisation framework proposed in this study. The latter yielded a policy effect that is likely to represent behaviour of a profit maximising farmer. The parameter sensitivity analysis showed the important role differences in supply conditions can play; which implied a need for further econometric studies to estimate supply parameters.Single farm payments, decoupling, multi-output farming, farm types, CET function, CGE modelling, Agricultural Finance, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Measuring and Explaining Technical Efficiency of Dairy Farms: A Case Study of Smallholder Farms in East Africa

Replaced with revised version of paper 11/18/10.Dairy farms, efficiency scores, Data Envelopment Analysis, fractional regression, returns to scale, Livestock Production/Industries,

Analysis of two-operator boundary-domain integral equations for variable-coefficient mixed BVP

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 Steklov Mathematical Institute RAS.Applying the two-operator approach, the mixed (Dirichlet–Neumann) boundary value problem for a second-order scalar elliptic differential equation with variable coefficients is reduced to several systems of Boundary Domain Integral Equations, briefly BDIEs. The two-operator BDIE system equivalence to the boundary value problem, BDIE solvability and the invertibility of the boundary-domain integral operators are proved in the appropriate Sobolev spaces.This research was supported by the IMU-AMMSI-ICMS-LMS Initiative “Mentoring African Research in Mathematics” funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust

The bang for the birr: Public expenditures and rural welfare in Ethiopia

Gezahegn Ayele: DCA, EthiopiaPublic investments, Public spending, Rural welfare,

Local government in Ethiopia: still an apparatus of control?

Historically, local authorities in Ethiopia enjoyed wide political, administrative, judicial, and financial autonomy. However, from the 1850s a process of territorial expansion and centralisation was initiated in the country. The centralisation process reached its zenith under the rule of Colonel Mengistu in the 1980s. This centralisation gradually diminished the autonomy of local authorities which incrementally became structures of control of the central government. Local authorities were used to actively suppress resistance against the central government, extract revenue in the form of tax and tribute, mobilise free labour, and even act as agents to conscript for the army. This policy and practice continued until Colonel Mengistu was ousted by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in 1991. Soon after seizing power, the EPRDF declared its intention to reverse the century-long centralised rule and introduced a semi-federal structure in the country in 1991. Ethiopia officially became a federal country in 1995 following the promulgation of a new Constitution. In 2001 a local level decentralisation programme was initiated. The decentralisation programme included the establishment of elected local government structures and the devolution of certain political, administrative and financial powers to local government. This paper seeks to demonstrate how local authorities were used as a means of control in the past. While a decentralised system of governance has formally been introduced in Ethiopia, this paper argues that local authorities still remain instruments of political control by the central government. In so doing it highlights the factors that continue the trend of central control of local government despite extensive formal decentralisation.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Poverty reduction through irrigation and smallholder markets (PRISM)

Manual pumpsDrip irrigationWater storage

An assessment of donor funding practice and its impacts on meeting the development objectives of recipients: a case study of the Africa Virtual University (AVU), Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract The subject of donor funding has been one that is full of controversy. It has raised strong debates over the years and continues to be a topic of interest. It is argued more often than not that donor organizations place a lot of conditionalities before disbursing development funds to recipient organizations or countries. These conditionalities in most cases do not match with the objectives of the recipient organizations or governments and create avenues for disagreements. It has been the case that donor organizations normally prescribe particular programmes that they fund; and that this restricts the recipient organizations to programme choices that are already determined by the funding institutions. In the case of multi-donors funding of a particular organization, the practice may undermine funding effectiveness in the recipient organization as that may make it possible for different donors to start contradictory programmes or for multiple donors to duplicate projects, reducing the overall effectiveness of assistance. This study was designed to assess donor funding practices and its impacts on meeting development agenda in a particular organization. This was a case study of a multi donor funded educational organization, the African Virtual University (AVU), based in Nairobi, Kenya. Primary data formed the basis of this research and was collected through structured questionnaires. In addition, secondary data was also used to get background information on the organization. The study sought to answer three research questions regarding the perceived interests of varying stakeholders, how their interests affected the overall objectives and management of the AVU, and in turn how it affected the AVU’s contribution towards tertiary education in Africa. The results have shown that there were indeed conflicting interests among the various stakeholders that affected the overall achievement of the AVU’s goals as a result of lack of focus. In addition it was established that the main beneficiaries of the AVU programmes (students and African universities) were not often included in the process that determined the AVU’s overall direction. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the previous management of the AVU did not play a key role in balancing out the different interests and in directing the AVU towards achieving its overall goals even though respondents agreed that there was some degree of success in certain activities. This study also proved the hypothesis that strong and committed management contributes towards balancing out multi stakeholder interests eventually leading to success in achieving an organization’s objectives. The study has shed light on the practices of donor funding. Donors ought to be cognizant of funding needs of recipients rather than putting pressure on organizations to follow their ideas. Even though donor funding comes with certain conditionalities, I think there should be some degree of flexibility and compromise put in place so as to allow the beneficiaries’ input regarding their own development issues. Development funding can only bear fruits if the actual need of recipients on the ground is studied and taken into consideration. In addition, recipients should be actively involved in setting their own strategic objectives for maximum outcome. This study will serve as a blue print on donor funding and the challenges that come with it. The lessons learnt will guide other development organizations dependent on donor funding and dealing with similar issues to jump start their processes to improve their performance, achieve their goals and objectives and in turn contribute positively towards development of the continent

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension Among Civil Servants Working in Arba Minch Town, South Ethiopia

Despite Hypertension is a global public health challenge and a leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death attention was not given in developing countries. Therefore measuring the prevalence and identifying predictors of Hypertension is very important. Institution based cross sectional study design was employed from March–April, 2016 by taking 319 randomly selected civil servants working in in Arba Minch town. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and standardized instruments for physical examination by 5 trained nurses. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Bi-variable and Multivariate logistic regression was employed for analysis of risk factors. The mean SBP and DBP of study participants were 120.87 + 14.15 mmHg and 80.28 + 8.8 mmHg, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 27.8% (95% CI = 22.9-32.7%). Civil servants of age 50 years and above [AOR = 13.3], age 40-49 years [AOR = 5], age 30-39 years [AOR = 3.5], abdominal obesity [AOR=12.2], general obesity [AOR = 4.2], stress status [AOR = 12.3], current alcohol drink [AOR = 3.3], ex-drinker [AOR = 8.9] and family history of hypertension [AOR = 5.6] were found to be significantly associated with hypertension. The prevalence indicates that it is hidden epidemic in this population; therefore for screening and risk reduction program are needed

Sorption de l'atrazine et du diuron sur charbon actif en poudre en présence de tensioactifs, ions calcium et bichromate. Essai de modélisation

La contamination des eaux naturelles par les micropolluants organiques tels que les herbicides, nécessite le recours à des procédés très performants, en particulier l'adsorption sur charbon actif pour satisfaire aux normes de potabilité sur les eaux distribuées. Si le charbon actif en poudre (CAP) présente une bonne efficacité pour l'élimination des herbicides seuls dans l'eau distillée, la présence dans l'eau d'autres composés organiques et / ou minéraux aura pour conséquence la modification des paramètres de l'équilibre de l'adsorption du système initial et la modification des performances du matériau adsorbant. Cette étude a montré que le CAP utilisé présente une bonne affinité pour les deux herbicides étudiés (atrazine et diuron), dont les capacités d'adsorption, déterminées par le modèle de Langmuir, sont 1,42 et 1,72 mmol.g-1 respectivement. La présence de composés organiques tels que les tensioactifs anionique le dodécylsulfate de sodium (DSS), et cationique le bromure d'hexadécyl triméthyl ammonium (BHTA) provoque une forte diminution de la capacité d'adsorption des deux herbicides par le charbon actif. Le BHTA provoque l'effet le plus marqué, par contre, les ions calcium et bichromate n'ont pas d'influence sur l'adsorption des deux herbicides. Les essais de désorption ont montré que l'introduction des coadsorbats organiques provoque la désorption d'une partie de l'herbicide. Ce phénomène est accentué dans le cas du DSS en présence d'ions calcium. L'application de modèles simples de coadsorption, a permis de mettre en évidence l'existence presque exclusive de sites spécifiques d'adsorption pour chacun des substrats étudiés et une inhibition non compétitive due a une interdépendance possible entre les sites d'adsorption et une altération des interactions de chaque composé à la surface du charbon.Contamination of natural waters by organic micropollutants like pesticides requires the use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) during the flocculation step of water treatment. One of the main factors affecting the efficiency of this process is the presence in natural waters of organic and mineral compounds. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of two surfactants [(i) anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate : SDS) and (ii) cationic (hexadecyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide : HTAB)], and two mineral ions (calcium and dichromate) upon atrazine and diuron adsorption on powderd activated carbon resulting from Chemviron Filtrasorb-400. The adsorption capacities on PAC of atrazine and diuron alone were determinated according to the Langmuir model for the isothermes (table I). They were estimated to be 1.42 and 1.72 mmol.g-1 respectly at pH 5.5. Coadsorption results pointed out that the herbicide adsorption was inhibited in the presence of surfactants whatever their nature (fig. 1 and 2).This inhibition was most importante with HTAB (45%), according to the zeta surface potential and the streric dimensions of molecules, than with SDS (23%) for atrazine . The same result was noted for diuron with an inhibition respectly of 15% for SDS and 27% for HTBA. Calcium and dichromate ions, each one with one herbicide had no effect. In any case, Langmuir isothermes were drawn and adsortion capacities were calculated with a good correlation (tables II and III). The influence of coadsorbats was always greatest for atrazine than for diuron. All the experiments were performed at pH=5.5, without influence upon the adsorption, even for the dichromate ions. Desorption tests showed that a part of adsorbed pesticides was desorbed with surfactants introduction (fig. 3) : with SDS 12.3% of atrazine and 8% of diuron against respectly 23% and 17% with HTBA. The phenomenon was increased with SDS in presence of calcium ions (fig. 4 and 5) according to the increase of SDS adsorption (table II and III). The use of two simple coadsorption models was reinforced by the calculated values obtained for adsoartion capacities (fig. 6 and 7) which were very closely with the experimental ones. The calculation of constantes given by the models confirmed the existence of specific sites of adsorption for every compound and a non competitive inhibition due to a change in the nature of the interactions between pesticides and activated carbon surface (table III)