Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: K. Srnec Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: E. Svobodová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Microfinance in less developed countries: history, progress, present - charity or business? Abstract: This paper describes the development of micro-financial activities in less developed countries in the world. The history of this development is divided into four periods with their short characteristics. Currently, the main questions in each period are highlighted and discussed by experts in microfinance. In the past, these problems were published in many scientific periodicals. It concerns mainly opinions, as for example, if the influence of microfinance on poverty reduction is overestimated, or on the other hand, the analysis related to the position of informal and formal micro-financial institutions, their development and acceleration of transformation, the influence of non-governmental organizations etc. At present, there is discussed the question of the preference - the model of 'charity' or 'business', which is mainly related to the fourth, current development period. For these reasons, this question is intensively focused and analysed. The conclusion of this paper concerns just this area which is fundamentally related to the future development of microfinance as a factor of poverty reduction in the less economically developed regions in the world. Keywords: microfinance, financial dualism, transformation, business or charity Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 467-474 Volume: 55 Issue: 10 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/45/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/45/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200910-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:10:id:45-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Ziolkowska Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany Author-Name: K. Jechlitschka Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany Author-Name: D. Kirschke Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany Title: Global implications of national price policies on the wheat market - quantitative assessment of world market effects Abstract: Price policy instruments are common political measures to influence the supply and export of agricultural products. Different price policies have thus different influence on national agricultural markets. These policies can also influence the world market and third countries provided that the exporting country places a high share of its production on the world market. Using a Cobb-Douglas market model we quantitatively assess global implications of national price policies in the EU-27, Russia, and the US (as leading wheat exporting countries) on the world market price for wheat and on welfare, foreign exchange, and producer surplus in third countries. The results prove that increasing protectionist price policies in the EU-27, Russia, and the US would only slightly influence the welfare in third countries. This policy would however bring about a higher decrease of foreign exchange and producer surplus in third countries. Keywords: price policy, protectionism, WTO, wheat market Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 475-480 Volume: 55 Issue: 10 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/2612-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2612-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200910-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:10:id:2612-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Kopeček Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Foltýn Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Bjelka Author-Workplace-Name: Agriresearch Rapotín Ltd., Czech Republic Title: Modeling of slaughter cattle fattening profitability Abstract: The paper analy the economics of cattle fattening. With the help of the model AGRO-ŽV, there were simulated the perspectives of this livestock production branch using 2 agricultural policy scenarios in the Czech Republic for the years 2007 and 2008. With the help of the model AGRO-ŽV, there were computed 5 model variants: economics without supports, economics with coupled supports (scenario 1) and economics with decoupled supports (scenario 2). All the model results (both without supports and with supports) with the actual intensity of the cattle fattening show negative profitability of this branch. For reachig positive results of this branch,it was necessary to increase the intensity. In the Table 1, there is presented the so-called "break-even point" of profitability, which was found through the level of the daily weight gain about 0.90 kg (scenario 1) and nearly 1.00 kg (scenario 2) per 1 feeding day. Keywords: slaughter cattle economics, model AGRO-ŽV, CAP, coupled supports, decoupled supports, break-even point Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 481-491 Volume: 55 Issue: 10 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/26/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/26/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200910-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:10:id:26-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Žgajnar Author-Workplace-Name: Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Domžale, Slovenia Author-Name: L. Juvančič Author-Workplace-Name: Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Domžale, Slovenia Author-Name: S. Kavčič Author-Workplace-Name: Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Domžale, Slovenia Title: Combination of linear and weighted goal programming with penalty function in optimisation of a daily dairy cow ration Abstract: The aim of the paper is to present a developed spreadsheet tool for the formulation of a daily dairy cow ration. It is constructed on the basis of two linked sub-models developed on the MS Excel platform. It merges the common linear programming model and the weighted-goal programming model with a penalty function. The first sub-model is included in the tool to make an estimate of the least-cost magnitude that might be expected. The obtained result is entered into the second sub-model as the goal that should be met as closely as possible. The tool was tested at two different values of preferential weights for dairy cows with a 25 kg daily milk yield. The results obtained confirm the benefits of the applied approach. In contrast to the common linear program tools, which terminate at formulation of the least-cost ration, our tool provides more efficient rations (in both economic and nutritive terms) by fine-tuning the nutritive goals and by allowing for harmless deviations from these goals by application of penalty functions. Keywords: spreadsheet ration optimization, economics of dairy breeding, linear programming, weighted goal programming with penalty function Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 492-500 Volume: 55 Issue: 10 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/2601-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2601-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200910-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:10:id:2601-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: I. Bošková Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Effects of the length of the milk collection route on the choice of the locality of milk processing Abstract: The goal of the research was to identify how important was the distance between the milk producer and the milk processor in their decision of which dairy plant would do the processing. The study should indicate if the advantage of a lower price offered by the distant milk producer would be eliminated or preserved by the transport costs. In the study, the cost of various lengths of milk collection routes in Central Europe has been examined. The difference in cost, whether a short or long journey was travelled, was compared to the range of raw milk prices within the chosen territories in Central Europe. The results proved that the milk collection costs in Europe enable rather long journeys, from the producer to the processor, to be made. In three of the four examined regions, the usual collection route of 200 km followed by an additional journey of 400 km enabled the preservation of the milk price advantage gained due to this journey. The feasibility of long collection journeys would reduce the impact of the success of local processors on the economics of the surrounding milk producers and vice-versa and could play an important role in the movement of raw milk in Europe in the ongoing concentration and liberalization process of milk production in the EU. Keywords: milk collection, costs, milk price Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 501-507 Volume: 55 Issue: 10 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/16/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/16/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200910-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:10:id:16-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Navrátil Author-Workplace-Name: University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: S. Martinát Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Geonics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ostrava, Czech Republic Author-Name: E. Kallabová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Geonics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ostrava, Czech Republic Title: Framework for utilizing angling as a tourism development tool in rural areas Abstract: Angling is considered as one of the rural tourism activities and is usually included into group of eco- and/or sustainable tourism activities. That is why it could be used as tourism development tool in rural areas but with local community respect. The aim is to reveal the push and pull motivation factors of rural anglers and their perception of conflicts. A self -organized questionnaire survey of members of the Czech Fishing Union in the Třeboň region was used to obtain required data. Descriptive statistic and factor analysis were used for result analysis. Rural anglers built up a diversified community because seven different push motivation factors have been found. There have been also found several types of the potentially important environment settings for anglers. Environment related motivation issues have been identified as the most important. The conflict analysis has revealed mainly the complexity of the environment related motivation issues as well as the complexity of relations between the anglers and other recreational use of water. Keywords: rural areas, development, angling Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 508-518 Volume: 55 Issue: 10 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/2622-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2622-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200910-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:10:id:2622-AGRICECON