Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: editors Title: Index of Agricultural Economics (Volume 55) Authors Index of Agricultural Economics Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: I-IX Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/2453-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2453-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:12:id:2453-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Hron Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: T. Macák Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Huml Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Design of diversification classifier for agricultural entrepreneurs activities Abstract: In current business management, diversification strategy is often connected to the possibility of creating a competitive advantage, based mainly on a wide range of production benefits. One of the critical factors to initiate diversification is the increasing frequency of changes in a company's environment, and also an increase in competitive pressure expressed by shortening a product's life cycle. As a result, the advantages resulting from both vertical and horizontal process integration are reduced. Because there are usually more innovative ideas to widen a business' activities than it would be normally possible to implement, it is essential to choose the ideas with the largest potential for commercial success. This article focuses on the design of classifiers that would enable the selection of designs for diversification, with the potential for commercial success. Keywords: diversification, classifier, agriculture, integrated system Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 565-570 Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/112/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/112/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200912-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:12:id:112-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Sklenicka Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Land Use and Improvement, Faculty of Environment Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Hladík Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: F. Střeleček Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Accounting and Finances, Faculty of Economics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: B. Kottová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Land Use and Improvement, Faculty of Environment Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Lososová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Accounting and Finances, Faculty of Economics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Číhal Author-Workplace-Name: Central Land Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Šálek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Environment Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Historical, environmental and socio-economic driving forces on land ownership fragmentation, the land consolidation effect and project costs Abstract: Land consolidation (LC) is an effective program for land ownership defragmentation. The main objectives of this study are: (i) to analyse the characteristics of 487 study areas before and after implementation of the LC; (ii) to evaluate these study areas according to the influence of historical, environmental and socio-economic driving forces on the pre-LC ownership pattern, on the consolidation effect and on the financial costs of the LC projects. In average, the plot size has been increased twofold and the plot shape has also achieved an evidently positive change, but the average owner still has a holding of 2.72 ha divided into more than three plots after the LC. Historical factors were found to be the key driving forces for the pre-LC fragmentation, while socio-economic drivers play the major role for the LC effect and in the formation of the LC project costs. In contrast, the effect of natural factors is considered to be the least significant of all. Keywords: land consolidation, rural development, fragmentation, land reform, land use planning, land market Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 571-582 Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/115/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/115/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200912-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:12:id:115-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: V. Bašek Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Kraus Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Czech foreign agricultural trade after joining the European Union Abstract: The objective of the paper is to assess how the Czech agricultural sector has withstood keen competition in the EU single market as measured by the basic indicators of foreign trade exchange. The impacts expressed by the indicators of active and/or adverse balance of trade were monitored for the post-accession period (the average of the years 2005-2007) in comparison with the pre-accession period (the average of the years 2001-2003). The assessment of the impacts of the accession to the EU is based on an analysis of the commodity and territorial structure of Czech agricultural foreign trade. The comparison of agricultural balance before and after the accession to the EU for our major trading partners shows that the active balance of the CR with Slovakia increased to 12.0 billion CZK per year; on the contrary, in relation to Poland, the trade deficit of 6.4 billion CZK per year was recorded while Germany strengthened its position in relation to the CR by an increase in the negative balance to 5.4 billion CZK and in relation to Austria, our adverse balance is maintained at the level of 1.1 to 1.2 billion CZK per year for a long time. After the accession to the EU, it was confirmed that the former EU 15 countries took a greater advantage of the customs union enlargement in the framework of the EU 27. Keywords: foreign agricultural trade, pre-accession period (2001-2003), post-accession period (2005-2007), structure, European Union, active and/or adverse balance of trade, agricultural commodities Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 583-595 Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/65/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/65/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200912-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:12:id:65-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: H. Hudečková Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Humanities, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Pitterling Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Humanities, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague Czech Republic Title: Integration and independence in the perspective of rural municipalities Abstract: In order to develop the quality of life in small rural municipalities, their representation faces the thoughts about the perspective of these municipalities in economic terms (the capacity to finance long-term investments) as well as in the socio-cultural terms (the development of participation in public life embedded in the local identity). This article presents the results of the pilot empirical survey in one micro-region of the Czech Republic. The results of the in-depth interviews clearly indicate the preference of the investigated communities to choose the strategy of supporting their independence (which might result in the risk of lower ability to deal with economic problems) prior to the strategy to strengthen the economy of the community through merging the municipalities (and to risk the potential loss of local identity). The conclusions consider the possible forms of municipal cooperation reinforcing the capacity to address economic problems while preserving the autonomy of small rural municipalities. However, the low ability of the partnership cooperation of these municipalities is demonstrated. Keywords: social action, local government, small rural communities, local identity, the budgetary allocation of taxes Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 596-604 Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/98/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/98/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200912-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:12:id:98-2009-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: I. Ubrežiová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: M. Bujňáková Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Management, University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Z. Kapsdorferová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: M. Majorová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic Title: International business and the reasons of the internationalization activities in the Slovak agri-food complex: The case study of the Slovak milk processing industry Abstract: The main goal of the submitted paper is to evaluate the reasons of internationalization activities in the selected subjects of the Slovak milk processing industry with the identification of the basic development trends from the viewpoint of their internationalization activities. The data were obtained by the questionnaire technique during the period 2007-2008 in 12 milk companies producing more than 2 million litres of milk per year. The questions were focused at the form of business, realization of foreign and business activities as well as at the reasons of internationalization. Keywords: international business, milk processing industry, internationalization activities Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 605-610 Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/78/2009-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/78/2009-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200912-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:55:y:2009:i:12:id:78-2009-AGRICECON