Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Zuzana KŘÍSTKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Andrea HABRYCHOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Modelling direct payments to agriculture in a CGE Framework - analysis of the Czech Republic Abstract: The paper deals with modelling of the direct payments subsidies to agriculture and their impact on the economy of the Czech Republic. With the use of the general equilibrium model, scenarios concerning an increase of subsidies reaching 100% of the national envelope and a complete removal of both SAPS and Top-Up payments are applied. The results show that if the full amount of subsidies is granted, the value added in agriculture and the connected sectors is stimulated, with a positive effect on the total GDP. However, if the direct payments are completely removed, negative effects on employment can be expected, suggesting that the direct payments play a positive role in the economy. The paper further points out that the effects of direct payments on the incomes of farmer households are limited, suggesting that the farmers' living standard should be supported by other policy instruments than the direct payments Keywords: direct payments, general equilibrium model, farmer households, Czech Republic Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 517-528 Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/57/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/57/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201111-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:11:id:57-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Karel SRNEC Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jiřina SVITÁKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Magdalena VÝBORNÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Pavel BURIAN Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Microfinance as a suitable instrument of European and Czech development cooperation Abstract: European countries use microfinance as an instrument of development cooperation in three separate forms, which differ in the financial flow. In the first type, the government transfers grant money to their non-government organizations (NGOs), which then distribute the funds directly to the local microfinance institutions (MFIs) (eg. Finland). In the second form, the funds are sent through to the branch-offices of the NGOs located in the developed country to developing countries (eg. Norway, Sweden). The third type allows for a direct relationship between a donor country development co-operation agency and a local microfinance institution in a developing country without intermediation of the developed country NGOs (eg. Great Britain, Germany). The Czech Republic currently does not support microfinance by the direct/indirect transfer of funds, but it promotes the awareness of the Czech NGOs and the public of microfinance as a tool for the economic development. Keywords: microfinance, development cooperation, microfinance institutions, NGOs Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 529-533 Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/52/2011-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/52/2011-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201111-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:11:id:52-2011-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Iveta ZENTKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Elena HOŠKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic Title: The influence of the Slovak household income differentiation on food expenditures - the Engel's expenditures functions estimation -- Abstract: The economy of the Slovak Republic, as a part of the European economic area, is significantly determined by the world globalization process. One of the aspects, which globalization brings, is the social differentiation deepening between countries as well as across the particular countries. This phenomenon occurs in the Slovak Republic also as a consequence of the increasing households' income differentiation. It is logical to assume that the household's members who live in the different living conditions behave differently in the commodity and service market due to different preferences. The purpose of this article is to quantify the influence of the household income differentiation on their behaviour in the food market. This market is divided into five separated food market groups according to the Healthy Eating Pyramid. The share of the particular food groups' expenditures in the total household food expenditures is used as a representative of the household food purchase preferences. The results of the analysis did not confirm the assumption about the significant influence of the household income differentiation on the purchases of the particular food groups. The estimation of the Engel's expenditure functions and the food expenditures elasticities with respect to the income changes are used for quantification of the impact of the household income differentiation on the particular food groups' expenditures. The food expenditures elasticities referred to the income changes verified differences among the household behaviour in the food market. The food expenditures of the households with a higher income are less elastic regarding the income changes than the food expenditures of the households with a lower income. Keywords: food expenditures, food groups, Engel's expenditure function, household income groups Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 534-544 Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/68/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/68/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201111-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:11:id:68-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Michal MALÝ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Zdeňka KROUPOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Dana ŽÍDKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jarmila PETEROVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Lenka ŠOBROVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Lukáš ČECHURA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ludmila PÁNKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jiří MACH Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Zuzana KŘÍSTKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Tomáš MAIER Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jan HUČKO Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Potential for pork production in the Czech Republic Abstract: The main aim of the paper was a partial analysis of the production potential for pig fattening in the Czech Republic. This aim was achieved by econometric modelling of the production function, which was specified as a Cobb-Douglas function, with the level of average daily increase as the dependent variable, and feed compounds, mortality and weight of new stock as independent variables. The model was specified as a fixed effect model, and the parameters of the function were estimated by the method of least squares dummy variable, based on the ordinary least squares method. Verification of the estimated model was based on a t-test, coefficient of determination, Wald test, autoregressive test, and test of normality distribution of residuals. Subsequently, the estimated function was analysed and significant determinants of production were identified. The behaviour of the production functions was analysed for the average and marginal productions. The functions were also illustrated in graphs of production surfaces, from which the maps of isoproduction functions were derived. The isoproduction functions were used for the final analysis of the potential for pork production. The analysis was based on panel data from 32 farms focused on pig fattening, collected by our own survey. The research indicated significant differences between the surveyed farms. It also declared the most important factor of final production to be, with 99% probability, the new stock weight. The second most important determinant of final production is the feed compound A3, which is used in the final stage of fattening. For maximized production, the farmer should focus on the weight of pigs coming into fattening, choose the biggest one, and introduce the use of the feed compound A3. The results in the submitted paper should also be used by farmers to evaluate their production activity, and to compare their actual output with the theoretical value enumerated by the production function. Keywords: production function, maps of isoproduction functions, allocation of production factors, exchange rate, rational stage Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 545-554 Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/58/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/58/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201111-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:11:id:58-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Gabriel POPESCU Author-Workplace-Name: Centrefor Analysis and Regional Policies, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania Author-Name: Jean ANDREI Author-Workplace-Name: Economics and Business Administration Department, Petroleum and Gas University of Ploiesti, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania Title: From industrial holdings to subsistence farms in Romanian agriculture. Analyzing the subsistence components of CAP Abstract: In terms of the EU enlargement from 15 to 27 states, the need to reform the CAP mechanisms was felt more than ever. Reorientation towards rural development measures and not towards supporting agricultural production raised a whole issue in which the efficiency criteria of the agricultural policies are concerned. If until now the Union entire attention was directed towards industrial farms, the option to promote family farms, with lower returns but with a high social impact by mobilizing the human resources from the rural area towards this field and preventing migration towards the city and the industrial areas, raised fierce debates. This paper presents a brief analysis of the impact of re-focusing the CAP towards promoting family-farms, mostly of the subsistence type, in the Romanian agrarian economy, in the context of an increased globalization of the agricultural relations. Keywords: subsistence farming, Common Agricultural Policy, agricultural system, sub financing, rural population Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 555-564 Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/72/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/72/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201111-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:11:id:72-2010-AGRICECON