Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Suitberto CABRERA GARCÍA Author-Workplace-Name: Deparment of Applied Statistics and Operational Research, and Quality, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain Author-Name: Josué E. IMBERT TAMAYO Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mathematical Methods, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Author-Name: Jorge CARBONELL-OLIVARES Author-Workplace-Name: Deparment of Applied Statistics and Operational Research, and Quality, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain Author-Name: Yaylin PACHECO CABRERA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mathematical Methods, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Title: Application of the Game Theory with Perfect Information to an agricultural company Abstract: This paper deals with the application of Game Theory with Perfect Information to an agricultural economics problem. The goal of this analysis is demonstrating the possibility of obtaining an equilibrium point, as proposed by Nash, in the case of an agricultural company that is considered together with its three sub-units in developing a game with perfect information. Production results in terms of several crops will be considered in this game, together with the necessary parameters to implement different linear programming problems. In the game with perfect information with the hierarchical structure established between the four considered players (a management center and three production units), a Nash equilibrium point is reached, since once the strategies of the rest of the players are known, if any of them would use a strategy different to the one proposed, their earnings would be less than the ones obtained by using the proposed strategies. When the four linear programming problems are solved, a particular case of equilibrium point is reached. Keywords: agronomy, economics, linear programming methods, production efficiency Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 1-7 Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/1/2012-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1/2012-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201301-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:59:y:2013:i:1:id:1-2012-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jiří HEJKRLÍK Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jana MAZANCOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Karolína FOREJTOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: How effective is Fair Trade as a tool for the stabilization of agricultural commodity markets? Case of coffee in the Czech Republic Abstract: Fair Trade is one of the leading systems of the Corporate Social Responsibility and a price stabilization mechanism for producers in developing countries. It is being practiced by more and more Czech importers and manufactures of the tropical agricultural commodities. Coffee represents the highest market share. However, a higher final retail price functions as a strong inhibitor of the dynamic market growth. The article uses the linear static model applied to various consumer-perceived factors influencing the retail price of the conventional, organic and Fair Trade coffee available in the Czech Republic. The quantitative research is supported by the questionnaire for the analysis of the attitude of regular Fair Trade buyers towards the perceived quality and price expectations of the Fair Trade coffee. Even after the stratification of the coffee market into low and high market products and brands, the Fair Trade quality shows a very strong influence on the final retail price. The efficiency of Fair Trade expressed in terms of the ratio of the price premium paid by the consumer and the price premium received by the producer is in the current stage of the Fair Trade market questionable. Keywords: organic, efficiency, fairtrade premium, commodity Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 8-18 Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/41/2012-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/41/2012-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201301-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:59:y:2013:i:1:id:41-2012-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Zdenka MALÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Michal MALÝ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: The determinants of adopting organic farming practices: a case study in the Czech Republic Abstract: The presented article focuses on an analysis of the phenomena appearing in the implementation of the transition from classic conventional technology in the production of agricultural food products to an ecological manner of farming. The main objective is an empirical analysis of the determinants of the implementation of ecological production technology, whereby not only is their definition focused on, but also the quantification of the level of their effect. The primary methodological tool for achieving the objective is a binary choice model, which was estimated in three variants - probit model, logit model and linear probability model. These estimations are conducted on the basis of the unbalanced panel data from 531 agricultural businesses - legal entities obtained over the time period 2004-2008. Results of the analyses indicate that the transition to and implementation of the organic production technology is negatively affected primarily by the higher age of the farmers and the high productivity of labour. On the other hand, the subsidies for the support of organic agriculture, as well as a high return on cost can be considered as the factors which positively influence the implementation of the organic technology. Given this fact, it is possible, through agricultural policy, to effectively influence the number of organically managing farmers, as well as the acreage of the organically managed land. And from the achieved outputs, the type of farm is subsequently characterised where a transition to organic farming may most likely be expected. Keywords: binary choice model, conventional production, organic agriculture, motivation factors, transition determinants Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 19-28 Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/10/2012-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/10/2012-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201301-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:59:y:2013:i:1:id:10-2012-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Elena HORSKÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Monika SZAFRAŃSKA Author-Workplace-Name: University of Agriculture in Krakow, Kraków, Poland Author-Name: Renata MATYSIK-PEJAS Author-Workplace-Name: University of Agriculture in Krakow, Kraków, Poland Title: Knowledge and financial skills as the factors determining the financial exclusion process of rural dwellers in Poland Abstract: The aim of the article is determining the level of knowledge and financial skills of rural dwellers on an example of one of the European Union member states (Poland), as the factors which play a crucial role in the process of limiting the phenomenon of financial exclusion. The main source of data used for the analysis was the information gathered through the author's own studies conducted on a group of 1000 randomly chosen people. Statistical analysis of the researched material comprised the summary statistical measurements, the non-parametric χ2 test and the cluster analysis (k-means clustering). As results from the conducted analysis, the inhabitants of rural areas in Poland are characterized by the average level of knowledge and financial skills. The level of financial competences represented by rural dwellers is conditioned both by the economic and non-economic factors. Three groups of citizens were distinguished on the basis of the conducted investigations. The group which requires special educational measures comprises of women, elderly and less educated persons, households with lower incomes, families of annuitants and old-age pensioners, but also persons using financial tools in a lower degree, not using banking services or living in the areas with a worse access to the banking infrastructure. Keywords: financial exclusion, financial inclusion, rural household Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 29-37 Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/9/2012-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/9/2012-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201301-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:59:y:2013:i:1:id:9-2012-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 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: Tereza TAUSSIGOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Avian influenza and structural change in the Czech poultry industry Abstract: The paper deals with the consequences of the avian influenza outbreak for the Czech poultry industry. The Hansen (1992) parameter instability test and the Gregory and Hansen (1996) residual-based test are used for testing the structural break and determining the time of the regime shift. The results provide an indication that the avian influenza outbreak might have been the reason for the changes in the value chain. However, the changes in the second stage of the value chain could also be connected with the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU. The results show that the retailers increased their market power in the second period, i.e., after September 2004. The avian influenza could be a reason for the structural break, but other factors may work together. As a result of these changes, poultry processing companies have been losing their market position, and as a consequence, the production of poultry meat in the Czech Republic has been on the decline. Keywords: avian influenza, cointegration, market power, poultry value chain, structural change Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 38-47 Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/63/2012-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/63/2012-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201301-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:59:y:2013:i:1:id:63-2012-AGRICECON