Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Bazyli CZYZEWSKI Author-Workplace-Name: University of Economics, Poznan, Poland Author-Name: Katarzyna SMEDZIK-AMBROZY Title: The regional structure of the CAP subsidies and the factor productivity in agriculture in the EU 28 Abstract: he question of what effect the subsidies have on the productivity of farms in the EU has been studied by many authors, but has not yet been answered. A further research is thus required both in relation to the period since the decoupling reform, and in relation to the new member countries in the EU 28. In the paper, it is suggested that the productivity of resources in agriculture is not affected by the total amounts of subsidies, but by their structure. A three-stage spatial analysis was made of an EUFADN representative sample in the years 2007-2012: in the first stage, clusters of regions with significantly different agricultural support models were identified; in the second, it was determined whether the structure of the political rent, reflecting the different support models in the EU 28, is a significant determinant of the productivity of capital, land and labour on farms when subsidies are excluded and when they are included in the analysis. In the third stage, a robust model has been estimated (employing GLS) to relate the factors productivity to the EUFADN subsidies and to the location variables identified by the cluster analysis. The analysis confirmed that the qualitative predictor, i.e. "a structure of agricultural support", was a significant factor influencing the capital productivity over the whole of the period. Keywords: model of support, productivity of farms, spatial analysis Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 149-163 Volume: 63 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/302/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/302/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201704-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:4:id:302-2015-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jan TYRYCHTR Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Information Technologies, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Vaclav VOSTROVSKY Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Software Engineering, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: The current state of the issue of information needs and dispositions among small Czech farms Abstract: The supply of fast, accessible and high-quality information to individual users is the key aspect of information assurances of the agricultural sector. This aspect is closely related to the so-called information need. The paper aims to evaluate the current state of the information needs and information support and their impacts on small farms in the Czech Republic. There is a strong necessity to improve the economic performance of farms in the Czech Republic. Moreover, the need for the introduction of new ICT in farming and farm management has rapidly increased at present. In farming, the ICT directly supports the operational agricultural activities and it can also serve as an interactive and flexible tool for monitoring the progress of the farm economic performance. The analysis of the current state of the issue of information needs and dispositions among Czech farms was based on the questionnaire survey. We obtained 165 correctly filled answers from agricultural enterprises. Survey results are analysed with descriptive statistics, frequency tables, the clustering analysis and the correlation analysis. The results show that with 95% probability: (1) The level of the information needs is related to the current state of the ICT and the decision support system at the farm, (2) The influence of the information need level to the level of new technologies usage was not confirmed, (3) Legislation issues represent a crucial part of the information needs of agricultural subjects, (4) Large enterprises with more than 500 ha have a much better level of the information support than the companies with fewer hectares, (5) Companies with less than three employees face problems with their information support, (6) Czech farms in average use advanced ICT and information systems, and (7) The farmer's decision-making is not strongly facilitated through the ICT. Keywords: agriculture, Czech Republic, farms, farm information system, informatics evaluation, information support, ICT in agriculture, software in agriculture, survey Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 164-174 Volume: 63 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/321/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/321/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201704-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:4:id:321-2015-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jorge L. GARCIA-ALCARAZ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, México Author-Name: Aide A. MALDONADO-MACIAS Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, México Author-Name: Juan L. HERNANDEZ-ARELLANO Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, México Author-Name: Julio BLANCO-FERNANDEZ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of La Rioja, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain Author-Name: Emilio JIMENEZ-MACIAS Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of La Rioja, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain Author-Name: Juan C. SAENZ-DIEZ MURO Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of La Rioja, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain Title: The impact of human resources on the agility, flexibility and performance of wine supply chains Abstract: The research proposes a structural equation model (SEM) that integrates four latent variables: human resources skills, flexibility, agility, and the economic supply chain (SC) performance for wineries that together include fifteen observed variables. The data was obtained from 64 surveys applied to managers in the wineries in La Rioja, Spain. Direct, the indirect and total effects are analysed to prove six hypotheses that relate the aforementioned latent variables. The results indicate that the skills of human resources are a source of flexibility and agility in the supply chain for wineries in La Rioja and thus a direct and indirect source of economic performance. Keywords: SC agility, SC flexibility, SC performance, wine supply chain Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 175-184 Volume: 63 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/23/2016-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/23/2016-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201704-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:4:id:23-2016-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mustafa TERIN Author-Workplace-Name: Yüzüncü Yil University College of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Economics, Van, Turkey Author-Name: Fahri YAVUZ Author-Workplace-Name: Atatürk University College of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Economics, Erzurum, Turkey Title: A spatial equilibrium analysis for the possible regional impacts of the European Union full membership on the Turkey's dairy industry Abstract: In the study, the potential regional impacts of the European Union full memberships on the Turkey's dairy sector were analysed using a Spatial Equilibrium Model with 12 NUTS 1 regions as well as the European Union as being another region. According to the results, Turkey starts importing butter mainly to the Istanbul region and powder milk to the Black Sea regions, while exporting white cheese from Istanbul and plain yoghurt from the Central Anatolia and the North-eastern Anatolian regions. In the process of the European Union full membership, agricultural policies must focus on the enhancement of milk productivity to decrease the cost and to improve hygiene to meet the European Union standards for a smooth accession. Keywords: dairy sector, European Union, spatial equilibrium model, Turkey Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 185-196 Volume: 63 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/277/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/277/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201704-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:4:id:277-2015-AGRICECON