Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Roman Svoboda Author-Name: Lenka Kopecka Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: The Sweezy model of price competition among private labels of chain stores Abstract: The aim of the paper is to verify and explain the actual effects of the Sweezy oligopoly model and its eventual impact on the consumer demand and the structure of the food supply of chain stores. The methodology of the paper is based on a comparative analysis of the structure of commodities of chain stores in the Czech Republic in terms of consumer demand and its change over time. An example of this model behaviour of firms may be the competition between two supermarket chains Billa and Kaufland in the market with private label products (e.g. pork meat). Results of the analysis of the Sweezy model imply that the change in company costs due to higher prices of inputs does not affect product prices and this is the reason behind the rigidity of prices in the oligopolistic markets in the Sweezy model. Keywords: consumer demand, food, oligopoly, pork neck, rigidity of prices Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 299-307 Volume: 63 Issue: 7 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/355/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/355/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201707-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:7:id:355-2015-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Murad A. BEIN Author-Workplace-Name: Cyprus International University, Lefkosa, Turkey Author-Name: Serhan CIFTCIOGLU Author-Workplace-Name: Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazimagusa, Turkey Title: The relationship between the relative GDP share of agriculture and the unemployment rate in selected Central and Eastern European countries Abstract: The study empirically investigates the relationship between the relative GDP share of agriculture and the unemployment rate in a sample of ten Central and Eastern European countries. Utilising the annual data for the sample period 1996-2013, the empirical analysis is carried out using the dynamic panel regression analysis and the Granger causality tests. The estimation results based on the alternative specification of regression equations for the unemployment rate suggest that the unemployment rate is negatively related to the relative GDP share of agriculture. In addition, a similar effect has been obtained for some other explanatory variables we have included in the unemployment equation as controlling variables: higher investment rate and trade openness are likely to lower the rate of unemployment. The financial development has also been found to be negatively related to the unemployment rate, although the statistical significance of its effect depends on the estimation technique used. On the other hand, the GDP growth and the government consumption have been found to be insignificantly related to the unemployment rate. While the Granger causality tests performed for each country produced evidence of a causal effect of the relative GDP share of agriculture in some countries, in some other countries the direction of causality has been found to be from the unemployment rate to the relative GDP share of agriculture. Our findings suggest that agriculture may play a potential role in lowering the prevailing rates of high unemployment; but this potential is likely to vary between countries. Keywords: dynamic panel regression, Granger causality, investment, trade openness Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 308-317 Volume: 63 Issue: 7 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/372/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/372/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201707-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:7:id:372-2015-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Irena BENESOVA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Mansoor MAITAH Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Lubos SMUTKA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Karel TOMSIK Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Natalia ISHCHUKOVA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Perspectives of the Russian agricultural exports in terms of comparative advantage Abstract: The paper analyses the current position of the Russian Federation in the global market of agricultural products and foodstuffs with the accent on the comparative advantage of Russian agricultural exports in relation to specific regions and states. The key purpose of the research is to classify the most significant changes in the structure of Russian agricultural exports. The results show that the structure of Russian trade is changing continuously and evolving along with the process of economic transformation and trade liberalization. Exports become less diversified and are concentrated in a few segments. From the perspective of comparative advantage, cereals, fish and vegetable oils are the segments of Russian exports which become more significant. The comparative advantages of Russian exports are strengthening mostly in the case of African, Asian and CIS countries. Keywords: foreign trade, foodstuff, Lafay index, product mapping scheme Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 318-330 Volume: 63 Issue: 7 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/344/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/344/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201707-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:7:id:344-2015-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Bojan MATKOVSKI Author-Name: Koviljko LOVRE Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics in Subotica, University of Novi Sad, Subotica, Serbia Author-Name: Stanislav ZEKIC Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics in Subotica, University of Novi Sad, Subotica, Serbia Title: The foreign trade liberalization and export of agri-food products of Serbia Abstract: Liberalization of the market, as a consequence of the achieved trade agreements with the members of the European Union and the Central European Free Trade Association, had a significant effect on the foreign trade exchange of the Serbian agri-food products. In order to determine the liberalization effects on the export of agri-food products of Serbia, a gravity model of the export of these products is estimated using econometric methods for the panel data. In order to find the sections, as well as the advantageous parts of the international market, the comparative advantages of agri-food products in the particular groups of countries are dynamically analysed using the index of the revealed comparative advantages, whereas the level of specialization in the international trade exchange of these products is analysed using the index of the intra-industry trade. In relation to the main objective of the article, which was to identify the effects of the foreign trade liberalization on the performances of the foreign trade in agri-food products, it may be stated that liberalization had positive effects on the intensification of foreign trade with the analysed group of countries, as well as on the increase of the revealed comparative advantages of the agri-food sector in the world market. Keywords: agriculture, export, competitiveness, comparative advantages, gravity model, Serbia, EU, CEFTA Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 331-345 Volume: 63 Issue: 7 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/345/2015-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/345/2015-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201707-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:63:y:2017:i:7:id:345-2015-AGRICECON