Principles of Agricultural Economics


Book Description

This book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, natural resources and other sectors. The result is an agricultural economics textbook that provides students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making. While the primary focus of the book is on microeconomic aspects, agricultural economics has expanded over recent decades to include issues of macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development. Hence, these topics are also provided with significant coverage.







Principles of Agricultural Economics


Book Description

This textbook addresses the main economic principles required by agricultural economists involved in rural development. The principles of 'micro-economics' or 'price-theory' are of relevance to economists everywhere, but this book reinforces the message of their relevance for rural development by explaining the theory in the specific context of the agricultural and food sectors of developing countries. Hypothetical and actual empirical illustrations drawn almost exclusively from such countries distinguish this book from other economic principles texts that draw their examples almost invariably from industrialised countries, and also from books more oriented to the issue of rural development. The first half of the book deals with the underlying principles of production, supply and demand. These are essential tools for the study and management of the agricultural sector and food markets. In the second half, supply and demand are bought together into a chapter of equilibrium and exchange. This is followed by chapters on trade and the theory of economic welfare. In the final chapter it is shown that much of the material in the earlier chapters can be combined by agricultural economists into a system for analysing and comparing the effects of alternative agricultural policies. The ability of agricultural economics to provide a consistent framework for the analysis of policy problems thus enables it to make a key contribution to rural development.




Farm Management


Book Description




Productivity Growth in Agriculture


Book Description

This volume is written primarily for agricultural economists doing research on productivity. It includes discussions of the theoretical underpinnings of productivity measurement as well as the many practical considerations that go into translating this theory into actual measures of aggregated outputs and inputs. The unifying concept of agricultural productivity used across the chapters of this volume is aggregate total factor productivity (TFP) of the sector. The volume also contains detailed analysis of the underlying causes of agricultural productivity growth. Part I (chapters 2-6) examines agricultural productivity in high-income and transition countries. Part II (chapters 7-11) examines agricultural productivity growth and its driving forces in five important agricultural producers in Asia and Latin America. Part III (chapters 12-14) focuses on measuring and identifying constraints to agricultural productivity growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Part IV (chapters 15-16) gives a global perspective on agricultural productivity.




Economics of Farm Management in a Global Setting


Book Description

"Farm managers will appreciate this book as they learn the principles of farm management; from the basics of management and economics; to the details of strategy and operations. It presents economic concepts, such as the discussion of markets, competitive forces, and macroeconomics, which is new to farm management texts. Material is included on strategy, marketing, budgeting, production and operations, quality, finance, investment, risk, contracts, staffing, business organisation, farm succession, and the future. Strategic management and quality management as well as new techniques and tools in production and operations management are also examined. This approach will help farm managers improve the efficiency, effectiveness, objectivity, and, ultimately, success of their decisions"--Provided by publisher.




Microeconomics using Excel


Book Description

Using Microsoft Excel, the market leading spreadsheet package, this book combines theory with modelling aspects and spreadsheet analysis. Microeconomics Using Excel provides students with the tools with which to better understand microeconomic analysis.It focuses on solving microeconomic problems by integrating economic theory, policy analysis and




Micro-level Farm Management and Production Economics Research Among Traditional African Farmers: Lessons from Sierra Leone


Book Description

Agricultural economics paper on the data collecting methodology and research methodology used in conducting a 1970-1972 survey of agricultural management among traditional farmers in Sierra Leone - reviews some alternative methods of farm management and agricultural production economic research, and covers the general principles of field study work in africa, the 'cost route method' of data collecting, etc. Map and references.




Agricultural Economics


Book Description

Agricultural Economics - Current Issues is a review of topics related to the economics of agriculture in various parts of the world. It contains a total of seven chapters. These contributions are related to some of the significant current problems facing these regions. The book is divided into four parts. The first part is simply an introduction to the field of agricultural economics. It charts the development of the field from its origin of farm management economics to the current state of a variety of subjects in various parts of the world. In the second section, an issue related to marketing is discussed. This is followed in the third section by an issue related to water resource economics. In the last section the remaining three chapters are devoted to agricultural environment-related topics. All chapters present guidance for policymaking.