Agribusiness Operations Research Articles

THE ROLE OF THE ENTREPRENEUR IN MODERN AGRIBUSINESS AND CHOOSING THE MOST FAVORABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATEGY

Modern agribusiness, as a permanent process of reallocating financial, physical, and human resources from areas of societal reproduction where they are underutilized and inefficiently used to areas where they will yield much greater effects, always demands a positive optimistic attitude. The entrepreneur, in line with the analyses of self-development management philosophy, must impartially and objectively assess their strengths, weaknesses, available opportunities and threats in their operations. It is crucial to believe in one's abilities and the products or services offered. Agricultural entrepreneurship, as part of production, is characterized by low mobility of assets over time and space. Land as a production factor also has a limiting effect on agricultural entrepreneurial activity. The natural factor, along with the biological nature of the means and objects of work, is a precondition for the conditioned nature of agribusiness operations. The entrepreneur in agribusiness is a person who possesses creativity, and can lead and handle all challenges and risks in the work process. They are brave enough to take the risk of turning their idea into reality. Entrepreneurs are one of the most renowned untapped sources in the world of creativity and growth, making their role in modern agribusiness increasingly relevant in both developed and transition countries. By utilizing their entrepreneurial skills and qualities, the entrepreneurs should apply the best entrepreneurial strategies for the benefit of the company, not allowing uncertainty and potential failure to discourage future steps. On the contrary, they should see opportunities, not problems, in challenges and risks.

The camp, the zone, and sovereign sediments: Querying paradigms through the politics of Made-in-Italy agribusiness operations

The article questions the paradigmatic nature ascribed to “the zone”—and the concomitant dismissal of the camp's—by some analyses of the politics of capital's operations, and problematizes the very notion of the paradigm. Elaborating on previous reflections concerning contemporary agro-industrial zones in Italy, the article rethinks camps against state-centric and exceptionalist readings that consider them purely as sites of exclusion. At the same time, it retains a stress on the symbolic dimension of forms of containment and extraction, going beyond a narrow political-economic approach. The zone and the camp, it is argued, are mutually imbricated “infrastructure spaces” of present-day agro-capital's operations, which, however, result from the sedimentation of spatialized techniques for labor disciplining, reproduction, and containment that have developed alongside capitalist forms of agriculture throughout the contemporary period. The camp is thus defined as a function of the political, sovereign dimensions of extraction, that may operate within but also beyond the state. Furthermore, it is underlain by differential attributions of humanness, and therefore by a specific biopolitical anthropology. Engaging in a genealogy of the (humanitarian and/as labor) camps that today proliferate in agro-industrial zones, I argue that to understand the spatial formations emerging from and sustaining the politics of contemporary capital operations a recursive analytics is necessary, that thus questions the purchase of paradigms on the grounds of their atemporality and complicates the positing of mere historical continuities.

Agribusiness Career Choice among Secondary School Students: An Assessment of Start Them Early Program in Oyo State, Nigeria

This study empirically assessed the relationship between Start Them Early Program (STEP) and willingness to engage in agribusiness enterprises among students in selected secondary schools in Oyo state, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised 648 students and 54 STEP tutors who were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results showed that nearly all the students (99.8%) had knowledge of agriculture, especially in crop production (41.0%), before STEP was introduced in their schools and it was mainly through their fathers’ occupation (48.3%). From students’ and tutors’ perspectives, STEP enterprises significantly influenced students’ willingness to engage in agribusiness in future at P<0.01. To position the future youths in effective agribusiness operations, Oyo state government needs to incorporate STEP into the educational curriculum to cut across all secondary schools, to ensure the continuity of the program and bridge the farmers’ age gap in Oyo State.

Determinants of Agribusiness Sustainability: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

The research conducted in this study focused on exploring the determinants of sustainability of agribusinesses. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and targeted managers and operational staff working in agribusinesses affiliated with the National Association of Seed Traders of Ghana (NASTAG). The collected data underwent a series of statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation. These analyses were performed on the questionnaires, which contained variables assessing the determinants of sustainability of agribusinesses. The findings of the study revealed some sustainability dimensions of agribusinesses in Ghana. These determinants were categorised into three dimensions: social, environmental and economic sustainability dimensions. These dimensions emerged after applying exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation techniques. Together, these three dimensions accounted for 74.3% of the explained variance in the data. The identified sustainability determinants have both theoretical and practical implications for enhancing agribusinesses. They provide valuable insights into the specific areas that need attention and improvement to promote the long-term viability of agribusiness operations. However, despite the significance of these findings, the study also recommended that future researchers should consider exploring the interconnectedness and potential trade-offs between the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of agribusiness sustainability. It would be valuable to investigate the effectiveness of various strategies and interventions in achieving balanced sustainability outcomes across these dimensions.

Success Factors Associated with Frugal Business Modelling: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

The research conducted in this study focused on exploring the success factors associated with frugal business modelling in the context of agribusinesses. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and targeted managers and operational staff working in agribusinesses affiliated with the National Association of Seed Traders of Ghana (NASTAG). The collected data underwent a series of statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation. These analyses were performed on the questionnaires, which contained variables assessing the success factors related to frugal business modelling. The findings of the study revealed several success factors that aid frugal business modelling in Ghana. These success factors were categorised into six factors: coordination, information and dissemination, regulation and supervision, funding, service delivery, and the institutional framework. These factors emerged after applying exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation techniques. Together, these six factors accounted for 77.9% of the explained variance in the data. The identified success factors have both theoretical and practical implications for enhancing the sustainability of agribusinesses. They provide valuable insights into the specific areas that need attention and improvement to promote the long-term viability of agribusiness operations. However, despite the significance of these findings, the study also recommended the exploration of longitudinal studies. Conducting longitudinal research would provide an understanding of specific policies, regulations, and supportive measures needed to promote the adoption of frugal business models to create an enabling environment for their implementation.

Challenges Associated with Frugal Business Modelling: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

The research conducted in this study focused on exploring the challenges associated with frugal business modelling in the context of agribusinesses. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and targeted managers and operational staff working in agribusinesses affiliated with the National Association of Seed Traders of Ghana (NASTAG). The collected data underwent a series of statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation. These analyses were performed on the questionnaires, which contained variables assessing the challenges related to frugal business modelling. The findings of the study revealed that several challenges hinder the frugal business modelling in Ghana. These challenges were categorised into six factors: coordination, information and dissemination, regulation and supervision, funding, service delivery, and the institutional framework. These factors emerged after applying exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation techniques. Together, these six factors accounted for 65.6% of the explained variance in the data. The identified challenges have both theoretical and practical implications for enhancing the sustainability of agribusinesses. They provide valuable insights into the specific areas that need attention and improvement to promote the long-term viability of agribusiness operations. However, despite the significance of these findings, the study also recommended the exploration of longitudinal studies. Conducting longitudinal research would enable a deeper understanding of the enduring impact of frugal business modelling on agribusiness sustainability. By examining agribusinesses over an extended period, researchers can gain insights into the dynamics and long-term effects of frugal practices on sustainability outcomes.

A Review on Eco-Friendly Pesticides and Their Rising Importance in Sustainable Plant Protection Practices

The increasing environmental and health concerns associated with conventional pesticides have catalyzed a significant shift toward the development and application of eco-friendly pesticides within the agricultural sector. It proceeds to trace the historical transition from chemical-based to eco-friendly pest control methods, outlining key milestones and driving forces behind this shift. A diverse range of eco-friendly pesticides, including biological, botanical, and mineral types, are then explored, with an emphasis on their unique modes of action and comparative efficacy to synthetic alternatives. It also addresses the multitude of benefits these pesticides present, from reducing environmental contamination and preserving biodiversity to offering economic advantages and enhancing public health and safety. Case studies illustrating successful implementation across various climates and crops underscore the practicality and adaptability of eco-friendly pesticides. It also critically assesses the challenges that currently hinder broader adoption, including questions regarding efficacy, economic and regulatory hurdles, and logistical constraints. It then projects into the future, speculating on innovative research directions, policy initiatives, and educational strategies that could support the growth and integration of eco-friendly pesticides into mainstream agriculture. The potential for nanotechnology and genetic engineering to revolutionize pesticide application and crop resistance is particularly highlighted, along with anticipated developments in global policies and regulatory frameworks. It also offers targeted policy recommendations to support the research and development of eco-friendly pesticides and best practices for their integration into farming and agribusiness operations, emphasizing the importance of IPM and collaborative knowledge-sharing networks. The synthesis of current knowledge with future perspectives provides valuable insights for stakeholders across the agricultural sector, advocating for informed decisions and strategic actions that align with environmental sustainability and human health objectives. Through such multidimensional analysis, the review articulates a clear vision for the role of eco-friendly pesticides in the evolution of sustainable agricultural systems.

Application of the pert method in the audit of business of agricultural enterprises

The audit of agribusiness operations is present in companies with significant agricultural potential, which can be accepted as justified in our conditions. The agricultural sector is one of the development sectors in the Republic of Serbia, which necessarily represents a significant economic resource, and therefore the object of business audit. The factors of modern audit-based processes are conditioned by the complexity and subject specificities of the object being audited, which is expressed in the conditions of the agricultural sector. This paper will present the application of a quantitative planning method that is widely used in complex processes, and which can also be applied in the auditing processes of agricultural enterprises.

ANALYSIS OF PRODUCT-SERVICE SOLUTION INVENTORY RECORD FOR MALAYSIAN PALM OIL ARGIBUSINESS

This thesis is aimed at analyzing the Product – Service System (PSS) inventory control for Palm Oil Plantation Company and developing one software application named as inventory record to help the management for managing the inventory control of the company. The thesis deals with the study of PSS and inventory control at Company A which is a Malaysian palm oil plantation company. The aims of this thesis are to describe and analyse how Product-Service Solution Inventory Record manages its oil palm agriculture industry to achieve long term competitive advantage. In order to achieve the aim, these following research objectives have been to investigate the record information in and out fertilizer and poison for using the company requirements and issues for palm oil agribusiness operations, to develop a generic model that incorporating all general principles of Product-Service Solution Inventory Record Palm Oil Industry lastly to develop a Product-Service Solution Inventory Record in Palm Oil Industry for implementation. The palm oil industry is one of the well-known industry in Malaysia that provide the most prominent contribution to Malaysia’s economy. Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is an agency that responds for providing technical support, advisory and consultancy services to all palm oil plantation company in Malaysia which is included as a part of PSS. PSS is a managing system that combining product and service in one system. PSS is essential to provide better environmental impact, improve competitiveness and to help the company satisfy the demand from customer. However, PSS could not be running smoothly when the inventory of product and service are managed in separate interface systems which is by using manual inventory control like Microsoft Excel and handwriting documentation. In order to make PSS inventory control easier, and systematic, an inventory application system is developed. This research is focusing on developing PSS inventory record for fertilizer and pesticide at the Company A. This record will using Microsoft Visual Basic 6 which could help in decision and calculation making for product and service of palm oil plantation.

Use of Logistic Regression to Identify Factors Influencing the Post-Incident State of Occupational Injuries in Agribusiness Operations

Agribusiness industries are among the most hazardous workplaces for non-fatal occupational injuries. The term “post-incident state” is used to describe the health status of an injured person when a non-fatal occupational injury has occurred, in the post-incident period when the worker returns to work, either immediately with zero days away from work (medical state) or after a disability period (disability state). An analysis of nearly 14,000 occupational incidents in agribusiness operations allowed for the classification of the post-incident state as medical or disability (77% and 23% of the cases, respectively). Due to substantial impacts of occupational incidents on labor-market outcomes, identifying factors that influence the severity of such incidents plays a significant role in improving workplace safety, protecting workers, and reducing costs of the post-incident state of an injury. In addition, the average costs of a disability state are significantly higher than those of a medical state. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the contributory factors to such post-incident states with logistic regression using information from workers’ compensation claims recorded between 2008 and 2016 in the Midwest region of the United States. The logistic regression equation was derived to calculate the odds of disability post-incident state. Results indicated that factors influencing the post-incident state included the injured body parts, injury nature, and worker’s age, experience, and occupation, as well as the industry, and were statistically significant predictors of post-incident states. Specific incidents predicting disability outcomes included being caught in/between/under, fall/slip/trip injury, and strain/injury by. The methodology and estimation results provide insightful understanding of the factors influencing medical/disability injuries, in addition to beneficial references for developing effective countermeasures for prevention of occupational incidents.

‘The miskeet tree doesn't belong here': shifting land values and the politics of belonging in Um Doum, central Sudan

The new-yet-old phenomenon of ‘land grabbing’ is often characterized in media and NGO reports as an unstoppable tidal wave hitting the African continent. Yet, as Anna Tsing reminds us, global power rarely operates without friction (2005). From the negotiation of deals that give investors access to land, to its transformation for use in large-scale agribusiness or mining operations, the process of ‘grabbing land’ is rarely unilinear and always historically situated. While some land investments materialize, others run into crisis. In April of 2013, a deal was struck between government elites and a Saudi businessman over customary land in Um Doum – a peri-urban community in central Sudan – that had been utilized by local families for generations. Community members immediately mobilized against the deal using civil disobedience tactics and media advocacy, forcing government officials to reverse the land deal and to initiate negotiations aimed at locally redistributing the land through registration and titling. Despite the apparent success of this resistance to a large-scale land deal, this article argues that the subsequent programme of land titling nevertheless represented the extension of state control over land tenure and generated profound change in gendered and ethnic social relations and land values. As such, the Um Doum negotiations served to restructure, rather than reverse, the process of land dispossession. It concludes that even when large-scale land deals are renegotiated in favour of those dispossessed, it is important to consider the ways in which ‘negotiability’ in land rights (Peters, 2004) can benefit elites and exacerbate existing social divisions by intensifying forms of inequality in land access.

EXAMINING EFFECT OF FORWARD INTEGRATION CREDIT RISK MITIGATION MECHANISMS ON RETURN ON EQUITY (ROE) OF AGRIBUSINESS FIRMS IN KENYA

Commercial Banks apply Forward Integration Credit Risk Mitigation Mechanisms (FICRMMs) to promote credit access, security and productivity for various sectors, since credits make a significant portion in business’ capital structure and performance. Credits to the agribusiness sector; which contributes 53% to employment in developing countries, and 80% in Kenya, has registered decreasing trends between 2002 and 2016; ranging from 6.5% to 2.9%. However, there is little information on the effect of Forward Integration Credit Risk Mitigation Mechanisms on agribusiness firms’ performance with respect to Equity as owner investments in Agribusiness Enterprises in Nyanza region; where agribusiness operations play core absorption over 80% of its labour-force. The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of Forward Integration Credit Risk Mitigation Mechanisms on Return on Equity (ROE) of agribusinesses enterprises. With objectives of determining the effect of the mechanisms on ROE, the single period Regression results reveal R2 of 0. 647 to return on equity (ROE), implying that FICRMMs account for 57% of ROE at significant level p<0.05.

Investment opportunities in agri-tourism in India

Indian tourism industry is growing at the rate of 10 per cent which is 2½ times more than the growth rate at global level. By introducing Agri-tourism concept, not only present growth rate is sustained but also this value addition contributes to further growth. The tourism sector in India had witnessed an increase in employment numbers from 44.7 million to 51.1 million during the period 2004-05 to 2006-07. However, tourism also promotes national integration, international understanding and supports local handicrafts and cultural activities. India's share in the world tourism market during the year 2005 was 0.49 per cent, foreign exchange earnings during the year 2005 were Rs. 25,172 crores. Agri-tourism is the latest concept in the Indian tourism industry, which normally occurs on farms. Agricultural tourism is the Holidays concept of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operations for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or operation. In general, Agri-tourism is the practice of attracting travelers or visitors to an area or areas used primarily for agricultural purposes. With the introduction of Agri-tourism farmers have reaped the benefit and attracting more tourists to their farms by providing all the basic necessities with hygienic condition. Agri-tourism is all about unraveling various facets of village life. Agri-tourism is now growing in a big way. However, it may take some time before it starts to grab a major share of the revenue generated from tourism-related activities. There is a huge scope of developing various pockets of agri-tourism in the country, as India is a country of extreme diversity.

Identification of Performance Indicators for Poultry Agribusiness Operations

Nowadays, the competitiveness of any organisations rests dominantly on how they can manage their performance. A host of performance variables such as quality, reliability, and efficiency are recognised as competitive priorities. This paper reviews the criteria and dimensions of performance measures, and discusses six core performance indicators in agribusiness operations with particular reference to the poultry/broiler farms. Besides, a holistic “Quality, Reliability and Efficiency” view of performance is proposed when developing measures for poultry agribusiness operations.

Workers' compensation experience of Colorado agriculture workers, 2000–2004

Agriculture is among the most hazardous of occupations. The lack of information regarding agriculture injuries or fatalities has been recognized as an obstacle for effective injury prevention. Workers' compensation claims data for non-fatal injuries among agriculture and agri-business workers in the State of Colorado between the years of 2000 and 2004. Workers' compensation claims are utilized to estimate injury claim incidence rates, determine the distributions of sources, causes, types and body locations of injuries, and estimate the costs of these injuries. Colorado agriculture and agri-business workers (e.g., cattle dealers, cattle or livestock raisers, dairy farmers) have high rates of injury claims, especially in sectors that involve interaction with animals or livestock. Grain milling operations had a high rate of injury claims among agri-business operations. Injuries related to animals, strains, machinery, and falls or slips were the most frequent among all occupations analyzed. Understanding the occurrence of injuries among Colorado agriculture and agri-business workers is critical to implementing and evaluating effective intervention programs for specific agriculture-related occupations. The development of safety interventions that address the worker-animal interface, fall protection systems, machinery usage, and overexertion prevention strategies is recommended.

BAYER IN LEAD FOR AVENTIS AG UNIT

AVENTIS AND SCHERING AG have entered exclusive discussions with Bayer about selling their $3.7 billion-per-year Aventis CropScience joint venture. After analyzing first bids from several companies, Bayer has emerged as the most promising partner, financially and socially, Aventis says. If it comes off, the acquisition, at a price estimated between $5 billion and $7 billion, would be Bayer's largest ever. Our crop protection business is a core activity Bayer Chairman Manfred Schneider says. By merging the two businesses, we would create one of the world's leading companies in this industry headquartered in Europe with global reach. Bayer—with its mix of chemicals, plastics, and drugs—would emerge as the number two agrochemical player after Syngenta. Novartis and AstraZeneca created Syngenta, with about $6 billion in annual agrochemical sales, by combining their agribusiness operations so that they could focus on pharmaceuticals. If the long-expected CropScience divestiture goes through, it would mark...

Formal Training Requirements for Future Managers of Commercial Agriculture

The title of this article restricts our discussion to training for commercial farm management. As most are aware, however, the structure of the entire agricultural business complex has changed greatly in recent years. We have seen a sharp growth in the number and size of commercial farms with resource capabilities far beyond those of traditional family farms, the transition in some agricultural industries (as in broiler production and cattle feeding) to factory types of operation, and vertical integration of food and feed companies toward agriculture and even into farm production. We are also observing the development of agricultural corporations. Some of these are integrating into agribusiness operations and in conglomerate patterns. For example, some of our Texas cattle feeding corporations have now merged with chemical companies or oil firms, and one has acquired a large scale broiler enterprise. A number own and operate ranches or meat packing plants. One or two have established subsidiary credit corporations.