Agricultural Reform Research Articles

AGRICULTURE TRANSFORMATION AND AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF POLOG REGION IN NORTH MACEDONIA

The belief in different circles that agriculture is dealt with mainly by the poorer countries, and that the development of other branches of the economy such as industry can push it forward in itself, to some extent has overshadowed the strategic role of this sector, especially in primary production or agricultural products. The sharp rise in prices of corn and derivative products in 2010 as a result of draught, began to alarm even the consumers with higher incomes who should spent more on food consumption. Undoubtedly, for developing countries that do not satisfy their own needs with food and depend on importing, agriculture development requires a more serious and decisive commitment than ever before. While this necessity cannot be questioned by anyone, this paper aims to analyze agriculture reform challenges in North Macedonia, where agriculture contributes 10 percent to GDP and 18 percent to employment, and based on survey data of eight agribusiness companies from the Polog region, to identify the development prospects of this sector.

‘For the Farmers of the Country’: Indian Agricultural Universities at the Cusp of Nation-Building Plans and the Cold War, 1947–67

Agricultural universities are integral to the history of modern India. The aspiration of the Indian state to be economically and socially modern is coincident with the origin of agricultural universities. This paper explores the making of agricultural universities from the Radhakrishnan Committee to the New Agricultural Strategy and shows their connections to the political and economic needs of the nation. Also, the Cold War imperatives encouraged American involvement in India’s agricultural reforms. However, this paper argues that neither the Indian state nor the American experts determined the evolution of these institutes as per their developmental goals. Geopolitical events, like the Partition, the Union-state relationship and the history of marginalisation of agricultural scientists combined and produced varying dynamics. It is within these historical contexts that the paper has analysed the growth trajectory of agricultural institutions, with particular reference to the Punjab Agricultural University—the pivot of the agricultural modernisation programme.

Evaluating Environmental Sustainability: The Role of Agriculture and Renewable Energy in South Korea

This study investigates the impacts of agriculture and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in South Korea from 1980 to 2023, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for environmental sustainability. Utilizing bootstrap ARDL, FMOLS, and CCR methodologies, the analysis reveals that traditional agricultural practices significantly increase CO2 emissions, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable agricultural reforms. Conversely, renewable energy consumption effectively reduces CO2 emissions, thereby supporting the nation’s transition towards sustainable energy sources. Additionally, control variables such as industrial activity, urbanization, energy prices, and government environmental policies exhibit significant effects on CO2 emissions. Specifically, industrial activity and urbanization contribute to increased emissions, whereas higher energy prices and stringent environmental policies are associated with reduced emissions. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted agricultural and energy sector reforms to achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental preservation. Robustness tests confirm the stability of these relationships, providing a reliable foundation for policymakers to develop effective strategies for a sustainable future in South Korea.

Identity, Law and Agrarian Economy in India: Past and Present

The article discusses the contentious issue of agricultural reform in India, particularly focusing on the three Acts proposed by the ruling party in September 2021. These Acts aimed to revolutionize farming practices but faced significant opposition from agrarian communities nationwide, culminating in extensive protests and the eventual withdrawal of the bills. The debate surrounding these Acts delves into questions of agrarian identity and the historical construction of the farmer’s role, going back to colonial-era policies and their lasting impact. The article highlights the complex interplay between legal frameworks, social identities, and economic structures, emphasizing the transition of the farmer’s identity from a class-based to a caste-based construct. Through historical analysis and contemporary parallels, it explores how colonial legacies continue to shape agrarian politics and the ongoing struggle to define and protect the interests of farmers in India

The effect of political factors on agricultural land ownership and grain crops in Erbil Governorate 1975-1991

This research is entitled the impact of political factors on the ownership of agricultural land and cereal crops in Erbil province in 1975-1991. During the research, the agricultural situation in Erbil province was of special importance for economic development. These include the industrial and commercial sectors, as agricultural products have become an important resource used as raw materials in the industrial sector, in addition to agricultural activities and products have affected the movement and trade processes and exchange. Whether in domestic or foreign trade. Ownership of agricultural land in Erbil province has been under the influence of the Agricultural Reform Law to regulate and improve agricultural land. Based on several official government data and statistics obtained, the impact of political events in Iraq and Kurdistan on the ownership of agricultural land and grain crops in Erbil province between 1975-1991 is presented.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Food Production-Demand Mismatch in China and Implications for Agricultural Structural Adjustment.

Based on the food equivalent unit (FEU), this article analyzed Chinese food consumption patterns, spatial mismatch, and production potential to explore agricultural reform strategies. Assessing production-demand mismatch involved the spatial mismatch model, drawing data from statistical yearbooks. Calculations of food production potential utilized the CASA model and the Thornthwaite Memorial model, with net primary productivity (NPP) derived from remote sensing data as indicators. The results showed that livestock product consumption is on the rise, and the spatial mismatch index for herbivorous livestock products was the largest, ranging from 22.81 to 98.12 in 2019. The mismatched degree distribution of rations and food-consuming livestock products showed a trend of increasing on both sides, with the Hu Huanyong line as the center line. Production factors played a predominant role in food production-to-demand mismatch. Climatic productivity and actual productivity decreased from the southeast to northwest in space in 2019, and human activities significantly impacted productivity. When grassland agriculture is pursued as the adjustment orientation, the production potential can reach up to 4540.76 × 107 kg·FEU. Moreover, a grassland agriculture plan was devised, prioritizing its development in the developed southern regions.

Agricultural Thought and Humanism of Rabindranath

This article describes Rabindranath Tagore's profound insights on rural development and agricultural reform, highlighting his vision for uplifting village communities through modern science and technology. Tagore's humanistic perspective emphasized the pivotal role of agriculture in societal progress, advocating for the adoption of innovative farming techniques to alleviate rural poverty and empower farmers. Through his observations and initiatives, Rabindranath sought to transform the traditional farming landscape, promoting education, economic independence, and sustainable development in rural Bengal. is writings reflect a deep understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities and underscore the urgent need for holistic approaches to village revitalization.

Farm bills in the parliament: impact of farmers protest and the democratisation of legislative process in India

ABSTRACT This research article analyses the impact of the farmers’ agitation on the legislative process in India. The Indian farmers’ protest against the 2020 Indian Agriculture Reform Acts, dubbed as ‘Kala Kanoon’ (black laws), not only voiced dissatisfaction with the contents of the farm bills but also confronted the undemocratic legislative practices. We provide descriptive evidence by discussing five major dimensions of the impact of the protest and the outcome i.e. the repeal of the laws. First, the protest movement and the resultant repeal helped discern a valuable public policy lesson to abandon top-down policy-making. Second, the protest questioned the bureaucratic approach to legislation that excluded the primary stakeholder group from policy-making. Third, it revealed the diminished role of the legislature and the concentration of power in the executive. Fourth, it exposed vulnerabilities in the parliamentary system when the ruling party holds a brute majority. Fifth, the protest emphasized the importance of state autonomy and legislative accountability to hold the executive accountable. We conclude with the summation of the major arguments from the discussion by highlighting the implications of the farmers’ movement for India’s future legislative processes.

Government Versus Farmers’: A Conflict Over the Neo Liberal Agricultural Reforms in India: A Review

Government Versus Farmers’: A Conflict Over the Neo Liberal Agricultural Reforms in India: A Review

Growth and Instability in Agriculture Production in Odisha, India

The performance of agriculture sector in any economy is better understood through the analysis of growth and instability in agriculture production. It is evident that the growth of agriculture in Odisha is very erratic in nature and huge instability is there in agricultural production. Instability in agriculture affects the trend and pattern of production which creates risk in farmers’ ability to adopt new technologies. Therefore, this paper aims to study the growth and instability in agriculture production in Odisha where growth and instability on area, yield and production of twenty crops have been calculated. Instability in agriculture production is caused by various agricultural reforms, weather variation and price fluctuation. Therefore, in this study attempt has been made to analyse the contribution of agriculture and allied sector to GSVA in Odisha over the years, sectoral employment, and district wise crop intensity. To examine growth and instability in agriculture of twenty major crops, this study has undertaken decadal analysis by using secondary data. Total four decades i.e. 1970-80, 1980-90, 1990-00, 2000-10 and 2010-20 are considered. The results show that, agriculture sector is leading sector in providing employment and significantly contribute to GSDP in Odisha. However, the area under cultivation of all the crops area gradually decreasing due to the urbanization but the percentage of area under cereal cultivation is decreasing whereas percentage of area under pulses are increasing but the area under total food grains is decreasing showing farmers are switching towards non-food grain products. So far, the growth of production and yield of different crop areas shows erratic growth in agricultural crops, as evident from the high instability rate in the growth of different crops. The cropping intensity shows that it is lower than the national level and therefore the role of technology needs to be identified.

Nothing Changed, Nothing Gained? Emotional Responses towards European Integration in the Memoirs of Polish Farmers

Accession to the European Union (EU) aroused diverse emotions in public debate among citizens, but the everyday experience of being an EU member is much more difficult to narrate than by relating to two contrasting views for and against European integration. The situation becomes more complicated if we analyse the emotional responses of Polish farmers, for whom joining the EU has been one more change in the last two centuries: the fall of feudalism, the agricultural reform after the Second World War, and the post-1989 political transformation. We aim to analyse personal narratives while observing how feelings about the EU have become embedded in everyday life experience narratives and how they are expressed and managed in a socio-cultural context. The presence of contradictory views was expected, as was the appearance of a combination of emotions and indifference, and, finally, the use of emotions as resistance. Based on the analysis of 55 memoirs from 1918 to 2018, we have determined the possible types of the integration experience; firstly, Poland’s accession to the EU meant change and was associated mainly with positive emotions, secondly, with negative emotions, thirdly, it meant change, and was associated with ambiguous emotions; and lastly, it did not mean a change. We noted not only the contrasting positions e.g. hope and fear but also the mixture of emotions and various paths of resistance that included demonstrating the inadequacy of the master narrative to personal experience or neutralising it but also filling the intermediary space between two opposite views and finding a way out from this opposition to the higher level of division and thus narrating non-change. It is the sense of personal dignity and permanence that negates the perception of accession as a change.

Contribution of Federal Centre for Animal Health to Rosselkhoznadzor’s international mandate delivery

The paper covers the history of the Federal Centre for Animal Health, which started 65 years ago by the foundation of the All-Union Foot and Mouth Disease Research Institute. The main research area – FMD prevention and control – was and still remains the leading one for the Centre. The current history of the Federal Centre for Animal Health development is inextricably associated with the public administration reform in agriculture in 2000s, when the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) spun off the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation as an independent executive authority with broad powers in the area of the veterinary and phytosanitary control and surveillance. The grounds for the re-subordination of the Federal Centre for Animal Health to the Rosselkhoznadzor, historically novel executive authority in Russia, included high international prestige of the Centre and nationally and internationally acknowledged qualification of its employees in the field of contagious animal diseases.

FEATURES OF AGRO INSURANCE IN AUSTRIA AND GEORGIA

Insurance is a risk management financial instrument that involves the transfer of risk in whole or in part to an insurance organization. Crop insurance in agriculture is of great importance. Thus, the implementation of the agro insurance program is very relevant and vital for the farmer. Properly managed agricultural reform and the development of agro insurance will contribute to economic growth, country development and the well-being of the population. The main functions of agro insurance are to facilitate agricultural production and to compensate for the damage caused by the realization of agro risks. Agro insurance is a sub-type of property insurance that reduces risk for the farming sector and stimulates the development of agricultural production. Thus, the implementation of agro insurance is important for the farmer. The purpose of the paper is to compare the peculiarities of agro insurance between the two countries. The objectives of the study are to study the situation in the agro insurance market of Georgia and Austria, to analyze the state agro insurance program. It should be noted that the governments of both countries subsidize agro insurance. The difference is that 70% of the insurance premium in Georgia is subsidized and 50% in Austria. The main four risks in Georgia are insured: hail, storm, flood, autumn frost (citrus only). In Austria, a wider insurance package is offered to farmers, taking the following risks: hail, frost, storm, flood, snow, drought, fire. It should be noted that agricultural insurance has been helping farmers to compensate for the damage caused by insurance risk in Austria since 1947. In Georgia, this product is quite young only covers 12 years and requires time to develop more and farmers understand its goodies. Keywords: agro insurance, income stabilization, agro risks, financial loss.

DO AGRICULTURAL REFORMS INCREASING THE PROSPERITY OF INDONESIAN FARMERS?

Since several decades, agricultural movements have been supporting the majority of villages in Indonesia. Agricultural reform is a new program organized by the government that started in 2019. In this context, the objectivity of the paper is to examine causality between technology adoption (TA), capital subsidies (CS), educational skills (ES), and health and scholarships (H&S) on farmers' prosperity (FP). Using a time–series regression simulation, the investigation is focused on agricultural reform in the era of President Jokowi, to be precise in the 2nd period (2019–2023). In Indonesia, there are simultaneous parallel effects of technology adoption, capital subsidies, educational skills, and health and scholarships on the farmers' prosperity. When testing partially, the result is that technology adoption as well as health and scholarships have a positive effect on the farmers' prosperity. Yet, capital subsidies and educational skills actually have a negative effect on the farmers' prosperity. Explicitly, the consistency of agricultural reform is expected to be accessible to all farmers.

Economic Transformations in British Colonial Punjab and the Feudal Identity of District Jhang

Jhang a historic city of Punjab is situated at the junction of two rivers Jehlum and Chenab. Its fertile lands have always been a big source of prosperity. During British rule, colonial authorities in Punjab made many reforms in this region. They not only reformed the agriculture sector but also improved infrastructure. Construction of a road network, railway line, postal and telegraph system as well as supply of electricity had positive impacts on the social and economic life of Jhang. Although all these developments were made for colonial interests ultimately these benefitted the peoples of Jhang. Among British reforms, the most important were agricultural reforms. These reforms had a deep impact on the future and socio-economic and political setup of Jhang. After agricultural reforms and establishing canal colonies, Jhang was neglected in terms of establishing agro-based and other industrial units and new agricultural research and science and technology institutions. As a result, the Jhang was denied the chances for advancement and growth that could have driven and propelled it to become a more prosperous and progressed region. Here the question arises of whether the actual purpose of agricultural reforms in district Jhang was only to create certain classes to protect colonial interests and reward them for their loyalties? Did the British Colonial agrarian reforms lay the foundation for the Feudal system in Jhang?

Zur alten und neuen Logik der Agrarpolitik in Europa: Gibt es effektive Steuerungsmechanismen einer nachhaltigen Landwirtschaft?

Abstract Few policies have been as heavily criticised as European agricultural policy. Consequently, since its establishment in 1962, it has been in a continuous process of reform, encompassing six major reforms in the last 30 years alone. The central question arises: What is the logic behind the endless reform history of EU agricultural policy? Are agricultural reforms fundamentally a logical consequence of changing objectives or structural conditions, and thus dynamically efficient? Or do they represent a sequence of unsuccessful political learning processes and thus a perpetual policy failure? The latter implies that there are more efficient policy options that would be politically feasible given the democratic power relations and decision-making processes in place.

Research on the influence factors of sustainable development of plateau characteristic agriculture based on DEMATEL and AISM combined model.

Under the background of the continuous progress of China's agricultural reform, the development of characteristic agriculture is an important field of agricultural development in the country and even the world. Yunnan has unique advantages in geography, location, climate, and human resources, and has unique conditions for the development of agriculture with plateau characteristic. However, the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is affected and restricted by many factors. How to promote the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is an important research topic, and it is also the main purpose of this study. Therefore, through literature analysis and investigation, this study studies the advantages and disadvantages, development status, main problems, countermeasures and suggestions, macro development direction, and theoretical research methods of characteristic agriculture in the Yunnan plateau. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and the Adversarial Interpretation Structure Modeling Method (AISM) and proposes to combine the two models to make up for each other and improve the accuracy of model analysis. On this basis, a set of identification and evaluation systems of factors affecting the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is established, which can comprehensively and accurately identify and evaluate various influencing factors, and provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic. Finally, combined with the relevant statistical data of Yunnan Province from 2009 to 2020 and many results calculated by the model, the factors affecting the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that transportation, environment, and insurance support factors are the root factors that affect the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic, while the regional economy, scientific and technological support, and the development of agricultural enterprises are of high importance. Financial support, the level of agricultural mechanization, the quality of labor, and other factors can not be ignored. Finally, according to the results of the analysis, the corresponding policy recommendations are put forward to provide a reference for the sustainable development of plateau characteristic agriculture in Yunnan Province.

Public Policy Reforms

Governments are duty-bound to carry out public policy reforms in a bid to address specific public concerns, needs, and social interests, and stir their economies on sustainable development trajectories. This is done following their constitutional mandates. Zimbabwe has implemented several policy reforms in education, health, housing, finance, agriculture, mining, energy, policing, correctional services, and transport, among others, with varied degrees of success and challenges. These reforms required varied formulation and implementation approaches depending on the objectives and prevailing circumstances. This study gives a scholarly perspective of the public policy reform, ‘Education 5.0', on primary and secondary education in Zimbabwe, given concerns about the policy from stakeholders. An interview was conducted with a convenient sample of stakeholders. An assortment of documentary evidence was also used to gather secondary data. The study concluded that most of the respondents were satisfied with the policy Education 5.0 in principle.

Optimization of expropriation costs on the highway projects in Türkiye

Expropriation is widely used to introduce highway projects into the society. Expropriation is the registration process of real estate and equities owned by natural and legal persons on behalf of the administration for public interest, provided that property and easement right amount shall be paid in cash or in advance or by equal installments. In what situations and by which institutions expropriation is carried out are restricted by the law. In accordance with the Article 3 of the Expropriation Law Number 2942 amended by the Law Number 4650, the expropriation process shall not be started without an adequate allowance provided by the administration. The exercise of the right of property shall not be against public interest.” Project areas are required to be converted into public property after the development plans for the public projects are prepared. Areas regarded as private property but intersected by highway, railway or waterway routes can only be occupied after expropriation. Without expropriation, projects based on transportation in improvement areas can be opened to public with the application of the provisions of the Development Law Number 3194, while those in areas having no development plan can be opened to public with the application of the relevant provisions of the Agricultural Reform Law Number 3083 on Land Consolidation in Irrigated Areas and Law Number 5403 on Soil Conservation and Land Use. In this article, opening highways, railways, and waterways to public in Türkiye using the implementation of development plans is discussed. For the real estate coinciding with the route of public investments, if land and land lots are arranged in accordance with the Article 18 of the Development Law Number 3194, state withholding up to 45% may be imposed. The objective function in the state withholding can be stated as f= costmin= f(a,b). Land acquisition increases as the ratio of state withholding increases, resulting in the minimization of the expropriation costs. Public projects such as highway can be opened to public free of charge with development plan implementation in improvement areas and with land consolidation in rural areas having no development plan.

Agricultural Crisis, Farms Laws, and Farmers’ Protest: Reflection on its Rollback and Implication

Agriculture has been brought to the forefront of policymaking, parliamentary debate, and political discussions in recent history. India’s Parliament recently voted to scrap agricultural reform laws which came up as a huge victory for the farmers’ movement, who have been protesting for over a year for the rollback of the laws. This farmers’ movement created history at the national and international levels in the present times. The government had passed three farm laws to transform agriculture and increase farmer income without detailed consultations with all stakeholders. This led to protests by the farmer community by blocking roads and highways, calling an All-India Bandh, which attracted public attention and brought weight to the farmer issues, leading to achievement for the ‘Annadatas’ of the country. The article discusses the predicaments of the agriculture sector, the problems of the farmers, critical analysis of the three Farm laws, their implementation, implications and finally, its rollback. The reasons for this move have been examined from the political and economic angle with a reflection on its rollback for the future. JEL Codes: Q18, Q10, Q13, Q15