A machine learning approach to find the determinants of Peruvian coca illegal crops

The current study analyzed the determinants of the Peruvian coca illegal plantations in the period 2003-2019. Hence, the DEVIDA database variables were gathered at first. Then, a machine learning-based technique is employed to select the most relevant variables for the study. That technique, Lasso, selected as accurate variables eradication of coca plantations and pasta base. Both OLS and VAR are employed to analyze the relevance of the selected variables. OLS finds that eradication was negatively related to the dependent variable. Nonetheless, pb confiscation had a positive relationship with illegal coca crops. Furthermore, VAR encounters that only pb confiscation affected the dependent variable. Supplementary tests are carried to ensure the accuracy of the results. In consequence, it is concluded that eradication policies by themselves were not enough to discourage the coca plantations. Farmers should get instruction about alternative crops and financial help. Furthermore, it has been claimed that pb confiscation generates scarcity of the drug, which elevates its price. Thus, coca farmers are more motivated to plant coca because of the higher prices. Therefore, as long as the international demand, which is disposed to pay high prices, the coca illegal crops and its illicit products will exist.

Economics and Marketing of Olive in Punjab, Pakistan

The recent re-emergence of agrarian crises in Punjab has again drawn the attention of policymakers towards the viability of alternative crops. In this context, the study attempts production and marketing of one of the alternatives and viable crops (i.e., Olive) considered for the farmers in Punjab, Pakistan. The study was carried out in the Pothwar region of Punjab, and a total of 100 farmers were interviewed from four districts of Pothwar. The study results revealed that olive is a profitable crop since the benefit-cost ratio, net present value, and internal rate of return at a 10% rate of discount were 2.20, Rs. 263,338.00, and 31%, respectively. The findings also revealed that the channel with the least number of intermediaries was more efficient than the channels with more intermediaries. The study suggested that to take advantage of this new crop, controlled marketplaces with improved marketing facilities are needed to allow farmers to minimize their transport costs and achieve better prices for their products. Besides, linking fresh produce with agro-processing industries can go a long way in ensuring the returns from this crop.

The Sustainability of Irrigation Strategies in Traditional Olive Orchards

Olive trees are one of the few alternative crops available for farmers in arid environments. In many of these regions, surface irrigation is increasing. The aim of this study was to estimate the pattern of water soil reserves through the season considering different climatic scenarios, limitations in irrigation scheduling, and irrigation systems. Modeling was performed with the most common type of soil, and a tree density of 10 × 10 m was used. Three different climatic scenarios were estimated using eighteen agroclimatic stations along the zone (Jaén, Spain). In these climatic scenarios, different irrigation strategies were considered. First, the percentages of maximum flow available (100%, 50%, and 33%) were used. In each of these flows, the days available for irrigation were considered: daily irrigation (IDD), 20 days per month (ID20), and no irrigation, during August (RDI). The results suggest that a 33% flow strategy, the most common in the surveyed area, would produce the greatest water-stress period in the most sensitive phenological stage. However, 100%, in all scenarios, and 50% (only IDD and RDI) would obtain the best water status. According to the estimated water applied, 50% was the most advisable strategy. However, in a minimum rainfall scenario, water needs could be excessive.

Why Does Tobacco Agriculture in Thailand Persist?

The rigorous tobacco controls advocated by both international policy players and national government are foreseen to lowering demand in tobacco consumption, and consequently, the contraction of tobacco agriculture. This paper seeks to reveal why tobacco agriculture, albeit with the declining trend of tobacco farms, continues to persist. Theoretical guiding the investigation is based on the institutional arrangement of contract farming system, the idea that derived from New Institution Economics, and farmers’ striving to attain livelihoods. The study adopts qualitative methods, utilising purposive sampling, with 53 tobacco farmers recruited from four provinces, namely Phrae, Phetchabun, Roi-et and Nongkhai, who took part in four focus group discussions. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with two provincial agricultural promotion officers, three provincial excise officers and four staff members of the local office of the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly. The data was analysed using content analysis. This paper found that supportive institutional arrangements, the adaptation of communities and households creating a favourable environment and the emergence of new markets for roll-your-own cigarettes are contributing to the persistence of tobacco agriculture. In light of tobacco control, two policy measures are proposed. First, the regulations for roll-your-own cigarette industries – both smallholders and manufacturers – must be revised and instituted. Second, to encourage tobacco farmers to move away from tobacco growing, institutional support for alternative crops, such as price guarantees, inputs and technical support should be provided in the same manner that the tobacco growers currently receive.

SELECTION OF THE MASHING MODE IN THE PREPARATION OF BEER WORT BY USING THE WHEAT MALT

In recent years, according to the sharp increase in the number of breweries and high competition on the consumer market, it is very important to extend the raw material base of the industry and the range of produced beer from the recommended raw materials. One of the ways to expand the raw material base of breweries is developing recommendations for the use of new zoned varieties of barley, in particular as well as the use of special malts, wheat malt, the development of new recipes and technologies for beer producing. As it is known, barley, wheat, rye, and malt produced from these cereal crops are processed to a greater extent at present. Along with traditional types of cereals, such cereals as amaranth, buckwheat, triticale, sorghum, oats, etc. are used. Among the listed alternative crops, wheat should be noted as the most promising type of cereal raw materials. Wheat (Triticum) is an herbaceous annual plant of the cereal family. Hard wheat (T. durum) and soft wheat (T. aestivum) are the most important. Both species are holo-grain, i.e., the grain is covered with fruiting and seed shells, fused and consisting of several layers of cells, and do not have flower (chaff) shells. At present time, high-yielding winter and spring wheat (T.aestivum) is mainly cultivated. This species has loose floury grains and rather low protein content. It should be noted that unmalted wheat is rarely used in brewing. This is because that the use of this cereal as unmalted material leads to significant deviations in the technological process, in particular, the filtration of wort and beer slows down, reduces the colloidal stability of the final product. At the same time, as a raw material for malt, wheat has some advantages over barley. The article deals with the effect of different amounts of wheat malt on the mashing process, the percentage of mashing and mashing modes of barley and wheat malt are selected experimentally.

A multiple criteria decision analysis for agricultural planning of new crop alternatives in Turkey

Agriculture is a crucial and strategic sector for developing countries. The agricultural sector in Turkey has been suffering from regression in recent years due to several reasons. In an attempt to reverse this process, we analyze the cultivation possibilities of high profit-margin crops in Turkish lands and develop a ranking among eight alternative crops. To perform a comprehensive analysis encompassing several dimensions, three MCDM methods are utilized; namely fuzzy AHP to determine the weights of evaluation criteria, and TOPSIS and PROMETHEE to develop a ranking among the crop alternatives. The crop alternatives are evaluated against several economic, technical, social and environmental criteria. The results favor the cultivation of soy bean, goji berry and buckwheat, while tamarind appears to be the least favored crop among the considered alternatives. The analysis results are enhanced with a sensitivity analysis.

Alternative crops for a changing climate in Switzerland

<p>Rising temperatures, shifts in precipitation patterns and longer dry periods provoke a need for better adapted crops in Switzerland to maintain agricultural productivity in the long term. The aim of this work was to identify plants with a high climatic suitability in the future. A simple mechanistic model (ecocrop) was applied to determine suitability for different time periods under RCP scenarios 4.5 and 8.5. The model considers temperature and precipitation ranges. From a pool of 600 edible plants, 21 plants were identified that would benefit from progressing climate change in terms of average climatic yield potentials. In addition, these plants were found to have a high nutritional quality and could thus be seen as good candidate crops to expand the portfolio of cultivated crops in Switzerland in efforts to adapt to climate change and maintain or even increase food productivity in a future climate. The potentials of selected crops are discussed in terms of cultivation requirements, spatial suitability, and market potentials.</p>