AJAD Volume 11 Issue No. 2 December 2014

The two major natural hazards that threaten Cambodia are flood and drought. Millions of people have been affected by these natural disasters which have put to waste millions of hectares of paddy rice lands on which depend the lifeblood of the rural economy as well as that of the whole country. Given the dire consequences posed by drought to the Cambodian economy, and in light of its short- and long-term development plans aimed at poverty reduction, the government has affirmed its priority for agricultural development. Targeting the most vulnerable areas, this study aims to estimate the costs of drought in two communes in the rural Kampong Speu province, and to assess the costs and benefits of rehabilitating an unused water reservoir. The costs of drought are estimated at the household level. Household questionnaires were used to collect data from households from two rice ecosystems (totally rainfed and supplementary-irrigated) in the Kampong Speu.

The study finds that the expected loss from drought for farmers in rainfed areas is USD 51.47 per hectare while that for farmers in supplementary-irrigated areas is USD 23.01 per hectare. Looking at the prospects for rehabilitating a totally damaged reservoir, the study reports that at a 6 percent discount rate, the repair efforts will yield a net present value of around USD 914,834.94 and the benefit-cost ratio is 2.18. The rehabilitated reservoir is seen to serve two significant roles, namely: (1) to stabilize and increase rice production since drought susceptibility among farmers is reduced and food security is ensured and (2) to encourage agricultural diversification.

The study investigates the pattern, trends, competitiveness, and determinants of the export of dairy products from India—the world’s largest milk producer. Data show that exports of dairy products from India have witnessed a remarkable growth in recent years. Our estimates also establish that India has price competitiveness and comparative advantage in the production of milk. Some instability is observed in the export markets of Indian dairy products, as notably shown by the high probabilities of Bangladesh and the UAE to gain market shares from the other importers of Indian dairy products. Furthermore, the results indicate that dairy export from India is elastic to the world market size, price divergence, exchange rate, and trade policy. Based on the findings, it is recommended that India should focus on improving the quality of its dairy products to get a premium price in the world market.

Agriculture plays a significant role in the economic development of Indonesia. In Bali province, the government has been implementing agricultural development programs through subaks, which are customary communities that manage the traditional irrigation system. However, subaks now face some problems due to low farmers' income from paddy farming. This paper describes the social capital performance of the subak system and attempts to identify ways to strengthen the social capital for agricultural development. The study selected the subak of Guama as its site because the government implemented a pilot project on agribusiness development in this subak in 2002. Key informants and samples were drawn during the survey and observation for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive methods.

Results showed that social capital within the subak system consisted of mutual trust, social norms, and social networking. The three elements run simultaneously for the agricultural, irrigation, and agribusiness activities, including ritual ceremonies within the subak system. The social capital in the subak system for agricultural development, particularly rice farming, can be strengthened by: (1) conducting intensive extension and training activities using participatory approaches; (2) providing economic stimulants to encourage farmers to sustain their agribusiness activities; and (3) facilitating partnership activities between the subak and other agribusiness institutions.

This paper analyzes the nature and sources of agricultural instability in the Bolangir district of Western Odisha, India. The nature of instability in agricultural production is examined by determining the agricultural instability index (AII) of variables such as area, production and yield of food grains and paddy, irrigation coverage, and annual rainfall. The period covered by the study (1984–2009), which is characterized by greater technology dissemination, is categorized into two sub- periods: (1984–1993) and (1994–2009). The effects of a change in major inputs on the variability of crop productivity are assessed using a double-log model. The yield decomposition analysis is used to examine the role of drought risk factors and the amount and productivity of inputs in crop yield growth. The extent of instability in agricultural production and productivity in the region is found to be quite high on account of the high level of rainfall variability and the low irrigation coverage. The level of instability in food grain production is much larger during the second sub-period. The decomposition analysis reveals that about 84.4 percent of the total change in paddy yield growth is due to drought risk factors such as rainfall failure, rainfall variability, high temperature, and drought-induced pest attack, while the remaining change in paddy yield is due to the change in amount and productivity of major agricultural inputs such as labor, fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation.

This article highlights SEANAFE's experiences and lessons learned from its 15 years of operation as a regional agroforestry education network. It argues that while institutional networking offers opportunities in strengthening the quality of agroforestry education, there are also institutional mechanisms that constrain the sustainable achievement of the goals and objectives set by the network. To achieve an effective network, therefore, this article suggests the need for more focused nationwide and region-wide activities rather than purely institutional activities; clear and sustained commitments of member-institutions; dynamic relationships between and among country networks and their memberinstitutions; more tangible outputs that would enhance active participation of member-institutions; effective and efficient communication; and more aggressive fund sourcing and collaborations with donors.

Using selected agricultural communities in Ratchaburi Province in Thailand, this study mainly investigates the relationship between participatory development communication (PDC), on one hand, and knowledge, attitude, and practice of community-based natural resource mangement (CBNRM), on the other. Toward achieving this goal, data were collected to: (1) identify the status of CBNRM in Krabyai sub-district, Ratchaburi province; (2) determine the PDC levels of the various stakeholders; and (3) find out the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of CBNRM. The results of the statistical analysis and the conclusions drawn from a focus group discussion provide the basis for the steps recommended to enhance PDC as applied to CBNRM efforts in other municipalities in Thailand. The study follows a one-shot survey research design whereby primary information is elicited from 43 respondents consisting of 35 farmers and 8 government officers. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis.

The findings highlight the need to improve and continuously find ways to properly involve and encourage participation from various stakeholders. In terms of PDC levels, data show that consultation is favored by most stakeholders. Most of the respondents have high knowledge of CBNRM. More than half of the respondents have a positive attitude toward CBNRM. As to the levels of practice of PDC in CBNRM, most stakeholders often participate in activities conducted on natural resource management. Most importantly, a significant relationship was found between the level of PDC and the knowledge, attitude and practice of stakeholders on CBNRM.