eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2017-11-01 20 2 3 11 10.15414/raae/2017.20.02.03-11 758-1 article Justice G. DJOKOTO Victor OWUSU Dadson AWUNYO-VITOR This article contributes to the pertinent literature by providing a gender perspective to organic-conventional technical efficiency comparative studies and to the debate on technical efficiency of organic and conventional agriculture. Data from 280 organic and 378 conventional cocoa farm from Suhum area in Ghana; segregated into 101 females and 557 males, were analysed. Using separate frontiers, females were found to be more technically efficient than males irrespective of technology; conventional or organic, although males tended to be more productive. Increased access to productive inputs to females is necessary to increase their participation in organic cocoa production and further enhance efficiency. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/RAAE_2_2017_Djokoto_et_al.pdf Cocoa conventional agriculture gender Ghana organic agriculture Suhum eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2017-11-01 20 2 12 21 10.15414/raae.2017.20.02.12-21 758-1 article François Joseph CABRAL In this paper, we simulate and evaluate the impact of extreme rainfall events on various sectors in the economy; factors of production remuneration and economic growth in Senegal. A dynamic general equilibrium model is developed which includes an index linking rainfall fluctuations to total productivity factor (TPF) and factor market. Based on rainfall trends during the past three decades, we run simulations to assess the effects of rainfall values on GDP growth. The results show that extreme events in rainfall pattern deeply affect GDP growth in Senegal; sharp drops in rainfall lead to declining GDP and periods of abundant rainfalls are marked by better performance in term of GDP. However, rainfall drops lead to losses in GDP growth in comparison to gains in GDP growth due to rainfall surplus. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/RAAE_2_2017_Cabral.pdf climate change rainfall agriculture economic growth CGE eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2017-11-01 20 2 22 29 10.15414/raae.2017.20.02.22-29 758-1 article Degefu KEBEDE Mengistu KETEMA Nigussie DECHASSA Production of wheat by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia contributes a significant share to the agricultural production of the country. However, the actual productivity of the crop has been far below its potential. Varied levels of technology adoption are often observed among smallholder farmers producing the crop. For enhanced dissemination of technology packages and improving wheat productivity, it is vital to elucidate socio-economic factors that are behind disparity in technology adaption among smallholder farmers. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyse the socio-economic, institutional, and other pertinent variables that determine the existing disparity observed among smallholder farmers in terms of adopting wheat production technology packages in Gurawa and Meta districts of eastern Ethiopia. The study utilized survey data collected from 124 randomly selected wheat households producing wheat. For this purpose, an ordered logit model was applied. The econometric results revealed that age of the household head, membership in cooperative institutions, and household annual income significantly and positively explained the disparity observed in adoption of wheat production technology packages. Conversely, gender of household head (sex), farming experiences, number of plots owned, and frequency of contacts with extension agents explained the disparity significantly, but negatively. It could be concluded that development practitioners, planners, and policy makers should give due considerations to the aforementioned socio-economic and institutional factors when designing dissemination of wheat production technology packages for adoption by farmers. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/RAAE_2_2017_Kebede_et_al.pdf disparity in technology adoption ordered logit smallholder farmers socio-economic factors wheat technology package eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2017-11-01 20 2 30 37 10.15414/raae.2017.20.02.30-37 758-1 article Alelign ADEME Belaineh LEGESSE Jema HAJI Degye GOSHU This paper sorts out the most important factors influencing crop market participation of smallholder farmers in the highlands of Eastern Ethiopia. The study used primary data collected from 385 smallholder farmers during the year 2015. Heckman two-stage and Tobit models were employed for the analyses. Heckman model of first-stage results indicated that households’ decision to participate in crop output markets were influenced by factors such as sex of household head, farming experience, livestock holding, cultivated land size, off/non-farm income, fertilizer used, on-farm income, market distance, and crop diversification. Moreover, the second-stage results revealed that farm households’ intensity of crop output market participation was influenced by different factors such as dependency ratio, cultivated land size, education status, chemical fertilizer, and distance to market. The Tobit model result also indicated that the extent of farm household’s participation in annual crop fertilizer market as buyer is influenced by the amount of cultivated land, land allocated to khat crop, off/ non-farm income (log), amount of manure used and distance to the main road. From policy perspective, we recommend that strategies aimed at improving commercial behaviour of smallholder farmers in the study area should be directed in addressing the determining factors of both crop input and output market participation. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/RAAE_2_2017_Ademe_et_al.pdf Crop inputs and outputs Heckman two-stage market participation smallholder farmers Tobit model eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2017-11-01 20 2 38 43 10.15414/raae.2017.20.02.38-43 758-1 article Andrea HOLUBEKOVA Maria FORDOSOVA In the article, results and findings of a survey aimed at identifying language skills needs of Slovak small, medium-sized and large enterprises operating mainly in agriculture and food processing industry are presented. An online questionnaire was constructed to collect data. 14 out of 50 selected companies responded. Our findings revealed the fact that the Slovak enterprises use mainly English and German when communicating with their headquarters, suppliers and customers. The respondents also require their employees to have the following special language skills: communicating on the telephone, conducting business negotiations and writing business letters in a foreign language. As for language management strategies, the enterprises organize language training courses for their employees within their premises or the employees have to attend language courses outside the premises. The results of the survey conducted in Slovakia and the EU surveys were compared. Based on the results, we suggest stronger cooperation between the SMEs and universities in Slovakia in production of graduates better equipped with the language skills required by the business environment. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/RAAE_2_2017_Holubekova_et_al.pdf enterprise language skills needs questionnaire