Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Tesis (M.S.)--Instituto Interamericano de Ciencias Agrícolas de la OEA. / Bibliography: leaves 103-107.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1984. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-211).

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Agricultural Extension))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

This study examines agricultural productivity and farmers' welfare in West Timor, Indonesia. The driving force behind this study is to understand why the welfare of farmers has lagged behind others despite significant growth in the agricultural sector. The main research problem in this study is that while agricultural production has increased significantly in West Timor, the welfare of farmers has not increased as fast as that of non-farmers. To reduce the gap in income between farmers and nonfarmers, the growth of income of West Timor's farmers, as the indicator of their welfare, has to accelerate at least as fast as the growth of non-farmers' income. This target might be achieved if there is an appropriate policy of agricultural development implemented by the government. For this reason, evaluation of the structure of agricultural production, as well as the welfare of the farmers of West Timor, is an important issue that needs to be addressed. This study analyses the structure of agricultural production and the welfare of farmers in West Timor. An econometric method (Three Stage Least Squares) was used in modelling the agricultural system to evaluate the structure of the agricultural production as well as farmers' welfare in West Timor. A simultaneous equations model which consists of eight structural and four identity equations was constructed for the analysis of the structure, the estimation of elasticities from the regression coefficients and the subsequent policy analysis. The data used for the analysis are secondary data published by the Indonesian government. / All data used in the model were time series data from 1979 to 1998 and gathered in the period between January and July 1999. The results of this research found that technical factors such as water availability. pasture capacity and irrigation channels influence the production of agriculture more than economic factors such as the price of products and cost of inputs. Too, population growth and the availability of socio-economic institutions such as cooperatives at the village level. have a significant influence on the agricultural production. Although technical factors influence the production of agriculture more than economic factors, subsequent policy analysis shows that an increase in agricultural credit as well as a reduction in the cost of production will still have a positive impact on the production of agriculture. A policy to increase the price of agricultural commodities at the farm gate, especially the price of live cattle and rice, will increase the profit of farmers, further motivating them to increase their overall production. There are six scenarios of the policy alternatives that are simulated in this study. These are: (1) the scenario of a 10 per cent increase in the size of irrigated areas, (2) the scenario of a 10 per cent increase in the amount of credit, (3) the scenario of a 35 per cent decrease in total cost per hectare of maize cultivation, (4) the scenario of a 10 units increase in the number of cooperatives, (5) the scenario of a 10 per cent increase in the price of live cattle at the farm gate, and (6) the scenario of a 10 per cent increase in the price of rice at the farm gate. / The results of the policy analysis found that the largest positive impact on the agricultural sector output as well as farmers per capita income is derived from the scenario of a 10 per cent increase in the size of irrigated area. The scenarios of increasing amount of agricultural credit and the number of co-operatives have also generated a large positive impact on the agricultural sector output, but with a high increase in farmer population growth. Two other scenarios that have a large impact on the agricultural sector output as well as farmers' per capita income are the scenario of a 10 per cent increase in the price of live cattle and the price of rice. Based on the results of the policy analysis, two main policies that might be undertaken by the government to promote the growth of the agricultural sector and farmers' per capita income are expansion of irrigated areas and improving farmers' access to agricultural credit.

This research investigates the effectiveness of land reform in Kenya in relation to its stated policy aims of improving farm productivity through case studies of three districts where land reform has been implemented. One was an area with dense population and predominant customary form of land tenure (Kakamega); another one had the most recent land reform programme - group-ranching system (Kajiado); and the third had an early land reform acclaimed as a success within the former 'white highlands (Trans Nzoia). Although many studies on land reform suggest that collateral is one of the common ways of funding agricultural development, this was found to be defective as it does not test the borrower's ability to repay the loan, encourages excessive borrowing, and repayment schedules are often not realistic. For many farmers, the use of land as collateral depended on their ability to process title deeds; financial institutions to lend money; no market distortions/information asymmetry; and absence of cultural restrictions. We have also demonstrated that how land rights are assigned and the land tenure security determines households ability to generate income, their social and economic status, incentives to make investments, and a farmer's ability to access financial markets. Creation of land board committees in Kenya composed of local elders for resolving land disputes was aimed at increasing their (elders) involvement leading to decisions that reflected community wishes. Our findings were that on average, about 70 per cent of such decisions on land disputes were upheld by courts of appeal on technicalities because land boards lack a sufficient basis in law and there was no training programme for the members. Group ownership of land with shared possession and communal decision making on its administration hardly existed in the case study areas but was used to foster unity, address social needs, and provided a mechanism for disbursing inequalities in ability, knowledge and wealth. On gender issues and land tenure, the need for increased tenure security to women was found not be enough for their participation in the land market without access to credit, information, and appropriate technologies. This research has proposed an improved system of managing land reforms based upon an analysis of existing land record system, and formulated an alternative address referencing system.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Historical and Heritage Studies) -- University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 389-460)

Tesis (Licenciado en Ciencias Agrícolas): Universidad de San Carlos, Facultad de Agronomía, 1969. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1951. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [311]-334).

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-77). Also available via the Internet.