O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar a produção e comercialização de feijão no Brasil na década de 1990, tendo como referencial o Plano Real e fazer uma projeção de demanda até 2005. Foram realizados estudos sobre a produção, considerando épocas de colheita, distribuição geográfica, principais fluxos de distribuição. Foram também estimadas relações entre preços recebidos pelos produtores dos sete principais estados produtores e entre preços ao atacado e varejo na cidade de São Paulo. Foram estimadas as margens de comercialização e realizados estudos econométricos, cuja metodologia básica aplicada consistiu de duas etapas, a primeira, foi identificar o sentido da causalidade, ou seja, diante de algum fator ou choque, em que nível de mercado mais freqüentemente se iniciam as alterações de preços, e como essas alterações são transmitidas, ou em que intensidade os níveis de mercado reagem frente aos choques de preços, que podem ter origem na variação da demanda, da oferta de matéria-prima ou da oferta de insumos de comercialização. Por fim, foi feita uma projeção de consumo. Os resultados revelam que após o Plano Real ocorreram algumas alternâncias de produção entre as regiões e um crescimento da produção na Região Nordeste. Porém, não ocorreram alterações significativas nas quantidades produzidas de feijão nos tradicionais Estados produtores. Por outro lado, aumentou a quantidade importada. Quanto à concentração da produção, verificou-se a existência de microrregiões cujas produções tem maiores participações e são mais constantes no contexto nacional. Observou-se que muitas análises de mercado feitas no período considerado, basearam-se somente nos resultados das safras destas regiões, chegando a conclusões e previsões equivocadas. Concluiu-se que, embora haja certa concentração da produção de feijão no Brasil, a produção pulverizada desempenha papel importante no comportamento do mercado. Quanto aos preços recebidos pelos produtores, após o Plano Real, sofreram uma queda de cerca de 33,9%, e os preços ao varejo e atacado sofreram uma diminuição de 33,5% e 25,2%, respectivamente. As margens de comercialização relativas, entre atacado e varejo e entre varejo e produtor, aumentaram, indicando que o consumidor pagou mais pelos serviços de intermediação. Finalmente, confirmou-se o papel do setor intermediário de abrandar choques. Desta forma, apesar das mudanças de estratégias no mercado atacadistas, não foram encontrados elementos que indiquem mudanças substanciais na comercialização. Em relação ao consumo per capita foi estimada uma redução, em média, de 1% ao ano, nas três últimas décadas. Esta tendência porém, não é linear, existindo oscilações entre anos. A projeção para o período de 2000 a 2005 permitiu indicar a manutenção da redução do consumo. / The objective of this work was to study how commercialization of beans evolved in Brazil during the 1990's, given particular attention to the influence of the 'Plano Real' in the bean market. The evolution of the production of beans according to geographic regions and periods of harvest, as well as their flows of distribution, were studied. In addition the was demand projected demand until the year 2005. The ratio between the prices paid to farmers in the seven largest bean producer states of the country and the wholesale and retail prices in the city of São Paulo were developed. The rates marketing margins were also estimated. Econometric studies were developed in order to identify the direction of causality in price formation. The results obtained indicate that the 'Plano Real' did not have significant impact in the amount of beans produced by the traditional major producer states, whereas the imports of beans were significantly increased. Results obtained reveal that after 'Plano Real' there was some production alternation among the regions studied with an increasing trend observed in the Northeast Region. No significant changes were observed, however, on the amount produced by traditional bean producer States. On the other hand, bean importats was significantly increased. Some micro regions within those states were identified as very important and stable centers of bean production in the country. The study showed that in spite of some regions concentrate a large amount of the national production, the scattered production in other regions of the country plays a very important role in the national bean market. After the introduction of the 'Plano Real', prices paid to farmers fell by approximately 33,9%, and the retail and wholesale prices dropped respectively by 33,5% and 25,2%. The commercialization margins of retailers over wholesale prices, as well as of retailers over producer prices, were increased. Hence, consumers have paid more for the intermediation services. The markup of wholesalers over producer prices shrank. The cushioning role of intermediaries in lessening chocks was confirmed. Despite the changes observed in the strategy used by wholesalers, the study did not find indications of substancial alterations in bean possible tendencies of rupture between the commercialization. Some fluctuation among productive regions and some evolution in the strategies of wholesalers were identified during the period of analysis. The tendency for a decreasing per capita consumption of beans was corroborated, and such a fact was estimated to amount to 1% per year. This tendency, however, is not entirely linear. It presents oscillations from year to year. The estimation of the national consumption of beans for the period from 2000 to 2005 projects the persistence of the decreasing per capita consumption.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-12-19T13:24:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Krystal de Acantara Notaro.pdf: 793764 bytes, checksum: 7ba62c08471fced23d53b2a89f703bda (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-19T13:24:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Krystal de Acantara Notaro.pdf: 793764 bytes, checksum: 7ba62c08471fced23d53b2a89f703bda (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-27 / The cultivation of cassava has great economic impact in Brazil and worldwide due to its importance in human and animal foods and industrialization. The Northeast is a major national producer, being linked to a production in which uses little or no technology, which has contributed to increasing the number and severity of disease. Among these, the cassava root rot is becoming a major cause of losses. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to: 1. Perform prospecting the main biological agent responsible for cassava root rot in four cities who are among the largest producers of cassava in the state 2. Select sandy soils under twenty types of coverage, from the semiarid region of Pernambuco and characterize its chemical, physical and microbial properties 3. Determine the soil enzymes activity involved in the cycles (C, N, S and P), 4. Evaluate the natural suppressiviness on indigenous populations and with the inoculation of Scytalidium lignicola. In the Pernambuco state is prevalent Fusarium pathogens, associated to cassava root rot. In the Caetés city was prevalent pathogen Scytalidium lignicola affected areas with cassava root rot. When assessing the chemical, physical and microbial, physical variables (soil density, soil total porosity, field capacity, sand and clay), chemical (pH, Na, Ca and P) and microbial (soil basal respiration, carbon total organic, microbial biomass carbon, fluorescent group bacteria, total bacteria and endospore-forming bacteria) were more sensitive in detecting differences between the sandy soils with 20 different types of uses and vegetation covers from the semiarid region of Pernambuco. The human activity interferes directly in the enzymatic activity of the systems under different covers, which can be used as indicators of soil quality. The main variables involved in suppressiveness were high levels of K, Ca, soil basal respiration, organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, qCO2, qMIC, soil porosity total, wilting point, sand, FDA and arylsulfatase. The principal component analysis selected the attributes (severity, P, Ca, K, fluorescent group of bacteria, soil basal respiration, sand, acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase), able to detect differences between treatments, separated into three groups of similarity between soils conducive and in five groups between soils suppressive to root rot of cassava caused by Scytalidium lignicola. / O cultivo da mandioca tem grande expressão econômica no Brasil e no mundo devido à sua importância na alimentação humana e, animal e utilização na industria. A Região Nordeste é uma das principais produtoras nacionais, estando vinculado a uma produção na qual utiliza pouca ou nenhuma tecnologia, o que vem contribuindo para o aumento do número e intensidade de doenças. Dentre estas, a podridão radicular da mandioca vem se tornando uma das principais causas de perdas. Por isso, essa pesquisa teve como objetivos 1. Realizar a prospecção do principal agente biológico responsável pela podridão radicular da mandioca em quatro municípios que estão entre os maiores produtores de mandioca do estado; 2. Selecionar solos arenosos sob vinte tipos de coberturas, provenientes do semiárido de Pernambuco e caracterizar seus atributos químicos, físicos e microbianos; 3. determinar a atividade enzimática das enzimas envolvidas no ciclo do (C, N, S e P) desses solos e, 4. Avaliar a capacidade supressiva ou conduciva desses solos em populações autóctones e com a inoculação de Scytalidium lignicola. No estado de Pernambuco há prevalência de fitopatógenos do gênero Fusarium, associado à podridão radicular da mandioca. No município de Caetés houve prevalência do fitopatógeno Scytalidium lignicola nas áreas afetadas com a podridão radicular da mandioca. Quando avaliados os atributos químicos, físicos e microbianos, as variáveis físicas (densidade do solo, porosidade total, capacidade de campo, areia e argila), de fertilidade (pH, Na, Ca e P) e microbianas (respiração basal do solo, carbono orgânico total, carbono da biomassa microbiana, bactérias do grupo fluorescentes, bactérias totais e bactérias formadoras de endósporos) foram mais sensíveis em detectar diferenças entre os solos arenosos selecionando-se 20 tipos diferentes de usos e coberturas vegetais provenientes do semiárido de Pernambuco. A atividade antrópica interfere diretamente na atividade enzimática dos sistemas sob diferentes coberturas, podendo ser utilizados como indicadores da qualidade do solo. As principais variáveis envolvidas na supressividade foram avaliados teores de K, Ca, respiração basal do solo, matéria orgânica, carbono da biomassa microbiana, quociente metabólico, quociente microbiano, porosidade total, ponto de murcha permanente, areia, arilsulfatase e FDA. A análise de componentes principais selecionou os atributos (Severidade, P, Ca, K, bactérias do grupo fluorescente, respiração basal do solo, areia, fosfatase ácida e arilsulfatase), capazes de detectar diferenças entre os tratamentos, separando em três grupos de similaridade entre os solos conducivos e em cinco grupos entre os solos mais supressivos à podridão radicular da mandioca, causada por Scytalidium lignicola.

Na África Ocidental iniciou-se desde a década de 1940, com a criação da União Econômica e Monetária do Oeste Africano (UEMOA) em 1945, uma transformação socioeconômica centrada na redefinição das relações entre os países da região. Antes restritas à laços coloniais, com a criação da Comunidade Econômica dos Estados da África Ocidental (CEDEAO) em 1975 as mudanças transcenderam aspectos coloniais. Nesses esforços, o setor agrícola mereceu destaque, que resultou em compilação e harmonização das políticas agrícolas dos países da região para formar políticas regionais do setor - políticas agrícolas da UEMOA e da CEDEAO -. A produção agrícola é a base do desenvolvimento dos países da África Ocidental, constitui importante determinante das dinâmicas socioeconômicas desses países. Assim, o objetivo neste trabalho é investigar a estrutura de produção, desempenho e comércio internacional do setor agrícola da África Ocidental. Utilizou-se a fronteira estocástica na forma funcional transcendental para estimação dos parâmetros estruturais da produção agrícola. Buscou-se detectar o esforço pró-desenvolvimento agrícola por meio de adaptação do modelo de Lei Dinâmica de Verdoorn, com inclusão de fontes locais disponíveis para o financiamento da melhoria de produtividade agrícola. Por meio de teste de raiz unitária aplicado aos dados em painel, foi analisada a convergência da produtividade agrícola entre os países da África Ocidental. E, foi utilizado o modelo gravitacional estrutural expandido para investigar comércio internacional agrícola da região. Os resultados mostraram que, as transformações da Comunidade Econômica dos Estados da África Ocidental (CEDEAO) constituem principais causas da quebra estrutural no setor agrícola regional. As participações relativas dos fatores na produção agrícola entre os subperíodos antes e depois das mudanças políticas da CEDEAO são diferentes, a área é o mais importante determinante da evolução desta produção. Quanto a produtividade, embora convergentes, os países da região não alocaram prioritariamente os recursos disponíveis para o desenvolvimento agrícola, em particular no setor privado. E, o padrão global das transações agrícolas internacionais desta região é dominantemente definido pelas transações extra-regionais e existem diferenças entre os determinantes intra e extra-regionais. Nas transações globais, os fluxos são maiores entre os países membros da Comunidade Econômica dos Estados da África Ocidental (CEDEAO) e União Econômica e Monetária do Oeste Africano (UEMOA) não afeta significativamente esses fluxos. Ao passo que, no comércio agrícola intra-regional a CEDEAO não impacta significativamente e os fluxos são maiores entre os países membros da UEMOA. A distância geográfica não exerce efeitos significativos no comércio internacional agrícola extra-regional da África Ocidental. / In West Africa, it began since 1940s with fundation of West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) in 1945, a socioeconomic transformation centered on the redefinition of relations between the countries of the region. Previously restricted to colonial ties, with the creation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1975 the changes transcended colonial aspects. In these efforts, the agricultural sector was highlighted, which resulted in the compilation and harmonization of the agricultural policies of the countries of the region to form regional policies of the sector - agricultural policies of UEMOA and ECOWAS -. Agricultural production is the basis of development of West African countries, an important determinant of the socioeconomic dynamics of these countries. Thus, the objective in this work is to investigate production structure, performance and international trade of West African agricultural sector. The stochastic frontier was used in the transcendental functional form to estimate the structural parameters of agricultural production. It was sought to detect the pro-agricultural development effort by adapting the Verdoorn Dynamic Law model, with the inclusion of local sources available to finance the improvement of agricultural productivity. Using a unit root test applied to the panel data, the convergence of agricultural productivity among West African countries was analyzed. And, the expanded Structural Gravity Model was used to investigate the region\'s international agricultural trade. The results showed that the transformations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are the main causes of the structural break in the regional agricultural sector. The relative participation of factors in agricultural production between the subperiods before and after the ECOWAS political changes are different, the area is the most important determinant of the evolution of this production. In terms of productivity, although convergent, the countries of the region did not allocate the resources available to agricultural development as priority, particularly in the private sector. And, the overall pattern of international agricultural transactions in this region is dominantly defined by extra-regional transactions and there are differences between intra- and extra-regional determinants. In global transactions, flows are higher among member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) does not significantly affect these flows. Whereas, in intra-regional agricultural trade, ECOWAS does not have a significant impact and flows are greater among WAEMU member countries. Geographical distance has no significant effect on West African extra-regional agricultural international trade.

O presente trabalho tem como principal objetivo mostrar de forma empírica a importância relativa do setor agrícola na estrutura produtiva do estado do Mato Grosso, o qual tem apresentado um excepcional desempenho da atividade agrícola no contexto atual. Para tanto, utiliza-se de um modelo insumo-produto inter-regional construído para duas regiões, a saber, Mato Grosso e resto do Brasil, referente ao ano de 1999. A partir dos indicadores desta metodologia, procura-se identificar os setores mais importantes das economias em questão, seus encadeamentos e a propagação de impactos entre as regiões. Além disso, o trabalho faz ainda uma aplicação do modelo para verificar qual o impacto das exportações mato-grossenses, em especial da soja, sobre a produção total, valor adicionado e número de empregos gerados na economia, bem como calcula o PIB do agronegócio da soja no Mato Grosso, além de verificar qual o impacto causado na produção dos transportes rodoviário e ferroviário, nas duas regiões, ao atender a demanda final de cada atividade pertencente ao estado do Mato Grosso. Pelos resultados obtidos, pode-se confirmar a hipótese formulada a respeito da importância dos setores primários para a economia do estado. De acordo com os índices puros de ligações, verificou-se que os setores agrícolas como Soja, Bovinos e Outros da pecuária, foram considerados como chave ou pólos de desenvolvimento econômico na região em estudo, em função de suas fortes relações de compra e venda de insumos na economia. Além destes, quatro setores diretamente relacionados à agropecuária foram também identificados como chave, a saber: Fabricação de óleos vegetais, Abate de bovinos, Abate de outros animais e Álcool. Em especial merece destaque a cultura da soja no Mato Grosso, que embora tenha uma baixa geração direta de emprego e renda, apresenta um elevado efeito multiplicador destas variáveis na economia, uma característica intrínseca de setores altamente produtivos e intensivos em capital, além de destacar-se também como pólo de desenvolvimento econômico em função de suas fortes ligações, conforme mencionado no parágrafo anterior. As evidências empíricas confirmaram também a importância do setor em termos de suas exportações, as quais causam importante impacto na produção e geração de empregos em diversos outros setores, além de atrair ganhos cambiais ao país. Finalmente, o trabalho desenvolve um ferramental útil para a formulação de políticas públicas para o estado do Mato Grosso, embora sejam necessárias algumas atualizações e refinamentos da metodologia utilizada, para que se possa desenvolver um instrumental de avaliação de políticas de estímulo ao desenvolvimento da infra-estrutura de transportes da região, uma vez que esta última constitui-se peça fundamental ao crescimento econômico. / The main goal of this study is to show the empiric frame of the relative importance of agricultural sector into the productive framework of the Mato Grosso State, which has shown an exceptional agricultural activities growth in the actual context. For this purposes, it becomes useful to adopt an inter-regional input-output model built for two regions: Mato Grosso State and rest of Brazil, regarding to 1999. From the indicators of this methodology, it looks for finding the more important sectors of those economies, and its linkages and impacts between the regions as well. Moreover, this study even encourages to make some simulations to verify how the Mato Grosso’s exportations impacts on the total product, income and employment, specially those ones originated from soybean. It was possible to calculate the Mato Grosso’s soybean agribusiness GDP (Gross Domestic Product), besides verifying how much impacts were generated on highways and railways transports. According to results obtained, it is possible to confirm the created hypotheses regarding importance of primary sectors for the state economy. According to pure linkages indexes, it was checked that some sectors such soybean production, beef cattle production and other ones were considered like key sectors or economic developed pools for the region studied. In addition of those ones, four other sectors directly linked with agriculture were also found out like key sectors, so they are vegetable oils production, beef cattle and other slaughters, and alcohol production. The soybean crops is really a spot in Mato Grosso State, even though it has a low generation of directs income and employment. As a matter of fact, the soybean crops have a high multiplier effect on these economy variables, an own feature of highly productive and capital intensive sectors, and it is a prominence sector like a developing economic pool, as seen before. The empiric evidences confirmed the importance of sector in terms of its exportations too, which strongly impacts on product and employments generation in other ones sectors, besides attracting exchanges gains to the country. Finally, this input-output analysis creates an important tool to the public policy formulations of Mato Grosso State, although its important to make some updates and fits on the methodology applied to be able developing a whole evaluation instrumental kit of entire stimulant policies that might develop for example an efficient regional transport structure, due to this one consists of an essential device to the economic growth.

O presente trabalho tem como principal objetivo mostrar de forma empírica a importância relativa do setor agrícola na estrutura produtiva do estado do Mato Grosso, o qual tem apresentado um excepcional desempenho da atividade agrícola no contexto atual. Para tanto, utiliza-se de um modelo insumo-produto inter-regional construído para duas regiões, a saber, Mato Grosso e resto do Brasil, referente ao ano de 1999. A partir dos indicadores desta metodologia, procura-se identificar os setores mais importantes das economias em questão, seus encadeamentos e a propagação de impactos entre as regiões. Além disso, o trabalho faz ainda uma aplicação do modelo para verificar qual o impacto das exportações mato-grossenses, em especial da soja, sobre a produção total, valor adicionado e número de empregos gerados na economia, bem como calcula o PIB do agronegócio da soja no Mato Grosso, além de verificar qual o impacto causado na produção dos transportes rodoviário e ferroviário, nas duas regiões, ao atender a demanda final de cada atividade pertencente ao estado do Mato Grosso. Pelos resultados obtidos, pode-se confirmar a hipótese formulada a respeito da importância dos setores primários para a economia do estado. De acordo com os índices puros de ligações, verificou-se que os setores agrícolas como Soja, Bovinos e Outros da pecuária, foram considerados como chave ou pólos de desenvolvimento econômico na região em estudo, em função de suas fortes relações de compra e venda de insumos na economia. Além destes, quatro setores diretamente relacionados à agropecuária foram também identificados como chave, a saber: Fabricação de óleos vegetais, Abate de bovinos, Abate de outros animais e Álcool. Em especial merece destaque a cultura da soja no Mato Grosso, que embora tenha uma baixa geração direta de emprego e renda, apresenta um elevado efeito multiplicador destas variáveis na economia, uma característica intrínseca de setores altamente produtivos e intensivos em capital, além de destacar-se também como pólo de desenvolvimento econômico em função de suas fortes ligações, conforme mencionado no parágrafo anterior. As evidências empíricas confirmaram também a importância do setor em termos de suas exportações, as quais causam importante impacto na produção e geração de empregos em diversos outros setores, além de atrair ganhos cambiais ao país. Finalmente, o trabalho desenvolve um ferramental útil para a formulação de políticas públicas para o estado do Mato Grosso, embora sejam necessárias algumas atualizações e refinamentos da metodologia utilizada, para que se possa desenvolver um instrumental de avaliação de políticas de estímulo ao desenvolvimento da infra-estrutura de transportes da região, uma vez que esta última constitui-se peça fundamental ao crescimento econômico. / The main goal of this study is to show the empiric frame of the relative importance of agricultural sector into the productive framework of the Mato Grosso State, which has shown an exceptional agricultural activities growth in the actual context. For this purposes, it becomes useful to adopt an inter-regional input-output model built for two regions: Mato Grosso State and rest of Brazil, regarding to 1999. From the indicators of this methodology, it looks for finding the more important sectors of those economies, and its linkages and impacts between the regions as well. Moreover, this study even encourages to make some simulations to verify how the Mato Grosso’s exportations impacts on the total product, income and employment, specially those ones originated from soybean. It was possible to calculate the Mato Grosso’s soybean agribusiness GDP (Gross Domestic Product), besides verifying how much impacts were generated on highways and railways transports. According to results obtained, it is possible to confirm the created hypotheses regarding importance of primary sectors for the state economy. According to pure linkages indexes, it was checked that some sectors such soybean production, beef cattle production and other ones were considered like key sectors or economic developed pools for the region studied. In addition of those ones, four other sectors directly linked with agriculture were also found out like key sectors, so they are vegetable oils production, beef cattle and other slaughters, and alcohol production. The soybean crops is really a spot in Mato Grosso State, even though it has a low generation of directs income and employment. As a matter of fact, the soybean crops have a high multiplier effect on these economy variables, an own feature of highly productive and capital intensive sectors, and it is a prominence sector like a developing economic pool, as seen before. The empiric evidences confirmed the importance of sector in terms of its exportations too, which strongly impacts on product and employments generation in other ones sectors, besides attracting exchanges gains to the country. Finally, this input-output analysis creates an important tool to the public policy formulations of Mato Grosso State, although its important to make some updates and fits on the methodology applied to be able developing a whole evaluation instrumental kit of entire stimulant policies that might develop for example an efficient regional transport structure, due to this one consists of an essential device to the economic growth.

<p>Background: The situation for Swedish agricultural production today is characterized by an increased competition, particularly after the country joined the European Union. Swedish agricultural production laws guarantee safe, high quality foodstuffs. However, due to these strict laws, Swedish farmers face higher production costs than their competitors. Meanwhile, cheaper imported goods compete freely on the Swedish market. Swedish agricultural production must find new ways to survive in the increasing competition. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to se if, and if that is the case, how Swedish agricultural production can compete on the Swedish market, maintaining its high quality. The focal point is the Swedish poultry producer, Kronfågel. </p><p>Procedure: The empirical material has been collected through contacts with Kronfågel. </p><p>Results: The thesis gives Kronfågel concrete guidelines of how to act on the Swedish market concerning positioning, pricing and information.</p>

Background: The situation for Swedish agricultural production today is characterized by an increased competition, particularly after the country joined the European Union. Swedish agricultural production laws guarantee safe, high quality foodstuffs. However, due to these strict laws, Swedish farmers face higher production costs than their competitors. Meanwhile, cheaper imported goods compete freely on the Swedish market. Swedish agricultural production must find new ways to survive in the increasing competition. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to se if, and if that is the case, how Swedish agricultural production can compete on the Swedish market, maintaining its high quality. The focal point is the Swedish poultry producer, Kronfågel. Procedure: The empirical material has been collected through contacts with Kronfågel. Results: The thesis gives Kronfågel concrete guidelines of how to act on the Swedish market concerning positioning, pricing and information.

Diss. Göteborg : Göteborgs universitet, 2007.

This thesis investigates the affect of non-emergency food aid on producer prices and production quantities for cereal grains within the recipient country’s economy. The decision to evaluate developmental or non-emergency food aid (NEFA) stems from a lack of research on a macro scale of disaggregated food aid categories and their implications on developing country producers. The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region is the world’s largest recipient of direct transfer non-emergency food aid leaving the region most susceptible to the ambiguous affects of these food aid allocations. The results for this research suggests that not only are there no detectable disincentive effects but that there is little explanatory power from non-emergency food aid based on the 12 sample countries within the region. Additionally, an estimation of NEFA’s relationship with imports suggests that rather then an addition to total supply, the international trade composition is flexible.

The study investigated on the channels of poverty reduction in Malawi, using household data aggregated at district level. Malawi is divided into 31 districts with different demographics and opportunities. Macro level data which was calculated in terms of district percentages were used in the study. The study emanated from the premise of the link between economic growth and poverty reduction. With the trend of growth that was seen in Malawi from 2004 to 2012; there was an interest to further investigate if there had been any significant change in the poverty levels as measured in the country by the National Statistical office. The objectives of the study were two pronged; the theoretical and the imperial. The theoretical objectives were; to provide a background of Malawi, to review the literature on poverty theories, to review the literature on the link between poverty reduction and the channels of potential impact, namely: economic growth, education attainment, access to loans and enterprises, agricultural production, population growth and employment or unemployment. The empirical objectives on the other hand were; to investigate if there has been any poverty reduction in the years 1998 to 2012 in Malawi, to assess how economic growth at a district level proxied by agriculture production and land holding affect poverty at district level in Malawi, to assess how education attainment affect poverty reduction at a district level in Malawi, conduct an analysis on how employment or unemployment affect poverty reduction at a district level. Also investigate the relationship between access to loan and poverty reduction in Malawi and to determine if different poverty measures exhibit statistically significant different responses to channels under investigation namely economic growth, education levels, population growth and access to loans at district level. The study employed descriptive and regression analysis to arrive at the results for the set empirical objectives. Due to the fact that panel data was used for districts, a random effects regression model was used for the estimations. A Breusch-Pagan test was used to decide on random effects as opposed to fixed effects model. The results from the regressions showed that all the channels that were hypothesised to be of importance, came out significant from objective based regressions. These regressions were run separately for each channel, with the district poverty rate as a dependent variable. The study found the considered channels of poverty reduction to be significant at different levels. First, it was established that there has been significant growth in Malawi. This growth however was seen to be erratic where in other years it was higher and in other years lower. A more important conclusion from the first objective was that there had been poverty reduction in the country between 1998 and 2012. A t test was also used for mean difference in the years where Integrated Household surveys were conducted namely, 1998, 2004 and 2012. The t-test showed a statistically significant reduction in poverty between 1998 and 2012 of up to 15.07. The study also found that the relationship between agricultural production and poverty was significant especially looking at local maize production which had a negative significant coefficient. Implying that, an increase in agricultural production has an associated reduction in the district poverty rate. It was also established from the results that input subsidy had a significant impact on poverty at district level. This input programme which helps poor households to access fertilizer at a highly subsidised price had a negative relationship with poverty that was significant. This shows that government’s effort in funding the national wide fertilizer subsidy has some bearing on the poverty level of the country. On the relationship between education and poverty reduction, the study also found a significant relationship. This was clear on the impact of literacy rate on poverty reduction. The regression results showed a significant negative relationship between literacy rate and poverty reduction. The channels of employment in poverty reduction was found to be significant but in a direction unexpected. Labour force participation had a positive influence on poverty rate at district level. A number of things were discovered; first the employment rate as reported in the statistical year book is misleading. What is considered employment in these statistics is basically subsistence farmers who take up more than 80% of the employment rate. Second, most of what is recorded as employment is non-skill labour with people without education recoding a 99% employment rate. This is a misleading record in as far as what employment for poverty reduction is concerned. It is therefore not a surprise that, most of the people reported as employed are also found below the poverty line some even below the ultra-poverty line. A special contribution resulting from the study is the framework on the interconnection between the channels. The study points out the fact that for agricultural production to thrive there is need for education. Also for agricultural production to succeed there is need for the farmers to have access to loans. the study discovered that more than 45 percept of the loans people obtained were for agricultural inputs. There is also a link between education and employment, education and access to loans and access to loans and employment through business start-ups that create employment. The conclusion of the study is that policies that are intended to reduce poverty should be aimed at promoting education participation. There is also need to create an environment that enables the poor to access loans and credits at a reasonable interest rate. The government should continue with the input subsidy programme for the poor household. There is need for the national statistical office to reconsider the definition of employment so that the government works with practical figures, other than the inflated employment rates that are reported in the statistical year book. / PhD (Economics), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014