Suchergebnisse

Development partners and donor agencies often target programs and projects in poverty stricken and vulnerable regions around the world. However, there is paucity on economic and financial analysis of such investments. This study contributes to the literature by assessing financial internal rate of return (FIRR) and economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of livestock agribusiness, a vital component of 'High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement' (HIMALI) project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from 2011 to 2018 in ten mountain districts of Nepal. The analysis employs a unique dataset on annual cost (investment, operation and labour) and revenue of 138 livestock agribusiness from 2013 to 2017. The study estimates the EIRR and FIRR of six important livestock species namely, goat, sheep, mountain goat known as chyangra, chauri (a cross-bred of yak and local hill cow), cattle and pig raised in high uplands of Nepal. The overall EIRR of livestock agribusiness is 15% with the highest EIRR observed for sheep (18%), followed by goat (16%), chauri (14%), chyangra (14%) and pig (12%) farm enterprises. By contrast, the overall FIRR of livestock agribusiness is just 12%. Sensitivity analysis shows that the livestock agribusiness is highly sensitive to changes in revenue and operation costs. Some of the major challenges identified are lack of veterinary services and capital to scale-up agribusiness, inadequate market linkages, and limited pastureland. Among livestock agribusiness, sheep, goat, chyangra, and chauri has a high potential in high mountains. The low FIRR indicates a high risk to agribusiness. The study therefore recommends local, provincial and federal governments to deliver reliable extension services, improve market access and provide financial support to ensure the financial sustainability of livestock enterprises in the most difficult and economically lagged region of the country.

Chapter 1. Introduction -- Part I Macro-issues in Agriculture -- Chapter 2. Structural Transformation & Growth: Whither Agriculture in Nepal -- Chapter 3. The Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction in Nepal -- Chapter 4. Food Consumption Patterns and Dietary Diversity in Nepal: Implications for Nutrition Security -- Chapter 5. Food Inflation and Its Implications in Nepal -- Chapter 6. Climate Change Impact on Agricultural Sector of Nepal: Implications for Adaptation and Resilience Building -- Part II Productivity Growth and Its Drivers -- Chapter 7. Food Demand System and Projections to 2035: Nepal -- Chapter 8. Seed Sector Development in Nepal: Opportunities and Options for Improvement -- Chapter 9. Use of Chemical Fertilizers in Nepal: Issues and Implications -- Chapter 10. Agricultural Mechanization in Nepal: Patterns and Enabling Strategies for Promotion -- Chapter 11. Agricultural Research and Extension System in Nepal -- Part III Agricultural Diversification -- Chapter 12. Agricultural Diversification in Nepal -- Chapter 13. Growth of Non-timber Forest Produce, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Agro-forestry Sub-Sectors and Their Environmental and Socio-economic Implications -- Chapter 14. Migration and Remittances: Impact on Food Production -- Part IV Agricultural Trade and Marketing -- Chapter 15. Trends, Structure and Drivers of Nepal's Agricultural Trade -- Chapter 16. Agricultural Marketing and High-Value Chains: Enhanced Role for Private Sector Towards Value Chain Integration -- Part V Institutions and Governance -- Chapter 17. Agrarian Relations, Institutions and Land Reform in Nepal -- Chapter 18. Agricultural Credit and Insurance in Nepal: Coverage, Issues and Opportunities -- Chapter 19. Nepal's Changing Governance Structure and Implications for Agricultural Development -- Part VI The Policy Agenda -- Chapter 20. Concluding Chapter- the Policy Agenda

As in other Asian countries where the Green Revolution took place, the adoption of modern rice varieties (MVs) has increased in Nepal since the early 1970s. At present, almost 40 per cent of rice crop area is planted to MVs. The authors explore the determinants of MV adoption and its effect on fertilizer use, rice yields and cropping intensity. (DÜI-Sen)

In this study, the ability to hyper accumulate heavy metals from contaminated site by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was monitored. The heavy metal-contaminated habitat was validated by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray elemental spectrometry analysis of the soil samples. Heavy metal contamination in soil and water; accumulation in foliar, root and bulb tissue samples were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and were monitored as a function of accumulation in different tissues. Significant differences were recorded in the bioaccumulation capability of heavy metals by different tissue. Discrete variation in protein profile of leaves and high expression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), peroxidase (POX) and altered regulation of esterase (EST) in root tissue was observed in contaminated site grown Eichhornia. The high metal accumulation efficiency of water hyacinth due to the biomass production suggests this species as reliable organic biomarker for heavy metal contamination. ; Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India

Recent debates on a sustainable recovery of the global economy have tended to overemphasise the 'savings glut' hypothesis and the unavoidable imperative of higher consumption in China and other emerging Asian countries. That oversaving and not underinvestment is coming in the way of a quicker and more durable recovery is not just simplistic but misleading from a medium-term growth perspective for emerging Asian countries and other developing countries in this region. Drawing upon country panel data for developing countries and a subsample of Asian countries during the period 1991-2007, this study makes a case for a bold and coordinated fiscal stimulus, directed to stimulating agricultural and overall growth, and mitigation of poverty and hunger. Our simulations further suggest that poverty reduction is likely to be larger if the fiscal stimulus is directed to social spending in health and education sectors. Indeed, if our simulations of fiscal impacts have any validity, the dire predictions of millions getting trapped in poverty and hunger may turn out to be exaggerated. The prospects of a strong recovery led by fiscal stimulus are thus real and achievable. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

AbstractBuilding on the recent literature on finance, growth and hunger, we have examined the experience of Asian countries over the period 1960–2010 by dynamic and static panel data models. We have found evidence favouring a positive role of finance—defined as private credit by banks—on growth of GDP and agricultural value added. Private credit as well as loans from the World Bank significantly reduces undernourishment, whereas remittances and loans from microfinance institutions appear to have a negative impact on poverty. Our empirical evidence shows that growth performance was significantly lower during the recent global financial crisis than non‐crisis periods, although the severity is much smaller during the recent financial crisis than Asian financial crisis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.