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Financial and Economic Analysis of a 1-Tonne Capacity Mobile Solar-Biomass Hybrid Dryer for Maize Drying
Joseph Oppong Akowuah,
Ato Bart-Plange,
Komla Agbeko Dzisi
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
98-105
Received:
24 April 2021
Accepted:
11 May 2021
Published:
20 May 2021
Abstract: Drawbacks associated with natural convection solar dryers are encouraging the development of low-capacity hybrid drying systems which integrate renewable energy in their operation. However, information on the cost-effectiveness of such drying systems for decision-making by investors is lacking. This study seeks to assess the financial and economic feasibility of a solar-biomass hybrid dryer for maize drying. A cost-benefit analysis was done using net present value (NPV), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and internal rate of return (IRR) as well as payback period to measure the financial viability of the dryer operation and the profitability of the investment. The results show that the total capital expenditure required to establish the drying system is $ 5,263 with a running cost of $ 1,166 per year. Using an economic utilisation period of 10 years, the investment in the dryer was determined to be viable with an NPV of $ 4,876 and an IRR of 38% at a capital cost of 24%. At a drying charge of $2.11/bag, the results show the initial capital invested can be recouped in a PBP of 2.7 years at a BCR of 1.48. These financial indicators suggest that investment in the dryer is profitable. Further analysis shows that, at a projected 30, 266.80 tonnes of maize produce per season by smallholder maize farmers in the study area, about 210 of the hybrid dryers are needed to provide drying services to the farmers. This translates into about 420 direct job opportunities created for the youth and the potential to prevent economic loss of maize grains equivalent to $ 5,684.2 per year due to post-harvest losses of maize in the study area. The adoption and scale-up of the dryer have implications in addressing maize post-harvest loss at the smallholder level and job creation for the youth in the country.
Abstract: Drawbacks associated with natural convection solar dryers are encouraging the development of low-capacity hybrid drying systems which integrate renewable energy in their operation. However, information on the cost-effectiveness of such drying systems for decision-making by investors is lacking. This study seeks to assess the financial and economic ...
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Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Micro-irrigation Systems in Gardens of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province of Iran
Rahim Alimohammadi Nafchi
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
106-110
Received:
29 March 2021
Accepted:
25 May 2021
Published:
31 May 2021
Abstract: The supply of food security of the society requires the stability of the water resources, that’s requiring the management of optimal water consumption. For this purpose, a research project was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and improvement of optimal water consumption in the gardens of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. After identifying micro-irrigation plans in the province, 16 plans were selected randomly in different climates and levels. The evaluation indexes were selected based on the instruction of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Parameters of the absolute emission uniformity (EU), the statistical uniformity of Coefficient (Us), efficiency reduction factor (ERF), and flow rate coefficient of variations were obtained. The results indicated that 43.7 percent of the projects being studied had a very good statistical emission uniformity and 31.3 percent showed a Poor and average statistical emission uniformity and 25 percent of the projects had an unacceptable statistical emission uniformity. The flow rate non-uniformity of the droppers and the resulting low coefficients indicated the manipulation of the droppers. The average ERF is 0.717 in the selected projects, which is due to the non-supply of the pressure required in the irrigation systems. The dependence of the Farmers and agricultural operators on government’s aids is one of the main challenges and obstacles of the growth of agriculture and stable productivity in the region.
Abstract: The supply of food security of the society requires the stability of the water resources, that’s requiring the management of optimal water consumption. For this purpose, a research project was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and improvement of optimal water consumption in the gardens of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. After identifying mic...
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Profitability Analysis of Rain Fed Upland Rice Production Under Smallholder Farmers in Libokemkem District, North Western Ethiopia
Shewaye Abera,
Abebaw Assaye
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
111-115
Received:
9 April 2021
Accepted:
7 June 2021
Published:
16 June 2021
Abstract: Cultivation of rice in Ethiopia is a recent phenomenon and the crop provides advantages to rice farmers in regarding productivity basis compared to other cereal crops and contribute a lot towards ensuring food security in the country. With the advantage related to the higher productivity, the ever-increasing of domestic demand as a result of urbanization and population growth, rice production under smallholder farmers is expanding very fast. The study was designed to determine the cost of production and profitability of rice under smallholder farmers in the rain fed upland production ecosystem. Descriptive statistics and enterprise budget were used to analyze data collected from selected farmers. Descriptive analysis result reveals labor cost was the main cost item in rice production which took about 74% of the total variable cost, of which weeding cost took about 37%. The enterprise budget analysis reveals sampled farmers obtained gross margin of ETB 12,084.46 per hectare from rain fed upland rice production with benefit cost ratio of 1.44 and break even price and yield of 6.45 ETB per kg and 2157 kilogram per hectare, respectively and the gross margin was more sensitive for price and yield fluctuations. Thus, upland rice production is a profitable enterprise. Moreover, in order to make the enterprise more attractive, it is important to promote productivity-improving and labor-saving modern technologies and strengthen the market information delivery system and collective action by farmers.
Abstract: Cultivation of rice in Ethiopia is a recent phenomenon and the crop provides advantages to rice farmers in regarding productivity basis compared to other cereal crops and contribute a lot towards ensuring food security in the country. With the advantage related to the higher productivity, the ever-increasing of domestic demand as a result of urbani...
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Comparative Evaluation of Urea and Effective Microbes Treated Finger Millet Straw on Feed Intake, Milk Yield and Composition of Lactating Crossbred Dairy Cows at BARC
Tesfaye Mediksa,
Dereje Bekele,
Habtamu Aberra,
Tesfaye Marsha
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
116-121
Received:
13 January 2021
Accepted:
16 April 2021
Published:
16 June 2021
Abstract: The experiment was conducted at Bako agricultural research center to evaluate the effect of EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw supplemented with concentrate mix on feed intake, milk yield and composition of crossbred dairy cows. Four cows of same milk yield, body weight, stage of lactation, but differing parities were arranged in 4x4 Latin square design. The animals were provided with natural grass hay (T1), untreated finger millet straw (T2), EM2 treated finger millet straw (T3) and urea treated finger millet straw (T4) diet ad libitum and all treatments were supplemented with concentrate mix. Results of chemical analysis of the treated finger millet straw showed that the treated straw had good nutritive value. The daily dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intakes were significantly (P<0.001) different among the treatments with the highest intake observed for cows fed EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw (T3 and T4). Milk yields varied significantly among the dietary treatments with the lower mean milk yield recorded for cows in T1 and T2 as compared to those in T3 and T4. This study indicated that EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw diet increased the net return. Feeding EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw with concentrate mix was found to be an effective approach to maximize the utilization of locally available feed resources for relatively high animal productivity during the dry season for small scale dairy keepers in rural areas. Therefore, the result demonstrated that EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw had better feeding value as compared to untreated finger millet straw and natural grass hay for lactating crossbred dairy cows.
Abstract: The experiment was conducted at Bako agricultural research center to evaluate the effect of EM2 and urea treated finger millet straw supplemented with concentrate mix on feed intake, milk yield and composition of crossbred dairy cows. Four cows of same milk yield, body weight, stage of lactation, but differing parities were arranged in 4x4 Latin sq...
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U.S Agricultural Export Competitiveness and Export Market Diversification
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
122-138
Received:
3 June 2021
Accepted:
11 June 2021
Published:
21 June 2021
Abstract: This paper examines the structural relationship of foreign GDP growth, real exchange rate volatility, and the impact of exogenous shocks on U.S. agricultural export growth. The intertemporal dynamics of export demand are analyzed within the structural cointegrating vector autoregressive framework. We find that: (1) An increase (decrease) in importing countries’ trade-adjusted GDP leads to an increase (decrease) in U.S. agricultural exports; (2) A real appreciation (depreciation) of the U.S. dollar results in a decline (increase) in U.S. agricultural exports; (3) Exports of high-value processed agricultural products are more sensitive to changes in foreign income and exchange rate fluctuations than exports of low-value grains and bulk commodities; (4) In response to exogenous shocks, deviations from the predicted equilibrium level of exports adjust at a much faster rate for exports of grains and other bulk commodities than high-value products; and (5) The present concentration of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to a few developed countries is increasingly problematic, and U.S. agricultural exports may benefit not only from policies intended to increase trade with existing developing country importers but also from policies that aim to export agricultural commodities to emerging markets. The paper not only highlights the importance of including the long-run relationship when modeling short-run dynamics in agricultural trade models, but is also the first to use this method to comprehensively estimate macroeconomic linkages of U.S agricultural exports, simultaneously across a number of agricultural products, importing countries, over a period of five decades.
Abstract: This paper examines the structural relationship of foreign GDP growth, real exchange rate volatility, and the impact of exogenous shocks on U.S. agricultural export growth. The intertemporal dynamics of export demand are analyzed within the structural cointegrating vector autoregressive framework. We find that: (1) An increase (decrease) in importi...
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The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda
Joseph Ekwangu,
John Steven Tenywa,
Jenipher Bisikwa,
Charles Andiku,
Helen Opie,
Paul Anguria,
Monday Moses Paga,
Deborah Lillian Nambirye,
Michael Adrogu Ugen,
Nelson Wanyera
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
139-144
Received:
27 April 2021
Accepted:
14 May 2021
Published:
29 June 2021
Abstract: Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After Sowing (DAS) and a combination of N and P (16.6 kg N ha-1 and 10.6 kg P ha-1) fertilizer micro dose application is the most profitable combination and could make farmers earn up to Uganda shillings 1,984.220 per hectare compared to only Uganda shillings 373,000 from none application of fertilizer. We therefore conclude that finger millet producers can achieve higher economic and environmental gains when weeding is done once at 20 DAS in combination with sole P fertilizer micro dosing applied at 10.6 kg P ha-1.
Abstract: Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine t...
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