Semi-intensive shrimp farming system of Kerala, India: a production function analysis

An analysis of the factor-product relationship in the semi-intensive shrimp farming system of Kerala, farm basis and hectare basis, we are attempted and the results reported in this paper. The Cobb-Douglas model, in which the physical relationship between input and output is estimated, and the marginal analysis then employed to evaluate the producer behaviour, was used for the analysis. The study was based on empirical data collected during November 1994 to May 1996, covering three seasons, from 21 farms spread over Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kasaragod districts of the state. The sample covered a total area of 61.06 ha. Of the 11 explanatory variables considered in the model, the size of the farm, casual labour and chemical fertilizers were found statistically significant. It was also observed that the factors such as age of pond, experience of the farmer, feed, miscellaneous costs, number of seed stocked and skilled labour contributed positively to the output. The estimated industry production function exhibited unitary economies of scale. The estimated mean output was 3937 kg/ha. The test of multi-co-linearity showed that there is no problem of dominant variable. On the basis of the marginal product and the given input-output prices, the optimum amounts of seed, feed and casual labour were estimated. They were about 97139 seed, 959 kg of feed and 585 man-days of casual labour per farm. This indicated the need for reducing the stocking density and amount of feed from the present levels, in order to maximise profit. Based on the finding of the study, suggestions for improving the industry production function are proposed.

An empirical study on income and efficiency of pond fish and nursery fish production in some selected areas of Pabna, Bangladesh

The study was designed to determine the costs, returns and relative profitability of pond fish and nursery fish production. In order to attain this objective, a total of 70 producers: 35 producing pond fish and 35 producing nursery fish were selected on the basis of purposive random sampling technique from 6 villages under two Upazilas (Sujanagar and Santhia) of Pabna district. It was estimated that per hectare per year gross cost of pond fish production was Tk 65,918 while gross return and net return were Tk 91,707 and Tk 25,789 respectively. Per hectare per year gross cost of nursery fish production was Tk 87,489 while gross return and net return were Tk 1,39,272 and Tk 51,783 respectively. The findings revealed that nursery fish production was more profitable than pond fish production. Cobb-Douglas production function was applied to realize the specific effect of the factors on pond fish and nursery fish production. It was observed that most of the included variables had significant impact on pond fish and nursery fish production. Out of five variables included in the function, all the variables had positive impact on return from pond fish production but stock value of pond, material cost and pond area had positive impact on return from nursery fish production.

Resource productivity and economic performance of producing fish seeds in government and private fanns in Bangladesh

The effect of various factors on spawn and fingerlings production in government and private farms was measured in this study. Primary data were collected from 45 private and 11 government farms from 9 selected districts covering major fish seed producing areas of Bangladesh. Results from Cobb-Douglas production function analysis indicated that the included variables had some positive impacts on returns from spawn and fingerlings. No input was found to be over used and increasing returns to scale was observed. Tabular analysis indicated that higher amount of input use produced higher level of yield, gross return and net return. The government farms were under utilized. For increased supply of fish seeds in the country more amount of specified inputs (feed and fertilizer) should be used for producing spawn and fingerlings especially in government farms.

Economics of pond fish culture in some selected areas of Bangladesh

A simple costs and return analysis was done to determine the profitability of pond fish culture in three selected thanas namely Nertakona Sadar, Purbadhala and Kendua under Netrakona district. Cobb-douglas production function model was used to estimate the contribution of key variables to the production process of pond fish culture. It was found that cost of pond fish production was Tk. 10,103/ha/yr and the per hectare fish yield was 943 kgl/yr and the average gross and net return were Tk. 49,515 and Tk. 39,412 respectively. It was found that medium and small farms had the higher yield because of efficient use of production inputs compared to large farms. It was also observed that ownership of pond, number of species and human labour had negative impact on pond fish output, while depth of pond water, farm size, fish seed, fertilizer and artificial feed had significant positive effects on pond fish output.

Comparative economic analysis of pond fish production in Mymensingh and Jessore Districts, Bangladesh

The study was conducted to determine the cost, return and relative profitability of pond fish production of Mymensingh and Jessore districts. A total of 75 ponds were selected on the basis of purposive random sampling technique from 7 villages under 2 Upazila (Trishal and Gouripur) of Mymensingh districts and 8 villages under 4 Upazila (Monimmpur, Jhikorgacha, Chowgacha and Sadar) of Jessore district. It was found that per hectare per year gross cost of pond fish production in Mymensingh and Jessore were Tk 333457.75 and Tk 54327.74, while gross return were Tk 434131.16 and Tk. 96640.00 and net return were Tk 100673.41 and Tk. 42312.26, respectively. The findings of this study revealed that the pond fish production in Jessore district was more profitable than that of Mymensingh district. Cobb-Douglas production function was applied to realize the specific effect of the factors on pond fish production. Out of six variables included in the function three variables had positive impact on return from pond fish production, in Mymensingh district but five variables had positive impact on return from pond fish production in Jessore district

Factor intensity and economic returns of alternate shrimp crop and shrimp-salt farming in the coastal areas of Bangladesh

The paper examines the factor intensity and economic returns of alternate shrimp-crop and shrimp-salt farming in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Data were collected from 30 shrimp-crop and 30 shrimp-salt farmers, 30 shrimp farmers and 30 rice farmers from three selected coastal districts of Bangladesh. Cobb-Douglas production function model was used to determine the effect of various factors on alternate shrimp-crop farming. The chosen variables were stocking of juveniles, paddy seed, labour, fertilizers, feed and farm size of respective type of farming. The results indicated that the production function exhibited increasing remrns to scale for alternate shrimp-rice, alternate shrimp-salt and year round shrimp farming while it indicated decreasing returns for year round rice farming. Economic analysis of same system of farming indicated that higher amount of input use produced higher level of yield, gross return and net return for each type of production system.

Consumption pattern and consumer preference for value-added fish and fish products in north zone of India

Present paper attempts to analyze consumption pattern and consumer preferences towards value-added fish and fish products in north zone of India. Results reveal that socio economic variables affect consumption of value-added fish and fish products. A total of 49 percent respondents were of middle age group (35 to 50 years). All were literates except 7% from the rural area. All were purchasing fish at least once in 15 days. A total of 90% respondents in rural, 11% in semi urban and 50% in urban area were unaware of value-added fish and fish products. About 10% of respondents had consumed it, out of which most were from urban area. Demand analysis by Cobb Douglas (CD) Demand function revealed that when price of fish, price of the substitutes, income of family and family size were used as independent variables, variation in demand of fish explained by CD Demand function was about 39% in urban area, 24% in semi urban area and 22% in rural area. From Garette ranking technique major problems in fish consumption found were irregular supply, lack of fresh fish, high price and presence of bones in fish. While lack of awareness, unavailability, no preference and unacceptable taste were major problems for consumption of value-added fish and fish products.

Interference Competition and High Temperatures Reduce the Virulence of Fig Wasps and Stabilize a Fig-Wasp Mutualism

Fig trees are pollinated by fig wasps, which also oviposit in female flowers. The wasp larvae gall and eat developing seeds. Although fig trees benefit from allowing wasps to oviposit, because the wasp offspring disperse pollen, figs must prevent wasps fr

The evolution of intermediate castration virulence and ant coexistence in a spatially structured environment

Theory suggests that spatial structuring should select for intermediate levels of virulence in parasites, but empirical tests are rare and have never been conducted with castration (sterilizing) parasites. To test this theory in a natural landscape, we co

A Plant Needs Ants like a Dog Needs Fleas: Myrmelachista schumanni Ants Gall Many Tree Species to Create Housing

Hundreds of tropical plant species house ant colonies in specialized chambers called domatia. When, in 1873, Richard Spruce likened plant-ants to fleas and asserted that domatia are ant-created galls, he incited a debate that lasted almost a century. Alth

Modelling the long-term sustainability of indigenous hunting in Manu National Park, Peru: landscape-scale management implications for Amazonia

P> Widespread hunting throughout Amazonia threatens the persistence of large primates and other vertebrates. Most studies have used models of limited validity and restricted spatial and temporal scales to assess the sustainability. We use human-demographi

China, India, and the Environment

This work was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2007CB411600), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30621092, 30623007), and Bureau of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province.

Game Vertebrate Densities in Hunted and Nonhunted Forest Sites in Manu National Park, Peru

Manu National Park of southern Peru is one of the most renowned protected areas in the world, yet large-bodied vertebrate surveys conducted to date have been restricted to Cocha Cashu Biological Station, a research station covering <0.06 percent of the 1.7Mha park. Manu Park is occupied by >460 settled Matsigenka Amerindians, 300-400 isolated Matsigenka, and several, little-known groups of isolated hunter-gatherers, yet the impact of these native Amazonians on game vertebrate populations within the park remains poorly understood. On the basis of 1495 km of standardized line-transect censuses, we present density and biomass estimates for 23 mammal, bird, and reptile species for seven lowland and upland forest sites in Manu Park, including Cocha Cashu. We compare these estimates between hunted and nonhunted sites within Manu Park, and with other Neotropical forest sites. Manu Park safeguards some of the most species-rich and highest biomass assemblages of arboreal and terrestrial mammals ever recorded in Neotropical forests, most likely because of its direct Andean influence and high levels of soil fertility. Relative to Barro Colorado Island, seed predators and arboreal folivores in Manu are rare, and generalist frugivores specializing on mature fruit pulp are abundant. The impact of such a qualitative shift in the vertebrate community on the dynamics of plant regeneration, and therefore, on our understanding of tropical plant ecology, must be profound. Despite a number of external threats, Manu Park continues to serve as a baseline against which other Neotropical forests can be gauged.

Islet-1 is required for ventral neuron survival in Xenopus

Islet-1 is a LIM domain transcription factor involved in several processes of embryonic development. Xenopus Islet-1 (Xisl-1) has been shown to be crucial for proper heart development. Here we show that Xisl-1 and Xisl-2 are differentially expressed in th