Agricultural Economics, 2006 (vol. 52), issue 7
European Union: challenges and dilemmas
A. Rusek
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(7):302-310 | DOI: 10.17221/5027-AGRICECON 
In the last two decades, the EU trails behind the USA in both the rate of economic growth and the rate of growth of productivity. In addition, in the next 25 years, the EU will experience demographic challenges in the form of the rapidly ageing population and a substantial increase in the dependency ratio. To answer these challenges, the EU needs economic policies which will facilitate the utilization of new technologies. To do that and to alleviate the growing pressures on the European social and economic model, the significant economic reforms are necessary. The key to that is the EU-wide integration of the financial sector.
Utilisation of subsidy in a program-directed support of agricultural loans
V. Bečvářová
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(7):311-320 | DOI: 10.17221/5028-AGRICECON
The paper is focused on the performance measurement of the Support and Guarantee Fund for Farmers and Forestry (SGFFF) as the main instrument of capital reinforcement of Czech agricultural enterprise development. Its principles as well as the function from the point of view of agricultural enterprises, restructuring and allocation of resources and the reason why the subsidies of the supported loans' interest rates have been employed are cleared up there. The results are discussed upon an analysis of the Fund's activity. According to them, it can be claimed that the Fund has became an important part of supports for the agricultural sector development...
The possibilities of organic food market's development in the Czech Republic
I. Živělová, J. Jánský
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(7):321-327 | DOI: 10.17221/5029-AGRICECON
The consumption of the organic food in the Czech Republic is, in spite of its permanent growth, still on a very low level. The reasons are both on the side of supply and demand of organic food. The reasons on the side of the supply are especially the insufficient amount and the structure of the organic products. Demand is not met especially in the case of the livestock products, further also in the fruits, vegetables, bread, pastry and others. The lack of the organic food is solved by imports. The important factor is also the lack of the processing capacities, especially for meat and dairy products. The sale is provided under the way of short-term...
Decision-making process of households on food consumption
A. Melicharová
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(7):328-334 | DOI: 10.17221/5030-AGRICECON
Decision-making process of households on food consumption is discussed in the post-Keynesian theory of household choice. Since the core assumption of uncertainty is employed, the set of consumption alternatives is restricted to the subset of the known ones. When searching for these alternatives, the consumer faces the search costs expressed by time of search. The sample of Czech households was investigated to ascertain the volume of the search and 57% of households do not seek for any information that are relevant for decision-making on foodstuff purchase. To overcome this activity, the households more likely rely on prices and the range of goods of...
Business rules in the agricultural area
I. Rábová
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(7):335-340 | DOI: 10.17221/5031-AGRICECON
The identification of the improvement areas and utilization of information and communication technologies in agriculture, as the support of the agricultural development in line with the environmental sustainability criteria, have gained importance and priority in our knowledge driven society. Rules define constraints, conditions and policies of how the business processes are to be performed but they also affect the behavior of the resource and facilitate the strategic business goals achieving. They control the business and represent business knowledge. The article deals with business rules and rule technology and identifies the business and technical...
Behaviour and decision making of Czech consumers when buying beverages
M. Foret, P. Procházka
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(7):341-346 | DOI: 10.17221/5032-AGRICECON
The article deals with the problem of analysis of the factors that influence the behaviour and decision-making of consumers when buying beverages. The analysis was based on data about consumer behaviour obtained within the period of 1993-2004. The secondary analysis involved data collected within the framework of a marketing research project SHOPPING MONITOR performed by the marketing agencies INCOMA Research and GfK Prague in years 1999-2002. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that hypermarkets were dominating not only as a place of purchasing foodstuffs in general but also as a leading outlet for sale of beverages. Czech consumers preferred...