Agricultural Economics, 2006 (vol. 52), issue 8

The spillover effect of foreign direct investment - the case of Slovak beer and malt production sector

P. Bielik, J. Pokrivčák, A. Qineti, N. Pokrivčáková

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):347-352 | DOI: 10.17221/5033-AGRICECON  

The paper deals with the FDI spillover effects in production of beer and malt in Slovakia. Malt producers have a dominant position in the market. The use of the almost monopsonistic power of malt producers is constrained the by low asset specificity of primary producers of barley, other outlets for the disposal of barley (export), and demand for high quality of malt from malt producers. Because of high dependence of malt producers for high quality and reliable deliveries of barley, malt producers provide a significant assistance of primary farmers.

Information and knowledge systems in the operation of agricultural and food-processing enterprises

M. Kučera, A. Látečková

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):353-357 | DOI: 10.17221/5034-AGRICECON  

The utility value presents the main competitive advantage in the knowledge and digital economy. It cannot be achieved without modern technologies, modern organization and operation of the production and social processes. One of the Slovak government's precedences is to establish favourable conditions for the development of knowledge economy in every section. The informatisation level of the agricultural sector is continually increasing. As perspective, we can see the implementation of the knowledge systems in agricultural and food-processing enterprises. The main contribution is mainly the possibility to forecast the development and the state toward...

Factors of successfulness of organic markets

A. Kretter, I. Ubrežiová

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):358-360 | DOI: 10.17221/5035-AGRICECON  

In Slovakia, agricultural enterprises have applied the organic way of production from the 90s of the 20th century. We can state that the production of organic products has been improved. More than 90% of organic agricultural products are oriented towards export markets or conventional production. There are only a few storages with eco-products in the Slovak Republic. The paper deals with the factors of the successfulness in the market with organic products from the viewpoint of the vertical line "agricultural enterprise - processor - trade - consumer". These relate to the active market with eco-products in Slovakia.

Some aspects of the investment attractiveness of the Visegrad Group countries

P. Bielik, E. Horská, M. Dziembala

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):361-367 | DOI: 10.17221/5036-AGRICECON  

The article stresses the importance of analysing the inflow of foreign direct investments to the countries of the Visegrad Group. In this context, what is shown is the attractiveness of the CEE countries, including the Visegrad Group, in terms of the FDI location; and there are also other factors depicted, which determine the attractiveness of regions for foreign investors. The EU accession gave the Visegrad Group countries new opportunities to attract FDI; the point is to take advantage of these opportunities. Actions at both national and regional level are constantly needed in order to enhance the location attractiveness, since the VG countries need...

Investigation of wheat efficiency and productivity development in Slovakia

S. Covaci, Z. Sojková

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):368-378 | DOI: 10.17221/5037-AGRICECON  

This study has focused on two main tasks: verifying the suitability of using stochastic frontier analysis on a transforming sector, and providing empirical evidence to explain the technical efficiency structure among farms in the time period 2000-2004. Two stochastic frontier model specifications were employed, the Battese and Coelli 1992 specification with the systematically time-varying inefficiency effect, and the Battese and Coelli 1995 one stage specification explaining technical inefficiency based on farm-specific variables. Our analyses were carried out at the commodity level, wheat production, where the accessibility of a data panel allowed...

Trends and factors of assets and capital in enterprises of primary agricultural production

Ž. Hacherová, P. Szovics

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):379-384 | DOI: 10.17221/5038-AGRICECON  

A smooth entrepreneurial activity requires adequate cash flows. This need is quantified due to the special position of primary agricultural production. The required volume, structure, quality and availability of financial resources creates economic framework for decision making and managing entrepreneurial activities. The results show the lack of total capital in connection to the needs of investment processes and ensuring operational activities in the selected enterprises. Both legal entities (agricultural cooperatives and business enterprises) decreased the total volume of assets and total liabilities in 2004. The economic result was improved in...

Selected aspects of e-business development

K. Hennyeová

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):385-388 | DOI: 10.17221/5039-AGRICECON  

The enhanced use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has a strong impact on business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships as well as the way the key business processes are conducted. It can save costs and time, enable businesses to reach a wider market and to respond more quickly to the customer demands. These benefits open up new ways of doing international business. The policy objective is to encourage the integration of e-business into normal business by promoting the take-up of e-business services. Information and communication technologies are necessary to be seen as a tool for the increase of prosperity...

The factors of competitiveness and the quantification of their impact on the export efficiency of grape and wine in the Slovak Republic

M. Hambalková

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):389-394 | DOI: 10.17221/5040-AGRICECON  

The paper devotes attention to evaluating the factors of competitiveness and the quantification of their impact on the export efficiency of grape and wine in the Slovak Republic. For the reason of bad conditions in grape production, Slovakia has not covered the domestic wine demand in years 1998-2003 and therefore wine was imported to Slovakia. Opposite to, some European wine-producing countries, Slovakia does not suffer from wine overproduction and Slovak vintners have not got problems with selling their production on foreign market. After the downfall of custom protection, an increase of import was expected, mostly of cheap table wines. The chance...

Competitiveness in the EU: a main theme of two scientific events at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

E. Horská

Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2006, 52(8):395-396 | DOI: 10.17221/5041-AGRICECON