The module of Agribusiness and Institution is taught to students of third year Agribusiness. This module is composed of three components viz. Agricultural Product Marketing, Institutional Economics and Rwandan Agribusiness Programs and Policies.
Brief description of aims and content
Aim: The main objective of this course is to become familiar with basic knowledge of marketing, Agricultural Policies; Develop policies
Content: Marketing Concept, Marketing Systems, Approaches of Marketing Systems, Price Analysis, Dynamic Specification of Agricultural Supply Response, Marketing Margin for Farm Products, Marketing Space and Transfer Cost; Inter-regional Trade, Marketing Policies.
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:
- Understand the Theory of Demand and Supply, analyse the price (pricing), develop and Analyse Agricultural Policies
- Analyse problems with help of appropriate tools and define and evaluate relations between all aspects
- Independently carry out a field survey and apply basic tools of agribusiness and Institutions
References
The following textbooks are recommended for reading:
Closkey D. N. 1985. The Applied Theory of Price. Second Edition
Ferris J, N. 2005. Agricultural and Commodity Analysis. Fifth Edition. Michigan State University Press, USA
Pashigian P. B. 1995. Price Theory and Applications. Mc-Graw Hill. New York. USA
Sterner T. . Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management
Varian H. R. 2005. Intermediate Microeconomics. A Modern Approach. Seventh Edition. University of California, USA
CateoreP.R. 2005. International Marketing. Mc-Graw Hill
Dhrav G. and Levy M. 2008. Marketing. Mc-Graw Hill. New York. USA
Ferris J, N. 2005. Agricultural and Commodity Analysis. Fifth Edition. Michigan State University Press, USA
Varian H. R. 2005. Intermediate Microeconomics. A Modern Approach. Seventh Edition. University of California, USA
Useful journals can be found on Agora database accessible through www.ur.ac.rw. Agora database is a free database providing full text downloadable papers.
Recommended journals are the following: Journal of Applied statistics, Agricultural Economics
Rwandan Agribusiness Programs and Policies is one of the components of this module. It offers students the possibilities to analyse and understand existing agribusiness development policies and programs.
Objective of the Module
The objective pursued in the context of this module is to teach students how to analyze in a systematic and comprehensive way a given agribusiness and regional situation, as well as to define in a participatory process the agribusiness development strategy and the measures to be taken. It will also make it possible to express early agricultural needs and ensure a regionally coordinated approach with other territorial claims.
Content: Introduction on the school of agricultural entrepreneurship, how to make profit in agriculture, know the units to know his resources, manage his farm for enough food, exit and entry of money, find out if you are doing good business, make decisions in agribusiness, seize opportunities to diversify your farming activities for more income throughout the year, how to make a agribusiness enterprise more competitive, how to manage farm business capital throughout the year, how to get good financial services in agribusiness.
Why is agricultural planning timely? What is agricultural and regional planning? To whom is regional planning useful? Examples of Successful Applications, how does regional planning work? Who gives the mandate of a regional planning? How does regional planning relate to the projects and plans that triggered it? What are the factors leading to success?
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:
Define and organize agribusiness, and describe the major farming systems found in Rwanda and elsewhere in the world;
Understand the principles of agribusiness management, environment and regional agricultural planning
Use approaches of systems analysis to analyse to undertake new business in agriculture
Describe the major uses of different low external inputs technologies (Animal manure, compost, rotation, improved fallowing, biomass transfer and Alley Cropping) in relation to direct benefits
The following textbooks are recommended for reading:
Francis, C.A., 1986. Multiple cropping Systems. MacMillan Publishing Company. New York, USA. Pp 1 to 82 and 133 to 183
McIntire, J., Bourzat, D. and Pingali, P. (1992) Crop-livestock Interaction in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, USA. The World Bank. 245pp.
Mowo, G.J, Shem, M.N, Kanuya, N.L, Njeru, R. and Nyagahungu, I. 2006. Integrated Watershed Management. Appropriate Approach to Natural Resource Management in Rwanda. ISAR, Kigali Rwanda
Joyce, L.M., Okigbo, B.N. 1986. Understanding Africa’s Rural Households and Farming Systems. Westview Press, USA.
Agriculture is a sector of utmost importance and sensitivity. In addition to producing food as the primary purpose, it also has an economic function. In the International Food and Agricultural Products Trade course, we examine the theoretical basis of agricultural trade among nations: Why do nations trade? What are the gains of nations from trade? At what prices do they trade (terms of trade)? - And, some related subjects (transportation costs, environmental standards, economic growth/development – trade interactions, and so on). We therefore analyse the agricultural product trade policies. Specifically, the course intends to equip students with knowledge and skills in marketing, export and import policy, international trade system and agriculture, difference between foreign trade and domestic trade, international trade and World Trade Organisation, and finally trade policy and food security.