Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Studies (JARDS)

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Financial DecisionMaking in the Agricultural and Rural Economy

Liliana ANGHEL — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.01

Using the artificial intelligence (AI) in financial decision-making in the agricultural and rural economy represents a significant innovation that can transform the way financial resources and strategies are managed in this sector. Agriculture and the rural economy usually face a variety of financial challenges, such as price volatility, unpredictable weather conditions, market risks and limited access to capital. In this
context, AI can address many of these challenges and improve their economic efficiency and sustainability. The article explores a comparative analysis of the use of AI as an alternative to traditional methods considering important activities in the Agrico field as well as the interdependence between the optimization of the decision-making process in agriculture and the rural economy and regional development.

From Rural Underdevelopment to Innovation:

Daniela Lavinia BALASAN — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.02

Romania’s South-East Development Region, composed of the counties of Brăila, Buzău, Constanța, Galați, Tulcea, and Vrancea, faces systemic challenges in developing human resources in rural areas, particularly in relation to skilled labor. Inter-county disparities are evident: while counties like Constanța and Galați benefit
from more advanced educational infrastructure and stronger connections to the labor market, counties such as Tulcea and Vrancea lag significantly behind in terms of vocational training and youth integration. Compared to the Centre Region, which has implemented more coherent models of dual education and public-private partnerships, the South-East Region remains a largely untapped reservoir of potential. This article analyses the key factors influencing skilled labor in rural areas, highlights the differences among counties within the region, and outlines strategic directions for balanced and sustainable development.

Theoretical Aspects Regarding Phytotechnical Strategies for Increasing Production

Mitică ROMAN — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.03

Although global production is sufficient to provide approximately 2,700 calories per day for every person, according to FAO data, over 850 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. Meanwhile, in certain parts of the world (for example, in developed EU countries), overproduction creates significant issues, disrupting
agricultural markets and the supply-demand balance, paradoxically affecting the incomes of agricultural producers. This imbalance in global food supply is due to varying crop yields in different geopolitical regions, which are influenced by the performance of production technologies employed. Phytotechnics integrates fundamental and applied knowledge from biology, physiology, technology,
economics, and management. Phytotechnical methods such as crop rotation, fertilization, soil tillage, sowing practices, crop care, and selecting high-quality biological material are employed to increase field crop production through cultivation techniques. These methods can be applied in plant production and
depend primarily on the potential of the variety or hybrid and the quality of the seed material. Therefore, selecting suitable biological material and applying technological measures tailored to existing natural conditions through ecological zoning is essential to using genetic potential efficiently

Regional Dynamics and Rural Development in Romania’s South-East Region 2

Daniela Lavinia BALASAN — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.04

This article explores the socio-economic dynamics and structural conditions shaping rural development in South-East Region 2 of Romania. Comprising six counties (Brăila, Buzău, Constanța, Galați, Tulcea, and Vrancea), the region exhibits significant disparities in development, infrastructure, and access to skilled labor. The analysis highlights the fundamental pillars of rural development: human capital,
infrastructure, local governance, and access to financing. It also discusses current challenges such as population decline, youth migration, and limited institutional capacity. Based on these findings, the paper proposes strategic directions for revitalizing rural areas through the development of local economies, vocational education, and integrated funding mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on aligning
public investment with real community needs, strengthening partnerships, and promoting sustainable, locally adapted development models.

Impact of Extrusion Cooking Variables on the Nutritional and Sensory Attributes of Rice-Defatted Sesame Breakfast Cereal

Abdulkadir Aliyu NDABOKUN — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.05

Cereal-based foods are considered to lower risk to food safety compared to many other foods, which make them the good source of protein, B vitamins, energy and minerals for the general population. Blending rice and defatted sesame would provide a wide range of high protein, calories and micronutrients if properly
processed. The retention of these essential nutrients was enhanced through the application of extrusion cooking processes such as barrel temperature, feed moisture content and feed blend composition. Extrusion cooking was carried out at different barrel temperature (80°C, 110°C and 140°C), different feed moisture content of (10%, 20% and 30%) and feed composition of sesame at (10%, 17.5% and 25%) to investigate the effect of extrusion conditions on nine samples with three control of extruded rice. The proximate composition revealed that the highest protein of the extruded breakfast cereals was 20.46% extruded at 110, 20% moisture and 25% feed blend composition of sesame. Functional properties
revealed that the highest bulk density was 0.64g/cm3 140°C barrel temperature, 30% moisture and 10% feed blend composition of sesame. Mineral content of the extrudate showed potassium was found to be high at 2.75mg/kg at a 110°C barrel temperature, 20% moisture and 17.5% feed blend composition of sesame and significant at (P< 0.05). Based on the findings, sample B (R75S25T110M10) exhibited
best quality among the extrudates in terms of their nutritional qualities, functional properties and sensory attributes. These findings can be adopted in food industry where rice and sesame are their major ingredients for producing extruded breakfast cereal.

The Wine Value Chain in Romania:

Andra Adelina DOBROTĂ (VASILESCU) — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.06

Romania benefits from favourable pedoclimatic conditions for viticulture, ranking among the leading wine-producing countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper examines the structural, economic, and strategic aspects of the Romanian wine value chain, spanning from grape cultivation and processing to distribution and consumption on both domestic and international markets. In addition to technical
and economic aspects, the study examines market dynamics, consumer trends, and the positioning of Romanian wines in the global context. It also highlights the regulatory framework and available funding opportunities under the Common Agricultural Policy, with a focus on support for small producers. Key challenges such as production fragmentation and climate change are outlined, alongside emerging
opportunities like wine tourism and the growing demand for organic wines. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for a coherent, innovation-driven, and sustainable development strategy to enhance Romania’s competitiveness in the global wine market.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Production and Price of Poultry Products in Romania

Elena Adriana SIMA (MARIN) — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.07

Poultry products (eggs and meat) are some of the basic agri-food products globally, being part of over 85% of the population’s diet. This study follows the evolution of the logistics of poultry products, generated by the imposition of the state of emergency and home isolation. Based on Romanian National Institute of Statistics data, it can be established how production fluctuated in the years 2020-2023, compared to the pre-pandemic period, as well as how the prices of eggs and chicken meat have changed in the same period. The correlation between these two parameters leads to interesting conclusions regarding the impact generated by the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer preferences. Part of the increase in the number of
birds since 2021 is due to the migration trend of the population from urban to rural areas, where many people decide to produce part of their own food. It can be concluded that any major disruption will lead to imbalances related to production and price levels, but these will be regulated in a short period of time, through measures taken at a general level (state support) or individually.

Assessment of NSPRI Technological Innovations’ Adoption Among Users in Nigeria

Adetayo Seun AYODELE — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.08

The dearth of users’ feedback is the bane of innovation, improvement and popularization of NSPRI designed and developed postharvest technologies. Hence, this study sought to boost the improvement of NSPRI Technological innovations such as NSPRI Fish-Smoking-Kiln (NSK), Parabolic-Shaped Solar Dryer (PSSD), Iced Fish Box® (IFB), Hermetic Steel Drum (HSD) and Stackable-Ventilated Plastic Crate
(SVPC) through feedback from the users. The study employed interview schedule to obtain primary data from 1049 beneficiaries of NSPRI disseminated technologies purposively selected from thirteen (13) out of the twenty-four (24) States where the technologies were distributed and promoted. Descriptive statistics (frequency count, percentages, and mean) and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.
Results revealed that HSD has the highest (27.7%) number of users, while 3.27%, 21.26%, 24.12% and 23.64 of the respondents used SVPC, IFB®, PSSD, and NSK respectively. About 41.2% and 26% of users of the SVPC and IFB® reported that the quality of commodities during transit was maintained for an average of 13 and 24 hours, respectively. The utilization of all the technologies improved users’ income
and increased their capacity to meet market demand. The majority of the users (VPC: 100%, IFB®:92.7%, NSK: 51.3%, PSSD: 74.9%, HSD: 86.9%) are willing to pay for the technology, albeit at varying amounts. Despite the relative advantages of the postharvest technologies as indicated by beneficiaries, several areas for improvement were highlighted for all the technologies except the IFB®. The NSK and IFB® had adoption rates of 56.45% and 50.22%, respectively while the PSSD, and HSD and SVPC had less than 50% adoption.

Analysis of Agroforestry Farm Profitability and Potential Economic Value of Carbon Sequestered by Agroforest Lands in Oyo State, Nigeria

Olatoye C. FOLUKE — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.09

The potentials of agroforestry farming are yet to be fully exploited for carbon sequestration, increased crop and farmers’ income. This study estimates the agroforestry farm profitability and potential economic value of carbon sequestered by agroforest land in Oyo State, Nigeria. Three-stage sampling procedures were
adopted to select 346 agroforestry farmers involved in one agroforestry practice or the other. A structured electronic questionnaire (Kobotool app) and field observation were used in collecting primary data for the 2022 cropping season. Descriptive statistics and the Net Present Value (NPV) statistics were used for the
data analysis. The potential net economic value of carbon sequestered in the study area was ₦7,246.37 ($9.18) per ha. The results indicated that agroforestry practices in the study area have a huge capacity to sequester carbon and in the long run, generate additional income for smallholder farmers. Although carbon revenues drop at 0.2-0.3% of NPV, carbon payments can still generate substantial revenue for
farmers especially when carbon payments are combined with other payments for environmental services provided by agroforestry. Agroforestry practice was adjudged to be profitable with the net farm income of agroforestry farmers as ₦237,966.68 ($311.12) in the last production season. Furthermore, the returns on
investment were said to be at 0.63. Despite significant results recorded from agroforestry practices, there is a greater need to create better awareness among farmers on the carbon sequestration and carbon credit generating potential of agroforestry by relevant government agencies such as the Ministry of
Environment.

Strategies on Attracting Staff in Times of Pandemic Targeting at Economic Recovery and Resurrection of the Tourism Sector

Maria Georgiana ȘERBAN (MOCANU) — 2025-07-15

https://doi.org/10.35219/jards.2025.2.10

The year 2020 imposed major changes in the way we think and organize. Entrepreneurs were forced by the situation they face, to think in perspective and to contemplate on innovative solutions to survive. The pandemic period has left its mark on the entire economy, and when we draw the line and analyse the remaining resources, we find that we were not prepared to go through such an experience, but
we must always look to the future and look for solutions to be reborn. We find these solutions by rethinking the business, the way of working and of course by attracting the human resource indispensable to the activity. It is important to emphasize the idea of safety, and as a result, we should clarify and be transparent when it comes to providing various services in the field of tourism.