The sustainability of agricultural development can be achieved only with the education of human resources who have the necessary knowledge and skills to manage agricultural production. The aim of ...this paper is to determine the changes in the number and structure of students attending the agriculture program at Mate Balota Secondary School in Porec and to establish their connection with some trends in agriculture in the County of Istria. Eight generations of students were analysed in the period between 1984 and 2019. The number of enrolled students decreased from 56 to only 11 per generation in that period. At the same time, the percentage of enrolled students who successfully graduated after completing secondary education increased from 55% to 88%. Moreover, the overall success of all students increased from an average final grade of 3.19 to 3.34. Based on the primary research carried out, it has been established that the students whose parents own a farm have greater intentions to continue their education in the field of agriculture if compared to the students with whom this is not the case. In conclusion, a significant decrease in the number of enrolled students was recorded during the observed period, but at the same time their motivation for successful completion of education increased. It is also encouraging that a large proportion of students whose parents own a farm intend to continue their education in the field of agriculture.
Economic sustainability is often the first to be achieved in small-scale production such as olive growing and olive oil production in Croatia. Tourists occupy an important market for Croatian olive ...oil in terms of olive oil sales at destinations. To achieve economic sustainability, it is necessary to research the international market of olive oil, and by extension, it is necessary to explore the behaviour, perceptions, and preferences of consumers. Therefore, in this study, field research was conducted on a sample of foreign visitors during their stay at the destination, Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia. A significant share of respondents sampled bought olive oil during their stay in Croatia, and the predictor variables for having done so were: extrinsic attribute eco-label on the olive oil bottle and positive perceptions toward characteristics of Croatian olive oil. On the other hand, the frequency of consumption was affected by intrinsic attributes such as olive oil taste, category, and country of origin. Running PCA analysis, three major components were identified: 1) intrinsic characteristic, 2) extrinsic characteristic, 3) price. These components were used for the purpose of market segmentation by applying a two-step cluster analysis. A total of four clusters were identified: 1) âoeThe experts", 2) âoeIndifferent consumers", 3) âoePrice sensitive" and 4) âoeThe gourmands". For the sake of developing sustainable business of Croatian olive oil, producers shall find clusters âoeThe experts" and âoePrice sensitive" to be most suitable. In addition, further efforts to increase the production of eco-certified olive oil should be taken.
This paper explores usage of the Internet in relationship to local agro - food products of a tourist destination. The goals are 1) to examine availability of information about local agro - food ...products using different Internet tools and 2) to predict what types of websites are related to tourists' searches for information about local agro - food products based on responders' demographic characteristics. Two studies were conducted. The first included tourists who visited nine seaside tourist resorts, while the second focused on the content of different tourism-related websites. Data were processed using univariate (frequencies and percentages) and multivariate (logistic regression) statistics. Travel social networks and social networks were the most important information sources for tourists, while their demographic characteristics were somewhat significant in searching for information. Search engines were not very useful. Websites of tourism companies, tourist boards and local authorities provided some information.
Olive tourism is developing in the offer of tourism destinations as an important form of special interest tourism within gastronomy connecting visitors with olive oil and the culture of olive growing ...in the destinations they visit. The main objective of this paper is to understand the motivations of the visitors of an olive oil museum with its shop through qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with visitors, while quantitative data collection was carried out through a survey and the data was analysed with a t-test and an exploratory factor analysis. The obtained results describe the average profile of visitors and established a significant difference among them with relation to the country of origin and the motives for visiting the museum. In general, the visitors coming from an olive oil production area were more motivated to visit the museum. Three basic components of motivation have been identified: ‘Olive oil features’, Enjoyment’ and ‘Novelties’.
Ecologically produced food has a rising trend of demand in the markets of the touristically developed countries, among which is also Croatia. The aim of this study is to determine the possibilities ...and characteristics of the availability of ecological agricultural produce (using the example of vegetables) on the tourist market, provided that the production of these provisions is economically and financially viable. The research results show that 70% of the surveyed tourists want to consume ecologically produced food and are prepared to pay a higher price for it. The ecological production will be cost effective for farms provided the market prices of such products are higher by 10-50% more than the price of conventional agricultural products. These facts should be an incentive for an increase in the production of ecological products and to the proliferation of the tourist offer directly at farms, as well as by hoteliers, tourist agencies, retailers and provision distributors.
Croatia is pyrethrums indigenous growing zone and among rare places in the world where wild populations are found intact in nature. Aim of this research was to explore production potential of ...Croatian wild pyrethrum ecotypes, and its use in breeding programs. Three wild ecotypes were tested for morphological traits and yield parameters. Plant height, number of flowers per plant, lodging, fresh and dry flower yield were not affected by ecotype in productive seasons (second and third). However, ecotypes differed in plant diameter and mass of 100 flowers. Positive linear regression among plant height, plant diameter, and number of flowers per plant with flower yield per plant (fresh and dry) was found, but these traits did not correlate with lodging. Even thought no significant differences were found between ecotype yields, financial analysis revealed the difference between ecotype profitability. Positive financial result was obtained in third season of growing with ecotypes 2 and 3. High costs of labour could be the main constraint in commercial pyrethrum production. Tested wild ecotypes, showed good productive characteristics and profitability potential, but there is a need for high yield breeding, and selection for traits adjusted to the use of agro-mechanization.
“Early” potato crops are grown in the Mediterranean basin and are marketed from March to June, well before main-crop potato in the spring–summer growth period. Different growing technologies have ...been implemented to enhance potato “earliness” to achieve a better market price, but at the same time, the applied technologies may influence yield and quality of the ‘early potato’. The main goal of this study was to investigate differences in “early” potato nutritional and sensory characteristics after oil-frying influenced by location and plant covering in five potato cultivars. The present investigation was carried out at two planting locations during two seasons. The application of a plant cover significantly increased the potato tubers’ dry matter, starch, and sugar content in the second season. Sensory analysis of the oil-fried “early” potatoes revealed no differences between potatoes grown with or without the plant cover. We also observed significantly higher dry matter content in potatoes grown at the Split location in the second year, while no differences in the sensory scores between oil-fried potatoes grown at the investigated locations were observed. By employing a plant cover or by choosing a warmer planting location the desired potato maturity level could be reached in less time, and one could more effectively exploit the “early” potato market. By employing such techniques there should be no loss in yield, nutritional or sensory quality of potato tubers.
A field experiment was conducted in order to determine the influence of contrasting soils on sweet corn (Zea maysL. var.saccharataKorn.) agronomic characteristics, yield and soluble sugars content. A ...study with sweet corn was set up during 2006 in Slovenia at two locations: in clay loam soil and in sandy loam soil. At each location 5 cultivars (Tasty Sweet Trophy F1, Tasty Gold F1, Gold Cup F1, Sweet Nugget and Zuckergold) were tested. The highest kernel weight cultivar was Tasty Sweet Trophy F1, regardless of the type of the soil texture. Kernel number per unit area was closely and negatively correlated with kernel weight. The type of soil had no significant influence on soluble sugars composition. However, when the sucrose content was observed, there were remarkable differences between cultivars irrespective of soil type.
Many researchers pointed out that the lack of marketing knowledge and of the knowledge of new technologies can be the reason for product failure. The aim of the research presented in this paper was ...to find out the consumers’ preferences about wines made from autochthonous grape variety from Istria, Croatia, namely the Muscat rosé of Poreč. The paper also gives a review of the background literature about wine quality and segmentation in the wine market and presents the results of a research carried out in Croatia. The study indicated that the sweet wine got the best grade and that consumers would like to buy this wine as a gift and/or for a special occasion; thus, this can be the best way to offer this wine to consumers. If winemakers would like to produce different types of wine from this variety, they should create different marketing strategies.
The goal of this research was to determine the influence of crop management systems, (organic, sustainable and conventional) and endomycorrhiza on vegetative growth of endive (Cichorium endivia L.) ...grown on fields in order to use PE mulch after lettuce crop. During 2002 and 2003 a two-factor trial with three repetitions and split-plot design was set up in Pula (Croatia). Main factor crop management had three levels (organic, sustainable and conventional); while the sub factor 'mycorrhiza' had two levels (endive seedlings inoculated with endomycorrhizal fungus and non-inoculated seedlings). Endive was planted after lettuce harvesting on the set PE mulch in conventional and integrated management, while in organic management it was planted after tilling lettuce rests and plant mulch (fodder pea and common vetch). Fertilization (by fertirigation) and crop protection were performed according to basic principles of organic, sustainable and conventional crop management system. Neither mycorrhiza nor production systems had no significant influence on plant density, diameter and mass of heads, and marketable yields. The biggest endive head diameter had non-inoculated endive plants in first year of research, while in the second year this feature was not significant. Production system had no significant influence on head diameter. The sustainable production system had the most marketable endive heads, while the organic system had most non-marketable heads in the first research year, while in the second this feature was not significant. Mycorrhiza had no influence on this feature.
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