Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities

Understanding long-term agricultural productivity is essential for designing agricultural policies, planning and targeting other economic policies (e.g., industrial policy), and managing agricultural business models. In a developing and oil-rich country such as Azerbaijan, agriculture is among the l...

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Main Authors: Ibrahim Niftiyev, Gubad Ibadoghlu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-05-01
Series:Commodities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2432/2/2/9
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author Ibrahim Niftiyev
Gubad Ibadoghlu
author_facet Ibrahim Niftiyev
Gubad Ibadoghlu
author_sort Ibrahim Niftiyev
collection DOAJ
description Understanding long-term agricultural productivity is essential for designing agricultural policies, planning and targeting other economic policies (e.g., industrial policy), and managing agricultural business models. In a developing and oil-rich country such as Azerbaijan, agriculture is among the limited opportunities to diversify oil-based value added and address broad welfare issues, as farmers and agricultural workers account for a large share of total employment and the labor force. However, previous studies have not focused on an empirical assessment of the long-term and subsectoral productivity of crop commodities. Rather, they have used a highly aggregated and short-run perspective, focusing mainly on the impact of the oil sector on agricultural sectors. Here, we applied principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis to identify similarities and differences in the productivity of specific crop commodities (e.g., cotton, tea, grains, tobacco, hay, fruits, and vegetables) between 1950 and 2021. We show that some crops are similar in terms of their variation, growth rates, and transition from the Soviet era to the post-Soviet period. Although the dynamics of change are different for food and non-food crops and for high- and low-productive commodities, it is still possible to narrow down specific subsectors that could reach the same productivity levels. This helps map out the productivity levels of crop commodities over time and across different subsectors, allowing for better policy decisions and resource allocation in the agricultural sector. In addition, we argue about some outlier commodities and their backward status despite extensive government support. Our results provide a common basis for policymakers and businesses to focus specifically on productivity and profitability from an economic standpoint.
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spelling doaj.art-4ccf5af782f14375bc0ef62c60a51bd42023-11-18T09:53:50ZengMDPI AGCommodities2813-24322023-05-012214716710.3390/commodities2020009Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop CommoditiesIbrahim Niftiyev0Gubad Ibadoghlu1International School of Economics and Business, Azerbaijan State Economic University (UNEC), Baku AZ1001, AzerbaijanLondon School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of London, London WC2A 2AE, UKUnderstanding long-term agricultural productivity is essential for designing agricultural policies, planning and targeting other economic policies (e.g., industrial policy), and managing agricultural business models. In a developing and oil-rich country such as Azerbaijan, agriculture is among the limited opportunities to diversify oil-based value added and address broad welfare issues, as farmers and agricultural workers account for a large share of total employment and the labor force. However, previous studies have not focused on an empirical assessment of the long-term and subsectoral productivity of crop commodities. Rather, they have used a highly aggregated and short-run perspective, focusing mainly on the impact of the oil sector on agricultural sectors. Here, we applied principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis to identify similarities and differences in the productivity of specific crop commodities (e.g., cotton, tea, grains, tobacco, hay, fruits, and vegetables) between 1950 and 2021. We show that some crops are similar in terms of their variation, growth rates, and transition from the Soviet era to the post-Soviet period. Although the dynamics of change are different for food and non-food crops and for high- and low-productive commodities, it is still possible to narrow down specific subsectors that could reach the same productivity levels. This helps map out the productivity levels of crop commodities over time and across different subsectors, allowing for better policy decisions and resource allocation in the agricultural sector. In addition, we argue about some outlier commodities and their backward status despite extensive government support. Our results provide a common basis for policymakers and businesses to focus specifically on productivity and profitability from an economic standpoint.https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2432/2/2/9agricultureagricultural economicsAzerbaijan economycropshierarchical cluster analysisprincipal components analysis
spellingShingle Ibrahim Niftiyev
Gubad Ibadoghlu
Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities
Commodities
agriculture
agricultural economics
Azerbaijan economy
crops
hierarchical cluster analysis
principal components analysis
title Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities
title_full Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities
title_fullStr Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities
title_full_unstemmed Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities
title_short Longitudinal Principal Component and Cluster Analysis of Azerbaijan’s Agricultural Productivity in Crop Commodities
title_sort longitudinal principal component and cluster analysis of azerbaijan s agricultural productivity in crop commodities
topic agriculture
agricultural economics
Azerbaijan economy
crops
hierarchical cluster analysis
principal components analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2432/2/2/9
work_keys_str_mv AT ibrahimniftiyev longitudinalprincipalcomponentandclusteranalysisofazerbaijansagriculturalproductivityincropcommodities
AT gubadibadoghlu longitudinalprincipalcomponentandclusteranalysisofazerbaijansagriculturalproductivityincropcommodities