This paper investigates the factors associated with private sector smallholder livestock and the associated income of the poor in the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh. The data used are drawn from the Livelihood Options Study led by the Overseas Development Institute, London, specifically the Census Survey 2001/2 and Panel Survey of early 2005. Poorer households depend disproportionally on livestock. Important changes were noted; the average size of any single species declined considerably in the five year period beginning from 1996/7, the number of farms keeping the species rose in the 1996/7 to 2001/2 period but dropped in the recent 2001/2 to 2003/4 period. The poorer households kept fewer small ruminants and poultry in the latter period but richer households kept more. This might suggest that the technology is shifting towards what the better off can afford like the intensive poultry keeping, and that they have better access to certain resources such as crop residues. On the other hand, policies such as the ban on grazing by goats will also have affected the poor more since they rely on open-grazing methods. Farmers identified shock/stress variables and natural environment as important for the decrease in livestock population. Livestock act as a very real means of smoothing income by allowing debts to be repaid, farm inputs and medical treatment to be purchased, and dowry to be paid. More than 22% of the farmers mentioned disease problems as a cause of the decline in livestock population. This problem needs to be addressed, possibly through public-private partnership arrangements as are being tried in other countries.

In the study area predominantly three marketing options were available for the dairy farmers; unorganized vendors, formal / organized dairy cooperatives and integrated contract system. A majority of dairy farmers around 57.3 percent had shifted from one marketing option to another. The rest 42.7 per cent of dairy farmers remained in the same marketing option from the day they began commercial milk production. A major shift from vendors (informal system) to contract (39.5 per cent), followed by vendor to co-operative (24.4 per cent) and co-operative to vendor (19.8 per cent) was noticed. Irregularity in payment and stoppage of procurement by vendor system made dairy farmers shift from vendor system to others. After the weakening of vendor- farmer relationship and initiation of Milk Producer Cooperatives at the village level, there has been a shift from vendor to co-operative system. When the dairy sector opened for private investment coupled with poor performance of cooperatives, farmers shifted towards new marketing option the 'integrated contract system'. Irregularity in payment, distant location of collection centre and inability to milk the animals were reasons for shifting back to vendor from other marketing options. Prompt payments, sustainability of marketing systems in business were major factors responsible for retaining members and attracting new dairy farmers. Dairy farmers with the experiences of various marketing options gave more value to the prompt payment for the milk sold on comparing to milk prices.

With this issue of 2009, we bring 52 proceedings of the 98, which started life as presentations at the Annual 15th International Scientific Conference Research for Rural Development 2009 held at the Latvia University of Agriculture, in Jelgava, on 20 to 22 May 2009. In the retrospect of four months later, we can count the Conference as a great success. The theme - Research for Rural Development - attracted participation of 321 researchers with very different backgrounds. There were 4 presentations from Ukraine, 3 from Sweden, 2 from Belarus, 3 from Estonia, 1 from Belgium, 1 from India, 1 from Turkey, 10 from Lithuania and 64 from Latvia. Four independent reviewers estimated each report. The proceedings of the Annual 15th International Scientific Conference Research for Rural Development 2009 is intended for academics, students and professionals researching in the area of crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management. The proceedings will also be useful for researchers in educational sciences.

The economics of the tree plantation crops is summarized in this paper. Aleurites spp. cultivation gives good economic returns. However, the end product of this crop is an oil which is particularly used in industries. Therefore, it is highly dependent on external market forces. At present, most requirement of this oil is met from imports. This also necessitates that the cost of production should be minimal to warrant a competitive price. Poor infrastructure and hilly terrains put these traditional farmers at a disadvantage vis-a-vis their counterparts elsewhere. Still, Aleurites spp. had a good economic potential and support from the government can provide the required impetus to the cultivation of this crop. It can provide an alternative livelihood to shifting cultivators not only in Mizoram but in other states as well where agroclimatic conditions favor the growth of this tree. On Livistonia jenkinsiana, at present, the produce has a small market which can possibly expand in terms of its demand. However, large market expansion is impossible as the leaves must compete with modern house building materials. Thus, it can provide an alternative to shifting cultivation only to a limited extent. Intervention in terms of value addition and market expansion is desirable. Thysanolaena maxima, on the other hand, has a high benefit cost ratio and very good market, processing and value addition facilities have also come up in nearby lowland trading centers. As a result, T. maxima cultivation is expanding rapidly. Even without any external intervention, the farmers are getting good returns. In villages where the farmers have taken up the cultivation of this crop, within 10-15 years it has almost completely occupied all the lands previously used for shifting cultivation. T.maxima had low starting cost and quick returns (on the second year). The other two species have high cost on the first three years. In particular, Aleurites can give the highest income over six years