bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The extent of resource use inefficiencies in cotton production in Pakistan's Punjab: an application of Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Shafiq Muhammad , Rehman Tahir 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis paper attempts to identify sources of resource use inefficiency for cotton production in Pakistan's Punjab. The use of a non‐parametric method, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), is developed to study the relative technical and allocative efficiencies of individual farms which use similar inputs, produce the same product and operate under comparable circumstances. In the ‘cotton‐wheat’ system of Pakistan, there are a considerable number of farms that are both technically and allocatively inefficient. The use of DEA shows that the technique provides a clear identification of both the extent and the sources of technical and allocative inefficiencies in cotton production. However, both the interpretation of the farm level results generated and the projection of these results to a higher level require care, given the technical nature of the agricultural production processes.
Are we risking too much? Perspectives on risk in farm modeling
Authors: Pannell David J. , Malcolm Bill , Kingwell Ross S. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractRisk and uncertainty have been extensively studied by agricultural economists. In this paper we question (a) the predominant use of static frameworks to formally analyse risk; (b) the predominant focus on risk aversion as the motivation for considering risk and (c) the notion that explicitly probabilistic models are likely to be helpful to farmers in their decision making. We pose the question: for a risk‐averse farmer, what is the extra value of a recommendation derived from a model that represents risk aversion, compared to a model based on risk neutrality? The conclusion reached is that for the types of the decision problems most commonly modelled by agricultural economists, the extra value of representing risk aversion is commonly very little.
The integration of water quality into transboundary allocation agreements Lessons from the southwestern United States
Authors: Bennett Lynne Lewis 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThere is now a fairly substantial literature that addresses transboundary water allocation both at the international and interstate level. However, most of this literature deals almost exclusively with the question of allocation and ignores quality considerations. At the same time, there is a growing literature on transboundary pollution control and upstream/downstream externalities. What is missing is an attempt to integrate quality consideration into allocation agreements. This paper examines several allocation agreements and disputes in the southwestern United States and Mexico and looks at the ramifications of omitting pollution control and quality considerations in these negotiations.
Technical change in Senegal's irrigated rice sector: impact assessment under uncertainty
Authors: Fisher Monica G. , Masters William A. , Sidibé Mamadou 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis paper addresses the prospects for technical change in the irrigated rice sector of Senegal, and measures ex‐ante the economic returns to recent research efforts. In 1994, three new rice varieties were released to farmers in the Senegal River Valley (SRV), the major irrigated rice region in Senegal. The productivity advantage of the new varieties is based primarily on early maturity, which permits double‐cropping. (The seeds are also higher yielding than existing cultivars.)We use a conventional [Akino and Hayami (1975), Am. J. Agric. Econ. 57, 1–10] partial‐equilibrium model adapted to the Senegalese situation, to assess the social benefits of research and compare those to its costs in calculating the internal rate of return (IRR). To account for uncertainty regarding the future values of model variables we use simulation which allows us to generate a distribution of all possible outcomes of the IRR. We find that rice research is almost certain to have a very high payoff over the 1995–2004 period. The expected value of the IRR is calculated to be 121% per year, with a 97.5% probability that it lies above annual capital costs of 18%. ©2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The social cost of labor in rural development: job creation benefits re‐examined
Authors: Horbulyk Theodore M. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractJob creation effects are examined as they would apply to social analysis of rural development programming by public or private sector agencies. A synthesis and critique are provided of approaches to valuing the social opportunity cost of labor. These approaches vary according to whether or not unemployment is present in the pre‐project state and according to whether or not there is interregional migration in response to project hiring. Graphical, partial equilibrium analysis illustrates why, in general, job creation and project employment give rise to social costs, not benefits. The magnitude of these social costs is shown to depend upon the presence of payroll taxes, wage subsidies and unemployment, in addition to the market's supply and demand elasticities. These social costs may be reduced or offset in specific instances where projects increase the value of labor's productivity or reduce its costs, such as with job training, worker mobility and skill development projects. Careful attention to these approaches can help society choose correctly among alternative development proposals and among alternative (labor‐intensive versus capital‐intensive) technologies.
Structural adjustment and soil degradation in Tanzania A CGE model approach with endogenous soil productivity
Authors: Wiig Henrik , Aune Jens B. , Glomsrød Solveig , Iversen Vegard 
Published: August 2005

AbstractIn this paper, a model of the nitrogen cycle in the soil is incorporated in a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model of the Tanzanian economy, thus establishing a two‐way link between the environment and the economy. For a given level of natural soil productivity, profit‐maximising farmers choose input levels – and hence production volumes – which in turn influence soil productivity in the following years through the recycling of nitrogen from the residues of roots and stover and the degree of erosion. The model is used to simulate the effects of typical structural adjustment policies like a reduction in agro‐chemicals’ subsidies, reduced implicit export tax rate etc. After 10 years, the result of a joint implementation is a 9% higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) level compared to the baseline scenario. The effect of soil degradation is found to represent a reduction in the GDP level of more than 5% for the same time period.
The influence of management characteristics on the technical efficiency of wheat farmers in eastern England
Authors: Wilson Paul , Hadley David , Asby Carol 
Published: August 2005

AbstractTechnical efficiency of wheat farms in eastern England is measured through the estimation of a stochastic frontier production function using panel data for the 1993–1997 crop years. Variations in the technical efficiency index across production units are explained through a number of managerial and farm characteristic variables following Battese and Coelli (1995) [Empirical Econ. 20, 325–332] and incorporating the spirit of Rougoor et al. (1998) [Agric. Econ. 18, 261–272]. The technical efficiency index across production units ranges from 62 to 98%. The objectives of maximising annual profits and maintaining the environment are positively correlated with, and have the largest influence on, technical efficiency. Moreover, those farmers who seek information, have more years of managerial experience, and have a large farm are also associated with higher levels of technical efficiency. Future studies that seek to explain variation in technical efficiency should include further aspects of the managerial decision‐making process.
How important is improving food availability for reducing child malnutrition in developing countries?
Authors: Smith Lisa Catherine , Haddad Lawrence 
Published: August 2005

AbstractDo increases in the food supply per person in a country, i.e., national food availability, contribute substantially to reductions in malnutrition among its children? This paper sets out to answer this controversial question using panel data from 63 developing countries over 1970–1996. This paper gives evidence in support of a statistically significant and strong positive impact of national food availability on child nutrition, finding that increased food supplies have resulted in significant reductions in malnutrition since the 1970s despite population increases over the period. However, per‐capita food supplies have a declining marginal impact: their effect is quite strong for countries with very low food availability (e.g., most countries in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia), but weak or non‐existent for those with high levels (e.g., most countries in the Near East and North Africa). Further, non‐food factors, such as women's education and status and the quality of health environments, are also important determinants of children's nutritional status. Depending on the state of food availability in any particular geographic area and relative costs, these factors may merit greater priority in policies to reduce malnutrition.
Sense and sustainability revisited: the limits of total factor productivity measures of sustainable agricultural systems
Authors: Byerlee Derek , Murgai Rinku 
Published: August 2005

AbstractMany economists have advocated and applied total social factor productivity (TSFP) (i.e., total factor productivity estimated with both market and non‐market inputs and externalities, and with all factors valued at social prices) as a single all‐embracing measure of agricultural sustainability. This paper reviews the conceptual and practical issues in measuring TSFP and shows that no one measure alone will be theoretically or empirically robust as an indicator of sustainability. TSFP is a conceptually flawed measure since inclusion of non‐market inputs and outputs and social price‐based valuation, in most cases, violates the theoretical basis underlying those estimates. Trends in TSFP also have limited value in diagnosing the nature of sustainability problems, unless changes in productivity are related to underlying changes in technology, human and physical infrastructure, and indicators of resource quality.More attention needs to be given to defining key indicators of agro‐ecosystem health and relating these measures to trends in productivity. This analysis must be sufficiently disaggregated and for a long enough time period to allow for spatial and temporal variability inherent in agricultural production. Secondary data at the district level on both conventional inputs and outputs and resource quality have recently allowed more quantitative estimates of sustainability and its causes. With limited data, yield growth decomposition analysis can often be used to provide valuable insights into sustainability problems. Meanwhile, there is a need to invest in long‐term experimental and panel surveys of farmers and their fields for key production systems in order to provide long‐term data that will allow full productivity accounting, using more formal statistical procedures. Regardless of the approach selected, the findings of this paper strongly suggest a need for economists, agronomists and soil scientists to collaborate in integrating approaches in order to provide more robust and informative measures of sustainability.
Measuring regional competitiveness in oilseeds production and processing in Nigeria: a spatial equilibrium modelling approach
Authors: Omoregie Edamwen M. , Thomson Kenneth J. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe four main resource regions of Nigeria, namely, the East, Middle‐belt, West and North, differ in their endowments in the production and processing of oilseeds. The Federal Government has allocated resources to the oilseeds sub‐sector across the regions without apparent rational basis. Consequently, huge imports of oilseed products, high and unaffordable oilseed product prices, and the establishment of new oil mills in the face of frequent shutdowns and chronic under‐utilisation of existing mills, still characterise the sector. In this paper, a spatial equilibrium model of the Nigerian oilseeds economy is used to determine the optimal location and number of mills across the regions, and to establish regional competitiveness in aid of the planning and development of the oilseeds sub‐sector. In the model, production (farming and milling) activities are tied to arable land and milling capacity constraints. The shadow prices of the arable land and milling capacities are used as a measure of competitiveness. Results indicate that, because of its central location, the Middle‐belt is the most competitive in oilseeds production at a shadow value of N 18,400 per hectare of cultivated land, followed by the North, West and East regions. However, the East is the most competitive in oilseeds milling, followed by the West, due to their close proximity to ports of export. These results suggest that transport cost is the main determinant of the viability of oilseeds production and milling in Nigeria.
The Green Revolution and the productivity paradox: evidence from the Indian Punjab
Authors: Murgai Rinku 
Published: August 2005

AbstractContrary to a widespread belief, total factor productivity (TFP) growth, as measured by the conventional growth accounting approach, contributed little to economic growth during the Green Revolution in the Indian Punjab. This paper shows that this‘productivity paradox’ arises because of a fundamental problem with conventional measures of TFP growth. When technical change is not Hicks‐neutral, it is impossible to separate the contribution of technical change from that of factor accumulation. Simple exercises to assess the magnitudes involved in the Punjab case show that the bias in conventional TFP estimates is severe:‘corrected’ measures of productivity growth are between 100 and 200% higher per year during the Green Revolution.
Technical efficiency in developing country agriculture: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Thiam Abdourahmane , Bravo‐Ureta Boris E. , Rivas Teodoro E. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractA meta‐analysis is performed to review empirical estimates of technical efficiency (TE) in developing country agriculture. The objective of the study is to contribute to a better understanding of the factors that influence estimates of mean TE. A data set of 51 observations of TE from 32 studies is used in order to test if specific characteristics of the data and econometric specifications account for systematic differences in the efficiency estimates. Results using the two‐limit Tobit procedure indicate that factors such as primal versus dual, number of fixed inputs and number of variable inputs increase average TE estimates. On the other hand, using the Cobb‐Douglas functional form and cross‐sectional data yields a lower level of TE. Other factors, including the number of variables in the model, crop type, stochastic versus deterministic frontiers and sample size, do not seem to significantly affect estimates of TE across studies.
Agent‐based spatial models applied to agriculture: a simulation tool for technology diffusion, resource use changes and policy analysis
Authors: Berger Thomas 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis paper presents a spatial multi‐agent programming model, which has been developed for assessing policy options in the diffusion of innovations and resource use changes. Unlike conventional simulation tools used in agricultural economics, the model class described here applies a multi‐agent/cellular automata (CA) approach by using heterogeneous farm‐household models and capturing their social and spatial interactions explicitly. The individual choice of the farm‐household among available production, consumption, investment and marketing alternatives is represented in recursive linear programming models. Adoption constraints are introduced in form of network‐threshold values that reflect the cumulative effects of experience and observation of peers’ experiences. The model's economic and hydrologic components are tightly connected into a spatial framework. The integration of economic and hydrologic processes facilitates the consideration of feedback effects in the use of water for irrigation. The simulation runs of the model are carried out with an empirical data set, which has been derived from various data sources on an agricultural region in Chile. Simulation results show that agent‐based spatial modelling constitutes a powerful approach to better understanding processes of innovation and resource use change.
Tank irrigation management as a local common property: the case of Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Sakurai T. , Palanisami K. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to conduct theoretical inquiries and empirical analysis on the issue of institutional evolution for resource management, focusing on irrigation water, a traditional local common property resource. Two management schemes for irrigation water, a community management regime (tank irrigation) and an individualised management regime (well irrigation), are compared in terms of rice production efficiency. Using farm household data collected by the authors in Tamil Nadu, India, it is found that the profit office production using well water only is low due to the high labour input required for well irrigation management. Then, estimation of the profit function reveals that the profit of farmers using both tank and well water is statistically significantly higher than that of farmers who use either well water only or tank water only. The result, based on game theoretical inquiries, implies that in equilibrium tank and well irrigation can coexist. Moreover, it is calculated that about 90% of farmers will use wells in equilibrium. Considering that well users are only 37% of all farmers at present, the number of wells will increase
Productivity and economic growth in Kenyan agriculture, 1964–1996
Authors: Gerdin Anders 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis paper analyses the patterns of productivity and economic growth in the aggregated Kenyan agriculture between 1964 and 1996. In the 1964–1973 period, the average output growth exceeded 4% but stagnated to an average of 1.2% during 1988–1996. Over the whole period, capital was the most important contributor to output growth. Mean growth rates of intermediate inputs subsequently decreased and were negative in 1988–1996. Labour was the least significant source of growth. The mean total factor productivity growth was less than 0.4% and decreased over time. The contribution of productivity growth to output growth increased from 10.2% in 1964–1973 to 26.8% in 1988–1996.
Welfare consequences of water supply alternatives in rural Tunisia
Authors: Zekri Slim , Dinar Ariel 
Published: August 2005

AbstractMany economic studies have addressed the issue of inefficiency of public water supply in rural areas and the potential for improved service by private companies. Many of these analyses focused on identifying either willingness to pay or comparing average service costs and prices paid by customers. This paper performs a welfare analysis of two water supply systems—public and self owned—in rural Tunisia. The paper calculates consumer and producer surplus and compares the performance of the two systems from a social point of view. Results suggest that both systems are inefficient, mainly because of a production level that is low compared with production capacity.
Determinants of spatial diversity in modern wheat: examples from Australia and China
Authors: Smale M. , Meng E. , Brennan J.P. , Hu Ruifa 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe spatial distribution of modern varieties, and the genes they embody, has economic value because it affects crop productivity from year to year. Since farmers choose varieties based on observable traits rather than the genes they cannot see, a first step in understanding the spatial distribution of genes is to better understand the determinants of the spatial distribution of varieties. In this paper, we have constructed spatial diversity indices from area distributions of modern wheat varieties in Australia and China. We hypothesise that factors explaining variation in these indices are related to farmers' demand for traits and the supply of varieties, given physical features of the production environment. We test these hypotheses using reduced form equations for three concepts of spatial diversity, richness, abundance and evenness, using Zellner's seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). Spatial diversity indicators and analyses of this type, if more fully developed and targeted to address specific policy issues, may assist in monitoring crop genetic diversity or ‘refuge’ targets associated with the diffusion of some genetically modified crops.
A model of entry–exit decisions and capacity choice under demand uncertainty
Authors: Isik Murat , Coble Keith H. , Hudson Darren , House Lisa O. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractMany investment decisions of agribusiness firms, such as when to invest in an emerging market or whether to expand the capacity of the firm, involve irreversible investment and uncertainty about demand, cost or competition. This paper uses an option‐value model to examine the factors affecting an agribusiness firm's decision whether and how much to invest in an emerging market under demand uncertainty. Demand uncertainty and irreversibility of investment make investment less desirable than the net present value (NPV) rule indicates. The inactive firm is more reluctant to enter the market when it takes into account demand uncertainty because it preserves the opportunity of making a better investment later. The active firm is more reluctant to abandon the investment because there is an option value of keeping the operation alive. There is a greater distance between the entry and exit thresholds under the option‐value approach than under the NPV rule due to demand uncertainty. The results have implications for agribusiness decision‐making.
Judging agricultural policies: a survey
Authors: Bullock David S. , Salhofer Klaus 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis survey provides a structured picture of 40 years of literature which uses welfare economic tools to judge agricultural policy. Challenges and developments of normative agricultural policy analysis are discussed in an easily accessible graphical framework. It is shown how the literature has gone from examining a very small discrete set of simple policies to a much broader (often continuous) set of policies that combine policy instruments simultaneously. The importance of the Pareto criterion, used to explore the limits of how government can affect welfare, is revealed. Moreover, given the importance of the objective of income redistribution in agricultural policy, agricultural economists have often departed from the purely efficiency‐oriented tradition in economics. It is shown that they have tried to incorporate equity considerations by either adding these criteria as constraints to the social welfare function, or directly incorporating these criteria in the functional form of the social welfare function.
Smallholder production structure and rural roads in Africa: the case of Nakuru District, Kenya
Authors: Obare G.A. , Omamo S.W. , Williams J.C. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractData from a 1998 survey of farming households in Kenya is used to estimate the effects of poor rural road infrastructure (and high market access costs) on the structure of smallholder farm production. Simultaneous estimation of cost and input share equations reveals rational responses by farmers to high access costs. In the expected continued absence of major investments in rural infrastructure in countries such as Kenya, the policy challenge is to identify and catalyse institutional innovations that reduce a range of transaction costs, increase financial liquidity, increase social capital, and reduce risk.