Farm size and productivity growth in the United States Corn Belt

In recent decades, agricultural production in the U.S. has continued to shift to large-scale operations, raising concerns about the economic viability of small and midsized farms. To understand whether economies of size provided an incentive for the consolidation of production, the study estimates the total factor productivity (TFP) of five size classes of grain-producing farms in the U.S. Heartland (Corn Belt) region. Using quinquennial Agricultural Census data from 1982 to 2012 the study also compares TFP growth rates across farm sizes to gain insight into whether observed productivity differences are likely to persist. The finding of a strong positive relationship between farm size and TFP suggests that consolidation of production has contributed to recent aggregate productivity growth in the crop sector. The study estimates the extent to which sectoral productivity growth can be attributed to structural change versus other factors including technological change. The study also explores some tradeoffs associated with policies that raise the productivity of small versus large farms.     

Assessing farm performance by size in Malawi,Tanzania, and Uganda

Many Sub-Sahara African countries have long endured sluggish agricultural productivity growth and a farm structure dominated by smallholders. This prevailing structure has led to public policies focusing on access to land and its distribution as ways to boost agricultural supply. Drawing on data from the Living Standards Measurement Study–Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) for three East African countries (Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda), our purpose is to: test whether smaller farms in these countries are more productive than larger ones; examine how managerial performance varies with farm size; and assess how public policy may improve farm performance. We adopt the Random Parameters Stochastic Production Frontier model to estimate and then decompose Total Factor Productivity (TFP) across different farm size classes. In doing so, we test for possible measurement errors of farmer self-reported land area using Global Positioning System (GPS) data, and explore the imperfect factor markets hypothesis. The results show that across the three countries TFP is higher for smaller farms than for larger ones. Overall, managerial performance is low suggesting that programs designed to enhance managerial capacity would promote farm productivity across all sizes. Other policies are size specific. Access to agricultural input markets improves the productivity of the small farms, while greater spending on transportation infrastructure and extension services enhances the productivity of the large.     

Are China’s regional agricultural productivities converging: How and why?

This article tests the hypotheses of convergence to a single level of total factor productivity (TFP), and a steady state of TFP growth rate in China’s agricultural sector. Based on multilateral TFP estimates we found that China’s agricultural sector has rebounded in recent years from a slower TFP growth in the 2005–2007 period. While convergence test results confirm a “catch-up” effect that provinces with lower TFP levels tend to grow faster than others, estimated rates of β convergence are conditional on how we capture the heterogeneity effect across regions. The rates of β convergence range from 0.016 to 0.039 under different model specifications. Estimates show that higher growth rates of educational attainment, R&D, and intermediate goods density (per unit of labor) can enhance TFP growth. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of an overall σ convergence, indicating that TFP levels are not converging except in the South region. It implies that to catch up with leading provinces, it would require extra efforts for those lagging behind by increasing their region-specific research investment, promoting rural educational attainment, and enhancing embodied technical change.     

我国制造业上市公司技术效率与技术进步实证研究

本文运用非参数的Malmqusit生产率指数法研究了2001—2005年期间中国制造业上市公司全要素生产率的水平及其变迁情况,并对其子行业和地区分布特征进行了探讨。同时对那些影响制造业上市公司生产率的主要因素进行了剖析。实证研究表明,中国制造业上市公司全要素生产率年平均增长1．9％,相对比较低,呈现出波动性特征。制造业上市公司全要素生产率的增长主要是由技术进步和效率改善共同引致的;开放程度比较高的行业,生产率也比较高,而高度垄断以及开放度低的行业如石油加工及炼焦业的生产率就比较低。东、中、西部地区制造业上市公司全要素生产率存在差异,东部最高,中部和西部次之,年均增长率分别为2．7％、1．7％、0．4％。股权集中度、企业盈利能力和企业年龄与制造业上市公司技术效率以及生产率的提升显著正相关,而股权制衡度、控股股东的性质与制造业上市佘司技术效率以及生产率的提升并不显著;企业年龄与上市公司技术进步没有必然的关系,而企业规模对对制造业上市公司技术进步有显著影响。     

Too small to be beautiful? The farm size and productivity relationship in Bangladesh

This paper examines the agricultural productivity-farm size relationship in the context of Bangladesh. Features of Bangladesh’s agriculture help overcome several limitations in testing the inverse farm-size productivity relationship in other developing country settings. A Stochastic Production Frontier (SPF) model is applied using data from three rounds of a household panel survey to simultaneously estimate the production frontier and the technical inefficiency functions. The ‘correlated random effects’ approach is used to control for unobserved heterogeneous household effects. Methodologically, the results suggest that SPF models that ignore the inefficiency function are likely mis-specified, and may result in misleading conclusions on the farm size-productivity relationship. Empirically, the findings confirm that the farm size and productivity relationship is negative, but with the inverse relationship diminishing over time. Total factor productivity growth, driven by technical change, is found to have been robust across the sample. Across farm size groups, the relatively larger farmers experienced faster technical change, which helped them to catch up and narrow the productivity gap with the smaller farmers.     

New perspectives on farm size and productivity

The farm size and productivity debate has been limited by the focus on land or labor productivity, generally showing respective productivity advantages to smaller or larger sized farms. Our purpose is to provide new perspectives on the debate by bringing together evidence from a set of novel case studies in both rich and poor countries. Common to them are the adoption of total factor productivity (TFP) as the comparative performance measure, and the reliance on panels of farm micro data. The present article presents a synthesis of findings from five case studies in (i) Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda; (ii) Bangladesh; (iii) Brazil; (iv) Australia; and (v) the United States. The preponderance of evidence from these studies suggests that there is no single economically optimal agrarian structure; rather, it appears to evolve with the stage of economic development. Certain farm sizes face relative productivity advantages, such as small farms in Africa. But with economic and market growth, that smallholder advantage will likely attenuate, moving toward constant and eventually increasing returns to size. Yet, importantly, small farms may be quite dynamic, and need not be a drag on agricultural growth until perhaps well into the development process.     

Exploring the relationship between farm size and productivity: Evidence from the Australian grains industry

The effect of farm size on productivity remains to be one of the longest standing debates in the agricultural development literature. In this paper, we use farm level data for the Australian grains industry from 1989 to 2004 to investigate the relationship between farm size and total factor productivity and its potential determinants. We show that a positive farm-size productivity relationship could be linked to farmer capital choice. In particular, the productivity advantage of larger farms is likely to diminish as farms use contract services to replace self–owned capital, suggesting that the hire of capital services (hereafter ‘capital outsourcing’) may lift the productivity level of small farms compared to their larger counterparts.     

省际OFDI、出口贸易对全要素生产率的影响——基于空间杜宾模型的实证分析

中国地域辽阔,地区差异较大,研究省际OFDI、出口贸易对全要素生产率的影响需重视空间因素的作用。本文基于2005～2014年我国28个省份的面板数据,采用空间杜宾模型,实证分析OFDI和出口贸易这两个方面对全要素生产率的影响。结果表明,省际OFDI、出口贸易和全要素生产率均表现出空间集聚特征;OFDI与全要素生产率的增长呈负相关;出口对全要素生产率有显著的正向效应,并且通过空间溢出效应显著促进邻接省份全要素生产率的提升。因此,我国需重视技术寻求型OFDI的建设,充分考虑OFDI对国内经济增长的空间溢出影响,以期达到对外投资和出口贸易双实现技术溢出效应的效果。     

我国先进装备制造业全要素生产率及影响因素分析——基于产业组织视角

本文基于先进装备制造业上市公司2006～2015年的数据，使用DEA-Malmquist方法计算了我国先进装备制造业的全要素生产率，结果表明，考察期内我国先进装备制造业的全要素生产率在震荡中有所提升，东部地区先进装备制造业的全要素生产率提升幅度大于西部。以此为基础，基于产业组织的角度分析了先进装备制造业全要素生产率的影响因素，研究发现，人力资本水平、R&D经费投入、宏观经济形势、社会固定资产投资情况、对外贸易依存度以及科技劳动力对全要素生产率产生正向显著影响。最后针对本文结论提出相关建议。     

A DEA Approach to Understanding the Productivity Growth of Malaysia's Manufacturing Industries

This paper seeks to explain the productivity growth performance of Malaysia's manufacturing sector using a panel data of 28 industries from 1981–1996. Here, the data envelopment analysis technique is used to calculate and decompose the Malmquist index of total factor productivity (TFP) growth into technical change, change in technical efficiency and change in scale efficiency. This allows the identification of the sources of productivity growth which is crucial for policy formulation. It was found that the annual TFP growth of the Malaysian manufacturing sector was low at 0.8% and this was driven by small gains in both technical change and technical efficiency, with industries operating close to optimum scale.     

环境约束下地区全要素生产率增长的再估算:1998—2008

本文采用序列Malmquist-Luenberger(SML)指数法估算1998—2008年中国各省环境约束下的TFP增长率。研究发现:考虑环境约束之后,TFP增长对我国经济增长的贡献不足10%,这反映了我国经济粗放增长的现实,技术进步是我国TFP增长的源泉,技术效率呈下降态势;样本区间内TFP增长率呈上升趋势的地区包括北部沿海、东部沿海、长江中游和大西南地区,呈下降趋势的地区包括南部沿海、黄河中游、大西北和东北地区;2005年以来环境约束下的TFP增长率呈明显的上升趋势,表明我国近年出台的环境相关政策对于破解环境问题和转变增长方式产生了积极的效果。回归分析显示,人均收入水平与环境约束下的TFP增长率呈U型关系,经济开放度、工业结构中的大中企业比例对TFP增长有正向影响,能源强度、国有企业比例有负向影响。     

Do R&D and ICT affect total factor productivity growth differently?

We analyze the effect of ICT and R&D on total factor productivity (TFP) growth across different industries in Sweden. R&D alone is significantly associated with contemporaneous TFP growth, thus exhibiting indirect effects. Although there is no significant short-run association between ICT and TFP, we find a positive association with a lag of seven to eight years. Thus, R&D affect TFP much faster than ICT-investments. We also divide ICT capital into hardware and software capital. To our knowledge, this distinction has not been made in any previous study analyzing TFP at the industry level. The results show that lagged hardware capital services growth is significantly associated with TFP growth. Hence, investments complementary to hardware are needed to reap the long-run TFP effects from reorganizing production.     

我国工业污染治理动态效率研究

全要素生产率是动态效率的一种度量。以我国30个省市的工业污染治理投入产出的统计数据为实例,运用基于DEA模型的Malmquist指数方法,测算了2000～2009年中国省际的工业污染治理全要素生产率的变化。结果显示:2000～2009年期间我国工业污染治理全要素生产率增加7.1%,主要来源于技术进步的贡献;省际间的全要素生产率的变动存在较大区域差异,河北省工业污染治理全要素生产率改善最多,而青海省下降最多;工业污染治理全要素生产率的变化和技术变化随时间都呈现U型曲线规律。最后基于实证分析的结果,给出了提升我国工业污染治理效率的政策建议。     

Total factor productivity measures for Hong Kong telephone

Since the early 1960s, the Hong Kong Telephone Company (HKTC)—the dominant firm in Hong Kong's local telephone market—has undergone several regulatory reforms. The company has been subject to price control, rate-of-return regulation and price-cap regulation. This paper estimates the total factor productivity (TFP) growth of HKTC. The empirical results show that the estimated TFP growth of HKTC was 2.31–3.56% per year between 1964 and 1998. TFP growth varied substantially under different regulatory regimes, and the importance of the scale effect relative to the technological effect diminished over time.     

Efficiency and Productivity of China's Thermal Power Generation

In China, the State Power Corporation (SPC) dominated theelectric power sector. Our results from the data envelopmentanalysis (DEA) approach show that the total factor productivity(TFP) growth between 1995 and 2000 is 2.1 percent per yearon average. Technological change accounts for almost all theTFP growth. Municipalities and coastal provinces have achievedhigher technical efficiency and TFP growth during the periodunder study. Fuel efficiency and capacity utilization rate aresignificant factors affecting technical efficiency of powergeneration. Provinces and autonomous regions not dominated bySPC have achieved higher levels of technical efficiency.     

The evolution of hog production and potential sources for future growth in China

Following reforms to the market, China’s hog industry has developed rapidly, however, with social and economic transitions, China’s hog industry is facing challenges which might restrict long-term growth in production. This paper analyzes the changes in regional scale, organization, input factors, and technological progress for China’s hog production over the last few decades. The paper seeks to reveal the sources of hog production growth and provide some suggestions for future development of the hog industry. To achieve these aims, the paper uses stochastic frontier production functions and the Malmquist index to measure total factor productivity (TFP) in the hog industry and decompose TFP into technical efficiency; technological progress; scale efficiency; and allocative efficiency using data for 25 provinces from 1980 to 2008. The results show firstly that; the TFP of hog production increased by 64.3% from 1980 to 2008, and allocative efficiency and scale efficiency improvements played a key role in this TFP growth. In contrast, technical efficiency and technical progress have changed little over this period. Secondly, TFP’s contribution to output was 39.7%, it being less than that of factor inputs to output. Thirdly, the results suggest that the growth of China’s pork production depends mostly on the increase in the quantity of factor inputs, especially feed. As a consequence, the key to ensuring long-term and stable development of China’s hog production would seem to involve focusing on enhancing total factor productivity and changing the pattern of production growth.     

本土市场规模与中国制造业全要素生产率

本文使用2001—2010年中国制造业分行业数据,实证分析了本土市场规模与全要素生产率之间的关系。估计结果显示,以"市场促创新"的假说整体上是成立的。本土市场规模每增加1%,将会促进生产率指数增长0.021%、效率改进指数增长0.023%、技术进步指数增长0.018%。分行业研究显示,本土市场规模对全要素生产率的影响在不同行业存在一定的差异。本土市场规模作用的发挥更依赖于行业的技术密集程度和资本密集程度,而对行业的劳动密集程度则并不敏感。从作用机制来看,本土市场规模对生产率增长和技术进步的正向作用主要通过资本密度、研发密度与人力资本等途径传递;对效率改进的正向影响主要通过资本密度、研发密度、人力资本以及对外开放度等途径传递。在所有的作用途径中,人力资本的影响最大。这些作用机制可以进一步归纳为"集聚效应"和"竞争效应"。     

Alternative regulation and the efficiency of local exchange carriers: evidence from the Ameritech states

This paper examines growth in total factor productivity (TFP) before and after the implementation of alternative regulatory schemes for Ameritech operating companies. A model of TFP growth developed by the FCC is used. Results indicate that the introduction of price cap and incentive regulation leads to statistically significant increases in TFP growth. Results indicate that regulators may need to increase current productivity offsets to achieve a more equitable sharing of productivity gains between shareholders and ratepayers.     

全要素生产率构成与中国地区经济差距演进的核密度分析

本文利用随机前沿生产函数模型测算了中国28个省区1985~2007年的全要素生产率,并将其分解为技术进步、技术效率及规模经济性,同时利用核密度估计刻画了中国地区差距的演进机制。研究结果表明,全要素生产率对中国地区差距的影响要大于要素投入,在全要素生产率的组成部分中,技术效率是导致地区经济差距扩大的最主要原因,其次是技术进步的影响,而规模经济性对地区差距的影响非常有限。最后本文给出了相关对策建议。     

Telecommunications productivity,catch-up and innovation

This study examines telecommunications productivity, technological catch-up and innovation in 74 countries for the period 1991–1995. A summary of partial productivity indicators is presented, and total factor productivity (TFP) growth is calculated using the Malmquist productivity change index. Decomposition of the Malmquist index provides preliminary evidence that developing countries can enhance productivity through catch-up. An econometric model is estimated that relates innovation to market size and two measures of market structure, viz., market concentration and private ownership. Model estimates support the Schumpeterian hypothesis that market size is conducive to innovation. However, the hypothesis that concentration (the dominant carrier’s share of international message telephone service (IMTS) traffic) is positively related to innovation is rejected. Finally, the model suggests that increased private ownership of the dominant local-exchange carrier can enhance innovation.