Weak Disposability in Nonparametric Production Analysis with Undesirable Outputs

Weak disposability of outputs means that firms can abate harmful emissions by decreasing the activity level. Modeling weak disposability in nonparametric production analysis has caused some confusion. This article identifies a dilemma in these approaches: conventional formulations implicitly and unintentionally assume all firms apply uniform abatement factors. However, it is usually cost-effective to abate emissions in those firms where the marginal abatement costs are lowest. This article presents a simple formulation of weak disposability that allows for non-uniform abatement factors and preserves the linear structure of the model.     

A Comment on Weak Disposability in Nonparametric Production Analysis

In his 2005 paper in this journal, Kuosmanen argues that Shephard's specification of weak disposability in activity analysis (DEA) models is not correct. We show that Shephard's specification does satisfy weak disposability and is the "smallest" technology to do so.     

Non-parametric Productivity Analysis with Undesirable Outputs: An Application to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry

This article extends the Chavas–Cox approach to non-parametric analysis by incorporating undesirable outputs to provide a more complete representation of the production technology. Inner and outer non-parametric technology bounds are constructed. The methods are illustrated with application to time series data for the Canadian pulp and paper industry. Conventional measures that ignore changes in pollutant outputs underestimate true productivity growth. Further, there is a large gap between estimates generated with reference to inner and outer bounds to the technology, suggesting that researchers need to be aware of the limitations of results derived from analyses relying only on DEA methods.     

Specification and Estimation of Production Functions Involving Damage Control Inputs: A Two-Stage, Semiparametric Approach

Productivity assessment of damage control inputs (such as pesticides) is complicated because their effect depends on the exposure to damage agents (such as pests). We discuss some open specification and estimation issues. The contribution is threefold. First, we elaborate the separability conditions for the damage control function and production function. Second, we employ a two-stage semiparametric technique to combine attractive features of both nonparametric and parametric approaches. Third, we model the interaction between pest exposure and damage control inputs by using slope dummies. An application to productivity analysis of small scale Bt cotton production in China illustrates the approach.     

Input‐Specific Dynamic Productivity Change: Measurement and Application to European Dairy Manufacturing Firms

We propose a new method for measuring and decomposing input‐specific productivity change in a dynamic context. The resulting input‐specific dynamic Luenberger productivity change indicator is decomposed to identify the contributions of input‐specific dynamic technical, technical inefficiency and scale inefficiency changes. The empirical application of the paper focuses on panel data of large firms in the European dairy processing industry over the period 2005–2012. The results show similar patterns for dynamic input‐specific productivity change and its components for labour across European regions (Eastern, Western and Southern), while differences between regions are found regarding materials and investments.     

Socioeconomic aspects of rice‐fish farming in Bangladesh: opportunities,challenges and production efficiency*

In spite of the potential for rice‐fish farming in Bangladesh, it has been adopted by relatively few farmers because of socioeconomic, environmental, technological and institutional constraints. Rice monoculture remains the main farming system in Bangladesh even though integrated rice‐fish farming is the best farming system in terms of resource utilisation, diversity, productivity, production efficiency and food supply. Only a small number of farmers involve in integrated rice‐fish farming. This study concludes that rice‐fish farming is as production efficient as rice monoculture and that integrated performs better in terms of cost and technical efficiency compared with alternate rice‐fish farming. Integrated rice‐fish farming can help Bangladesh keep pace with the current demand for food through rice and fish production. However, a lack of technical knowledge of farmers, high production costs and risks associated with flood and drought are inhibiting more widespread adoption of the practice.     

黑龙江省农业生产资料与农业经济发展的关联分析

黑龙江省是一个农业大省,农业经济对全省经济的发展起到至关重要的作用,而农业生产资料对农业经济的发展有着巨大的影响作用。应用灰色系统理论中关联分析方法和GM(1,1)预测模型,对黑龙江省农业总产值与农业生产资料之间的关系进行关联分析,在其发展趋势预测的基础上,对黑龙江省农业经济发展的趋势关联分析,进而提出黑龙江省实现农业经济持续发展、科学决策对策建议。