Input usage,output mix and industry deregulation: an analysis of the Australian dairy manufacturing industry*

In this paper we estimate a Translog output distance function for a balanced panel of state level data for the Australian dairy processing sector. We estimate a fixed effects specification employing Bayesian methods, with and without the imposition of monotonicity and curvature restrictions. Our results indicate that Tasmania and Victoria are the most technically efficient states with New South Wales being the least efficient. The imposition of theoretical restrictions marginally affects the results especially with respect to estimates of technical change and industry deregulation. Importantly, our bias estimates show changes in both input use and output mix that result from deregulation. Specifically, we find that deregulation has positively biased the production of butter, cheese and powders.     

GAINS FROM DEREGULATION? AN EMPIRICAL TEST FOR EFFICIENCY GAINS IN THE NORWEGIAN FISH FARMING INDUSTRY

A cost function is used to quantify potential sources of gains from deregulation of the Norwegian salmon farming industry, an industry that has been heavily regulated in order to achieve a regional dispersion of production and profits along the entire coastline. It now seems to be widely recognised that the regulations have led to cost inefficiencies. A region-augmented cost function with data from 282 fish farms for 1988 is used to estimate regional productivity differences, i.e. differences in the total cost of producing salmon in one region compared to another. It is found that the potential gains from deregulation may be substantial.     

Deregulation reforms,resource reallocation and aggregate productivity growth in the Australian dairy industry

Deregulation reforms in the Australian dairy industry had long‐lasting repercussions for Australian agriculture and the wider Australian economy. Using farm‐level data from 1979 to 2013, we investigate the effect of these reforms on productivity in the Australian dairy industry which arose from correcting resource misallocation between farms and across segregated state milk markets. Our results demonstrate that after the dairy reforms in 2000, relative market share shifted from less productive farms to more productive ones, and between farms using different production systems – generating additional productivity gains for the farm sector, but imposing some costs on downstream manufacturers by strengthening the seasonality of milk supply. Lessons from the Australian experience provide timely guidance for those countries exploring deregulation now or in the future to improve the industry‐level agricultural productivity growth through facilitating resource reallocation from less efficient to more efficient farms.     

金融危机后造纸产业技术创新效率变动实证研究——基于DEA-Malmquist指数法

运用基于DEA的Malmquist指数法对经济危机后的造纸产业技术创新活动的全要素生产率、技术效率、技术进步的变动情况进行测算,并与木材加工业、通信设备制造业、有色金属冶炼业等行业进行横向比较,发现:2008年金融危机后,造纸产业技术创新活动的全要素生产率逐步恢复,但由于技术效率大幅下降,即使技术进步指数提高,后期的全要素生产率的恢复速度仍然趋缓。最后,对造纸产业技术创新效率变动的可能原因进行探讨。     

MEASURING PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN BROADACRE AGRICULTURE

An important source of growth for Australian broadacre agriculture has been technical progress. We compare alternative measures of productivity growth including the traditional Tornqvist-Thiel total factor productivity index; variants of this approach that allow decreasing returns to scale; the Fisher ideal index; other nonparametric measures that do not impose particular functional forms and an econometric estimate from a translog industry cost function. The annual growth in productivity in broadacre agriculture over the period from 1953 to 1994 was in the range of 2.4 to 2.6 per cent and hence was quite robust to measurement technique.     

Modernization of a peasant crop in Colombia: evidence and implications

The survival of the small-farm sector in the process of agricultural modernization in Latin America has been a concern for many authors and institutions. It is generally believed that the small-farm sector is bypassed in the process of agricultural development. The authors analyze modernization of bean/maize cropping systems in Southern Colombia. Prices, production practices and profitability are compared for 1975 and 1989. By means of a production function, the effects of allocative efficiency, technical efficiency and technical change on productivity and profitability are analyzed. The observed changes reflect very well the price trends over the period. Between 1975 and 1989, total factor productivity increased by 50%. Bean/maize producers almost doubled returns to land and labor. Increased technical efficiency had most effect on profitability, followed by technical change. Allocative efficiency had more impact on yields than on profitability because it was associated with high input costs. Considerable opportunities for further productivity increases were identified. Conclusions on the nature of the modernization process are drawn. Implications for agricultural policy, research and the role of the small farm in agricultural development are derived.     

黑龙江省木材产业发展影响因素的灰色关联分析

根据11年的《中国林业统计年鉴》和《黑龙江省统计年鉴》数据,对黑龙江省木材产业产品的发展变化趋势进行描述;选择影响发展的主要指标对黑龙江省三类木材加工产业进行灰色关联分析,以产值作为参考数列。结果表明,各指标与不同加工产业的产值的关联度各不相同,企业数量对木材加工及木制品业的产值影响最大,年人均劳动生产率对家具制造业的产值的影响最大,造纸及纸制品业的产品销售率对总产值的影响最大。依据研究结果提出提高木材产业技术含量、推进木材产业集聚发展、保障产业可持续发展等提高产业竞争力的对策。     

中国苹果绿色全要素生产率测算与产区差异

目的 厘清苹果产业绿色全要素生产率增长的动态变化及产区差异,是促进苹果产业高质量发展的关键。方法 文章基于2004—2018年我国8个苹果主产区面板数据,利用超效率SBM模型和全局ML指数,从静态、动态不同角度,对我国苹果环境技术效率和绿色全要素生产率进行测算,并分析不同产区之间的差异。结果 （1）我国及各主产区苹果环境技术效率均未达到最优状态,区域差异明显,黄土高原主产区高于环渤海湾主产区,与不考虑非期望产出相比,环境技术效率明显偏低;（2）规模效率是当前我国苹果生产技术效率主要来源,黄土高原主产区纯技术效率略高于规模效率,环渤海湾主产区纯技术效率偏低;（3）苹果绿色全要素生产率整体提高,区域间增速差异较大,黄土高原主产区增速高于环渤海湾主产区;（4）技术效率是我国苹果绿色全要素生产率主要增长源泉,技术进步贡献度相对较低。结论 我国苹果绿色全要素生产率存在较大提升空间,各产区要通过因地制宜制定苹果产业发展战略、充分借助农业科研院所创新优势、加强果农高素质培训等方式提高苹果绿色全要素生产率。     

我国马铃薯全要素生产率比较及空间集聚研究

[目的]马铃薯主粮化已成为我国第四次主粮革命的新趋势,我国马铃薯产业具有良好的产能基础,种植面积和总产量均居全球第一,但单产低于世界平均水平,且产业发展面临诸如加工能力低、经营模式落后、产业布局不合理的现实问题,为实现我国主粮多元化需要加快马铃薯产业转型升级。[方法]文章运用DEA-Malmquist指数测度2011—2016年我国马铃薯16个主产区的生产效率和全要素生产率水平,利用Moran's I分析全要素生产率变化的空间自相关性及动态变化。[结果]马铃薯产业整体技术效率偏低且区域发展水平不均衡;逐渐从技术进步转变到更加注重提高技术效率且主导因素存在区域性差异;形成了自成一体的"新区"、南北连通的"西区"和强强联手的"北区"三大集聚区。[结论]马铃薯产业区域性明显,打破地理界线跨地区发展是未来产业发展的方向,最后从技术效率提升、区域产业布局、市场对接等方面对我国马铃薯产业优化调整提出了对策建议。     

Evaluating research and education performance in Indian agricultural development

India's agricultural research spending has long been regionally uneven. Regional research intensity ratios, which account for size differences, indicate research spending has consistently favored southern and western states over northern, central, and eastern ones. Farm production patterns have, however, changed in recent years and regional output growth is being driven by new commodity mixes. In this article, we ask which region had the highest factor productivity growth and rate of return to investments in public agricultural research and higher education. Our analysis relies on a 1980–2008 Indian agricultural production and policy data set together with a dual heteroscedastic production frontier to decompose total factor productivity (TFP) growth into formal technical progress and efficiency elements. The model's regional flexibility affords region‐to‐region comparison of multiple research return rates, TFP growth, and the elements influencing them. Regardless of return‐rate measure or allocation scenario evaluated, the North has enjoyed the highest return to research spending, and the Central and East the lowest. Factor productivity growth has however been strongest in the South, primarily on account of efficiency gains. Overall, though, the technical progress and productivity growth easily attributable to government‐supported research has accounted for about one‐quarter of the sector's TFP growth.     

中国木材加工业投入产出效率评价

运用可变规模报酬假设下的DEA模型对2002—2012年的中国木材加工业投入产出的技术效率值、纯技术效率值、规模效率值进行测算,并运用差额分析和敏感度分析对投入产出变量进行分析。研究结果表明,近年来中国木材加工业技术效率水平总体不高,大部分年份木材加工业的纯技术效率高于规模效率,较低的规模效率是导致技术效率不高的主要原因;木材加工业的资金投入水平较劳动力投入水平更为合理。因此,实现中国木材加工业的规模化发展是提高木材加工业投入产出效率的关键所在。此外,提高劳动者素质,优化劳动力投入水平对木材加工业的发展也很重要。     

Technical efficiency in the Spanish agrofood industry

This study estimates frontier production functions with cross-section data lor the Spanish agrofood industry by using deterministic and stochastic parameuic approaches. We compute the individual technical efficiency for each firm, compare the results and explain the relationship between technical efficiency and other relevant quantitative variables. The results indicate that the Spanish agrofood industry has a level of efficiency between 68% and 93%; which means that it is potentially capable of increasing production without increasing its Consumption of inputs. This efficiency level is positively related to factor productivity and unitary labour costs.     

Evaluating Agricultural Productivity and Policy in Russia

Russia's transition to a market economy in the early 1990s shocked its agricultural sector, creating the potential for profit and gains from specialisation and productivity improvements. However, subsequent regional agricultural development has been highly uneven, and the sources of the sector's productivity improvement remain unclear. Drawing on a newly-assembled Russian regional farm production and policy dataset, we evaluate agricultural total factor productivity growth from 1994 to 2013, decomposing that growth into technical progress and efficiency gains, for the nation as a whole and for the major agricultural districts of the South and Central. We then test how investments in road and rail infrastructure and human capital have influenced those gains. The South substantially outperformed the Central district and the nation at large with respect to all three performance indicators. However, contrary to the literature, we find that these particular state policies provided no substantial growth advantages, there or elsewhere. Rather, the dominant force behind Russia's agricultural growth has been informal technical change.     

Reallocation of production resources in Cyprus agriculture based on linear programming models with different input—output coefficients

It is widely believed that the acceleration of growth since reforms began in 1978 has increased regional disparities in China. This paper examines whether this is the case for GDP per capita, labour productivity and technical efficiency in industry in 30 regions from 1978 to 2005. The unexpected conclusion is that over the whole period, there has been convergence rather than divergence: more backward regions have caught up with leading regions. The process of regional convergence was especially strong from 1978 to 1990. In the 1990s, there was divergence, but convergence resumed after 2000, leaving regional inequalities in 2005 much smaller than in 1978. Possible theoretical and policy explanations for the observed pattern are considered.     

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.     

Farm-level efficiency and productivity measurement using panel data: wool production in south-west Victoria

In this article we explore some issues surrounding the use of farm-level efficiency and productivity estimates for benchmarking studies. Using an eight-year balanced panel of Victorian wool producers we analyse annual variation between estimates of farm-level technical efficiency derived using Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist estimates of Total Factor Productivity. We find that farms change their relative rank in terms of efficiency across years. Also, unlike aggregate studies of Total Factor Productivity, we find at best erratic and modest growth, a worrying result for this industry. However, caution is needed when interpreting these results, and for that matter, benchmarking analysis as currently practised when using frontier estimation techniques like Data Envelopment Analysis.     

Agricultural policy and productivity: evidence from Brazilian censuses

Brazil's economic strategy has shifted hesitatingly during the last several decades from one of producer protection to trade competitiveness. Exploiting the variations these shifts have afforded, we use a sequence of decennial agricultural censuses to examine Brazilian policy implications for agricultural competitiveness and efficiency. Total factor productivity is decomposed into best‐technology and efficiency elements, each subject to policy influence. We find technology growth, at 4.5% per annum, to have been extraordinarily high, particularly in the south. But because productivity among average producers has fallen rapidly behind that on the technical frontier, total productivity growth has been a much more modest 2.6% per year. Public agricultural research programs most benefit the country's technological leaders, widening the gap between frontier and average producer. Credit, education, and road construction policies instead narrow that gap. Credit and road programs especially enhance efficiency in the south, where efficiency losses have been greatest.     

农业生产效率与其影响因素相关关系实证分析——基于湖北省数据

相对于第二产业与第三产业来说,我国农业发展方面存在的生产效率问题依旧亟待解决,研究农业生产效率及其影响因素对于我国农业经济发展具有深远意义。通过查阅农业生产相关文献,在对农业生产效率内涵及其理论基础进行阐述的基础上,文章构建DEA与Tobit等2种适用于不同情况的评价模型来确定我国农业生产率的影响因素及影响程度;并以湖北省为研究对象,利用湖北省统计数据得出渔业和畜牧业所占比重对农业生产效率影响最大;第一产业相对劳动生产力和农业支出比重越大,农业生产率越高,第二产业相对劳动生产力越大,农业生产率越低;单位机械动力产值、单位灌溉面积以及单位化肥用量越大,农业生产率越高。研究结论对促进经济与农业同步可持续协调增长、推广优势农业以及实现资源最大化利用、提高区域农业生产率均有一定的现实意义。     

Using a Programming Approach to Measure International Agricultural Efficiency and Productivity

Multifactor agricultural productivity for seventy countries is calculated using a programming method. Productivity measures are divided into indices that measure technical efficiency and technical change. Agriculture in many developing countries is technically inefficient but technical change has had a greater impact on agricultural productivity. Multifactor productivity is declining in many developing countries where both agricultural output and the use of some agricultural inputs has rapidly grown. The level of education in a country and research services are factors which can explain differences in agricultural productivity growth between countries.     

The organic industry in Australia: Current and future trends

Accurate information is critical for investment, policy alignment and to support agricultural development. In Australia information relating to the size, growth, current and future value of the organic sector has been incoherent and, in some cases, contradictory. This study seeks to address this gap by synthesising industry and government data with the results of an online quantitative survey as well as a series of in-depth interviews to capture the value added component of the organic industry in Australia. By sub-dividing the total organic industry into thirteen categories which makes for meaningful analysis and interpretation, we aimed to estimate the compound average growth rate, the current value added and future trends in the Australian organic industry. This has resulted in some interesting findings, hence the methodology could potentially serve as a benchmark for the reporting of organic food growth globally. The findings also have important implications for various stakeholders including, growers of organic products, investors, land use policy makers and industry operators.