Measuring and Explaining Technical Efficiency in UK Potato Production

Technical efficiency in UK maincrop potato production is measured through the estimation of a stochastic frontier production function using cross section data for the 1992 crop year. 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). The technical efficiency index across production units ranges from 33 to 97 per cent. Irrigation of the potato crop and storage of potatoes after harvest are positively correlated with technical efficiency. Number of years of experience of growing potatoes, small scale farming practice and chitting of seed potatoes are all negatively correlated with technical efficiency.     

Determinants of Grain Production and Technical Efficiency in China

A stochastic frontier production function is used to investigate the prospect to bring China's grain production and productivity to higher levels using a panel data set on 30 provinces from 1987–92. Given an irreversible trend of declining agricultural land, the only feasible way to raise total grain output is to increase land productivity if China does not want to rely on large-scale imports to feed her huge and still growing population. Considerable regional differences in grain yields suggest that there is still a vast potential for raising grain output. The short term solution is to use more land-augmenting inputs such as fertilisers and irrigation in the medium and low yield regions. However, the law of diminishing returns is in operation as more physical inputs are applied to shrinking land. Growth in grain output in the long term must rely on improvements in technical efficiency.     

中国油菜籽生产效率的DEA测度及分析

本文采取数据包络（DEA）分析方法，计算2003年我国油菜籽各产区的技术效率和规模效率。发现目前我国油菜籽生产技术效率和规模效率低下，大部分油菜产区技术和规模均没有发挥到最佳状态，导致实际单产远低于潜在水平。并根据分析结果，提出技术效率低的油菜籽产区不仅要扩大油菜籽生产规模，同时应发展集约型经营，节约资源，增加收益；技术效率高的油菜产区要依靠品种改良等技术创新途径提高单位产量等措施。     

Price Discrimination and Pricing to Market Behavior of Canadian Canola Exporters

The role of exchange rate fluctuation on the pricing behavior of Canadian canola exporters to Japan, Mexico, and the U.S. is examined using a model identifying noncompetitive and exchange rate related pricing behavior. Price discrimination was identified for Canadian canola exports to the three destinations over the period of 1993–99. Results also suggest that Pricing to Market strategies were employed for Japanese imports. Canadian canola exporters used local currency price stabilization to dampen the effects of relative price changes in the Japanese currency, perhaps linked to the large size of Japanese imports relative to Mexico and the U.S.     

Specification and Estimation of Production Risk, Risk Preferences and Technical Efficiency

This article deals with specification and estimation of risk preferences, production risk, and technical inefficiency. It makes contribution in three separate areas of production economics. First, we model producers' attitude toward risk and derive risk preference functions (without assuming any parametric form of the utility function and any distribution of the error term representing production risk) when risk arises from production uncertainty and technical inefficiency. Second, the standard production risk model is extended to accommodate technical inefficiency and producers' attitude toward risk. Finally, the technical efficiency model is generalized to accommodate production risk and producers' attitude toward risk.     

An Analysis of Public Agricultural Research in the Canadian Prairie Provinces

This study has developed a four-equation model of agricultural research in Canada using some aspects of special interest theory, institutional theory and economic variables. The demand, supply and allocation equations were developed with special reference to the Canadian agricultural research sector and the more restrictive prairie agricultural research sector. The conceptual model developed is designed to explain the allocation of public expenditures on commodity specific applied research. The reduced-form equation of the model was estimated for 6 commodity classes (2 crops, 4 livestock groups) to test the applicability of the model over the commodity groups.
The evaluation of the reduced-form equation model and the implications that derive from it give an interesting view of the Canadian research sector. Some variables did perform as a priori expected with relative consistency and certain equations performed very well. These results lead to some implications for the Canadian agricultural research sector.
The general performance of the reduced-form equation and its ability to explain the total variation of expenditures on commodity specific agricultural research gives limited support to the model developed. Nevertheless the results tend to indicate that agricultural research is responsive to economic and institutional variables.     

Investigating the incidental benefits of Environmental Stewardship schemes in England

The direct benefits of Environmental Stewardship (ES) schemes are well documented in the academic policy literature and include an increase in the stock and quality of field boundaries and associated wildlife; adaptation to climate change; landscape enhancement; improvements in farm soil and water quality and protection of the historic and natural environment. It is argued that the incidental benefits of ES schemes, which capture those benefits to the wider economy and society beyond the scheme's original remit, are as yet poorly understood and insufficiently recognised in current policy evaluation criteria. This paper describes research which has systematically addressed this evidence gap through the application of sub-regional economic models to capture the direct, indirect and induced effects of a variety of ES schemes beyond the farm gate. Findings reveal the sub-regional income and employment effects of such schemes to be significant, in particular for those schemes rewarding higher standards of environmental management. The implications of the findings for ES policy, its evaluation and rural development are discussed.     

贫困山区农户茶叶生产技术效率及影响因素研究

基于湖北省382份茶叶种植户调研数据,采用随机前沿生产函数模型“一步估计”法分析贫困山区农户茶叶生产技术效率和影响因素。研究结果表明:样本户茶叶种植存在较大改进空间;样本户资本和劳动力投入剩余;茶园的海拔、树龄、茶农是否加入合作社、种植面积、户主是否受过种茶培训等因素对农户茶叶生产技术效率有重要影响。因此,提出紧抓乡村振兴战略机遇,推动贫困山区茶产业高质量发展;建立茶产业“三项补贴”,改善茶园基础设施条件;优化茶叶种植布局,提高合作社服务水平;成立茶产业发展基金,加快培育职业茶农,以提高贫困山区农户茶叶生产技术效率。     

农户奶牛生产技术效率及影响因素分析

本文利用奶牛养殖农户的调查资料，采用随机前沿生产函数方法测定、分析了奶牛生产的技术效率以及影响因素。结果显示，农户奶牛生产过程中存在显著的效率损失，平均技术效率为70％。根据实证研究的结果，养牛规模、专业化程度、参加培训对技术效率有显著的正面影响，家庭决策者年龄对技术效率有负面影响。以此为基础，本文对一些相关政策做了简单的讨论。     

Prospects and Potentials in Canadian Beef Production*

The production technology available to the Canadian beef industry comprises a much broader range than is generally recognized. It includes forest and pasture improvement, new grading standards, cross breeding, performance testing, use of bull and dairy beef, artificial insemination, introduction of new breeds, use of new physiological and nutritional knowledge, environmental control, and others. This article appraises the prospect for Canadian beef production moving onto a new technology base, and combining this technology with competent management and promotion in order to meet the demands for beef in the 1980“s. PERSPECTIVES ET POSSIBILITÉS DE PRODUCTION DU BOEUF AU CANADA–La technologie de production à la disposition de l'industrie canadienne du boeuf comprend une gamme beaucoup plus et éndue qu'on le pense en général. Elle comprend ‘amélioration des forêts et des pâturages, les nouvelles normes de classification, le métissage, les assais de rendement, l'usage de la viande de taureaux et de vaches laitières, l'insémination artificieile, l'introduction de nouvelles races, l'utilisation de nouvelles connaissances physiologiques et nutritives, le contrôle écologique et autres. Cet article évalue les perspectives du déplacement de la production canadienne de boeuf à une nouvelle base technologique, et la combinaison de cette technologie à une gestion et promotion compétentes pour répondre à la demande en boeuf au cour des années 1980.     

Farmer Compensation and its Consequences for Environmental Benefit Provision in the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme

The Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS) provides payments to farmers for the provision of environmental services based on forgone agricultural income. Consequently, farmers with a relatively low opportunity cost of agricultural land will be particularly attracted to apply for entry into the ESS within a given payment region. This article tests whether there exists a significant relationship between Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Scheme entry and agricultural yields. Empirically, HLS participation is found to be negatively related to cereal yields at the farm level. This could be associated with ‘auspicious selection’ of land into the Scheme, with greater ‘value for money’ provided by the higher entry of land with lower agricultural forgone income but higher environmental benefit within the region.     

Land Heterogeneity,Agricultural Income Forgone and Environmental Benefit: An Assessment of Incentive Compatibility Problems in Environmental Stewardship Schemes

This paper examines the issue of incentive compatibility within environmental stewardship schemes, where incentive payments to farmers to provide environmental goods and services are based on foregone agricultural income. The particular focus of the paper is land heterogeneity, either of agricultural or environmental value, leading to divergence between the actual and socially optimal level of provision of environmental goods and services. Given land heterogeneity, such goods and services are likely to be systematically over‐ or under‐provided in response to a flat rate payment for income foregone.     

1978-1997年金寨县农户生产力发展与消除贫困问题研究--前沿生产函数分析方法

本文采用前沿生产函数方法 ,利用安徽省金寨县 93个样本农户 1 978-1 997年资料 ,计量了样本农户的技术进步、技术效率、纯效率和规模经济效率、制度变迁的贡献等生产力发展指标 ,表明森林资源丰富地区可以通过生产力发展达到消除贫困的目标。制度变迁和技术效率是影响消除贫困的主要生产力因素 ,因此为了消除贫困进行的制度变迁要稳定且预期性强 ,积极提高技术效率、促进技术进步 ,在现阶段尤其要促进技术进步。     

Estimating Technical Efficiency and Production Risk under Contract Farming: A Bayesian Estimation and Stochastic Dominance Methodology

We investigate production risk, technical efficiency and risk attitudes amongst contract and independent farmers. We use a Bayesian parametric approach and stochastic dominance quantile regression methods to compare technical efficiency and risk attitude of smallholders in Nepal. Using farm‐level data, we find that contract farmers appear to show lower inefficiency and lower production risk. Additionally, contract and independent farmers can increase output by reducing the scale of operation. Regardless of the commodity produced and farming arrangement (contract or independent production), we find that labour, land and other inputs are risk‐augmenting, while the role of capital is mixed. We find a second order stochastic dominance (SSD) for lentils, and first order stochastic dominance (FSD) for tomatoes, ginger and HYV paddy seed commodities. Finally, contract farmers are more risk averse than independent farmers, regardless of the commodity produced.     

土地托管、规模经营与生产技术效率 ——来自山东省小麦种植户的证据

研究目的：基于山东省小麦种植户调查数据，以田间管理环节为例，探究土地托管通过规模经营对技术效率产生的影响，为更好地发挥出土地托管在推进粮食产业高质量发展中的重要作用提供参考。研究方法：得分倾向匹配模型与IV-Tobit模型等。研究结果：（1）土地托管通过形成适度服务规模对技术效率产生影响：田间管理托管服务规模与技术效率之间呈现“倒U型”关系，当服务规模在2～<13.33 hm2时，相比于农户自主经营具有提升技术效率的优势；使技术效率最大化的田间管理服务适度规模为7.5 hm2；托管中采纳绿色高效技术能够整体向上提升技术效率水平。（2）土地托管也会通过与农户土地规模相作用对技术效率产生影响：通过适度服务规模对技术效率的直接提升效用偏向于土地规模较大的农户；通过土地流入对技术效率的间接提升效用在较小规模农户中更为显著。研究结论：（1）发展土地托管应强调服务主体的适度服务规模，着力推进土地连片化；（2）运用绿色高效技术和机械有助于提升服务主体田间托管作业质量；（3）注重适度服务规模与适度土地规模之间的良性互动，在推进农业服务规模化的过程中也要满足小农户土地流转的需求。     

An Agent-Based Simulation Model of Structural Change in Canadian Prairie Agriculture, 1960–2000

Agent‐based simulation modeling (or ABM) is used to examine the evolution of farm size and financial structure in Canadian prairie agriculture over the period 1960–2000. Individual farm agent interaction and dynamics in this model occur through land ownership and leasing markets. A base scenario is developed and the model is validated against actual data from a typical Saskatchewan farm region. Subsequently, we simulate counterfactual policy scenarios applicable to farms in this region. Overall, we view the contribution of this paper as twofold—first, it represents a “proof of concept” of ABM's ability to simulate farming on a medium to large scale. Second, the model allows us to examine the contributions of entrepreneurship, factor endowment, and historical government agricultural support payments on the evolution of Canadian prairie farm structure. Dans le présent article, nous avons utilisé un modèle multi‐agent pour analyser l'évolution de la taille et de la structure financière de fermes dans les Prairies canadiennes, de 1960 à 2000. Dans ce modèle, les agents interagissent dans le temps par le biais des marchés de la propriété foncière et du bail foncier. Nous avons élaboré un scénario de référence et nous avons validé le modèle à partir de données réelles tirées d'une région agricole typique de la Saskatchewan. Ensuite, nous avons simulé des scénarios contrefactuels de politiques applicables à des fermes de cette région. Le présent article poursuivait un double objectif. Le présent article est à double volet. Premièrement, il comprend une démonstration de faisabilité de la capacité du modèle multiagent à simuler l'agriculture de moyenne à grande échelle. Deuxièmement, le modèle a permis d'examiner l'apport de l'entrepreneuriat, de la dotation en facteurs de production et des paiements de soutien agricole sur l'évolution de la structure des fermes dans les Prairies canadiennes.