Scale Economies and Inefficiency of U.S. Dairy Farms

This study employs data drawn from the 2000 Agricultural Resource Management Survey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored farmers' survey. The article estimates returns to scale relationships across dairy farms of different sizes and across different regions, incorporating variables hypothesized to influence farm performance. Results point to significant scale economies in U.S. dairy farms and underscore the importance of taking account of inefficiency when estimating scale economies. Contrary to previous research, the preferred cost function specification does not show a region of decreasing returns to scale. This finding helps explain why the average size of dairy farms has been increasing.     

Decomposition Measures of Technical Efficiency for Ontario Dairy Farms

Technical efficiency measures for Ontario dairy farms are computed and decomposed into purely technical, congestion and scale efficiency measures using a non-parametric programming approach. Approximately 42% of the farms in the sample are technically efficient, while the major sources of inefficiency for the remaining farms are due to pure technical allocation and to non-optimal scale of production. A censored regression indicate that herd size, milk yield and butterfat content of milk has a positive influence on efficiency, while negative effects are found from the proportion. of total feed purchased and overcapitalization. The variation in optimal scale between herd sizes implies a range of farm sizes will continue to exist, provided the appropriate technology for the scale of operation is chosen.
Des mesures d'efficacité technique pour des fermes laitières en Ontario sont calculées et ensuite décomposées en mesures de rendement techniques d'échelle et de congestion à l'aide d'une approche de programmation non-paramétrique. Environ 42% des fermes dans l'échantillon sont techniquement efficaces. Les principales sources d'inefficacité des autres fermes sont reliées à des problèmes d'allocation technique et d'échelle de production. Une régression censurée indique que la grosseur de troupeau, la production de lait par vache de même que le pourcentage de gras dans le lait ont une influence positive sur le rendement tandis que la proportion de fourrage acheté et la sous-capitalisation ont une influence négative. La variation dans l'échelle optimale de production par grosseur de troupeau laisse sous-entendre qu'on continuera de voir un certain écart dans la taille des fermes laitiéres si les technologies appropriées pour les differences échelles de production sont selectionnées.     

Assessing Technical Efficiency of Québec Dairy Farms

The purpose of this paper is twofold. Our first objective is to measure the level of technical efficiency of Québec dairy farms. Our second objective is to gauge the robustness of our results with respect to the selection of a functional form and of a distribution for the inefficiency index. We estimate efficiency frontiers for Cobb-Douglas (C-D), translogarithmic (TL) and generalized Leontief (GL) production functions with half-normal, truncated normal and exponential distributions. Our results, based on likelihood dominance criterion (LDC) indicate that the GL production technology dominates the other two functional forms, and this ranking is robust to changes in the distribution of the inefficiency index. Efficiency scores and ranks are highly correlated for all the functional forms and distributions. The differences in the mean levels of efficiency are statistically significant across functional forms and distributions, although the magnitude of the difference is minuscule. The very high mean level of efficiency and the low standard deviation confirms that Québec dairy farms are very homogenous in terms of getting the most from their inputs. This is not surprising, given that the sector has been very stable policywise and that it has been difficult for dairy farmers to expand. To augment the comparisons, results obtained from data envelopment analysis (DEA), are added to the analysis. In this case, the correlation coefficients between DEA and parametric specifications are found to be very low.     

Relative Technical Efficiency: Data Envelopment Analysis and Quebec's Dairy Farms

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to explore the distribution of productive efficiency across some Quebec dairy farms in 1988 and 1989. Sensitivity checks are made with respect to sample size and herd size. Overall, efficiency scores from the DEA approach are reasonably informative, but some troublesome issues need to be resolved L'analyse par enveloppement des données (AED) est utilisée afin d'explorer la distribution de l'effica-cité relative à travers un échantillon de fermes laitières du Québec en 1988 et 1989. Les résultats sont comparés par rapport à la grandeur de l'échantillon et à la grosseur des troupeaux. Globalement. les résultats de l'AED sont interessants et informatifs, mais ils révélent quelques problèmes qui devront être étudiéis de plus près     

中国牛奶生产的全要素生产率分析

本文以国有及集体和个体奶牛场牛奶生产的随机投入距离函数,分析中国牛奶全要素生产率的增长及来源。总体上讲,中国牛奶生产全要素生产率的增长是比较温和的,国有及集体和个体奶牛场全要素生产率的年均增长率分别为0.25%和2.33%,主要来自于技术进步。国有及集体奶牛场的技术效率明显下降,而个体奶牛场的技术效率略有增长。中国牛奶生产的技术效率水平大约为80%～90%。推广新技术仍然是中国今后牛奶生产的优先政策。     

Efficiency and Technical Change in the Philippine Rice Sector: A Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Analysis

Regional differences in total factor productivity, efficiency, and technological change in the Philippine rice sector are examined for the post-Green Revolution era. Malmquist productivity indices were constructed for 1971–90 and were decomposed into efficiency and technological change. The average annual Malmquist productivity growth was only slightly positive. Productivity growth was negative during the early 1970s, and was followed by a period of positive growth. Growth was negative again in the late 1980s. The period of positive growth coincided with the introduction of new rice varieties while the declines are likely to have been caused by intensification of rice production in lowland farming systems. Certain regions such as Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Southern and Northern Mindanao had higher rates of technological change than others. This may be due to higher investments in infrastructure and education, increased adoption of tractors, and a better agroclimatic environment.     

要素累积、全要素生产率与中国农业增长地区差异

本文在对改革开放以来中国农业的增长以及地区差异进行统计分析的基础上,提出一个待验证的假说:农业产出的省级地区差异主要来自于全要素生产率的差异.为验证该假说,本文使用随机前沿生产函数方法测算了各地区不同年份的要素弹性,据此将农业产出来源分为投入要素的累积和全要素生产率两个方面,并进一步采用方差分解的办法,考察了样本期间内农业产出的地区差异的来源.     

基于Malmquist指数的中国乳制品业全要素生产率分析

本文采用2002-2006年中国乳制品业的面板数据.通过非参数的Malmquist指数分析方法,对中国乳制品业全要素生产率(TFP)的变动情况进行了实证研究,并进一步将其分解为技术进步、纯技术效率和规模效率.结果表明,2002-2006年中国乳制品业TFP的年均增长率为11.4%,呈现出快速增长的特征,其中,技术进步为9.7%,技术效率为1.5%,技术进步构成中国乳制品业TFP增长的主要动力.分省份看,76.7%的省份乳制品业TFP增长的主要动力来自于技术进步;分不同企业规模和企业经济类型看,除集体企业外,乳制品企业TFP增长的主要动力均来自于技术进步.     

Technical Efficiency Measures for Dairy Farms Based on a Probabilistic Frontler Function Model

This study reports measures of technical efficiency in milk production based on a probabilistic frontier production function model of the Cobb-Douglas type. Technical efficiency ranges between 57–69 and 100.00 percent with a mean of 82.17 percent. The results suggest that the same volume of milk produced by the farms in the sample could have been achieved with approximately 18 percent fewer resources if all farms would have operated at 100 percent technical efficiency. A major conclusion of the study is that although economies of size are slightly greater than one, farm size and technical efficiency are statistically independent variables.
Cette étude rapporte des mesures d'efficacité technique en matière de production de lait basées sur un modèle de la production frontière probabilistique de genre Cobb-Douglas. L'efficacité technique varie entre 57.69 pourcent et 100 pourcent avec une moyenne de 82.17 pourcent. Les résultats suggèrent que le volume de lait produit par les fermiers dans l'échantillon aurait pu être accompli avec environ 18 pourcent moins de ressources si tous les fermiers auraient óperé a 100 pourcent d'efficacité technique. Une des conclusions majeures est que meme si les économies d'échelle réalisées se trouvent légèrement plus importantes que l'unité, la grandeur de la ferme et l'efficacité technique sont des variables indépendentes en termes statistiques.     

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。     

Six Decades of Total Factor Productivity Change and Sources of Growth in Bangladesh Agriculture (1948–2008)

This study applies the Färe–Primont index to calculate total factor productivity (TFP) indices for agriculture in 17 regions of Bangladesh covering a 61‐year period (1948–2008). It decomposes the TFP index into six finer components (technical change, technical‐, scale‐ and mix‐efficiency changes, residual scale‐ and residual mix‐efficiency changes). Results reveal that TFP grew at an average rate of 0.57% p.a. led by the Chittagong, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Noakhali regions. TFP growth is largely powered by technological progress estimated at 0.74% p.a. Technical efficiency improvement is negligible (0.01% p.a.) due to stagnant efficiency in most of the regions. Decline in scale efficiency is also negligible (0.01% p.a.), but the decline in mix efficiency is high at 0.19% p.a. Decomposition of the components of TFP changes into finer measures of efficiency corrects the existing literature’s blame of a decline in technical efficiency as the main cause of poor TFP growth in Bangladesh. Among the sources, farm size, R&D investment, extension expenditure and crop specialisation positively influenced TFP growth, whereas the literacy rate had a negative influence on growth. Policy implications include encouraging investment in R&D and extension, land reform measures to increase average farm size, promotion of Green Revolution technology and crop diversification.     

Decomposition of Productivity Growth Using Distance Functions: The Case of Dairy Farms in Three European Countries

Within an output distance function framework, the Total Factor Productivity growth index is decomposed into four components (technical change, technical and allocative efficiency, and scale component). We estimate stochastic translog output distance functions using panel data from dairy farms over the period 1991–94 for three European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland). Results indicate that the change in the productivity growth index in Germany (+6%) and Poland (−5%) are mainly dictated by the technical change component. In contrast, the productivity growth index in the Netherlands (+3%) is influenced by allocative efficiency components.     

如何有效提高家庭农场的全要素生产率 ——基于上海市松江区家庭农场数据的实证分析

研究目的：基于上海松江区家庭农场的调查数据计算家庭农场的全要素生产率，离析出影响家庭农场全要素生产率的关键因素，据以提出有针对性的措施。研究方法：Global Malmquist和混合Tobit模型。研究结果：（1）2007—2017年，全部家庭农场全要素生产率指数为1.077 3，其中，纯效率变化指数为0.998 4、技术变化指数为1.075 0、规模效率变化指数为1.007 2；纯粮食种植型家庭农场全要素生产率指数为1.061 9，纯效率变化指数为0.989 6，技术变化指数为1.071 9，规模效率变化指数为1.004 6；其他类型家庭农场全要素生产率指数为1.081 7，其中，纯效率变化指数、技术变化指数和规模效率变化指数分别为1.027 9、1.049 0和1.014 0。（2）总体水平上，农场主是否有农业从业经历、是否有农机驾驶证、土地经营权合同年限、是否购买农机作业正向影响全部家庭农场的全要素生产率，但不同类型家庭农场全要素生产率的影响因素存在差异。研究结论：虽然松江家庭农场全要素生产率增长速度较快，但仍然存在一定的提升空间。为此，需要提高家庭农场劳动力素质，切实保障好家...     

The Effect of Investment,LFA and Agri-environmental Subsidies on the Components of Total Factor Productivity: The Case of Slovenian Farms

The effect of subsidies on the performance of farms has received a great deal of attention in the literature, although results are inconclusive. Furthermore, much of the related literature examines the effect of subsidies only on technical efficiency (TE). We examine the effect of different types of subsidies on the different components of total factor productivity (TFP) in Slovenian agriculture over the period 2006–2013. We first estimate a Random Parameter Stochastic production frontier model. Then, based on the estimates of this model, we calculate and decompose the TFP index into TE, scale efficiency and technological change. Third, we apply combined difference-in-difference and a matching estimator to examine the effect of investment, less favoured area (LFA) and agri-environmental (AE) subsidies on the different components of TFP. In our case, these subsidies are found to have no significant effect on either TFP or on its components.     

Productivity of New York Dairy Farms Measured by Nonparametric Malmquist Indices

The productivity of 70 individual New York dairy farms, decomposed into technical efficiency change and technological change components, was measured annually from 1985 to 1993 from output distance functions estimated using nonparametric programming methods. Technology is measured regressively only if it is regressive to all previous periods rather than just the immediate previous period. Productivity increase averaged 2.6 per cent annually, mostly from gains in technological improvements, since average efficiency decreased slightly. Twenty-five per cent of the farms failed to increase productivity sufficiently over the period to offset the decreased ratio of output to input prices.     

Heterogeneity of Long‐run Technical Efficiency of German Dairy Farms: A Bayesian Approach*

In parametric efficiency studies, two alternative approaches exist to provide an estimate of the long‐run efficiency of firms: the dynamic stochastic frontier model and the generalised true random‐effects model. We extend the former in order to allow for heterogeneity in the long‐run technical efficiency of firms. This model is based on potential differences in firm‐specific characteristics and in firms’ inefficiency persistence. The model is applied to an unbalanced micro‐panel of German dairy farms over the period 1999 to 2009. Estimation of long‐run technical efficiency and inefficiency persistence is based on an output distance function representation of the production technology and estimated in a Bayesian framework. The results suggest that heterogeneity in long‐run technical efficiency of farms is mostly attributed to discrepancies in farm‐specific factors rather than differences in farms’ inefficiency persistence. Farm size is positively related to long‐run technical efficiency while subsidies exert a negative effect on the long‐run technical efficiency of farms. Inefficiency persistence is found to be very high, but heterogeneity in this persistence is low.     

Crops and Livestock Productivity Growth in the Prairies: The Impacts of Technical Change and Scale

This study undertakes a comprehensive analysis of productivity growth in Canadian Prairie primary agriculture from 1940 to 2004. Total factor productivity (TFP) is measured using Törnqvist‐Theil indexing procedures for the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan). During the 1940–2004 period, productivity growth in Prairie agriculture grew at a rate of 1.56% a year. This aggregate measure does not indicate the substantial variations in productivity growth that have occurred between crops and livestock, between the provinces, and over time: productivity growth in crops is considerably higher than productivity growth in livestock; Manitoba and Saskatchewan display consistently higher productivity growth than Alberta; and from 1980 to 2004 livestock productivity growth increased considerably in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The productivity growth estimates are decomposed econometrically using a translog cost function to indicate the relative roles of technical change and scale effects. Productivity growth in crops has largely been the result of technical change while economies of scale have played a critical role in generating productivity growth in the livestock sector. La présente étude est une analyse approfondie de la croissance de la productivité du secteur de l’agriculture primaire dans les provinces des Prairies (Alberta, Manitoba et Saskatchewan), de 1940 à 2004. Nous avons mesuré la productivité totale des facteurs (PTF) à l’aide de l’indice Törnqvist‐Theil. De 1940 à 2004, la productivité de l’agriculture dans les provinces des Prairies a cru au rythme annuel de 1,56 p. 100. Cette mesure globale n’indique pas les variations substantielles de la croissance de la productivité entre le secteur des cultures et le secteur de l’élevage, entre les provinces, et au fil du temps. La croissance de la productivité dans le secteur des cultures a été considérablement plus élevée que celle observée dans le secteur de l’élevage. La croissance de la productivité au Manitoba et en Saskatchewan a été supérieure à celle observée en Alberta. De 1980 à 2004, la croissance de la productivité du secteur de l’élevage a enregistré une hausse considérable au Manitoba et en Saskatchewan. Nous avons décomposé la croissance de la productivité de façon économétrique à l’aide d’une fonction de coût de type translog afin de faire ressortir le rôle des changements technologiques et des économies d’échelle. Les changements technologiques ont joué un rôle important dans la croissance de la productivité du secteur des cultures, tandis que les économies d’échelle ont joué un rôle primordial dans la croissance de la productivité du secteur de l’élevage.