农户借贷对粮食生产技术效率的影响研究——基于2012—2018年3省3 255份农户面板数据

目的 基于生产要素配置视角，研究农户借贷对粮食生产技术效率的作用路径，并进行理论分析。方法 文章利用2012—2018年中国农业科学院农业经济与发展研究所全国固定观察点的3 255份农户面板数据，首先采用随机前沿模型测算农户粮食生产技术效率；其次构建固定效应模型，实证分析农户借贷对粮食生产技术效率的影响方向及作用强度，并利用IV-2SLS方法处理农户借贷对粮食生产技术效率影响的内生性问题，并进行稳定性检验和异质性分析。结果 农户借贷对粮食生产技术效率有显著促进作用，存在借贷行为的农户粮食生产技术效率比未存在借贷行为的农户高0.017。除此之外，农户党员身份、农业技术培训、家庭非农劳动力人数以及加入合作社对粮食生产技术效率都存在明显的促进作用；而家庭劳动力人数对粮食生产技术效率有显著抑制作用。结论 农户利用借贷资金改善生产要素配置从而提高粮食生产技术效率。     

Farm size,relative efficiency and agrarian policy in Côte d'Ivoire: profit function analysis of rice farms

This paper examines the relative economic efficiency of small and large rice farms in Côte d'Ivoire using a profit function approach. No differences in the relative economic efficiency of small and large farms were found. This conclusion is robust under alternative model specifications. Agrarian reforms directed towards further concentration of landholding for large farms in Côte d'Ivoire cannot be justified based on economic efficiency. Results show that access to credit and use of modern rice varieties significantly increase profits. To improve technical efficiency of rice farms, an accelerated program to provide information, credit, improved seeds and other inputs is needed. When all the farms (i.e. large and small) are taken together, there is evidence of allocative inefficiency. Strategies are needed to remove such management related inefficiencies in rice production either through the development of a better market price information system or effective farmer-oriented technical training programs by rice extension workers.     

Profit Based Efficiency Measures,with an Application to Rice Production in Southern India

Using non‐parametric methods, we estimate the foregone rents due to credit, allocative, and technical inefficiencies of subsistence farmers in Southern India. The lost rents are estimated directly from the Nerlovian efficiency index, and the results suggest the largest foregone rents derive from allocative inefficiencies and then credit inefficiencies. Also, results suggest that farms without well access experience larger losses than those with well access. Econometric results suggest education, the presence of tank water management efforts, and well access influence the level of foregone rent due to allocative and Nerlovian inefficiencies. Educational activities and policies to encourage better management of tanks are considered important for lowering the foregone losses.     

Women’s Labour Contribution to Productivity and Efficiency in Agriculture: Empirical Evidence From Bangladesh

This article examines the contribution of women’s labour input to productivity and efficiency in crop farming using a large survey dataset of 1,839 households from 16 villages in two agro‐ecological regions of Bangladesh. Results reveal that female labour accounts for a substantial 28% of total labour use (mainly supplied from the family) and contributes significantly to productivity as well as technical efficiency. Contrary to expectation, the cost share of female labour input is significantly higher than the male share, and has a substitution relationship with all other inputs, including male labour. The estimated mean level of technical efficiency is 0.90, implying that crop output might be increased by 10% by eliminating technical inefficiency. Both male and female education have a significant impact on improving technical efficiency. Other significant technical efficiency shifters are farming experience, family size and crop diversification. Owner operators are found to be technically inefficient relative to the tenants. Policy implications include creation of a hired labour market for female labour so that more women can be involved in the production process, and can contribute to towards improving productivity and efficiency. In addition, investment in education for both men and women, strategies to promote crop diversification and effective regulation/modification of the tenancy market will significantly improve technical efficiency in this case.     

INVESTMENT IN PRACTICE: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO GRANT-AIDED PRODUCTION OF CROPS UNDER GLASS

A pilot study of investment was made on twenty glasshouse-crop holdings in Kent on which action had been taken under the Horticulture Improvement Scheme. Attention was given to behavioural aspects as well as to financial results, in the expectation that large discrete investments would provide knowledge of investment practice. Most growers in the sample were found not to make a prior evaluation of new investment or to be concerned with its economic efficiency. They paid more attention to technical matters and their own relative eficiency (their comparative standing within the industry). All growers in a financial sub-sample of nine increased their annual revenue by investment, but the proportionate aggregate increase was very little greater than that in the aggregate value of fixed assets created. In the latest year of the post-investment period, the average return per invested-half this investment being two to three years old-was shown by accounts to be less than 10 per cent. The economic test of rate of return on added capital is shown to be impracticable. It is postulated that major investments may not provide forecast cash flows as quickly or as fully as frequently anticipated. Past forecasts must often have been made without empirical knowledge of post-investment situations.     

Nonparametric analysis of technical,pure technical,and scale efficiencies for food crop production in East Java,Indonesia

Nonparametric analysis of technical efficiency for irrigated farms in the Madiun regency in the west-central part of East Java, Indonesia is conducted using linear programming techniques. This procedure allows the relative technical efficiency for each farm to be determined and for inefficiencies to be decomposed into pure technical inefficiency and scale inefficiency and does not require restrictions or assumptions regarding functional form to be placed on the data. Farmers in Madiun generally are efficient relative to each other. Farmers operating inefficiently do so more often because of scale inefficiencies rather than pure technical inefficiencies. A majority of the farms operate in the region of decreasing returns to scale rather than increasing returns to scale. Farmer age, the level of diversification of cropping activities, and high school education were found to be related to technical efficiency in the rainy season under irrigated conditions. Other socioeconomic factors were not statistically significant. The results imply that inefficient farms use excessive levels of inputs, particularly nitrogen fertilizer. This is perhaps due to the lingering effects of past input subsidization policies, particularly of fertilizers, in Indonesia, or to risk-reducing behavior. The results also imply that current government policies to encourage diversification of cropping practices in Java may lead to greater technical inefficiencies in production. In addition, extension education targeted to younger farmers with low levels of formal education would improve efficiency.     

COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF RICE FARMS IN CENTRAL LUZON,THE PHILIPPINES

The purpose of this paper is to estimate a bias-free agricultural production function with a view to examining efficiency differences among small rice farmers. Simultaneous equation bias is avoided if we assume that farmers maximise expected profits; specification bias, which commonly occurs when a management input is omitted from such functions, is circumvented by introducing farm-specific dummy variables into a combined cross-sectional and time-series data set. Applying this model to data for 32 Philippine rice farms between 1970 and 1979, rather small production-elasticities are obtained for the conventional inputs and an efficiency ranking of the farms is presented. Second stage analysis shows that differences in soil type, land tenure, education and access to credit are important factors explaining these efficiency differences.     

Market and Other Factors Affecting Farm Specific Production Efficiency in Pig Production in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

In developing country production environment, farm production efficiency is often measured in terms of on-farm resources and producer characteristics. In this paper we postulate that input and output market related factors also influence farm production decisions hence its efficiency. Stochastic frontier production function was used to assess technical efficiency and its determinants including input and output market variables for a sample of 1962 pig farms in Vietnam with data collected in 1999. There are significant differences in production behavior and efficiency level between the North and the South, among farms producing different breeds, between mixed and specialized farms, between household and commercial farms, and among producers located in different agro-ecological regions. Access to better output market, land size, herd size, and education of household head significantly reduced inefficiency, while access to government supplied inputs, age of household head, female headed households and family supplied crude feeds significantly increased inefficiency in both the regions. The direction of influence on efficiency differs between the two regions for access to credit, proportion of output sold at market rather than at farm gate and family labor supply. Generally, market related factors had more consistent influence on production efficiency in the South of Vietnam where the experience of market economics is longer compared to the North. Policy actions on providing better extension, more timely access to better quality inputs through the private sector, making credit more easily accessible to smallholders and opportunity to sell output at better priced secondary markets are expected to increase productivity and reduce inefficiency.     

农业生产性服务对玉米生产技术效率的影响研究——基于微观数据的实证分析

[目的]探究农业生产性服务对玉米生产技术效率的影响,引导农业生产性服务精准化发展,有助于维稳国家粮食安全,尽早实现农业现代化和乡村振兴发展目标。[方法]文章利用对黑龙江省13市47村298个玉米种植户的微观数据,构建随机前沿生产函数模型对玉米生产技术效率进行测算,并在此基础上构建技术无效率模型,实证检验农业生产性服务对玉米生产技术效率是否产生重要影响。[结果]目前玉米生产技术效率平均值在75%左右,有较大提升空间;农资供应服务、农业技术服务、农业信息服务、农机作业服务均能够显著提高玉米生产技术效率,但影响程度存在一定差异,其中农业信息服务对玉米生产技术效率的作用效果最为明显,其次是农机作业服务、农业技术服务和农资供应服务;性别、年龄、受教育程度、是否担任村干部、是否有农地流转、玉米收入占比对提高玉米生产技术效率有显著正向影响,是否兼业对提高玉米生产技术效率有显著负向影响。[结论]提高玉米生产技术效率要从完善农业生产性服务体系、建立农村信息服务平台、提高农户认知水平等方面入手。     

基于DEA-Tobit模型的农民专业合作社效率分析——来自新疆生产建设兵团的实证

[目的]通过测度新疆建设生产兵团农民专业合作社效率以及探究其影响因素,以期为兵团合作社的效率改进方向和策略提供理论支撑。[方法]文章基于2019年对兵团408家农民专业合作社的微观调研数据,运用DEA-Tobit方法测度了农民专业合作社的综合效率、纯技术效率和规模效率,并进一步对农民专业合作社综合效率的影响因素进行了分析。[结果]农民专业合作社的综合效率、纯技术效率和规模效率均整体水平偏低,且综合效率水平偏低主要由是纯技术效率偏低导致。合作社规模和合作社等级负向影响合作社的效率,而理事会规模、政府财政资金支持、产业类型等因素正向影响合作社效率。[结论]改善合作社的纯技术效率可有效提升兵团农民专业合作社效率,且农民专业合作社规模、理事会规模、理事长受教育程度、合作社等级、政府财政资金支持、技术培训频率、产业类型等因素均是提高农民专业合作社效率的关键因素。     

Soil conservation and technical efficiency among hillside farmers in Central America: a switching regression model*

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate and analyse technical efficiency (TE) levels for hillside farmers under different levels of adoption of soil conservation in El Salvador and Honduras. A switching regression model is implemented to examine potential selectivity bias for high and low level adopters, and separate stochastic production frontiers, corrected for selectivity bias, are estimated for each group. The main results indicate that households with above-average adoption show statistically higher average TE than those with lower adoption. Households with higher adoption have smaller farms and display the highest partial output elasticity for land. Constraints in the land and credit markets are likely explanations for these differences. In addition, all estimated models show that TE has a positive and significant association with education and extension.     

Estimating persistent and transient technical efficiency and their determinants in the presence of heterogeneity and endogeneity

We develop an estimation procedure that generates consistent estimates of the technology parameters, long-run (persistent) and short-run (transient) technical inefficiencies and the marginal effects of their determinants for the stochastic frontier model developed by Colombi et al. (2014, Journal of Productivity Analysis 42, 123) and Kumbhakar et al. (2014, Journal of Productivity Analysis 41, 321). Our approach accounts for three sources of potential endogeneity: (i) unobserved heterogeneity; (ii) simultaneity of input use with both types of technical efficiency; (iii) potential correlation of the noise term with the regressors. Using this approach we examine the effect of direct payments and farm size on the persistent and transient technical efficiency of French crop farms before and after the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy decoupling reform of 2003. Our results show that subsidy payments per hectare of utilised agricultural land had a significant positive effect on persistent technical efficiency and a significant negative effect on transient technical efficiency during the period before decoupling. For the period after the reform, the effect of subsidies is found to be significantly negative for persistent technical efficiency and insignificant for transient technical efficiency. The overall effect of subsidies on technical efficiency is found to be negative in both periods, albeit substantially lower in the period after decoupling. The effect of farm size on technical efficiency is found to be significant only for the period prior to the reform: it reduced persistent technical inefficiency but increased transient technical inefficiency during that period.     

The productivity of agricultural credit in India

This study examines the nature of the relationship between formal agricultural credit and agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in India, specifically the role of the former in supporting agricultural growth, using state level panel data covering the period 1995–1996 to 2011–2012. The study uses a mediation analysis framework to map the pathways through which institutional credit relates to agricultural GDP relying on a control function approach to tackle the problem of endogeneity. The findings from the analysis suggest that over this period, all the inputs are highly responsive to an increase in institutional credit to agriculture. A 10% increase in credit flow in nominal terms leads to an increase by 1.7% in fertilizers (N, P, K) consumption in physical quantities, 5.1% increase in the tonnes of pesticides, 10.8% increase in tractor purchases. Overall, it seems quite clear that input use is sensitive to credit flow, whereas GDP of agriculture is not. Credit seems therefore to be an enabling input, but one whose effectiveness is undermined by low technical efficiency and productivity.     

农机社会化服务对小麦生产技术效率的影响

目的 在中国土地规模经营和服务规模经营并重推进粮食作物效率提升背景下,进一步探讨农机社会化服务对小麦生产技术效率提升效应的规模异质性具有现实意义。方法 文章使用随机前沿分析和门限回归分析,利用2018年全国6省区小麦种植户经营情况,对农机社会化服务影响小麦生产技术效率及影响效果规模异质性进行研究。结果 农机社会化服务的采用有助于提升小麦生产技术效率;农机社会化服务对小麦生产技术效率存在门限效应,当农户经营规模低于门限值（0.293hm²）时,农机社会化服务对小麦生产技术效率不具有显著影响,跨越门限值后,农机社会化服务对小麦生产技术效率则具有正向影响效应。基于农户适度规模经营的情况下,农机社会化服务对中等规模（0.293hm²＜Area＜3.333hm²）农户的小麦生产技术效率具有显著正向影响。结论 农机社会化服务有助于提升中国小麦种植户技术效率,但受限于农户规模,推进农机社会化服务发展的同时仍然需要推动土地的适度规模经营。     

重庆生态链下的乡村旅游可持续发展研究

[目的]近年生态链概念被广泛的应用到农业、林业、工业、环保、文化、教育、经济等领域,以生态链的视角观察及研究乡村旅游可持续发展意义重大,借此为重庆市休闲农业可持续发展提供理论指导。[方法]文章采用综合分析法,引入自然生态理论对重庆乡村旅游可持续发展开展研究。[结果]重庆市乡村旅游发展迅速,但与全生态链建设需要相比,还存在生态环境、区域生态和产业生态方面的差距;乡村旅游想要更好地发展,必须完成3个目标:(1)对生产和运营过程中的社会和自然的环境保护;(2)区分市场定位并建立区域旅游生态结构;(3)发展旅游上游产业链和理顺旅游下游产业链来构建产业生态链。[结论]政策性建议:(1)政府部门可以通过加强生产规范和产业管理特别是正向引导性管理加强乡村旅游业的发展;(2)政府部门可以通过做好信息和技术的服务,构建信息技术平台,保障专业技术发展和人才梯队建设加强乡村旅游业的发展;(3)通过资本信贷、管理和技术培训,竞争性奖励政策和"互联网+"等方面的政策支持提高乡村旅游的发展速度。     

AN APPLICATION OF MARKOV CHAINS TO FARM TYPE STRUCTURAL DATA IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Markov Chain methods of projection are applied to farm type structural data derived from the returns in the Annual June Agricultural Census in England and Wales. Three sets of projections, using different assumptions, are made of the numbers of holdings by farm type in 1969 and of the movement of holdings between farm type during 1968/69. These are compared with the actual Census returns for 1969. Use of a four-year average transition probability matrix gives the best overall results on the basis of that comparison and this matirx was then used to project farm type structure in England and Wales for 1971 and 1973. These projections indicate that between June 1969 and June 1973 the number of all holdings with 275 or more standard man days (SMD) will decline; those classified as Mixed, Livestock, and Pigs and Poultry are likely to show the largest proportional declines. Some 50 per cent of holdings are likely to be below the 275 SMD limit. Since the assumptions made may not be fulfilled in every respect, it is unlikely that the outcome in 1971 and 1973 will be precisely as predicted, but the pattern and direction of the projections are likely to hold.     

Institutional Environment and Technical Efficiency: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Cotton Producers in West Africa

This paper examines the effects of the institutional environment on West African cotton farmers’ technical efficiency (TE). First, key aspects of the cotton sector institutional environment are discussed, including input and credit access, and producers’ organisations. Then, a stochastic frontier production function, which incorporates technical inefficiency effects, is applied to farm level data collected in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. The survey includes farmers’ evaluations of the cotton sector institutional environment. Results suggest that institutional level features influence producers’ TE, besides farm‐level characteristics. Cotton growers who report a negative experience with the joint liability programme, who identify the cotton price mechanism or access to credit as the main constraints to performance, and who cultivate more hectares of cereals are technically more inefficient in producing cotton. Findings suggest that cotton farmers in Mali are less technically efficient in producing cotton than in Burkina Faso and Benin. Agricultural development policies focusing on reducing farmers’ financial stress, particularly through the establishment of adequate price mechanisms (i.e. higher farm‐gate prices and timely payments to farmers) and improvement in the input–credit markets should be encouraged to improve TE in West Africa.     

Access to credit, plot size and cost inefficiency among smallholder tobacco cultivators in Malawi

Using data from the Malawi Financial Markets and Household Food Security Survey, this paper examines the effect of access to credit from formal sources, and tobacco plot size, on cost inefficiency among Malawian smallholder tobacco cultivators. Farm‐specific cost inefficiency is estimated within the framework of stochastic frontier analysis. Access to credit is measured as the sum of household members' self‐reported credit limits at credit organisations, arguably a truer measure of an exogenous credit constraint than credit program participation or actual loan uptake. It is found that tobacco cultivation is significantly less cost inefficient per acre on larger plots. While access to credit by itself has no statistically discernible effect on cost inefficiency, it reduces the gain in cost efficiency from a larger plot size.     

绿水信贷及其在中国流域生态补偿中的应用

流域生态补偿是生态补偿的重要组成部分。绿水信贷是流域生态补偿的一种形式。介绍了绿水信贷新理念、定量评估技术系统及在肯尼亚、摩洛哥和中国的应用;通过分析绿水信贷与中国流域生态和水资源补偿建设的关系后认为,绿水信贷及其定量评估技术系统可以应用到流域生态和水资源补偿建设实践中。     

The Measurement of Average Farm Size

Comparisons are regularly drawn between the average sizes of farms in particular countries or regions and in different farm-type categories. Indeed average farm size is often considered to explain (or create expectations of) changes or differences in technical or economic efficiency through time or between countries. There are, however, a number of issues involved in specifying what is meant by a farm and in choosing a suitable measure of farm size. These are examined prior to a discussion of various measures of average size, one of which (the mid-aggregate point) is described in some detail. The measures are illustrated with reference to agricultural holdings in England and in the Member States of the European Union.