State productivity growth in agriculture: catching-up and the business cycle

This paper examines the relation between the business cycle and convergence in levels of agricultural productivity across the 48 contiguous states. First, we find evidence of convergence in total factor productivity levels across the different phases of the business cycle, but the speed of convergence was greater during periods of contraction in economic activity than during periods of expansion. Second, we find that technology embodied in capital was an important source of productivity growth in agriculture. As with the rate of catch-up, the embodiment effect was much stronger during low economic activity phases of the business cycle.     

The assessment of the impact of oil palm and rubber plantations on the biotic and abiotic properties of tropical peat swamp soil in Indonesia

Current intensification of agricultural activities in Indonesia has led to increased use of tropical peat swamp forests for agriculture. Ideally, peat swamp ecosystems should not be disturbed as they provide essential services such as soil erosion control, ecosystem stabilization and moderation of climate and energy fluxes as well as reducing carbon emission and conserving biodiversity. In this study, agricultural land from Giam Siak Kecil–Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve in Indonesia was evaluated to assess the impact of oil palm (burning and without burning) and rubber (5–10 and >40 years old) plantations on soil properties through comparisons with soils from a natural forest (NF). Substantial changes in the physico-chemical properties of soils from both plantations were observed including significant reductions in soil organic matter (4–18%) and water holding capacity (22–53%), but an increase in bulk density (ρb) (0.08–0.17?g?cm^?3). A significant increase in bacterial biomass was also observed following conversion of the NF to plantation (p<0.05). However, the oil palm plantation (OPP) (without burning) showed reduced microbial activities and the lowest Shannon diversity values (2.90) compared to other samples. Community-level physiological profiling showed impaired community function only in soils from the OPP but higher CO₂ exchange rates in most plantation soils. Soils from the rubber plantation (RP) were less impaired in terms of their natural function and therefore RPs appeared to be more suitable for sustainable agricultural use than OPP.     

Within trial cost-utility analysis of disease management program for patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation: results from the SAFETY trial

Abstract

Background: The potential impact of disease management to optimize quality of care, health outcomes, and total healthcare costs across a range of cardiac disease states is unknown.

Methods: A trial-based cost-utility analysis was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial of 335 patients with chronic, non-valvular AF (without heart failure; the SAFETY Trial) discharged to home from three tertiary referral hospitals in Australia. A home-based disease management intervention (the SAFETY intervention) that involved community-based AF care including home visits was compared to routine primary healthcare and hospital outpatient follow-up (standard management). Bootstrapped incremental cost-utility ratios were computed based on quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and total healthcare costs. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were constructed to explore the probability of the SAFETY intervention being cost-effective. Sub-group analyses were performed based on age and sex to determine differential cost-effectiveness.

Results: During median follow-up of 1.75?years, the SAFETY intervention was associated with a non-statistically significant increase in QALYs (0.02 per person) and lower total healthcare costs (–$4,375 per person). Although each of these findings were not statistically significant, the SAFETY intervention was found to be dominant (more effective and cost saving) in 58.8% of the bootstrapped iterations and cost-effective (more effective and gains in QALYs achieved at or below $50,000 per QALY gained) in 61.5% of the iterations. Males and those aged less than 78?years achieved greater gains in QALYs and savings in healthcare costs. The estimated value of perfect information in Australia (the monetized value of removing uncertainty in the cost-effectiveness results) was A$51 million, thus demonstrating the high potential gain from further research.

Conclusions: Compared with standard management, the SAFETY intervention is potentially a dominant strategy for those with chronic, non-valvular AF. However, there would be substantial value in reducing the uncertainty in these estimates from further research.

Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12610000221055.     

Technology catch-up in agriculture among advanced economies

We examine whether countries with low initial levels of agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) tend to ‘catch up’ with the technology leaders. We first compare relative levels of agricultural TFP, capital services and labour input levels in agriculture for 17 OECD countries between 1973 and 2011. Then we apply (conditional) convergence analysis to the panel data to examine the speed of convergence and test whether the convergence is transitory or permanent by analysing TFP changes over the business cycle. Capital intensities, quality improvement of capital, factors such as human capital spillovers, and certain agricultural policies are conditioning variables. We examine how differences in relative capital intensities affect agricultural productivity convergence over the business cycle. We find evidence that the speed of convergence increases during periods of contraction in economic activity.     

Cross-country agricultural TFP convergence and capital deepening: evidence for induced innovation from 17 OECD countries

Journal of Productivity Analysis - Using a newly constructed panel dataset for agriculture in 17 OECD countries over the 1973–2011 period, we investigate the role of capital deepening in...