The impact of water price uncertainty on the adoption of precision irrigation systems |
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Authors: | Karina Schoengold David L Sunding |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Agricultural Economics & School of Natural Resources, 307A Filley Hall, University of Nebraska, , Lincoln, NE, 68583‐0922 USA;2. Thomas J. Graff Professor of Resource Economics, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 207 Giannini Hall, University of California, , Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA |
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Abstract: | We examine whether a firm is more or less likely to adopt precision technology when input prices are stochastic. The results are important to determining whether programs and contracts that reduce input price uncertainty may deter the adoption of conservation practices. An economic model of the technology adoption decision shows that the net effect of input price risk is ambiguous and depends on several factors including the shutdown effect, the mean price effect, the precision expansion effect, and the risk aversion effect. An empirical implementation of the model relies on data on water price and irrigation technology adoption observed in a California irrigation district over the period 1999–2002. The results show that a stable input price increases the adoption of precision technology, but the impact depends on crop choice and land quality characteristics. |
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Keywords: | C81 D81 Q16 Q25 Input price risk Technology adoption Irrigation Matching estimators |
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