Farm size and productivity growth in the United States Corn Belt |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Global Value Chains and Trade, Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand;2. Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100732, China;1. Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium;2. Development Data Group, World Bank, Washington, DC, USA;3. Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn, Germany;1. Huishang Futures Co. Ltd, 258 Wuhu Rd, Hefei, Anhui, PR China;2. UNE Business School, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia;1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics, Unter den Linden 6, D-10099 Berlin, Germany;2. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany;3. Jönköping University, Jönköping International Business School, P.O. Box 1026, 55111 Jönköping, Sweden;1. National School of Agricultural Institution and Development, South China Agricultural University, Guang Zhou, China;2. The University of Sydney Business School, Sydney, Australia;3. College of Economics and Management, South China Agricultural University, Guang Zhou, China |
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| Abstract: | In recent decades, agricultural production in the U.S. has continued to shift to large-scale operations, raising concerns about the economic viability of small and midsized farms. To understand whether economies of size provided an incentive for the consolidation of production, the study estimates the total factor productivity (TFP) of five size classes of grain-producing farms in the U.S. Heartland (Corn Belt) region. Using quinquennial Agricultural Census data from 1982 to 2012 the study also compares TFP growth rates across farm sizes to gain insight into whether observed productivity differences are likely to persist. The finding of a strong positive relationship between farm size and TFP suggests that consolidation of production has contributed to recent aggregate productivity growth in the crop sector. The study estimates the extent to which sectoral productivity growth can be attributed to structural change versus other factors including technological change. The study also explores some tradeoffs associated with policies that raise the productivity of small versus large farms. |
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| Keywords: | Agricultural productivity growth Total factor productivity Scale economies Farm structure D24 Q12 Q15 Q18 |
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