Search

A potentially important econometric test of profit maximization by producers is a test on the implied relationships among coefficients of different factor demand equations; i.e., a test for symmetry between factor demand equations. In this paper such a test procedure is developed and implemented for two lower income economies and implications are drawn for future work. In particular, an economy is disaggregated into the three sectors which are believed to have considerably different production functions--the primary or agricultural sector, the secondary or manufacturing sector, and the tertiary or service sector. Cobb-Douglas production functions for these sectors are then specified and the utilization of factor inputs is determined by static profit maximization. Finally, the resulting equations are estimated with data from Colombia and pre-war Japan in order to ascertain whether such a model is consistent with the empirical results.
The conclusion from the tests is that the model is completely refuted by our data. The result implies that at least one of the following is the source of the rejection: (1) Firms are not profit maximizing in less developed countries, at least in the static sense; (2) the functional forms for the production functions or product demand functions are inappropriate specifications; (3) the measurement of the cost of capital by its supply price is fallacious; (4) the basic data are subject to large and important errors; or (5) the data are on too high a level of aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responds to the comment made by economist Paul A. David on the author's paper on agricultural labor productivity in rural England from 1850 to 1914. Attempt of the author to demonstrate the existence of regional variations in farm labour productivity; Factors influencing the pattern of regional differences in productivity; Comment of the author on the analytical style of David.

The article comments on a paper by economist E.H. Hunt related to the agricultural labor productivity in rural England from 1850 to 1914. Hunt has advanced the intriguing idea that well into the present century large areas of rural England continued to manifest many of the features typical of economically underdeveloped agrarian societies. In the paper, Hunt begins by suggesting that the appearance during the nineteenth century of a persisting pattern of inter-regional agricultural wage-rate differences within England did not lead to corresponding regional variations in unit farm labour costs. While wage rates in the south-eastern and East Anglian counties remained below those prevailing in the northerly districts, this is held to have conveyed no advantage to the conduct of agriculture in the cheap labour areas, because lower wages were merely the counterpart of lower output per worker there. Lacking comprehensive statistical measures of regional average labour productivity in agriculture to support this contention, Hunt found it necessary to fall back upon such qualitative indications as are supplied in the reports of various Royal Commissions dealing with nineteenth-century agrarian problems.

The article discusses the effect of innovations on patterns of rural development and in particular on output per acre and on labor input per acre. Data from a sample of 240 smallholdings in five different areas of Malawi are examined. The article indicates that the existence of differing patterns of rural development in these areas. It discusses the implications for rural development policy. The article shows a bias among the smallholders in favor of innovations and a skepticism about the viability of yield increasing innovations.

Presents the author's response to the paper "Income, Productivity and Factor Allocation in Thailand: A Comment," by Paul B. Trescott that was published in vol. 35 of the Journal "Economica." Comparison between agricultural and industrial productivity in Thailand; Influence of labor force on productivity; Differences between urban and rural cost-of-living; Welfare effects of labor movements in sectors.

This article reports deals with the structure and development of the socialist agriculture in Czechoslovakia. There are two basic forms of ownership — 346 state farms and 6,463 unified agricultural co-operatives. The lower limit of the optimum size for large scale forming is 500 ha AL. The merging process of small unified agricultural co-operatives creates more favourable conditions for the better utilization of means of production. For the determination of the optimum size of farms, the essential considerations are — the principle of economic efficiency and economic goals, to obtain the highest production per hectare of land, with a minimum of labour and material costs and the principle of regional-zonal-adaptation of agricultural production and terrain conditions. Optimum farm size varies according to different production regions. In the second part of the article the forms and methods of management of unified agricultural co-operatives, basic ways of remunerating and social security of co-operative farms, are analysed.

This article reports that recent literature considers prevailing land tenure patterns a barrier to agricultural development in many developing countries and much discussion has focused on land reform as a means of removing this barrier. Most land reform programs emphasize the need to shift to an owner-operator based agriculture, following the hypothesis that prevailing tenure patterns do not lend themselves to providing the incentives necessary for increased production. Since most literature on the effect of tenure on production concentrates on the tenants and owner-operator groups, a study was undertaken at the College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines, to analyse the role of the Filipino landlord, to develop a typology of each type with its functions and factors involving operational decisions. The results indicate differences in whether annual crops or perennial crops are grown. Class levels tend to follow absentee vs. resident landlord groups, with more of the former in the upper class and the smallest number in the lower class. A pattern of landlord-tenant relationships emerged that was either paternal or non-paternal and traditional or modem in the landlord's attitude toward the development of the enterprise.

This paper extends the effective-protection concept to include tariff and nontariff trade distortions and also the entire structure of domestic farm policy measures. Nominal and effective rates of protection are then presented for disaggregated agricultural production and processing industries for the years 1958, 1963, and 1968. The estimates reveal that nontariff measures give rise to extremely high effective protection rates in certain agricultural sectors; in others, tariff and nontariff measures affecting intermediate inputs have important taxation effects. The analysis also indicates that agricultural policy changes have substantially altered the rates of protection accorded certain agricultural sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low rates of return (defined as earnings below opportunity costs) on farm resources have long been considered a major farm problem and one justification for government commodity programs. This paper first analyzes influences (such as economic growth, inflation, and technology) that generate disequilibrium and low returns. But the major issue analyzed is why farm disequilibrium persists after an extended period of full national employment, a strong national economy, an expansion of the aggregate farm plant, and a slow growth of farm productivity in the 1960's. The fixed resource theory, the increasing returns to size theory, and the imperfect competition theory are examined to explain persistence and permanency of disequilibrium and low returns. The fixed resource theory explains low returns as a labor fixity problem and suggests that the problem is either nonexistent or temporary. The increasing returns to size theory points to an extended duration for the low returns problem as long as the large majority of farms continue to operate on uneconomic size units. Finally, the imperfect competition theory depicts low returns as virtually permanent, given the economic structures of the farm and nonfarm sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on several articles about world agricultural production and U.S. farm and food policies. Influence of weather on farm productivity; Factors associated with uncertainties; Effect of fertilizer shortages on the output of grains; Issues concerning U.S. farm policies.

Deals with a study which developed a methodology for assessing the relative advantage of green revolution high yielding varieties in various regions in the U.S. Description of the green revolution experience; Contribution of green revolution high yielding varieties to aggregate production in Asia and North Africa; Role of green revolution in agricultural development.

The results of a field, experiment with winter barley in which severe mildew occurred early in the autumn are described. Where the disease was controlled with ethirimol (‘Milstem’)* seed dressing, the production of adventitious roots and tillers in the autumn was significantly increased and more of the tillers developed to maturity leading to higher grain yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nine experiments in 1966–68, fungicides applied on 8–12 occasions to plots of barley resulted in mean grain yield increases of about 40 per cent. Zineb increased yields by an average of 50 per cent in nine experiments and lime sulphur by 19 per cent in six experiments. In single experiments dichlofluanid increased yields but oxycarboxin did not. In 1968, fungicides applied on only two occasions failed to control disease and to increase grain yield. Large yield increases were associated with a good control of leaf diseases including leaf blotch (Rhynchosporium secalis), halo spot (Selenophoma donacis) and brown rust (Puccinia hordei). Mildew (Erysiphe graminis) was excluded by using resistant cultivars. The diseases were severe late in the season, usually at or after ear emergence. Yield increases were wholly due to an increase in grain weight (1000-grain weight). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Hawaii Islands, comprising the territory of Hawaii, which are generally looked upon by many persons as only a tourist resort and a defense outpost. These islands ship away approximately 70 million dollars' worth of raw sugar each year, and 50 million dollars worth of canned pineapples. Besides these two crops there are substantial shipments of coffee, hides, honey, early potatoes, asparagus and other minor agricultural products. The transportation of these agricultural products is also a creditable business in itself. Economically Hawaii is an area that depends upon agriculture. Excellent roads and well-lighted streets, water and sewer systems, health services, social hails, amusement places, movies, radio, telephones, electricity and electric conveniences, gymnasia, swimming pools and beaches, modern houses, libraries, home and farm demonstration services, all those things, heretofore found mainly in the city, are being established generally in the rural districts.

Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article focuses on the political radicalism among farmers of Netherlands. The nature of the rapidly changing structure of agriculture is well known to every rural sociologist; there is no need to give an elaborate analysis of these processes of structural change here. In the Netherlands and also in a number of other European countries, governmental agricultural policy aims at income parity between the agricultural and the non-agricultural sectors of economy. This policy has been successful in the Netherlands since about 1950, farmers' income as a proportion of the total national income corresponds to the relative number of farmers in total professional population. In Netherlands between 1951 and 1961 average farmers' income rose, just as in the other economic branches, at about 5 percent a year, but the actual improvement in income of those farmers who remained on their farms between 1951 and 1961 grew by only about 3.5 percent a year. Parity of income was only statistically realized as a result of the disappearance of a relatively large number of low income farmers. Because of the present differentiation in farmers' incomes, the income problem has two faces. In Western European countries this income situation is the most important mechanism that brings about the decrease in the number of farmers, a decrease that is desired for reasons of macro-economic growth.

Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Weed Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Weed Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on the justification of the use of chemicals in agriculture in the U.S. Agriculture may be regarded as the mother of chemistry, or more correctly, agriculture from beginning to end is chemistry. The agricultural production and the standard of living in the various nations of the world is proportionate to their knowledge of and their use of chemicals in agriculture. It is then reported that agriculture is the largest single industrial user of petroleum products.

SUMMARY Since the early 1950's most of the European economies have been growing at an unprecedented high rate associated with a situation of full employment. These two phenomena are at the root of the profound changes which are occurring in European agriculture and which have led on the one hand to a production capacity greater than the potential increase in effective demand for food and on the other hand to rapidly growing income aspirations by farmers. Policies applied so far have been applied uniformly to the entire agricultural sector and have thus been unable to provide satisfactory solutions to these problems. It is necessary to develop more selective policies which should be adapted to the particular problems of each broad group of farmers: (a) policies for those whose economic future in agriculture is doubtful and who should be assisted to transfer to other occupations or to retire; (b) policies for those whose economic future in agriculture might be secured if their size of business was increased and their management improved; and (c) policies for the 'commercial' sector of agriculture. The answer to agriculture's problems could be found in the combination of a structural and of a price policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this article are (1) to examine agricultural output in Burma, particularly rice, in relation to Burma's economic development needs and in relation to the present and prospective population of the country, and (2) to note the cultural obstacles to population control policies which arise because of the impact of Buddhist thought and philosophy. Though independent Burma has made a substantial degree of economic progress since 1948, per capita real income has still not attained the pre World War II level. Failure to achieve the prewar level of real per capita income is all the more disturbing in view of the considerable amount of foreign aid, both technical and financial, which has been provided. Current population estimates and estimates of future net annual population-growth rates seem to indicate that, despite atypical population characteristics in the past, Burma is fast becoming typical as regards population matters in the Far East. In view of the rate of development in the agricultural sector, particularly rice culture, and in view of Burma's dependence upon rice exports to provide finances for an economic development program, a rapidly growing population poses a serious threat.

The article discusses the cereal yields on the Sussex estates of the Abbey of Battle during the later Middle ages in England. One of the general deficiency of most of the early studies of medieval productivity was the examination of yield data in almost complete detachment from the environmental, socio-economic and technical conditions, which seemingly influenced the production under review. The types of arable farming practised on the Battle Abbey estates in Sussex at Alciston, the principal estate and home-farm, Apuldram, Barnhorne and Lullington invest the yield data with special interest and importance. By the late thirteenth century, when the extant documentation first reveals the economy of the Battle Abbey manors, cultivation for commercial purposes flourished and this was most clearly manifested in the arable husbandry by the suppression of fallow on the best or most conveniently manured land. The density of seed sown per unit of land is a much neglected aspect of medieval farming despite the importance of the relationship between the seeding rate and the yield, which up to a certain point increases as seeding is intensified.

Comments on an article about the world food supply and food policy issues in the U.S. Production capacity of the farm industry; Outlook on food supply; Issues concerning food supply and demand; Policies that govern agricultural production.

The hybrid corn study concluded that one of the major factors accounting for the difference in the rate of acceptance of hybrid corn in different areas was the difference in the absolute profitability of the shift over from open pollinated to hybrid varieties. Thus even though the relative superiority of hybrids may have been the same in different areas, it meant much more to farmers in higher corn yield areas. It is informed that very little is known about the properties of hybrid sorghum varieties as yet, but it is probably safe to assume that, in this case as in the case of hybrid corn, their superiority over open pollinated varieties can be described well as a percentage increase in yield of about the same magnitude at different yield levels. If this is true, then a difference in the pre-hybrid level of sorghum yields would indicate differences in the absolute profitability of the shiftover to hybrids. Thus one would expect hybrid sorghum to spread faster in high sorghum-yield areas than in the lower-yield areas, and that is what is happening. Hybrid sorghums are spreading much faster in east and northeast Kansas than in west and southwest Kansas, and this pattern is clearly consistent with the difference in long-term yield levels of sorghum in different parts of Kansas.