Search

Farm efficiency analysis provides significant insights into farms’ potential to enhance agricultural productivity. This article reports on an investigation of technology adoption and technical efficiency (TE) in the Ethiopian maize sector. We estimated TE while accounting for the potential technological difference between improved and local maize varieties and addressing self-selection bias resulting from farmers’ decisions to adopt new crop varieties. Using comprehensive household-level data collected in 2011 from five major maize-producing regions in Ethiopia, we specified a stochastic frontier model to estimate TE and employ propensity score-matching technique to address self-selection bias. The result confirm that imposing a homogenous technology assumption for improved and local maize varieties biases efficiency estimates and the ranking of farmers based on their efficiency scores. The mean TE of 66.18%, estimated after correcting for technology difference and self-selection bias, indicated that an increase of around 33.82% in maize productivity could be achievable with the current input levels and technology.

This paper empirically investigates optimal intertemporal investment behaviour of farmers in Australia. The dynamic investment model is estimated using pooled crosssectional and time-series farm survey data spanning the period 1979-1993. The model captures intertemporal investment behaviour of farmers, including independent and instantaneous adjustment decisions. Empirical test results indicate that labour, capital, sheep numbers and cattle numbers adjust sluggishly towards their long-run equilibrium levels. Results provide empirical evidence to indicate that adjustment problem is characteristic of production in agricultural zones Australia.

Optimal intertemporal investment behaviour ofAustralian pastoralists is modelled using panel data for the period 1979–1993.Results indicate that quasi-fixity of inputs of labour, capital, sheep numbers and cattle numbers is characteristic of production in the pastoral region. It takes about two years for labour, four years for capital and a little over two years for both sheep numbers and cattle numbers to adjust towards long-run optimal levels. Results also indicate that, after accounting for adjustment costs, own-price product supply and input demand responses are inelastic in both the short and long run.

India is the largest producer and importer of pulses in the world. Since 1970, the Indian food economy has undergone major policy reforms, including trade liberalisation, that had the effect of opening up its domestic pulse market to international trade. This market is very lucrative and of major significance to the world pulse economy. Therefore, given the increasing evidence linking import demand and economic variables, an understanding of the impact of these variables on import demand for pulses in India is warranted. The import demand functions for total pulses, chickpea and lentils were estimated by autocorrelation regression procedure using time-series data for the period 1970 through to 2000. Empirical results indicate that real GDP, population, urbanisation, exchange rate and relative price are key determinants of import demand for pulses in India.

India is a major producer and consumer of pulses in the world. In the last two decades, India’s pulse economy has undergone major policy and institutional reforms. These changes are likely to influence India’s trade in pulses and consequently world pulse trade. This article examines the impact of these reforms on trade, prices and production in India. The article discusses the factors that instigated these policy reforms and the consequences. The results indicate that a number of key economic, political and technological factors are reshaping pulse trade in India. The policy implications of the findings are explored.

The estimation of large demand systems to investigate the patterns of consumption of households is notoriously difficult. This study develops a modified Almost Ideal Demand System model based on a flexible two-stage budgeting demand modelling framework to examine the effect of estimation procedures (Bottom-up and Top-down) on South African household food consumption parameters. Household food consumption was divided into seven broad food groups: meat and fish; grains; dairy products; fruits; vegetables; other foods. The demand systems were estimated using data from the 1993 South Africa Integrated Household Survey (SIHS) conducted by the South African Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). Empirical results indicate that the Top-down approach is more suited for estimation of South African household food demand. Results indicate that own-price do play an important role in influencing household food consumption. Results also indicate no presence of gross substitution between and within food groups. Expenditure elasticity estimates indicate that meat and fish, dairy products and fruits are luxury products, while grains, vegetables and other foods are necessities in South African household diet.

South Africa is emerging as a major player in the world agricultural products market. This study investigates aggregate food demand patterns in South Africa using a linear approximate almost ideal demand system (LA/AIDS) modeling framework. Data from a 1993 integrated national household survey are employed in the analysis. Empirical results show that demand for meat and fish, grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and other foods are generally price elastic. The expenditure elasticities imply that meat and fish and grains are luxury products, whereas dairy products, fruits, vegetables and other foods are necessities in the household diet. The results also indicate that if income of households increases food expenditure on meat and fish and grains would increase, whereas that on dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and other foods would decrease. Race, age, and gender of household head, urbanization, and family size affect food demand in South Africa.

South Africa has one of the highest cases of HIV infections in the world. With the epidemic continuing at an alarming rate, the government of South Africa has regarded the HIV/AIDS epidemic a developmental and socio-economic policy issue. The study explores the impact of HIV/AIDS on food demand in South Africa. The food demand function is specified and estimated using time-series data for the period 1970 to 2000. Simulation analysis is performed to examine the impact of ‘with AIDS’ and ‘without AIDS’ scenarios. The empirical results indicate that the HIV/AIDS epidemic could have a major impact on food demand patterns for selected food items in South Africa.

This paper examines consumer demand for food in South Africa. An Almost Ideal Demand System that incorporates socio-economic and demographic factors is specified and estimated using cross-sectional data of 1993 Integrated Household Survey. By utilising a two-stage budgeting procedure, a complete food demand system was estimated. The results indicate that, for food groups (meat and fish, grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and other foods), demand is generally price elastic. Meat and fish, grains and dairy products are luxury products, while fruits, vegetables and other foods are necessities. For food commodities, the results indicate that the demand with respect to own-price is generally elastic. The results suggest that, for an increase in income, food expenditure on meat and fish and grains would increase while that on dairy products, vegetables and other foods would decrease. The implications of the empirical results are discussed.

This paper examines consumer attitudes to quality characteristics of chickpea in India. A linear hedonic price functional form was estimated using price and quality data of 52 kabuli chickpea and 128 desi-type chickpea samples obtained from major chickpea markets in India. Empirical results indicate that physical quality characteristics and purity standards are important factors influencing consumption decisions in the Indian chickpea market. The chemical quality characteristics have been found to be unimportant in influencing consumption decisions due to their cryptic nature. The implicit values of the physical quality characteristics and purity standards are reported. The results demonstrate that there is an incentive for breeders, producers and exporters to improve the quality characteristics of chickpea export because consumers in India discriminate between chickpea varieties based on their physical characteristics and purity standards.