Search

This study evaluates factors affecting the participation of small socially disadvantaged producers in federal and state cost-share programs. Data were collected from a survey of 100 producers in 21 Kentucky counties. Results suggest education, age, and farm size had significant influence on their participation in cost-share programs in Kentucky.

Income convergence and both endogenous and exogenous factors causing income growth in the southeastern United States were examined by using county level census data between 1980 and 2000. The study found that spatial variations in education, employment, and industries concentrations were strongly related with income convergence in the region.

Natural causes (such as droughts), non-natural causes (such as competing uses), and government policies limit the supply of water for agriculture in general and irrigating crops in particular. Under such reduced water supply scenarios, existing physical models reduce irrigation proportionally among crops in the farmer’s portfolio, disregarding temporal changes in economic and/or institutional conditions. Hence, changes in crop mix resulting from expectations about risks and returns are ignored. A method is developed that considers those changes and accounts for economic substitution and expansion effects. Forecasting studies based on this method with surface water in Georgia and Alabama demonstrate the relative strength of econometric modeling vis-a`-vis physical methods. Results from a study using this method for ground water in Mississippi verify the robustness of those findings. Results from policy induced simulation scenarios indicate water savings of 12% to 27% using the innovative method developed. Although better irrigation water demand forecasting in crop production was the key objective of this pilot project, conservation of a valuable natural resource (water) has turned out to be a key consequence.

This paper examined income convergence in 875 counties of the 10-state southeastern region using Census data for 1980 and 2000. Logarithmic difference of average per capita income between those years was regressed on socioeconomic variables. Changes in education, labor force, and employment were strong determinants of income growth.

County-level data for 11 southern states for 1980 and 2000 are used to examine income convergence. Ordinary least squares regression of logarithmic difference on average per capita income in 1980 demonstrated conditional income convergence with higher income changes in counties with smaller initial populations, smaller changes in African Americans, employment, education, age structure, travel time to work, or dependent age populations. The estimated rate of income convergence was 3.82% per year.

County-level data for 11 southern states were used to examine income convergence between 1980 and 2000. Ordinary least squares regression of logarithmic difference on average per capita income in 1980 and 2000 indicated conditional income convergence over the 20-year period. The estimated rate of income convergence was 3.82% per year. This convergence varied across the region based on the initial and changed conditions of population density, African-American population, employment, education, age structure, and travel time to work.

Urban sprawl and rural rebound are major foci of recent regional economic studies. Using 1980 and 2000 Census data from 11 southern states, binary logit regressions of population changes in rural-and-metropolitan counties and Black Belt-and-non-Black Belt counties reveal education, poverty, employment, and age differences are related to population changes.

Binary logit analysis was used to identify the factors influencing adoption of Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance systems by cotton farmers in 11 Mid-south and Southeastern states. Results indicate that adoption was more likely by those who had already adopted other precision-farming practices and had used computers for farm management. In addition, younger and more affluent farmers were more likely to adopt. Farmers with larger farms and with relatively high yields were also more likely to adopt. Education was not a significant factor in a farmer’s decision to adopt GPS guidance systems.

Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) data for 2003 were used to estimate two binary logit models for two definitions of genetically modified (GM) cottonseed adoption. Results indicate conservation tillage did not positively affect adoption of GM cotton with either of these definitions, while adoption of GM cotton in the previous year did. Refuge cotton also did not affect these adoption decisions for the study year.

Replaced with revised version of paper 10/23/07.

Producers’ preferences for cottonseed with respect to price, seed type, yield, and fiber quality are examined by a willingness-to-pay approach via mail surveys. Results indicate a positive willingness to pay (WTP) for technology relative to conventional cottonseed, and WTP increases with the level of technology. Yield and quality also show a positive WTP. Larger farms have a higher WTP for technology, and farms with more farm labor have a lower WTP for technology. These results suggest economies of size in technology adoption (biotechnology is not size-neutral) and that labor and biotechnology are direct substitutes.

Southeast drought conditions have accentuated the demand for irrigation in the face of restricted water supply. For allocating this supply, Georgia held an auction for withdrawing irrigated acreage. This auction withdrew 33,000 acres from irrigation, resulting in a physical estimate of a 399 acre-feet daily increase in water flow. The actual reduction is driven by crop distributional changes on the basis of economic substitution and expansion effects. In contrast to the physical estimates, an econometric model that considers these effects is developed. The differences between the physical and econometric models result in an increase in the estimate of water savings of around 19% to 24%.

Producers' preferences for cottonseed are examined using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach via mail surveys. Results indicate a positive WTP for yield, technology and fiber quality, and it increases with the level of technology and quality, respectively. WTP varies directly with farm size and inversely with farm labor.

Annual mean returns and certainty equivalent returns for 1983-2003 were calculated for specified non-Bt cotton (refuge) percentages for a cotton farm of average size in the Mississippi Delta. Certainty equivalents indicate sprays influence mean profits more than the percentage of refuge in a cotton producer's portfolio. This supports an earlier study where returns calculated from both observed and simulated yields indicated, for any given refuge percentage, mean returns were higher with less risk when insecticides were sprayed compared to no insecticide sprays., Replaced with revised version of paper 02/14/06.

Net per acre returns and total returns for an average cotton farm in Mississippi Delta are calculated from observed and simulated yields. Results indicate higher mean profits with spray than without. For any positive refuge level, mean returns are higher and more stable (or less risky) when spray is applied., Copy on AgEcon Search replaced with a revised copy 2/14/06.

Future agricultural water demands are determined by employing forecasts from irrigated crop acreage models. Forecasts of prices and yields, and variances and covariances of crop returns are employed for forecasting crop acreage. Results provide insights into the value of rational expectations in forecasting agricultural water demand.

An important issue of debate in economic base literature is whether the export-base theory applies best to the short run, the long run, or both. An attempt is being made here in answering this crucial question by applying a two-step test for cointegration on quarterly employment data, and in gaining insights as to whether or not any unequivocal judgment can be made regarding the validity of the economic base hypothesis.