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Overcoming farm size induced constraints through endogenous institutional innovations: findings from a field study in Assam plains, India

Author

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  • Binoy Goswami

    (SOUTH ASIAN UNIVERSITY)

Abstract

The existing studies on the farm size-productivity relationship call for government interventions in some form or another so as to make the farm size induced constraints non-binding. None of these studies explores the potential of the institution of rental markets in helping the farmers in overcoming these constraints. The present study delves into this hitherto unexplored issue. Using survey data, the paper first analyses whether farm size has any impact on productivity and value added and finds none. The insignificance of farm size has been explained in terms of endogenous innovations in the institutions of rental markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Binoy Goswami, 2016. "Overcoming farm size induced constraints through endogenous institutional innovations: findings from a field study in Assam plains, India," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(1), pages 411-428.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-15-00588
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anand Swamy, 1998. "Factor markets and resource allocation in colonial Punjab," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(3), pages 97-115.
    2. Bardhan, Pranab K, 1973. "Size, Productivity, and Returns to Scale: An Analysis of Farm-Level Data in Indian Agriculture," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(6), pages 1370-1386, Nov.-Dec..
    3. Taslim, M A, 1989. "Supervision Problems and the Size-Productivity Relation in Bangladesh Agriculture," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 51(1), pages 55-71, February.
    4. Justin Yifu Lin, 1995. "Endowments, Technology, and Factor Markets: A Natural Experiment of Induced Institutional Innovation from China's Rural Reform," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 77(2), pages 231-242.
    5. Carter, Michael R, 1984. "Identification of the Inverse Relationship between Farm Size and Productivity: An Empirical Analysis of Peasant Agricultural Production," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 36(1), pages 131-145, March.
    6. Heltberg, Rasmus, 1998. "Rural market imperfections and the farm size-- productivity relationship: Evidence from Pakistan," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(10), pages 1807-1826, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Goswami, B., 2016. "Farm Business Income across Land-size Classes and Land Tenure Status: A Field Study in Assam Plains," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 29(1).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Farm Size; Productivity; Value Added; Innovations; Institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q1 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture

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