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Small U.S. Dairy Farms: Can They Compete? A Revisit

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  • Nehring, Richard
  • Gillespie, Jeffrey
  • Erickson, Kenneth
  • Harris, J. Michael
  • Heutte, Silke
  • Sauer, Johannes

Abstract

With rapid structural change in the U.S. dairy industry, we use data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey to determine financial performance, scale efficiency, and technical efficiency associated with U.S. conventional and pasture-based milk production during 2010-2016. Large farms generally outperformed smaller farms in terms of technical efficiency, profitability measures, and returns to scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Nehring, Richard & Gillespie, Jeffrey & Erickson, Kenneth & Harris, J. Michael & Heutte, Silke & Sauer, Johannes, 2018. "Small U.S. Dairy Farms: Can They Compete? A Revisit," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266535, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:saea18:266535
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.266535
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gillespie, Jeffrey & Nehring, Richard, 2014. "Pasture-Based versus Conventional Milk Production: Where Is the Profit?," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(4), pages 543-558, November.
    2. Mosheim, Roberto & Lovell, C.A. Knox, 2006. "Economic Efficiency, Structure and Scale Economies in the U.S. Dairy Sector," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21440, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    3. Hanson, James C. & Dismukes, Robert & Chambers, William & Greene, Catherine R. & Kremen, Amy, 2003. "Risk And Risk Management In Organic Agriculture: View Of Organic Farmers," Working Papers 28551, University of Maryland, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    4. MacDonald, James M. & O'Donoghue, Erik J. & McBride, William D. & Nehring, Richard F. & Sandretto, Carmen L. & Mosheim, Roberto, 2007. "Profits, Costs, and the Changing Structure of Dairy Farming," Economic Research Report 6704, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Battese, G E & Coelli, T J, 1995. "A Model for Technical Inefficiency Effects in a Stochastic Frontier Production Function for Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 325-332.
    6. Nehring, Richard F. & Sauer, Johannes & Gillespie, Jeffrey M. & Hallahan, Charles B., 2011. "Intensive versus Extensive Dairy Production Systems: Dairy States in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. and Key Pasture Countries the E.U.: Determining the Competitive Edge," 2011 Annual Meeting, February 5-8, 2011, Corpus Christi, Texas 98824, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    7. Dubman, Robert, 2000. "Variance Estimation With USDA's Farm Costs and Returns Surveys and Agricultural Resource Management Study Surveys," Staff Reports 276685, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. Hoppe, Robert A., 2014. "Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: Family Farm Report, 2014 Edition," Economic Information Bulletin 262118, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy; Agricultural Finance; Production Economics;
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