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Why do rice farmers in Taiwan not expand scale? Economies of scale and the estimation of short- and long-run cost efficiencies using stochastic frontier analysis with time-varying panel data model

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  • Tsaiyu Chang

    (The University of Tokyo)

Abstract

In this study, stochastic frontier analysis with a time-varying panel data model was applied to analyse short- and long-run cost functions; the short- and long-run cost efficiencies of rice farms in Taiwan from 1980 to 2008 were measured by treating five size classifications in 15 counties in the form of 75 cohorts. The results reveal the presence of economies of scale and artificial inefficiency in these farms. Further, an analysis of the short- and long-run efficiencies of all the cohorts by area, size and year dummy variables indicates that even the areas where agriculture is well developed and topographic conditions are suitable have better long-run cost efficiencies, and large-scale farmland have lower long-run but higher short-run efficiencies. Due to the inefficient use of farmland in the long run, farmers do not have the incentive to expand production scale; they are unable to enjoy the economies of scale, which shows minimum cost. Finally, a random-effect estimation of panel analysis confirms that improvement in the infrastructure development of farmland and the functioning of the rental market of farmland contributes towards increasing both short- and long-run cost efficiencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsaiyu Chang, 2011. "Why do rice farmers in Taiwan not expand scale? Economies of scale and the estimation of short- and long-run cost efficiencies using stochastic frontier analysis with time-varying panel data model," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(3), pages 1943-1959.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-10-00704
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Almas Heshmati & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 1997. "Estimation Of Technical Efficiency In Swedish Crop Farms: A Pseudo Panel Data Approach," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1‐3), pages 22-37, January.
    2. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Almas Heshmati, 1995. "Efficiency Measurement in Swedish Dairy Farms: An Application of Rotating Panel Data, 1976–88," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 77(3), pages 660-674.
    3. Kumbhakar, Subal C., 1990. "Production frontiers, panel data, and time-varying technical inefficiency," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 201-211.
    4. Cornwell, Christopher & Schmidt, Peter & Sickles, Robin C., 1990. "Production frontiers with cross-sectional and time-series variation in efficiency levels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 185-200.
    5. Fujiki, Hiroshi, 1999. "The Structure of Rice Production in Japan and Taiwan," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 47(2), pages 387-400, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    scale economics; stochastic frontier analysis; rice production; Taiwanese agriculture; Taiwan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation

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