The Economic Position of Fertilizer Use in the United States

D. B. Ibach and R. C. Lindberg

No 308863, Agricultural Information Bulletins from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: Excerpt from the report Summary: Increased use of fertilizer has played a major part in meeting production needs and in lowering unit production costs. The present level of use on many crops in many areas is below the level that would be most profitable for most farmers. Projected crop production needs can be met more economically through use of more fertilizer and fewer acres than are represented by the present fertilizer-land use ratio. For a fixed output, either for a farmer or for the Nation as a whole, resource combinations that will reduce unit costs are economically desirable. This often means use of more fertilizer and fewer acres. But the sacrifice involved in shifting acreage away from, the crops to which they are best adapted is greater in areas where fixed costs per acre are relatively high. Therefore, in using improved technology to make profitable changes in farming, farmers need to recognize regional and local differences in the farm cost structure, as do those concerned with general adjustment programs.

Keywords: Crop Production/Industries; Production Economics; Productivity Analysis; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31
Date: 1958-11
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uersab:308863

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.308863

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