Estimating input allocation from heterogeneous data sources: A comparison of alternative estimation approaches

Kamel Louhichi, Florence Jacquet and Jean Pierre Butault

Agricultural Economics Review, 2012, vol. 13, issue 2, 20

Abstract: This paper proposes the use of the Generalized Maximum Entropy (GME) method to estimate input allocation in multi-crop systems using heterogeneous data sources (farm accountancy data and cropping practices survey data). The aim is to explore the role of well-defined a priori information in improving the accuracy of GME estimation. The performance of the GME method is compared afterward to a Bayesian approach— Highest Posterior Density (HPD)—to assess their accuracy when reliable non-sample (prior) information is used and investigate their usefulness for reconciling heterogeneous data sources. Both approaches are applied to a given set of farm accounting data which reports information on input allocation between alternative input uses. The estimation results show that the use of well-defined prior information from external data source improves GME estimates even though this performance is not always significant. It also appears that the Bayesian (HPD) approach could be a good alternative to the GME estimator. HPD provides results that are close to the GME method with the advantage of a straightforward and transparent implementation of the a priori information.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; International Development; International Relations/Trade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/253511/files/13_2_6.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Estimating input allocation from heterogeneous data sources: a comparison of alternative estimation approaches (2012)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:aergaa:253511

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.253511

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Agricultural Economics Review from Greek Association of Agricultural Economists Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by AgEcon Search ().