HEALTH, TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN INDIAN DISTRICTS

Atheendar S. Venkataramani (), K.R. Shanmugam and Jennifer Prah Ruger ()
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Atheendar S. Venkataramani: Washington University School of Medicine
Jennifer Prah Ruger: Yale University Schools of Medicine and Public Health

Journal of Economic Development, 2010, vol. 35, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: We investigate whether better population health may impact economic performance through improvements in technical efficiency in agricultural production. Using district-level data from India, we employ a random-coefficients approach to estimate a Cobb-Douglas production function, computing overall and input-specific technical efficiencies for each district. We then model health (district infant mortality rate) as a determinant of (in)efficiency in a second stage, controlling for a range of other socioeconomic variables. In the preferred specifications, we find that decreases in the infant mortality rate are associated with substantively and statistically significant increases in overall technical efficiency, and that a good portion of this association is likely due to improvements in the efficiency of labor use.

Keywords: Agricultural Production; Economic Development; Health; India; Labor; Random Coefficients; Technical Efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 O13 Q01 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Health, Technical Efficiency And Agricultural Production In Indian Districts (2006)
Working Paper: Health, Technical Efficiency and Agricultural Production in Indian Districts (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jed:journl:v:35:y:2010:i:4:p:1-23

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