The Efficiency of Labor Input in the Tree Nut Growers Industry: A Stochastic Frontier Production Approach Study in Butte County, California

Kuo-Liang Chang and Todd A. Lone

No 56335, 2010 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2010, Orlando, Florida from Southern Agricultural Economics Association

Abstract: The U.S. government recruits immigrant workers through the H-2A program as a short-term solution to the agricultural sectors’ labor shortage problem. Although the sector insists hiring immigrant workers is essential for their survival, history has proven the socio-economic cost for doing so is enormous. This paper aims to investigate the contribution of labor to agricultural production efficiency. A discussion of marginal rate of technical substitution, economies of scale, and economies of scope will also be included. The stochastic production frontier regression approach was applied to input/output data collected from a survey of tree nut growers in Butte County, California. Results indicate the labor input is not significant in deciding farm production efficiency. Instead of attempting to increase short-term labor, producers’ and policy makers’ efforts should be directed toward improving the logistics of farm management and the quality of labor, thus more efficiently utilizing available resources.

Keywords: Labor and Human Capital; Production Economics; Productivity Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 21
Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:saea10:56335

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.56335

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