Do farmers chooseto be inefficient? evidence from Bicol, Philippines

Donald Larson () and Frank Plessmann

No 2787, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Farming households that differ in their ability, or willingness to take on risks are likely to make different decisions when allocating resources, and effort among income-producing activities, with consequences for productivity. The authors measure voluntary, and involuntary departures from efficiency for rice-producing households in Bicol, Philippines. They take advantage of a panel of household observations from 1978, 1983, and 1994. The unusually long-time span of the panel provides ample opportunities for the surveyed households to learn, and apply successful available technologies. The authors find evidence that diversification, and technology choices do effect outcomes among farmers, although these effects are not dominant. Accumulated wealth, past decisions to invest in education, favorable market conditions, and propitious weather are also important determinants of efficiency outcomes among Bicol rice farmers.

Keywords: Labor Policies; Environmental Economics&Policies; Crops&Crop Management Systems; Economic Theory&Research; Climate Change; Economic Theory&Research; Environmental Economics&Policies; Crops&Crop Management Systems; Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems; Climate Change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002-02-28
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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