Explaining changes in productivity involves explaining changes in output and input quantities. Several economic models can be used for this purpose. This paper considers a model that accounts for weather and output price uncertainty. Changes in productivity are then explained in two steps....

The estimated parameters of output distance functions frequently violate the monotonicity, quasi-convexity and convexity constraints implied by economic theory, leading to estimated elasticities and shadow prices that are incorrectly signed, and ultimately to perverse conclusions concerning the...

Allocations of research funds across programs are often made for efficiency reasons. Social science research is shown to have small, lagged but significant effects on U.S. agricultural efficiency when public agricultural R&D and extension are simultaneously taken into account. Farm management...

The effects of including different kinds of prior information in estimation of the probit model is examined within the framework of Bayesian inference. Of interest is the effect on posterior information for coefficients, probabilities and elasticities. In a model designed to explain choice...

The paper uses the concept of metafrontier functions to study regional differences in production technologies. The paper has three components. The first deals with the analytical framework necessary for the definition of metafrontier functions. The second component studies the properties of the...

Polluting technologies can be represented using output distance functions. A common approach to estimating such functions is to factor out one of the outputs and estimate the resulting equation using well-known stochastic frontier estimation methods, including maximum likelihood. A problem with...

Wool tenderness is a significant problem in Australia, especially in areas where sheep graze under highly seasonal conditions. In this study, a duality-based modeling framework is implemented to assess the economic impact of staple strength-enhancing research on the profits of Australian...

Systems of equations comprising cost functions and first-order derivative equations are often used to estimate characteristics of production technologies. Unfortunately, many estimated systems violate the regularity conditions implied by economic theory. Sampling theory methods can be used to...

Risk plays a vital role in farmers' decisions on input allocations and, therefore, output supply. This paper provides empirical evidence on the estimation of production risk, risk preferences and technical inefficiency. An eight-year panel data set is used for 46 rice farmers from a...