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Productivity growth and the returns from public investment in R&D in Australian broadacre agriculture

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  • John Mullen

Abstract

Investment in R&D has long been regarded as an important source of productivity growth in Australian agriculture. Perhaps because research lags are long, current investment in R&D is monitored closely. Investment in R&D has been flat while productivity growth has remained strong, relative both to other sectors of the Australian economy and to the agricultural sectors of other countries. Such productivity growth, at a time when the decline in terms of trade facing Australian farmers has slowed, may have enhanced the competitiveness of Australian agriculture. The econometric results presented here suggest no evidence of a decline in the returns from research from the 15 to 40 per cent per annum range estimated by Mullen and Cox. In fact the marginal impact of research increases with research over the range of investment levels experienced from 1953 to 2000, a finding which lends support to the view that there is underinvestment in agricultural research. These results were obtained from econometric models which maintain strong assumptions about how investments in research and extension translate into changes in TFP. Hence some caution in interpreting the results is warranted. Copyright 2007 The Author Journal compilation 2007 Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Inc .

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  • John Mullen, 2007. "Productivity growth and the returns from public investment in R&D in Australian broadacre agriculture," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 51(4), pages 359-384, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajarec:v:51:y:2007:i:4:p:359-384
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    1. Mullen, John D. & Scobie, Grant M. & Crean, Jason, 2006. "Trends in Research, Productivity Growth and Competitiveness in Agriculture in New Zealand and Australia," 2006 Conference, August 24-25, 2006, Nelson, New Zealand 31965, New Zealand Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    2. Sid Shanks & Simon Zheng, 2006. "Econometric Modelling of R&D and Australia's Productivity," Staff Working Papers 0604, Productivity Commission, Government of Australia.
    3. Tim J. Coelli & D. S. Prasada Rao, 2005. "Total factor productivity growth in agriculture: a Malmquist index analysis of 93 countries, 1980–2000," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 32(s1), pages 115-134, January.
    4. Shane, Mathew & Roe, Terry L. & Gopinath, Munisamy, 1998. "U.S. Agricultural Growth and Productivity: An Economywide Perspective," Agricultural Economic Reports 34047, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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