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Risk Management Through Enterprise Diversification: A Farm-Level Analysis

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  • Mishra, Ashok K.
  • El-Osta, Hisham S.

Abstract

Enterprise diversification is a self-insuring strategy used by farmers to protect against risk. This paper examines the impact of various farm, operator, and household characteristics on the level of on-farm diversification. Results provide evidence that larger farms are more specialized. Also, farmers who participate in off-farm income and farms located near urban areas are less likely to diversify. Additionally, results also show a significant positive relationship between diversification and farm/crop insurance and sole proprietorships. Finally, there is also evidence that farms that received government payments are more diversified than their counterparts.

Suggested Citation

  • Mishra, Ashok K. & El-Osta, Hisham S., 2002. "Risk Management Through Enterprise Diversification: A Farm-Level Analysis," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19711, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea02:19711
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.19711
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    2. Bernard Kiprono, Rotich, 2012. "Contribution of On-Farm Diversification to Incomes of Smallholder Farmers in Konoin District, Bomet County," Research Theses 243441, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    3. Nicholas A. Lancaster & Ariana P. Torres, 2019. "Investigating the Drivers of Farm Diversification Among U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Operations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Lighton Dube & Revaux Numbwa & Emmanuel Guveya, 2016. "Determinants of crop diversification amongst agricultural co-operators in Dundwa agricultural camp, Choma district, Zambia," Asian Journal of Agriculture and rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Larsen, Ryan A. & Mjelde, James W. & Klinefelter, Danny A. & Wolfley, Jared L., 2009. "Geographical Diversification in Agriculture: An Applied Case to Western U.S. Wheat Growers," 2009 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2009, Atlanta, Georgia 46819, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    6. Zhao, Xin & Brady, Michael P. & Tozer, Peter R., 2015. "Do Farmers Really Plant Apples for Their Income and Cherries for Their Retirement? The Effects of Risk, Scope and Scale on Orchard Land Allocation," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205663, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Ani L. Katchova, 2005. "The Farm Diversification Discount," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 87(4), pages 984-994.
    8. Erik J. O’Donoghue & Michael J. Roberts & Nigel Key, 2009. "Did the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act Alter Farm Enterprise Diversification?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 80-104, February.
    9. McNamara, Kevin T. & Weiss, Christoph R., 2005. "Farm Household Income and On-and-Off Farm Diversification," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 37(1), pages 1-12, April.
    10. Colleta Gandidzanwa & Aart Jan Verschoor & Thabo Sacolo, 2021. "Evaluating Factors Affecting Performance of Land Reform Beneficiaries in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    11. Peterson, Hikaru Hanawa & Schurle, Bryan W. & Langemeier, Michael R., 2005. "Three-Dimensional Efficient Portfolio Frontier: Mean, Variance, and Farm Size," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19298, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    12. Lehmann, Niklaus & Finger, Robert, 2012. "Optimizing whole-farm management considering price and climate risks," 123rd Seminar, February 23-24, 2012, Dublin, Ireland 122533, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Stéphanie Barral, 2023. "Risk management in the Common Agricultural Policy: the promises of data and finance in the face of increasing hazards," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 104(1), pages 67-76, March.
    14. Luigi Biagini & Simone Severini, 2022. "How Does the Farmer Strike a Balance between Income and Risk across Inputs? An Application in Italian Field Crop Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-15, December.
    15. O'Donoghue, Erik J. & Key, Nigel D. & Roberts, Michael J., 2005. "Does risk matter for farm businesses? The effect of crop insurance on production and diversification," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19397, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    16. K M Mehedi Adnan & Liu Ying & Zeraibi Ayoub & Swati Anindita Sarker & Rashid Menhas & Feiyu Chen & Man (Mark) Yu, 2020. "Risk Management Strategies to Cope Catastrophic Risks in Agriculture: The Case of Contract Farming, Diversification and Precautionary Savings," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    17. Dube, Lighton & Numbwa, Revaux & Guveya, Euveya, 2016. "Determinants of Crop Diversification amongst Agricultural Co-Operators in Dundwa Agricultural Camp, Choma District, Zambia," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society (AESS), vol. 6(1).
    18. Wencong Lu & Abdul Latif & Raza Ullah, 2017. "Simultaneous adoption of contract farming and off-farm diversification for managing agricultural risks: the case of flue-cured Virginia tobacco in Pakistan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 86(3), pages 1347-1361, April.

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    Keywords

    Farm Management; Risk and Uncertainty;

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