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The Impacts of Off-Farm Income on Farm Efficiency, Scale, and Profitability for Corn Farms

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  • Nehring, Richard F.
  • Fernandez-Cornejo, Jorge

Abstract

This paper estimates returns to scale and technical efficiency of corn farms following an input distance function approach and compares the relative performance of farm operator households with and without off-farm wages and salaries. We use 1995-2003 USDA data. The input distance function results suggest that off-farm outputs and inputs can be modeled in a multi-activity framework, which materially alter performance measures in the Corn Belt. We find that off-farm income boosts scale and technical efficiency of smaller operations. We also find that the number of hours worked off-farm by the spouse contributes to a higher technical efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Nehring, Richard F. & Fernandez-Cornejo, Jorge, 2005. "The Impacts of Off-Farm Income on Farm Efficiency, Scale, and Profitability for Corn Farms," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19566, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea05:19566
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.19566
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    13. Catherine Paul & Richard Nehring & David Banker & Agapi Somwaru, 2004. "Scale Economies and Efficiency in U.S. Agriculture: Are Traditional Farms History?," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 185-205, November.
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    1. E. Phimister & D. Roberts, 2006. "The Effect of Off-farm Work on the Intensity of Agricultural Production," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 34(4), pages 493-515, August.
    2. Nehring, Richard F. & Dimitri, Carolyn, 2022. "Economic Efficiency of North Carolina and Iowa/Minnesota Hog Farms: Evidence from 2020," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322179, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Nehring, Richard F. & Badau, Flavius & Harris, Michael & Erickson, Kenneth W., 2017. "Relative Competitiveness of Crop/Livestock Farms: A current perspective," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258234, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Timothy Park & Ashok K. Mishra & Shawn J. Wozniak, 2014. "Do farm operators benefit from direct to consumer marketing strategies?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(2), pages 213-224, March.
    5. Davis, Christopher & Dimitri, Carolyn & Nehring, Richard & Collins, LaPorchia & Haley, Mildred & Ha, Kim & Gillespie, Jeffrey, 2022. "U.S. Hog Production: Rising Output and Changing Trends in Productivity Growth," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, vol. 2022(Economic ), August.

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