IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/uerscs/329202.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Natural Resource Capital in U.S. Agriculture: Irrigation, Drainage and Conservation Investments Since 1900

Author

Listed:
  • National Resource Economics Division, Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service

Abstract

This paper gives some original time-series estimates (1900-1975) for the constant-dollar gross and net stocks of public and private fixed capital assets associated with agricultural irrigation, drainage and soil conservation activities (IDC) in the United States. In 1975 the IDC facilities and associated equipment had a real net or depreciated value of $27.5 billion (in constant 1972 dollars). They represent about one-fourth of all fixed nonland capital in agriculture. The $27.5 billion net IDC capital value in 1975 was made up of about $12.3 billion for irrigation (45 percent), $9.7 billion for all conservation (35 percent), and $5.5 billion for drainage (20 percent). The aggregate net value of all IDC capital in 1977 was about $28 billion, weighted 46 percent to irrigation, 20 percent to drainage, and 34 percent to conservation.

Suggested Citation

  • National Resource Economics Division, Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service, 1979. "Natural Resource Capital in U.S. Agriculture: Irrigation, Drainage and Conservation Investments Since 1900," Economics Statistics and Cooperative Services (ESCS) Reports 329202, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uerscs:329202
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.329202
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/329202/files/NaturalResourceCapitalAgUS.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.329202?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. D. Gale Johnson, 1963. "Efficiency and Welfare Implications of United States Agricultural Policy," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 45(2), pages 331-342.
    2. Burton L. French, 1956. "Functional Relationships for Irrigated Corn Response to Nitrogen," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 38(3), pages 736-747.
    3. Frey, H. Thomas & Otte, Robert C., 1975. "Cropland for Today and Tomorrow," Agricultural Economic Reports 307536, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Terry L. Anderson & Peter J. Hill, 1976. "The Role of Private Property in the History of American Agriculture, 1776–1976," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 58(5), pages 937-945.
    5. Nabil Khaldi, 1975. "Education and Allocative Efficiency in U.S. Agriculture," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 57(4), pages 650-657.
    6. Harry W. Ayer & G. Edward Schuh, 1972. "Social Rates of Return and Other Aspects of Agricultural Research: The Case of Cotton Research in São Paulo, Brazil," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 54(4_Part_1), pages 557-569.
    7. Kasal, James & Back, W. B., 1970. "An Economic Evaluation of the Great Plains Conservation Program," Miscellaneous Publications 322785, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. USDA Committee on Land Use (sponsor), 1975. "Perspectives on Prime Lands: Background Papers for Seminar on the Retention of Prime Lands, July 16-17, 1975," USDA Miscellaneous 329523, United States Department of Agriculture.
    9. Stippler, Henry H., 1956. "Sprinkler Irrigation in the Pacific Northwest," Agricultural Information Bulletins 308790, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    10. Schluter, Gerald E. & Niles, Thomas A., 1975. "Farmers' Capital Expenditures, Who Benefits?," Journal of the Northeastern Agricultural Economics Council, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 4(2), pages 1-12, October.
    11. Derek Byerlee & A. N. Halter, 1974. "A Macro-Economic Model for Agricultural Sector Analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 56(3), pages 520-533.
    12. Allen G. Smith, 1972. "Is There Disinvestment in the Farming Sector?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 54(2), pages 275-278.
    13. Thomas A. Carlin & Charles R. Handy, 1974. "Concepts of the Agricultural Economy and Economic Accounting," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 56(5), pages 964-975.
    14. Burton A. Weisbrod, 1962. "Education and Investment in Human Capital," NBER Chapters, in: Investment in Human Beings, pages 106-123, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Eric C. Howe & Charles R. Handy, 1975. "Inventory and Critique of Productivity Estimates in the U.S. Food and Fiber Sector," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 57(5), pages 916-921.
    16. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    17. Gertel, Karl, 1976. "Anticipated Effects of the Bureau of Reclamation Program on Agricultural Production and Prices," Miscellaneous Publications 329572, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    18. Schluter, Gerald E. & Niles, Thomas A., 1975. "Farmers' Capital Expenditures, Who Benefits?," 1975 Annual Meeting, August 10-13, Columbus, Ohio 284153, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    19. Robert L. Tontz, 1958. "Future of Irrigation in the Humid Area," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 40(3), pages 636-652.
    20. Melvin L. Cotner, 1963. "Optimum Timing of Long-Term Resource Improvements," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 45(4), pages 731-748.
    21. Howe, Eric C. & Handy, Charles R., 1975. "Inventory and Critique of Productivity Estimates In The U.S. Food and Fiber Sector," 1975 Annual Meeting, August 10-13, Columbus, Ohio 284149, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    22. Anderson, Terry L. & Hill, P.J., 1976. "The Role Of Private Property In The History Of American Agriculture, 1776 - 1976," 1976 Annual Meeting, August 15-18, State College, Pennsylvania 283915, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    23. John B. Penson & Dean W. Hughes & Glenn L. Nelson, 1977. "Measurement of Capacity Depreciation Based on Engineering Data," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 59(2), pages 321-329.
    24. Burton A. Weisbrod, 1962. "Education and Investment in Human Capital," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(5), pages 106-106.
    25. Wooten, H. H. & Purcell, Margaret R., 1949. "Farm Land Development: Present and Future, by Clearing, Drainage, and Irrigation," Miscellaneous Publications 319716, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    26. Arthur Maass, 1966. "Benefit-Cost Analysis: Its Relevance to Public Investment Decisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 80(2), pages 208-226.
    27. C. Robert Taylor, 1975. "A Production Function Model for Aggregate Time-Series Data," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 57(1), pages 122-123.
    28. Emery N. Castle, 1965. "The Market Mechanism, Externalities, and Land Economics," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 47(3), pages 542-556.
    29. Robert Evenson, 1967. "The Contribution of Agricultural Research to Production," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 49(5), pages 1415-1425.
    30. Laurits R. Christensen, 1975. "Concepts and Measurement of Agricultural Productivity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 57(5), pages 910-915.
    31. Pavelis, George A., 1972. "Planning Natural Resource Development: An Introductory Guide," Miscellaneous Publications 321887, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    32. Carter, H.O. & Youde, J.G., 1974. "Some Impacts Of The Changing Energy Situation On U.S. Agriculture," 1974 Annual Meeting, August 18-21, College Station, Texas 284571, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    33. Harold F. Breimyer, 1978. "Agriculture's Three Economies in a Changing Resource Environment," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 60(1), pages 37-47.
    34. Heinz Spielmann & Eldon E. Weeks, 1975. "Inventory and Critique of Estimates of U.S. Agricultural Capacity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 57(5), pages 922-928.
    35. Schluter, Gerald E. & Niles, Thomas A., 1975. "Farmers' Capital Expenditures, Who Benefits?," Northeastern Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 0(Number 2), pages 1-12, October.
    36. Richard W. Simunek, 1976. "National Farm Capital Accounts," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 58(3), pages 532-542.
    37. Lu, Yao-chi, 1974. "A PRoduction Function Approach to Measuring Productivity Growth," 1974 Annual Meeting, August 18-21, College Station, Texas 284525, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    38. Carlin, Thomas A. & Handy, Charles R., 1974. "Concepts Of The Agricultural Economy And Economic Accounting," 1974 Annual Meeting, August 18-21, College Station, Texas 284557, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    39. Hutchins, Wells A., 1931. "Irrigation Districts, Their Organization, Operation and Financing," Technical Bulletins 163085, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    40. Solomon Fabricant, 1959. "Basic Facts on Productivity Change," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number fabr59-1.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Patrik Hultberg & David Santandreu Calonge & Seong-Hee Kim, 2017. "Education policy in South Korea: A contemporary model of human capital accumulation?," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1389804-138, January.
    2. Daren, Conrad, 2007. "Education and Economic Growth: Is There a Link?," MPRA Paper 18176, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2009.
    3. Themba G Chirwa & NM Odhiambo, 2019. "An Empirical Test Of Exogenous Growth Models: Evidence From Three Southern African Countries," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 64(220), pages 7-38, January –.
    4. Conrad, Daren, 2017. "Education's Contribution to Economic Growth," MPRA Paper 77365, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service, 1978. "Proceedings of Workshop on Farm Sector Financial Accounts, April 14-15, 1977," Agricultural Economic Reports 307690, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    6. Krzysztof Cichy, 2009. "Human Capital and Technological Progress as the Determinants of Economic Growth," NBP Working Papers 60, Narodowy Bank Polski.
    7. John Bound & Michael F. Lovenheim & Sarah Turner, 2010. "Why Have College Completion Rates Declined? An Analysis of Changing Student Preparation and Collegiate Resources," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 129-157, July.
    8. Mulkey, David, 1984. "Data Use by Agricultural Economists: Opportunities for Automated Data Retrieval," 1984 Annual Meeting, August 5-8, Ithaca, New York 278716, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    9. Charles A. Sisson, 1979. "An Intersectoral Examination of Tax Equity: Farm and Nonfarm Burdens," Public Finance Review, , vol. 7(4), pages 455-478, October.
    10. Barbara Wyrzykowska, 2014. "Human Capital as a Challenge for Economics Theory," International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, International School for Social and Business Studies, Celje, Slovenia, vol. 3(2), pages 217-240.
    11. Yao Pan, 2017. "The Impact of Removing Selective Migration Restrictions on Education: Evidence from China," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 52(3), pages 859-885.
    12. Maksim Vlasov & Sergey N. Polbitsyn & Michael Olumekor & Hossam Haddad, 2023. "Exploring the Role of Socio-Cultural Factors on the Development of Human Capital in Multi-Ethnic Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-14, October.
    13. P. C. Schutte*, 1987. "Investeringseise van Menslike Kapitaal in 'n Veranderende Suid‐Afrika," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 55(4), pages 241-248, December.
    14. Heckman, James J. & Humphries, John Eric & Veramendi, Gregory & Urzua, Sergio, 2014. "Education, Health and Wages," IZA Discussion Papers 8027, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. James J. Heckman & Chase O. Corbin, 2016. "Capabilities and Skills," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 342-359, July.
    16. Bilkic, N. & Gries, T. & Pilichowski, M., 2012. "Stay in school or start working? — The human capital investment decision under uncertainty and irreversibility," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 706-717.
    17. James J. Heckman & Lance J. Lochner & Petra E. Todd, 2003. "Fifty Years of Mincer Earnings Regressions," NBER Working Papers 9732, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Eide, Eric & Waehrer, Geetha, 1998. "The Role of the Option Value of College Attendance in College Major Choice," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 73-82, February.
    19. Judith M. Delaney, 2019. "Risk-adjusted returns to education," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(5), pages 472-487, September.
    20. Unknown, 1980. "Measurement of U.S. Agricultural Productivity: A Review of Current Statistics and Proposals for Change," Technical Bulletins 157718, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:uerscs:329202. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ersgvus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.