TY - JOUR
T1 - The Effect of Land Fragmentation on the Technical Inefficiency of Dairy Farms
AU - Bradfield, Tracy
AU - Butler, Robert
AU - Dillon, Emma
AU - Hennessy, Thia
AU - Kilgarriff, Paul
PY - 2021/6/1
Y1 - 2021/6/1
N2 - Exploiting the link between land identification and farm accountancy data, we use a uniquely detailed database to conduct a robust analysis of land fragmentation and its effect on technical inefficiency on dairy farms in Ireland. Using a stochastic production frontier model, our results show that the number of parcels, the average distance between parcels and the main farm, and the portion of land separate from the main farm all increase technical inefficiency. Such inefficiency can be reduced through increased parcel area, reduced travel distances, advisory services contact, intensive practices and hired labour. Our findings support the need for policy to improve land and labour mobility, providing evidence to support incentives to promote the transfer and long‐term leasing of agricultural land.
AB - Exploiting the link between land identification and farm accountancy data, we use a uniquely detailed database to conduct a robust analysis of land fragmentation and its effect on technical inefficiency on dairy farms in Ireland. Using a stochastic production frontier model, our results show that the number of parcels, the average distance between parcels and the main farm, and the portion of land separate from the main farm all increase technical inefficiency. Such inefficiency can be reduced through increased parcel area, reduced travel distances, advisory services contact, intensive practices and hired labour. Our findings support the need for policy to improve land and labour mobility, providing evidence to support incentives to promote the transfer and long‐term leasing of agricultural land.
KW - Agricultural policy
KW - dairy
KW - technical efficiency
KW - land fragmentation
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/bd78f0bc-6f63-33f7-8e99-07971b5f127f/
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096792463&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1477-9552.12413
DO - 10.1111/1477-9552.12413
M3 - Article
SN - 0021-857X
VL - 72
SP - 486
EP - 499
JO - Journal of Agricultural Economics
JF - Journal of Agricultural Economics
IS - 2
ER -