Modeling heterogeneity in production models: empirical evidence from individual farming in Poland

This discussion paper deals with the estimation of a random coefficient model. The virtue of this approach is that it considers firm heterogeneity, which conventional SFA models do not. Applying the model to Polish farms, the results indicate that the conventional random and fixed effect models overestimate the inefficiency score. In addition, the reasons for inefficiency are analyzed. It is shown that despite the fragmentation of Polish agriculture, there is no evidence for scale inefficiency. Moreover, inefficiency could partly be attributed to factors, which affect the management input and requirements on farms. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: Das vorliegende Diskussionspapier befasst sich mit Schätzung von Random Parameter Modellen in Rahmen von Frontier Analysen. Ein wesentlicher Vorteil dieses Ansatzes liegt darin, dass er im Gegensatz zu den konventionellen SFA die Heterogenität der Untersuchungseinheiten berücksichtigt. Die empirische Analyse bezieht sich auf landwirtschaftliche Betriebe in Polen. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die konventionellen Random und Fixed Effect Modelle das Niveau der Inneffizienz überschätzen. Weiterhin wurden die Ursachen der Ineffizienz untersucht. Obwohl die polnische Landwirtschaft sehr zersplittert ist, lieferten die Ergebnisse keinen statistisch gesicherten Beweis für Vorliegen von Skalenineffizienzen. Die Ursachen der Ineffizienzen liegen dagegen in Faktoren, welche auf unternehmerische Fähigkeiten des Betriebsleiters sowie betriebsorganisatorische Aspekte zurückgeführt werden können.random component model,Poland,management,SFA,Random Parameter Modell,Polen,Management

LAND AND FARM STRUCTURE IN POLAND

Industrial Organization, Land Economics/Use,

Production costs across the EU in 2006

We have recently been involved in an EU project which is looking at farm accountancy cost estimation, the FACEPA (Farm Accountancy Cost Estimation and Policy Analysis of European Agriculture) project. Our part of this project was a relatively small section but very interesting as it involved looking at costs of production for a variety of organic products across several EU countries. The main products considered were milk, wheat and potatoes and the countries were UK, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, France, Italy, and Netherlands. The data were obtained for the year 2006 and all currencies were converted to Euros for ease of comparison. The main lessons learnt from this project (and found by previous authors prior to this) were that there is great variation between countries both in terms of costs and in terms of data collection

Interplay between pairing and correlations in spin-polarized bound states

We investigate the single and multiple defects embedded in a superconducting host, studying interplay between the proximity induced pairing and interactions. We explore influence of the spin-orbit coupling on energies, polarization and spatial patterns of the bound (Yu-Shiba-Rusinov) states of magnetic impurities in 2-dimensional square lattice. We also address the peculiar bound states in the proximitized Rashba chain, resembling the Majorana quasiparticles, focusing on their magnetic polarization which has been recently reported by S. Jeon et al., [Science 358, 772 (2017)]. Finally, we study leakage of these polarized Majorana quasiparticles on the side-attached nanoscopic regions and confront them with the subgap Kondo effect near to the singlet-doublet phase transition.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

STRUKTURA KAPITAŁU ORAZ UWARUNKOWANIA JEJ KSZTAŁTOWANIA W GOSPODARSTWACH ROLNICZYCH

Celem opracowania było przedstawienie teorii struktury kapitału w aspekcie finansowania małych jednostek gospodarczych jak również opinii rolników w zakresie pożądanej struktury kapitału oraz uwarunkowań doboru źródeł finansowania. Przedstawiono także opinie rolników dotyczące pożądanej struktury kapitału. Badania z wykorzystaniem kwestionariusza wywiadu zostały przeprowadzone w 2008 na grupie 100 rolników prowadzących indywidualne gospodarstwa rolnicze uczestniczące w systemie FADN w województwie mazowieckim. Zarządzający gospodarstwami rolnym za barierę w pozyskiwaniu kapitału obcego uznali zbyt skomplikowane i czasochłonne procedury bankowe jak i samą kwestię synchronizacji przepływów pieniężnych w celu terminowej spłaty zadłużenia. Rolnicy wśród preferowanych struktur finansowania wyróżnili tą z 25% udziałem zadłużenia w aktywach ogółem

„Wrota” na pograniczu polsko-ruskim w kontekście znanej bitwy polsko-ruskiej w 1266 r. w nieznanym miejscu. Glosa do dyskusji nad lokalizacją

Interest in researching the Gates, a passage on the Polish-Ruthenian border in the early medieval period, has its long (since the 19th century) – although not continuous – tradition. It was only the last discovery of a stronghold on Czubata Góra in Kawęczyn, municipality of Szczebrzeszyn, county of Zamość, in the West Roztocze, which once again drew attention to the opportunity to find this passage on the border between Roztocze Szczebrzeszyńskie and Roztocze Gorajskie. The aim of the article was to examine to what extent this thesis is likely. Gathering both Polish and Ruthenian written sources, as well as examining them in the context of the battle between the Ruthenian duke, Shvarn, and Polish Bolesław the Chaste in 1266, but also in relation to the current discovery results, is needed to resume the discussion on such an important topic as the topography of the Polish-Ruthenian border in the 13th century. The outcomes of this discussion can significantly influence the beginning of archaeological research on the space in question.Zainteresowanie badawcze „Wrotami”, czyli przejściem na granicy polsko-ruskiej w okresie wczesnego średniowiecza, ma długą (od XIX stulecia), choć nie ciągłą tradycję. Dopiero ostatnie odkrycie na Roztoczu Zachodnim grodziska na wyniesieniu Czubatej Góry w Kawęczynie (gm. Szczebrzeszyn, pow. zamojski) ponownie zwróciło uwagę na możliwość doszukiwania się tego przejścia na pograniczu Roztocza Szczebrzeszyńskiego i Roztocza Gorajskiego. Celem artykułu było wskazanie, na ile prawdopodobna jest taka teza. Zebranie danych ze źródeł pisanych – zarówno polskich, jak i ruskich – oraz rozpatrzenie ich w kontekście bitwy ruskiego księcia Szwarna z księciem polskim Bolesławem Wstydliwym w 1266 r., a także w odniesieniu do obecnego odkrycia sprawia, że na nowo powinniśmy wznowić dyskusję na tak istotny temat, jakim jest topografia pogranicza polsko-ruskiego w XIII w. Rezultaty takiej dyskusji mogą istotnie wpłynąć na rozpoczęcie badań archeologicznych w omawianej przestrzeni

Redefining the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem Within Spatial Econometrics, the Case of the Aggregation Problem

The paper focuses on the issue of the aggregation problem, which is frequently discussed within spatial econometrics. The aggregation problem is one of the two aspects of the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). The aggregation problem is connected with the volatility of the obtained results occurred when various compositions of territorial units for the same aggregation scale were applied. The objective of the present paper is to consider the redefinition of aggregation problem and showing positive solution of the aggregation problem based on the empirical example of determining agricultural macroregions.In the article the aggregation problem was defined as a problem of establishing a particular composition of territorial units at a selected aggregation scale in a such a way that is remains in the quasi composition of regions within the undertaken research problem. The paper also presented the procedure for determining agricultural macroregions where the analysis of the spatial volatility of the agrarian structure and the current knowledge on the agriculture in Poland were applied.In addition, the paper considered the final areal interpretation problem connected with the incorrect determination of the area in relation to which final conclusions are drawn. The problem was presented basing on the example of the establishment of the average concentration of the area of agricultural land in Poland with the use of the Gini index calculated for districts. The paper emphasised that ignoring the final areal interpretation problem in spatial analyses may lead to an apparent identification of the modifiable areal unit problem.

The pluriactive development of agricultural holdings in Poland with regard to the living standards of their users

This paper illustrates the regional diversity in terms of the agricultural income of economically weak farms in Poland (i.e. from 2 to 8 ESU). The results, expressed as average values for 2005-2009, indicate that farms are finding themselves in a very difficult situation. Furthermore, the assessment included farms that gained their income not only through agricultural activity, but also through doing non-agricultural work. The diversification of income sources created the opportunity to sustain less profitable agricultural production while providing a higher standard of living for farmers and their families. Such factors as the intensity of production, and the productiveness of current expenditures and fixed capital, as well as the financial position of the farms and the level of their debt, have been analysed. An important aim of the study was to identify the influence of the Common Agricultural Policy on the performance of farms