Scale Effects, Technical Efficiency and Land Lease in China

Using a panel dataset from Zhejiang province in China over the period 1995-2002, we propose a two-step estimation procedure to investigate the links between land lease activity and production efficiency. We find that the output elasticity with respect to land, the scale effect and the technical efficiency are higher for farmers involved in land-lease activities. In addition, technical efficiency and land-lease activity are endogenous, and farmers with higher technical efficiency are more likely to lease more land and adopt advanced technologies to achieve higher profits, which in turn alters the technical efficiency.Land Lease, Land Use Rights, Technical Efficiency, Scale Effect, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use, Q15, P23, D50,

CLIMATE CHANGE AND PRODUCTION RISK IN CHINESE AQUACULTURE

Drawing on the method developed by Just and Pope (1978, 1979), this paper separately analyzes the marginal contributions of both regular input factors and climate factors to mean output and to production risk in Chinese inland aquaculture. Furthermore, the net change in output following a 1°C increase in annual average temperature will be determined. According to the results obtained, the impending changes in global climate will have both positive and negative impacts. While an increment in annual average temperatures will increase mean output and decrease production risk, an increase in temperature variability will reduce mean output and cause a higher level of production risk. The corresponding measures of precipitation however have no significant impact on mean output and production risk. Finally, a 1°C increase in annual average temperature is, ceteris paribus, likely to increase national mean output by 1.47 million tons.Aquaculture, climate change, production risk, China, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, Q1, Q54,

World Food Prices after WTO Foundation: Deterministic and Non-deterministic Factors

This paper develops a two-step method to estimate the influence of non-deterministic factors in production on food prices, and finds that non-deterministic factors of wheat production do significantly affect both wheat and corn prices in the world and, however, those of corn do not.Non-Deterministic Factors, World Food Prices, WTO, Demand and Price Analysis,

A Two-Stage Choice Experiment Approach to Elicit Consumer Preferences

Another version will replace the current draftchoice experiment, milk, attribute information, Agribusiness, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

Long-run neutrality of money supply for food prices in Germany with policy effects

Using a modified Fisher-Seater model with consideration of policy impacts, this paper attempts to tests the long-run neutrality of money supply on food prices in Germany after the launching of the Eurozone. The main findings include: (1) we can not reject the super neutrality of money for aggregated food prices; (2) However, staple food and its derived products – meat- are very sensitive to money supply, and their prices can increase to be much higher than money growth rate, perhaps due to speculative effects and demand effects; (3) Fresh or perishable products are usually less sensitive to money growth; (4) Most products decreased their prices after the launching of decoupling policy in Europe in 2003. The results can explain the links between money supply and food prices in a long run and also give insightful implications for the ongoing reform of CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) in Europe.money supply, German food prices, CAP, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance,

Rational Expectation and Education Rewarding: The Case of Chinese Off-Farm Wage Employment

This study establishes a life-cycle model that a representative agent chooses optimal time of education to maximize his/her life earning, which implies that there may exist nonlinear relation between education and earning. Using the data of Chinese off-farm wage employment, we find that the duration of schooling years will increase by 1.7 years with 1 percent increase in rate of return to education. The empirical results also indicate that controversies about return to education might arise from model misspecification without consideration of nonlinearity and sample selection.return to schooling, life-cycle model, rational expectation, China, Labor and Human Capital, I20, J43, Q01,

Design of reconfigurable multi-mode RF circuits

Wireless communication systems and devices have been developing at a much faster pace in the past few years. With the introduction of new applications and services and the increasing demand for higher data rate comes the need for new frequency bands and new standards. One critical issue for next generation wireless devices is how to support all of the existing and emerging bands while not increasing the cost and power consumption. A feasible solution is the concept of the software-defined radio where a single receiver can be reconfigured to operate in different modes, each of which supports one or several bands and/or standards. To implement such a reconfigurable receiver, reconfigurable RF building blocks, such as the LNA, mixer, VCO, etc., are required. This dissertation focuses on two key blocks: the low noise amplifier (LNA) and the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). First the design, modeling and characterization of a multi-tap transformer are discussed. Simple mathematical calculations are utilized to estimate the inductances and coupling coefficients from the physical parameters of a multi-tap transformer. The design method is verified with several designed multi-tap transformers that are characterized up to 10 GHz using Momentum simulation results. The effect of switch loss on a switched multi-tap transformer is explored and a broadband lumped-element model of the multi-tap transformer is also proposed. Next a reconfigurable multimode LNA capable of single-band, concurrent dual-band, and ultra-wideband operation is presented. The multimode operation is realized by incorporating a switched multi-tap transformer into the input matching network of an inductively degenerated common source amplifier. The proposed LNA achieves single band matching at 2.8, 3.3, and 4.6 GHz; concurrent dual-band matching at 2.05 and 5.65 GHz; and ultra-wideband matching from 4.3 to 10.8 GHz. The chip was fabricated in a 0.13 m CMOS process, and occupies an area of 0.72 mm2, and has a power dissipation of 6.4 mW from a 1.2-V supply. Finally, a triple-mode VCO using a transformer-based 4th order tank with tunable transconductance cells coupling the primary and secondary inductor is introduced. The tank impedance can be re-shaped by the transconductance cells through the tuning of their biasing currents. With the control of biasing current, VCO is configured in three modes, capable of generating a single frequency in 3- and 5- GHz bands, respectively, and two frequencies in both 3- and 5- GHz bands simultaneously. The triple-mode VCO was fabricated in a 0.13 μm CMOS process, occupies an area of 0.16 mm2, and dissipates 5.6 mW from a 1.2-V supply

Machinery investment decision and off-farm employment in rural China

This paper investigates the linkages between farmers' machinery investment decision and off-farm employment in China. Both the theoretical model and the empirical results based on a survey of 453 households in Anhui Province indicate that agricultural labor input and small-size machinery investment are gross complements rahter tha substitutes when machinery service is available in the market. Consequently, farmers with small machinery are more likely to reduce their off-time employment time. --Small-size Machinery,Off-Farm employment,Complements,China

Applying the payment card approach to estimate the WTP for green food in China

This paper uses a payment card approach to reveal consumers' willingness to pay for green food in China. We first present a brief introduction of the payment card approach and introduce several methods to estimate the WTP with payment cards, which we subsequently use to estimate WTP values regarding green vegetables, green meat and green eggs in China. Our results indicate that consumers in big cities are willing to pay a higher premium for green food and that WTP values are relatively higher for more expensive food than for cheaper food. In addition, the ratios of premium to price range mainly between 25% and 50% and WTP values obtained from interval midpoint approach are relatively higher than those calculated by other approaches. --WTP,Payment card,Green food

Estimating the impact of transport efficiency on trade costs: Evidence from Chinese agricultural traders

Using a unique survey data on agricultural traders in China in 2004, this study provides direct evidence on significance of interregional transport costs and their key determinants. Our major findings are as follows: (1) the trade barriers within China are dominated by transport-related costs but not artificial barriers, approximated by tolls and fines; (2) Labor and fuels costs are the most significant component of transport costs; (3) road quality is very important for transportation efficiency. Our results indicate that if increasing transport speed by 1 km per hour now, the fuel costs and total direct transportation costs for Chinese traders would reduce by 1.3% and 0.7% respectively.Transportation Costs, China, Agricultural Traders, Infrastructure, International Relations/Trade,