FARM RESTRUCTURING AND EFFICIENCY IN TRANSITION: EVIDENCE FROM BULGARIA AND HUNGARY

Based on survey data on Bulgarian and Hungarian crop and dairy farms, a double-peaked distribution of technical efficiency is observed. Several factors explain differences in efficiency. Human capital matters not only through age and education, but also through gender as farms with a higher share of women are more efficient. Contracting with upstream processors increased efficiency through facilitating the adoption of technology and the access to credits. The superiority of family farms over corporate farms is confirmed for crops but not for dairy.Eastern Europe, Bulgaria, Hungary, technical efficiency, land tenure, governance, Agribusiness, Farm Management, Productivity Analysis,

Land markets and household farms in transition: Theory and evidence from Hungary.

Market; Markets; Theory;

The Impact of Information on the Willingness-to-Pay for Labeled Organic Food Products

Demand and Price Analysis,

Direct payments and rent extraction by land owners: Evidence form New Member States

Since the accession of the eight Central and Eastern European countries, farmers in these countries started to receive substantial agricultural subsidies. Agricultural subsidies alter farmer production incentives and thus factor demand and factor prices. Hence, agricultural support has an impact on land rents. This paper analyses the impact of the introduction of direct payments on land rents in the new member states and correlates econometrically land rental price data with support measures while controlling for other effects. The impact of direct payments on land rents is not only found to be statistically significant, but also economically important as 15% of the direct payments are capitalized in land rents in the new member states.Land rental prices, Farm subsidies, New member states, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q12, Q18,

Reforms and Efficiency Change in Transition Agriculture

Studies on efficiency changes in transition agriculture yield mixed results. This paper develops both a theoretical model and an empirical analysis of how distribution of efficiency scores changes with the various stages of transition. We use a unique set of representative farm survey data to calculate farm level efficiency scores, compare the efficiency distributions of different transition countries and correlate these with various indicators of particular reforms. Our study indicates that, in particular, general institutional reforms and reforms focused on market institutions and on reducing market imperfections in input and output markets have an important positive impact on farm efficiency.transition, production efficiency, reforms, Agribusiness, P2, E2, P21,

Individual Farmers and Land Renting in Hungary

This paper uses data from a survey of more than 1,400 farming households in Hungary to identify a set of profiles of farming households, which are active in the rental market and to estimate econometrically the impact of household characteristics, such as social, physical, and human capital, as well as regional and environmental characteristics on land rental activities. We show that the decision of farming households to lease in land is related to their land endowment, their access to capital assets, human capital variables such as age and education and their social capital. Environmental factors are also important.Land Economics/Use,

REFORMS AND EFFICIENCY CHANGE IN TRANSITION AGRICULTURE

Studies on efficiency changes in transition agriculture yield mixed results. This paper develops both a theoretical model of efficiency changes during transition and uses a unique set of representative farm survey data to assess efficiency changes during transition. We find that reforms have a positive impact on efficiency and that input and output market imperfections importantly affect efficiency growthProductivity Analysis,

Causes of Efficiency Change in Transition: Theory and Cross-Country Survey Evidence from Agriculture

Studies on efficiency changes in transition agriculture yield mixed results. This paper develops both a theoretical model and an empirical analysis of how distribution of efficiency scores changes with the various stages of transition. We use a unique set of representative farm survey data to calculate farm level efficiency scores, compare the efficiency distributions of different transition countries and correlate these with various indicators of particular reforms. Our study indicates that, in particular, general institutional reforms and reforms focused on market institutions and on reducing market imperfections in input and output markets have an important positive impact on farm efficiency.Farm Management, Productivity Analysis,