The Acreage and Borrowing Effects ok Direct Payments Under Uncertainty: A Simulation

We use simulation methods in an expected utility maximization framework to analyze a farmer`s optimal resource allocation in the presence of government payments, decoupled and not. This framework is extended to incorporate the optimal choice of investment levels in the presence of credit constraints. Further extensions include a wealth-dependent interest rate and decreasing marginal yields. We find decoupled payments affect the optimal choices of the credit - constrained farmer though a collateral - enhancement effect, so they do distort production. The 2005 proposal by Senators Grasseley, Dorgan, Hagel, and Johnson to tighten limits on commodity payments is not found to affect payments of the typical Kansas farmer.decoupled payments; credit constraints.

The Acreage and Borrowing Effects of Direct Payments Under Uncertainty: A Simulation Approach

We use simulation methods in an expected utility maximization framework to analyze a farmer’s optimal resource allocation in the presence of government payments, decoupled and not. This framework is extended to incorporate the optimal choice of investment levels in the presence of credit constraints. Further extensions include a wealth-dependent interest rate and decreasing marginal yields. We find decoupled payments affect the optimal choices of the credit-constrained farmer through a collateral-enhancement effect, so they do distort production. The 2005 proposal by Senators Grassley, Dorgan, Hagel, and Johnson to tighten limits on commodity payments is not found to affect payments of the typical Kansas farmer.Decoupled payments, Credit constraints, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, Q17, Q18,

Wealth, Debt, Government Payments, and Yield Performance

We use a large sample of Kansas Farm Management Association farms for eight different crop/practice combinations (dryland and irrigated corn, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat)for 1994 through 2006 to evaluate the determinants of relative yield performance and explore the ability of financial variables to account for some of the remaining unexplained variation. Our hypothesis is that more financially sound farms should be able to implement better production thecniques, thus have better yields. We further test whether decoupled payments can be used to enhance yield performance. Our hypothesis is that payments may be used to boots investment in inputs or equipament that can lead to better yields. Our results suggest this could be the case.yield performance; decoupled payments.

Farmers' Crop Acreage Decisions in the Presence of Credit Constraints: Do Decoupled Payments Matter?

While in theory decoupled payments do not distort production decisions, in practice there are several potential coupling mechanisms for these payments. We use farm-level data from Kansas to revisit the issue of how (de)coupled are these supposedly “decoupled” payments by focusing on how they may impact production through credit constraints. In particular, we study how production effects may have differed across farmers with varying levels of debt pressure. Our empirical approach exploits the fact that we can observe the same farm over time (and so can account for the effects of time-constant omitted variables) to study how these payments affected total crop acres, owned acres, and the decisions to plant corn, sorghum, soybeans and wheat. Like previous studies, we find small production effects. Nonetheless our results suggest decoupled payments have potentially distortionary effects on production.decoupled payments, credit constraints, Agricultural Finance, Q17, Q18,

The Acreage and Borrowing Effects of Direct Payments Under Uncertainty: A Simulation Approach

We use simulation methods in an expected utility maximization framework to analyze a farmer’s optimal resource allocation in the presence of government payments, decoupled and not. This framework is extended to incorporate the optimal choice of investment levels in the presence of credit constraints. Further extensions include a wealth-dependent interest rate and decreasing marginal yields. We find decoupled payments affect the optimal choices of the credit-constrained farmer through a collateral-enhancement effect, so they do distort production. The 2005 proposal by Senators Grassley, Dorgan, Hagel, and Johnson to tighten limits on commodity payments is not found to affect payments of the typical Kansas farmer

Farmers' Crop Acreage Decisions in the Presence of Credit Constraints: Do Decoupled Payments Matter?

While in theory decoupled payments do not distort production decisions, in practice there are several potential coupling mechanisms for these payments. We use farm-level data from Kansas to revisit the issue of how (de)coupled are these supposedly “decoupled” payments by focusing on how they may impact production through credit constraints. In particular, we study how production effects may have differed across farmers with varying levels of debt pressure. Our empirical approach exploits the fact that we can observe the same farm over time (and so can account for the effects of time-constant omitted variables) to study how these payments affected total crop acres, owned acres, and the decisions to plant corn, sorghum, soybeans and wheat. Like previous studies, we find small production effects. Nonetheless our results suggest decoupled payments have potentially distortionary effects on production

Wealth, Debt, Government Payments, and Yield Performance

We use a large sample of Kansas Farm Management Association farms for eight different crop/practice combinations (dryland and irrigated corn, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat) for 1994 through 2006 to evaluate the determinants of relative yield performance and explore the ability of financial variables to account for some of the remaining unexplained variation. Our hypothesis is that more financially sound farms should be able to implement better production techniques, thus have better yields. We further test whether decoupled payments can be used to enhance yield performance. Our hypothesis is that payments may be used to boost investment in inputs or equipment that can lead to better yields. Our results suggest this could be the case