The Effects of Changing Technology: The Impacts of a Changing Cost Structure on Land Tenure Arrangements in the Mississippi Delta, 1996 - 2004

Abstract

Genetically modified (GM) cotton varieties have changed many aspects of cotton production in the United States. The advent of GM varieties has fueled the ongoing trend of increasing farm size and fewer farmers. Mississippi is no exception to this trend. The rapid adoption of GM cotton varieties in Mississippi has allowed some producers to increase the acreage of their farming operation. This study analyses the impact of GM varieties on relative profitability over certain types of land tenure arrangements. The type of land tenure arrangement and the cost associated with the arrangement are compared to determine relative probabilities of breaking even for different farm sizes in the Mississippi cotton industry.Mississippi cotton production, Genetically Modified cotton varieties, land tenure, structural change, Land Economics/Use,