Have Price Policies Damaged LDC Agricultural Productivity?

Abstract

This paper examines agricultural policies in 18 developing countries over the period 1961-1985. We measure productivity with both a nonparametric Malmquist index and a production function, confirming previous findings of declining agricultural productivity, but with sufficident inconsistencies as to raise concern about the adequacy of the methods. We nontehless find considerable support for the hypothesis that unfavorable price policies have damaged agricultural performance in these countries.Agricultural productivity, developing countries, price policies