Suchergebnisse

A stochastic frontier model is proposed for analysis of crop
yields, which considers the effects of differing quality of irrigation
water, in addition to different inputs and factors associated with
technical inefficiency of production. The parameters of the production
frontier involved are assumed to be a function of other variables, which
measure the quality of the irrigation water.

Factors affecting the incidence of the cotton leaf curl virus
(CLCV) in Punjab, Pakistan are investigated using a probit model. The
results indicate that the history of a cotton variety grown on the farm,
better land preparation before sowing, and use of pesticides and
phosphorus fertiliser significantly reduce the probability of incidence
of the CLCV disease. The farmers having greater areas under cotton are
less likely to be affected by the disease. Fields of the more
experienced farmers, who have greater years of formal education, are
also less likely to be affected, because these farmers are believed to
be better managers. However, the probability of damage was positively
related to age of the farmer, which implies that the aged farmers have
less managerial capabilities. The intensity of the disease varied from
district to district and also from variety to variety. Use of greater
amounts of nitrogenous fertiliser, more severe insect attacks, and late
sowing of the cotton crop significantly increase the incidence of the
CLCV disease.

Firm-level stochastic CES production functions are specified
for large and Small-scale firms in twelve manufacturing industries in
Pakistan. Assuming that firms within specified asset-size categories for
which aggregative data are available have the same levels of productive
inputs, the elasticities of substitution of labour for capital are
estimated, using weighted least-squares regression. For large-scale
firms, the estimated elasticities are generally not significantly
different from one, whereas for small-scale firms the elasticities are
significantly smaller than one but greater than zero. These results
indicate that there may exist more possibilities for the substitution of
labour for capital in manufacturing industries in Pakistan than were
claimed by earlier researchers. This finding has important policy
implications for Pakistan's economic development.