Labor Input Research Articles

The influence of income tax incentives on small and low-profit enterprises’ production factor investment

The influence of income tax incentives on small and low-profit enterprises’ production factor investment

ANALISIS USAHATANI KELAPA SAWIT SWADAYA DI DESA SUNGAI SITOLANG KECAMATAN RAMBAH HILIR KABUPATEN ROKAN HULU PROPINSI RIAU

This study aims to explore the characteristics of farmers and the profile of independent oil palm farming to assess the technology utilized in self-sustaining oil palm cultivation. Additionally, it examines the factors involved in palm oil production, including production costs, outputs, income, and efficiency specific to Sungai Sitolang Village. The research employs a survey method conducted from July 2020 to December 2020. Findings indicate: (1) The average age of the farmers is 45 years, with an education level averaging nine years. Farmers have approximately 11 years of farming experience, typically supporting two dependents, and each farmer tends to an average land area of 2 hectares. (2) Initial land cultivation technologies primarily consist of tractors; however, many oil palm farmers in Sungai Sitolang Village still rely on traditional manual techniques such as machetes and spraying tanks, demonstrating limited adoption of modern technology. (3) Factors affecting oil palm farming include an average application of TSP fertilizer at 203.49 kg/ha/year, KCl at 278.85 kg/ha/year, and UREA at 453.01 kg/ha/year. The average annual expenditure on fertilizers is Rp. 8,042,086, with pesticide costs averaging Rp. 401,744 per hectare per year. Labor inputs are measured at 3.10 HOK/ha for field labor and 11.47 HOK/ha for harvesting. Overall production averages 6,133 kg/ha/year. Fixed costs total Rp. 305,159, while variable costs amount to Rp. 9,900,462.96. Gross income per hectare is Rp. 10,426,100 per year, resulting in a net income of Rp. 220,478.09 per hectare annually. The efficiency value of oil palm farming is calculated at 1.02.

Recent CO2 emission and projections in Chinese provinces: New drivers and ensemble forecasting

Recent CO2 emission and projections in Chinese provinces: New drivers and ensemble forecasting

The high price U.S green economy: A specific factor modeling

The high price U.S green economy: A specific factor modeling

How does the development of digital economy in central cities promote the coordinated development of regions? Evidence from 19 urban agglomerations in China

How does the development of digital economy in central cities promote the coordinated development of regions? Evidence from 19 urban agglomerations in China

Analysis of labor force, capital and production outputs of border territories of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on economic growth

Border areas can play a crucial role in market integration and infrastructure development between Central Asian countries, thus creating favorable economic growth and regional cooperation conditions. This study aims to assess the economic impact of border areas between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, focusing on their role in enhancing market integration and infrastructure development to foster regional growth and cooperation. Focusing on labor and capital as essential production drivers, this study employs a sophisticated panel data regression model to explore the Cobb-Douglas production function’s application in these border territories. The research findings indicate that regions’ elasticity towards capital and labor inputs vary, necessitating differentiated economic strategies. For capital-intensive areas, we recommend prioritizing investments in infrastructure and technology to boost production outputs. Conversely, in regions where labor significantly influences production, the emphasis should be on human capital development through education, training, and improved labor market conditions. The study’s insights into the evolving trade relations between the two countries underscore the need for flexible economic policies to enhance regional integration and cooperation. This research not only fills a crucial knowledge gap but also offers a blueprint for leveraging the diverse economic landscapes of Central Asia’s border areas in future policy-making and regional economic strategy.

Jobless recoveries and time variation in labor markets

Jobless recoveries and time variation in labor markets

GREEN PRODUCTIVITY TO INCREASE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SUGARCANE FARMERS WITH COBB-DOUGLASS METHOD

Sugarcane is a crop that requires a number of processing steps from planting to harvesting. Green productivity is a viable option to increase the productivity and sustainability of sugarcane. Various planting methods, management strategies (fertilisation), insect/pest and disease management options as well as management of adverse climatic conditions and waste management that not only improve soil fertility and sugarcane productivity are environmentally friendly and safe for the environment. Productivity in the sugarcane farming environment requires improvement so that the sugarcane management process does not adversely affect the environment. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that affect productivity and recommendations for improving green productivity. Cobb Douglass method to determine the factors in sugarcane farming that affect the sugarcane management process and green productivity is a strategy used to increase productivity and reduce the environmental impact of sugarcane fields. The results of this study found that the output elasticity value of sugarcane farm labour input symbolized (β) in the 2021-2022 period was smaller than the input of raw materials (α), which was 0.39 in units of million rupiah. Based on this, it can be concluded that the input that has the greatest influence on the productivity of sugarcane farmers is labour, as evidenced by the smallest elasticity value, which means that it has a large influence on productivity. So that to increase green productivity is to reduce the cost of expenditure on labour by maximising working time

A stochastic production frontier model for evaluating the performance efficiency of artificial intelligence investment worldwide

A stochastic production frontier model for evaluating the performance efficiency of artificial intelligence investment worldwide

Impact of subsidy on the new type of forestry operating entity's input: Moderating effect of the rising labor cost

Abstract In an era marked by escalating social aging and labor costs, the forestry sector faces a critical juncture for sustainable development. Amidst these challenges, an opportunity arises to enhance forestry practices by examining the moderating impact of rising labor costs on emerging forestry entities. Employing instrumental variable Tobit models, this study rigorously analyzes the influence of subsidy levels on input factors within these enterprises. Drawing on a comprehensive data set of 485 survey responses from 15 counties and 6 provinces, this investigation reveals significant insights into the dynamics of forestry subsidies, input levels, and labor costs. It identifies a substantial positive correlation between forestry subsidies and both capital and labor inputs within these entities. However, it is the burgeoning labor costs that emerge as a pivotal driver, prompting a strategic reallocation of labor inputs toward capital factors. This strategic shift is driven by a nuanced interplay between labor‐saving capital and labor, resulting in a dynamic substitution effect that concurrently augments employed labor inputs. These findings underscore the imperative for tailored strategies to address the challenges posed by escalating labor costs and social aging within the forestry sector. In response, this study advocates for proactive approaches to forestry subsidy standards, emphasizing dynamic implementation to facilitate increased inputs. Additionally, broader allocation of forestry subsidies and an accelerated drive toward forestry transformation are identified as essential pathways toward fostering sustainable development and resilience amidst evolving socio‐economic landscapes.

UNDERSTANDING COBB-DOUGLAS PRODUCTION FUNCTION IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

Cobb- Douglas production function shows the relationship between physical capital, labor inputs and the output produced. It is based on an empirical study of the American manufacturing industry conducted by Paul H. Douglas and C. W in 1928. The various modification and derivation of this production function is used in various analysis. It is a useful tool to agricultural economists. It can be used in estimation of production relationships, analyzing returns to scale, impact of technological change, policy analysis, sustainability, environmental impact and farm size efficiency analysis. It is popular because its form is relatively easy to use and is simple to parameterize through the use of regression analysis and correlation. It makes simple to determine the indicators of productivity and return on assets, the output elasticity for all parameters, and the marginal rates of substitution by the use of this function. Further improvements and several modifications to this model will probably increase its relevance and applicability in facing the future issues in agricultural economics as the farming practices and technologies continue to change.

Agricultural Production Efficiency and Differentiation of City Clusters along the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River under Environmental Constraints

The improvement of overall agricultural efficiency in the city clusters along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River is crucial for promoting stable regional agricultural production and ensuring food security. This study employs the SBM (slack-based measure) model with the unexpected environmental outputoutputs, including agricultural surface pollution and agricultural carbon emissions, and the SFA (stochastic frontier approach) model to investigate the overall agricultural efficiency and its influencing factors in 31 prefecture-level cities in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River urban agglomeration from 2008 to 2021. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Without eliminating the impact of environmental variables, the overall agricultural efficiency in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River city clusters shows a rise–fall–stability trend and limited level. The scale of production input is relatively reasonable, but there is inefficiency in the utilization of factor resources. (2) The SFA model reveals that economic development, urbanization construction, industrial structure, and government influence have significant but different impacts on agricultural production factor input. Accelerating economic development is helpful for reducing excessive inputs of agricultural capital, labor, planting area, agricultural film, and irrigation. Increasing the level of urbanization can promote the efficient allocation of planting area and effective irrigation area. The improvement of industrialization level pushes the rational input of planting area and agricultural film, but it may also lead to excessive input of agricultural capital, labor, pesticides, and effective irrigation area. Expanding government influence can restrain the excessive use of pesticides. (3) After eliminating environmental variables, there is a low and slow declining trend of the overall agricultural efficiency over time. Neither production scale efficiency nor pure technical efficiency reached optimal levels; the former one is significantly lower than the latter. In terms of spatial distribution, there exists a “higher in the west and lower in the east” feature, with obvious and expanding regional efficiency differences and high-efficiency areas gradually concentrating in the Wuhan urban circle. In summary, this article puts forward the following suggestions: optimize the structure of the government’s support for agriculture, focusing on the construction of agricultural infrastructure and the support for green production in agriculture; improve the research and development and promotion of green production technology and encourage the establishment of the use of resources and recycling; and absorb the population of farmers who have been transferred to urban areas reasonably and orderly under the adjustment of industrial structure.

How do dental practices respond to changes in scope of practice regulations?

Regulations that restrict the tasks that credentialed workers are allowed to perform may affect a firm's input choices, output, and which part of the market the firm serves. Using dental practice survey data from 1989 to 2014 and a stacked difference-in-differences design, this paper examines the effects of state-level scope of practice regulations on the behavior of dental practices. Results suggest that scope of practice deregulation in regards to dental hygienists' ability to administer nitrous oxide or local anesthesia is associated with fewer dentist visits per week in the short-term, lower patient wait times, and an increased likelihood of treating lower revenue generating publicly insured patients. There is weak evidence that scope of practice deregulation alters a practice's labor inputs.

The impact of heat waves on food industry productivity: Firm‐level evidence from Italy

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of heat waves on the productivity of the Italian food industry. Using daily weather and firm‐level data for the 2004–2019 period, we show that a heat wave causes, on average, a reduction in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of about 3.2%. Smaller firms are more severely affected, with a reduction of approximately 7%, revealing unequal impacts within the same country and sector. The reduction in TFP can be partially attributed to lower workers' productivity, with labour input increased in order to compensate for productivity loss. The estimated effect is heterogeneous across subsectors, with some well‐known Italian products (e.g., wine production) more severely affected by heat waves. These findings have significant policy implications due to the expected increase in the frequency of heat waves caused by climate change, and are particularly important in the case of the Italian food industry, which is mainly composed of small firms. The paper highlights the need to investigate further the impacts of heat stress on the entire food system, as most of the literature has predominantly focused on the agricultural sector.

Efficiency of Polish Organic and Conventional Farms – Pilot Study Results

Theoretical background: Organic farming is still a niche in Polish agriculture (but not only in Polish agriculture). According to Eurostat data, in 2020 only 2.7% of agricultural land (utilized agricultural area excluding kitchen gardens) was fully converted to organic farming. Efficiency is one of the most important issues when considering organic activities. Research often shows higher efficiency among conventional farms compared to organic, which may explain the limited interest among farmers in organic activities. The article addresses the problem of low interest in organic activities in Poland and contains the results of a pilot study conducted in 2023. Purpose of the article: The article aims to assess and compare the economic efficiency of conventional and organic individual farms, as well as to characterize the basic motives and barriers to the conversion of conventional agricultural activities to organic ones on Polish farms from three voivodeships: Warmian-Masurian, Masovian and Lublin. Research methods: The achievement of the goal formulated at the beginning of the article was possible by surveying a sample of farms that provided their accounting data through the Polish FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network). Survey in the form of CATI was conducted in 2023 on a total sample of 55 farms (27 entities conducting certified organic activity and 28 entities conducting conventional activity). Financial data were obtained from individual reports provided by FADN. The efficiency of farms was assessed using DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis). The DEA input-oriented model was applied and it used total revenue as output, and agriculture area, total cost, and fixed assets as inputs. Main findings: The analysis showed, first of all, differences between organic and conventional farms. It turns out that in the tested sample, organic farms are more effective than conventional entities. The most important motives for the surveyed farmers are economic ones, including higher subsidies than in the case of conventional activity and sales at higher prices. Before deciding to change their activity to organic farming, Polish farmers were afraid of low yields and high labor inputs. Importantly, the majority of conventional farmers are concerned about low yields.

Early-season yield fluctuations of strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) follow a bimodal Gaussian model

Early-season yield fluctuations of strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) follow a bimodal Gaussian model

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of mass-rearing Cadra cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) based on harvest theory for sustainable alternative prey production.

Cadra cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a pest in barn, and its eggs are often utilized as an alternative prey or as hosts for mass production of insect predators and parasitoids. To aid in developing a mass-rearing system for C. castella, the suitability of using an artificial diet based on brown rice flour and whole brown rice was compared using the age-stage, 2-sex life table. Compared with those reared on brown rice, the insects reared on an artificial diet had a shorter preadult period (32.08 vs 37.38 d), higher fecundity (468.14 vs 356.20 eggs/female), greater intrinsic rate of increase (0.1509 vs 0.1145 d-1), and higher net reproductive rate (199.28 vs 103.52 offspring). Small populations were required to rear the moth on an artificial diet to achieve the same daily production of C. cautella. Still, the food expense was only 60.2% of that of C. cautella reared on brown rice. Approximately 99.44% of the eggs in each rearing procedure could be supplied as alternative prey for predators, with the remainder served to maintain the colonies for subsequent batches. Only eggs laid within 6 d would be utilized to ensure the high quality of alternative prey for the mass production of predacious bugs. Additionally, a multifunctional device was designed for moth rearing and egg collection, reducing labor input and minimizing health risks for workers coping with inhaled scales. To encourage the production of natural enemies, a cost-effective diet for maintaining a sustainable colony, and a system for daily egg-harvesting of alternative prey were proposed.

Economic Analysis of Land Consolidation Project: Kızılcabölük Neighborhood, Tavas- Denizli- Turkey Province

In this study, the land consolidation project in Denizli Tavas District Kızılcabölük Neighborhood, the economic effects of the consolidation on the neighborhood, were examined by making economic analyzes. The data to be used in the economic analyzes were obtained from the consolidation maps and lists, and at the end of the interviews with farmers. While making the analysis, vegetable production variable, labor input variable, water input variable and fertilizer input variables were used. The economic profitability of consolidation was found by bringing together the obtained variables. The agricultural areas, which were 1292 hectares with consolidation, decreased to 1255 hectares with the cuts made On the other hand, consolidation led to an annual profit of approximately 2.5 million dollars in the project area. It is seen that the most important factor in increasing profitability in the project area is the change in product variety. With the land consolidation, the irrigation system was came to the agricultural areas. Farmers that provide easy and more convenient access to water have turned to corn with high profitability. This situation has led to an increase in the plant production value in the project area

Integrating sustainability assessment tools with life cycle analysis for agroecological systems: A UK case study

Integrating sustainability assessment tools with life cycle analysis for agroecological systems: A UK case study

Efficiency and technological gap ratios of the agroforestry production in the rural areas of Kaduna state, Nigeria: the implication for environmental resource management

This study evaluated the efficiency and the technological gap ratios (TGRs) of the agroforestry production in the rural areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria and discussed the implication for environmental resource management. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. A total number of 120 respondents comprising of 62 (51.67%) male agroforestry farmers and 58 (48.33%) female agroforestry farmers were selected. The primary data were collected based on a well-structured and a well-designed questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the following tools: descriptive statistics, the stochastic production efficiency frontier model, the stochastic meta-efficiency frontier model, and the principal component model. Farm size, labor input, chemical input, fertilizer input, and agroforestry tree density positively contribute to the output of male and female agroforestry farmers as well as pooled data respectively. The average agroforestry farmers achieve 83.1% (male), 64.7% (female) and 72.8% (pooled) of their frontier output given their present technologies. In other words, agroforestry farms lose 16.9%, 35.3% and 27.2% of their maximum potentials output to inefficiencies. The mean technical efficiency relative to the meta-frontier was estimated to be 74%, 47% and 59% for the male and female agroforestry farmers and the pooled data respectively. Based on the estimated technological gap ratios (TGRs) of 90%, 73% and 82% for the male and female agroforestry farmers and the pooled data respectively, the average male and female agroforestry farmers and the pooled data could be more technically efficient by increasing their output and closing the gaps of 10%, 27% and 18% respectively. The study recommended that farmers should be educated about the benefits of the agroforestry production technologies. Keywords: economics, technology gap ratios, agroforestry production, stochastic meta – efficiency frontier model, gender, rural areas, resource management, Nigeria