Cost Efficiency in U.S. Corn Production
利用Diewert二次引理，基于美国农业部农场企业调查数据，分析了1974-1983年间美国玉米产区的跨期和跨区域成本效率及规模经济。结果显示，跨期成本效率年均增长1.3%，伊利诺伊州和爱荷华州比印第安纳州和内布拉斯加州更具竞争优势，且超大型企业比大型企业成本效率高4%-8%，比中型企业高8%-15%。
Abstract Diewert's quadratic lemma is used to derive indexes of intertemporal and interregional cost efficiency and of economies of scale for a sample of U.S. corn regions. Using U.S. Department of Agriculture farm enterprise survey data, the results indicate that intertemporal cost efficiency in U.S. corn production increased 1.3% per year, on average, between 1974 and 1983. Regions in Illinois and Iowa have a competitive advantage in corn production over those in Indiana and Nebraska. Between 1974 and 1983, very large corn enterprises (500–1,000 acres) were 4%–8% more cost efficient than large enterprises (300–460 acres) and 8%–15% more efficient than medium size corn enterprises (175–290 acres).