Do direct payments efficiently support incomes of small and large farms?
利用意大利农场数据，通过分位数连续处理效应模型评估共同农业政策直接支付对农场收入的效率，发现大农场收入响应更高，而小农场和受高额支持的农场效率较低。
Abstract This paper assesses how efficiently Common Agricultural Policy direct payments enhance farm incomes by applying a quantile continuous treatment effect model on the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network sample. Adding to previous analyses, we show that income responses to direct payments are higher in large farms rather than in small farms and lower in farms benefiting from larger levels of support. This suggests that direct payments are not very efficient in supporting incomes of small farms and reducing the disparity existing within the farm population. Furthermore, results suggest that there is scope to reduce the amount of payments provided to highly supported farms.