Production Rigidity, Input Lumpiness, Efficiency, and the Technological Hurdle of Quebec Dairy Farms

Larue, B and Singbo, A and Pouliot, S (2017) Production Rigidity, Input Lumpiness, Efficiency, and the Technological Hurdle of Quebec Dairy Farms. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 65 (4). pp. 613-641. ISSN 00083976

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Abstract

In this paper, we argue that (bilateral) auctions of production quotas induced a rapid convergence in dairy farm size within provinces in the early years of Canada’s supply management policy and that this effect was stronger in provinces with a larger number of dairy farms. This contributed to the smallness and homogeneity of Quebec dairy farms relative to dairy farms in Western Canada. In Quebec, most dairy farms still rely on the tie-stall milking system, while dairy farms in Western provinces are larger and use larger-scale, lower-cost technologies. Regulations on Quebec’s quota exchange have slowed down the pace at which a farm can acquire production quota, exacerbating the effects of input lumpiness, on dairy farm efficiency. Low trading on the production exchange severely constrains production adjustments, making, scale, allocative, and technical inefficiencies more persistent and investment in herd expansion unprofitable.

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Research Program : West & Central Africa
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords: Dairy farms, Canada, Dairy farm size, Supply management policy, Milk production
Subjects: Others
Depositing User: Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited: 01 Dec 2017 05:51
Last Modified: 01 Dec 2017 05:51
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/10338
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cjag.12156
Projects: UNSPECIFIED
Funders: FQRSC-´equipe de recherche and from the Canada Research Chair program
Acknowledgement: The authors wish to thank two anonymous reviewers and the editors for insightful comments and suggestions. Funding from FQRSC-´equipe de recherche and from the Canada Research Chair program is gratefully acknowledged.
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