Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T19:18:58.987Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Risk Management Strategies in Humid Production Regions: A Comparison of Supplemental Irrigation and Crop Insurance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Timothy J. Dalton
Affiliation:
Department of Resource Economics and Policy, University of Maine
Gregory A. Porter
Affiliation:
Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science, University of Maine
Noah G. Winslow
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University

Abstract

Recent federal agricultural programs have accelerated the devolution of enterprise risk management responsibility from the state to individual producers. Using a biophysical simulation model, the risk management benefits of federal crop insurance and supplemental irrigation are derived and compared to uninsured rainfed crop production in an expected utility framework. Federal crop insurance programs are inefficient at reducing producer exposure to weather-related production risk in humid regions, and the risk management benefits from supplemental irrigation are found to be scale and technology dependent. Environmental policies that regulate resource development will increase the investment cost of irrigation alternatives and reduce economic feasibility.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bernardo, D. J. (1988). “The Effect of Spatial Variability of Irrigation Applications on Risk-Efficient Irrigation Strategies.” Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics 20(1), 7786.Google Scholar
Boggess, W. G., and Amerling, C. B. (1983). “A Bioeconomic Simulation Analysis of Irrigation Investments.” Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics 15, 8592.Google Scholar
Boggess, W. G., and Ritchies, J. T. (1988). “Economic and Risk Analysis of Irrigation Decisions in Humid Regions.” Journal of Production Agriculture 1(2), 116122.Google Scholar
Caswell, M., and Zilberman, D. (1985). “The Choice of Irrigation Technologies in California.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 67(2), 224234.Google Scholar
Collier, C. A., and Glagola, C. R. (1998). Engineering Economic and Cost Analysis. Menlo Park, CA: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.Google Scholar
Dalton, T. J., Porter, G. A., and Winslow, N. G. (2003, March 21). “Profitability and Risk Management Benefits of Supplemental Irrigation on Northern Potatoes” Staff Paper No. 515, Department of Resource Economics and Policy, University of Maine, Orono.Google Scholar
Engel, P. D., and Hyde, J. (2003). “A Real Options Analysis of Automatic Milking Systems.” Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 32(2), 282294.Google Scholar
Epperson, J. E., Hook, J. E., and Mustafa, Y. R. (1993). “Dynamic Programming for Improving Irrigation Scheduling Strategies of Maize.” Agricultural Systems 42(1/2), 85101.Google Scholar
Frank, M., Beattie, B., and Embleton, M. (1990). “A Comparison of Alternative Crop Response Models.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 72, 597603.Google Scholar
Hardaker, J. B., Huirne, R. B. M., and Anderson, J. R. (1997). Coping with Risk in Agriculture. New York: CAB International.Google Scholar
Hyde, J., Martin, M. A., Preckel, P. V., and Edwards, C. R. (1999). “The Economics of Bt Corn: Valuing Protection from the European Corn Borer.” Review of Agricultural Economics 21(2), 442454.Google Scholar
Maine Agricultural Water Management Advisory Committee. (2003). “Sustainable Agricultural Water Source and Use Policy and Action Plan.” Maine Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Resources, Augusta.Google Scholar
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2002). Historical data on daily rainfall amounts. NOAA/National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC. Online. Available at http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwDI∼SelectStation∼USA∼ME.Google Scholar
Park, C. S. (2001). Contemporary Engineering Economics, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Google Scholar
Patterson, P. E., King, B. R., and Smathers, R. L. (1996a). “Economics of Low-Pressure Sprinkler Irrigation Systems: Center Pivot and Linear Move.Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin No. 787, University of Idaho, Moscow.Google Scholar
Patterson, P. E., King, B. R., and Smathers, R. L. (1996b). “Economics of Sprinkler Irrigation Systems: Handline, Solid Set, and Wheelline.Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin No. 788, University of Idaho, Moscow.Google Scholar
Purvis, A., Boggess, W., Moss, C., and Holt, J. (1995). “Technology Adoption Decisions Under Irreversibility and Uncertainty: An Ex Ante Approach.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 77(3), 541551.Google Scholar
Schneekloth, J., Clark, R., Coadym, S., Clocke, N. L., and Hergert, G. W. (1995). “Influence of Wheat-Feed Grain Programs on Riskiness of Crop Rotations Under Alternative Irrigation Levels.” Journal of Production Agriculture 8(3), 415423.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (1999). “Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey.” USDA, Washington, DC. Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2002a). Adverse Effect Wage Rate, 2001. USDA, Washington, DC. Online. Available at http://www.usda.gov/oce/oce/labor-affairs/aewr01.htm. [Accessed October 1, 2002.]Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2002b). Adverse Effect Wage Rate Forecast, Year 2001. USDA, Washington, DC. Online. Available at http://www.usda.gov/oce/oce/labor-affairs/aewr2001.htm. [Accessed October 1, 2002.]Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2003a). Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators. Agriculture Handbook No. AH722, USDA/ERS, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2003b). “Irrigation in the American West: Area, Water, and Economic Activity.USDA/ERS, Washington, DC. Online. Available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/erselsewhere/eejs0400/. [Accessed September 12, 2003.]Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. (1999, March). 1997 Census of Agriculture. Pub. No. AC97-A-51, USDA/NASS, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nominal Potato Prices, various years, 1980-2001. USDA/NASS, Washington, DC. Online. Available at http://www.nass.usda.gov:80/nh/homepage.htm.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Risk Management Agency. (2003, March 3). RMA Premium Calculation. USDA/RMA, Washington, DC. Online. Available at http://www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/premcalc/.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2002). “Irish Potatoes for Consumer Use.” Series WPS 011304, BLS, Washington, DC. Online. Available at http://www.data.bls.gov. [Accessed October 2, 2002.]Google Scholar
Uva, W. L., Weiler, T. C., Milligan, R. A., Albright, L., and Haith, D. (2000). “Risk Analysis of Adopting Zero Runoff Subirrigation Systems in Greenhouse Operations: A Monte Carlo Simulation Approach.” Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 29(2), 229239.Google Scholar
Vandeveer, L. R., Paxton, K. W., and Lavergne, D. R. (1989). “Irrigation and Potential Diversification Benefits in Humid Climates.” Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics 21(2), 167174.Google Scholar