Diewert's quadratic lemma is used to derive indexes of intertemporal and interregional cost efficiency and ofeconomies of scale for a sample of U. S. com regions. Using U. S. Department of Agriculture farm enterprise survey data, the results indicate that intertemporal cost efficiency in U. S. com production increased 1.3% per year, on average, between 1974and 1983. Regions in Illinois and Iowa have a competitive advantage in com production over those in Indiana and Nebraska. Between 1974and 1983, very large com 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).
Tornquist input quantity indices were used to derive total and partial factor productivity measures for U.S. cotton across time, region, and scale. Total factor productivity for U.S. cotton increased .2 percent per year between 1974 and 1982. Partial productivity measures revealed that yield growth was about .6 percent and input use grew about .4 percent per year. Cotton enterprises in Alabama and Mississippi gained and those in the Texas High Plains lost competitive advantage relative to California. In 1982, very large (1750-5900 acres) and large (950-1749 acres) cotton enterprises were 2 percent more productive than medium-size enterprises (570-949 acres).
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