University of SaskatchewanHARVEST
  • Login
  • Submit Your Work
  • About
    • About HARVEST
    • Guidelines
    • Browse
      • All of HARVEST
      • Communities & Collections
      • By Issue Date
      • Authors
      • Titles
      • Subjects
      • This Collection
      • By Issue Date
      • Authors
      • Titles
      • Subjects
    • My Account
      • Login
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
      View Item 
      • HARVEST
      • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      • View Item
      • HARVEST
      • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      • View Item

      An analysis of issues related to economies of size in Saskatchewan crop farms

      Thumbnail
      View/Open
      Thsesis.pdf (572.7Kb)
      Date
      2007-06-28
      Author
      Dashnyam, Byambatseren
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
      Show full item record
      Abstract
      Farm size economies size measure the relationship between the size of operation and the average cost of production. Along with increasing farm size, the average cost of production per unit may decline. One reason farms have been growing in size is that larger sized farms tend to have more recent and advanced machines capable of covering more land with less labor. However, it is still questionable how farm size affects on input costs and field operation costs in Saskatchewan. The major objective of this study was to examine the issues related to size economies in larger crop farms in Saskatchewan. The project has taken a different approach than is traditionally done in economies of size research where various forms of statistical data are analyzed. First, the study analyzed several different operating and investment costs to see whether they are decreasing or staying the same as a result of increasing farm size. Next the study determined the probabilities of available field workdays using conditional probability equations derived from the Markov Chain method. The analysis was carried out for the West central and East central Saskatchewan regions’ to determine spring and fall field workability. Based on the field workdays estimation, the optimal area of combine for larger farms were analysed using a least-cost machinery size approach. The last part of this study analysed farm operational costs per unit for larger crop farms in order to determine how machinery efficiency and farm size have an effect on the farm production costs. The study found that however there were certain combine costs that increase with farm size in Saskatchewan. In addition, soil types, weather conditions and field efficiency can strongly affect combine cost per acre. The results of this research provide a reference for policy makers in designing policy recommendations. In addition, the results may offer useful information for farmers in designing management plans to control farm operation costs.
      Degree
      Master of Science (M.Sc.)
      Department
      Agricultural Economics
      Program
      Agricultural Economics
      Supervisor
      Brown, William J.
      Committee
      Jackson, Clayton; Gray, Richard S.
      Copyright Date
      June 2007
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-06262007-130759
      Subject
      combine optimal capacity
      Collections
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      University of Saskatchewan

      University Library

      © University of Saskatchewan
      Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy