An Examination of broadacre farm size and performance in Western Australia

Authors

Tim Lefroy, University of Western Australia
James Key, University of Western Australia
Ross Kingwell, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western AustraliaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-28-2017

Journal Title

The Australian Economic Review

ISSN

ISSN 0004-9018 eISSN 1467-8462

Keywords

Broadacre farms, Farm economics, Farm management, Farm productivity

Disciplines

Agribusiness | Agricultural and Resource Economics | Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Animal Sciences | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Natural Resource Economics | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Operations and Supply Chain Management | Sustainability

Abstract

We analyse a balanced panel of 250 farms in Western Australia using convergence analysis, examining changes in the relative size, output composition and financial performance of small, medium and large farms over the decade 2002–2011. Fitted exponential growth rates in key variables allow us to determine whether differences between small, medium and large farms are narrowing or widening. Although farms in each size category grew on average, there was no significant change in the relative size of farms. Contrasting with earlier studies, smaller farms displayed a relative improvement in their performance, catching up to medium and larger farms.

Recommended Citation

Lefroy, T., Key, J. and Kingwell, R. (2017), An Examination of Broadacre Farm Size and Performance in Western Australia. Australian Economic Review, 50: 52-65\. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.12186