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Agriculture on the move: Exploring regional differences in farm exit rates in Western Germany

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Zusammenfassung

Die Veränderung der Agrarstruktur innerhalb einer Volkswirtschaft ist durch ausgeprägte regionale Unterschiede gekennzeichnet. Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert den Zusammenhang zwischen dem Ausmaß der Abwanderung landwirtschaftlicher Betriebe in einer Region und verschiedenen Charakteristika der Betriebe dieser Region. Auf der Basis von Beobachtungen für 326 Kreise in West-Deutschland in der Periode 1991 bis 1999 zeigt die ökonometrische Analyse, dass die Abwanderung in Regionen mit kleinstrukturierter Landwirtschaft signifikant stärker ausgeprägt ist. Nebenerwerbslandwirtschaft übt einen stabilisierenden Einfluss auf die Agrarstruktur (gemessen durch die Zahl der Betriebe) aus.

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between farm exits and various farm, family, and regional characteristics during the period of 1991 to 1999. Using county-level data for 326 regions in Western Germany, econometric cross section estimations indicate that exits from farming are strongly influenced by farm and family characteristic. In particular, exit rates are higher in regions with smaller farms. Further, farm exits are closely related to retirement and succession considerations. Exit rates are lower in regions with a high share of part-time farms which indicates that off-farm income has a stabilizing impact on structural change in agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Economics and Consumption Studies, University of Kiel, Olshausentstr. 40, D-24118, Kiel, Germany

    Thomas Glauben & Hendrik Tietje

  2. Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Augasse 2-6, A-4040, Vienna, Austria

    Christoph Weiss

Authors
  1. Thomas Glauben
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  2. Hendrik Tietje
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  3. Christoph Weiss
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Glauben, T., Tietje, H. & Weiss, C. Agriculture on the move: Exploring regional differences in farm exit rates in Western Germany. Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft 26, 103–118 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10037-004-0062-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10037-004-0062-1

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