SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS JULY 1992 MULTIPRODUCT PRODUCTION CHOICES AND PESTICIDE REGULATION IN GEORGIA

Abstract ganic nitrogen (Knutson et al.;Taylor et al.), these An increasing emphasis on surface and groundwa- studies provide only point estimates of possible ter quality and food safety may result in some form changes. The present study used an econometric of pesticide regulations. A restricted profit function model consistent with economic theory and that was model of Georgia agriculture is used to examine the capable of providing point estimates of the short-run short-run effects of 2 and 5 percent reductions in all impacts along with their 90 percent confidence in-pesticides. Point estimates of short-run impacts, tervals. along with their 90 percent confidence intervals are The possible impacts of mandatory restrictions on presented, pesticide use are uncertain, but they are likely to differ geographically. Assessing the benefits and Key words: pesticides, regulation, agricultural costs resulting from a pesticide policy change re-production quires that the analysis be highly disaggregated. The ~~~~~~~~~~A ~distribution of costs and benefits will also vary Agriculture has long been identified as contribut- among types of producers, such as those producing ing to nonpoint-source pollution of surface and different combinations of commodities. Thus, th