Pesticide Productivity: What are the Trends

Obtaining estimates of pesticide productivity is an economic response to the growing public concern about thesteady increase ofpesticide useinthe United States. Thistypeofrcsearch indicates the cost of Iimiting pesticide use in terms of foregone output. Previous empirical studies give a “snap-shot”, or “avemge”, look at pesticide productivity. This research effort employs a random coefficient model to determine the trend of the marginal value product of pesticides in agrictdturc in the United States. Results show a distinct downward trend in two states, Iowa and Texas. California, however, shows noevidence ofa downward trend. Key words: pesticide productivity, marginal value product, random coefficient