THE FARM DIVERSIFICATION DISCOUNT

This paper examines the effect of diversification on farm value by comparing values of diversified farms to a portfolio of comparable specialized farms. Using data from the Agricultural Resource Management Study, this study finds a diversification discount in agriculture similar to the discount found for corporate firms. The results show that diversified crop/livestock farms have a value loss of 5.8% in comparison with specialized crop or livestock farms for 1999-2001. Farms with commodity diversification have a value loss of 9.4% in comparison with commodity specialized farms. The results also show that the value loss due to diversification is larger for leveraged farms