Die Bedeutung von Transaktionskosten in der Wahl überbetrieblicher Mechanisierungsformen in der Landwirtschaft in Südbrasilien (English shop)

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The mechanization of agricultural production plays an important and in course of time
increasing role in the course of agricultural and rural development. Mechanization offers a
number of potential improvements to farming systems such as increased land and labor
productivity, reduction of risks, and increase of quality and food safety of animal and plant
products. However, investments in own machinery, in particular for smallholders, may not be
the least-cost option in comparison with outsourcing the required machinery services through
different contractual relationships. In order to choose the optimal contract for obtaining
machinery services, it is necessary to evaluate conventional machinery costs as well as
transaction costs.
The main objective of the research presented here is to assess the role of transaction costs in
the choice among alternative contractual arrangements for provision of machinery services.
The hypothesis is that transaction costs are important cost elements and influence the choice
of contractual arrangements for provision of machinery services together with machinery
costs. The empirical data on conventional machinery and transaction costs were collected
from farms in Southern Brazil that procure services for mechanizing their activities through
various informal and formal contractual forms.
It is shown that transaction costs can be high compared with conventional machinery costs,
and influence the choice of contractual arrangement.