Impact of Program Payments on Time Allocation and Farm Household Income

Abstract

Using a model of farm household resource allocation and data from the USDA-ERS Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), this study compares the effects of various categories of farm program payments on time allocation by farm operators and spouses. Results suggest that agricultural market transition payments (AMTA) increase leisure hours of both farm operators and spouses. Loan deficiency payments (LDP) and payments that combine market loan assistance (MLA) and disaster payments are shown to reduce leisure. The study also finds that AMTA payments exhibit a much higher degree of income transfer efficiency than the LDP and MLA payments.