UM MODELO DE CRESCIMENTO APLICADO AO ESTUDO DAS EMPRESAS AGRÍCOLAS

Abstract

The primary concern of this paper is to analyse the growth of the farms based on internal and individual caracteristics of each farm. The proposed theoretical model attempts to overcome the limitations underlying the neoclassical theory of the firm when dealing with firm growth studies. It incorporates human capital, adjustments costs and asset fixity in the same model of growth. The theoretical model was used as a guide to the choice of the variables to be included in a derived general empirical model of farm growth. In testing dairy farm growth, the log-linear specification was the more appropriated one. The variables with significant and positive effect in the growth were: experience of producers, access to agricultural extension and proportion of land reserved to pasture. The variables inducing a significant and negative effect in the growth were: age of producers, initial herd size, initial amount of fixed capital and productivity. Negative influence of herd size means that Gibrat's Law is not supported in this study.