Three Essays on Environmental Issues Associated with Broiler Production in Louisiana

The increasing trends of integrated and concentrated broiler production results in a serious threat to environment through excessive litter production and lack of its proper disposal. Production concentration in limited area is a major source of surface as well as ground water pollution. Nonpoint source pollution from broiler litter applied on land remains a major concern in Louisiana and elsewhere in Southeastern USA. This study examines alternative approaches to reduce pollution originating from broiler production. First, I evaluate why some producers adopt BMP faster than others and what kind of factors affect the time to adoption decision. The duration model is employed to allow the censored observation while evaluating the impact of farm and individual specific characteristics on time to adoption decision. The information and awareness about the BMPs and the negative effects of broiler production on water-bodies are found to be the main factors to encourage the adoptions. Larger farmers are also the early adopters of BMPs.The existing literature finds voluntary BMP implementation serves only as complementary-instrument to economic-incentive-based approaches. Therefore, the option of economic-incentive based approach to mitigate water pollution becomes crucial. I evaluate the factors associated with the incentive level that motivates broiler producers to either terminate the production practices or pay pollution abatement costs so as to reduce pollutant entering water resources. I attempt to answers the question of what is the minimum amount that a broiler producer is willing to accept to forgo the production practice so as to reduce pollution generation. It is found that broiler producers are willing to terminate production only if the government payment is very high as compared to the profit from the production. However, the producers willingness to pay pollution abatement tax is comparatively small, if they were to pay to mitigate the water pollution at their current production technology.