Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Zhong, Ying
Author's Email Address	yzhong1@lsu.edu
URN	etd-1110103-225402
Title	Economic Analysis of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Louisiana Sugarcane Production
Degree	Master of Science (M.S.)
Department	Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Steven A. Henning Committee Chair Krishna Paudel Committee Member Michael E. Salassi Committee Member
Keywords	BMPs MFP multivariate probit sugarcane
Date of Defense	2003-11-07
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Agriculture has been identified as one of the major sources of nonpoint water pollution due to discharges running off farmland. This study assessed the current adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the Louisiana sugarcane industry and provided policy recommendations based on the empirical results. Fifteen BMPs recommended by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center were examined in three categories: Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, Nutrient Management, and Pesticide Management. Based on neoclassical economic principles of individual’s utility maximization, this study evaluated seven multivariate probit models using primary data collected from a mail survey of Louisiana’s sugarcane producers. The results indicated that remarkable progress has been achieved in BMPs promotion since 1999. The primary factors that significantly impacted BMP adoption were: awareness of the Master Farmer Program for sugarcane, farm size, ownership, and farmer’s risk attitude. It is recommended that educational programs provided by LSU AgCenter continue to play a vital role in promoting sugarcane BMPs .
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