耕種契約與農場經營決策－－台灣稻作農場整地作業之實証

CONTRACT BY PRACTICE AND FARMER DECISIONS ON CULTIVATION ARRANGEMENT: THE CASE OF TAIWANESE RICE FARMING

囿於農地法規對租佃之不利規定，台灣地區農民盛行著一種耕種作業別的耕種契約，這種契約不同於傳統租佃制度。本文旨在分析台灣稻作農戶對該耕種作業別契約之選擇決策，文中我們建立一套基於體制移轉法(switching regime regression model，SRRM)之分析架構，並利用台灣地區348戶稻作農戶之調查資料，以整地作業為例進行實証分析。實証結果發現，台灣農民在整地作業上契約選擇之決策，即選擇「委託」包工或「自做」之契約，除了考量兩種契約制度之成本差額外，亦決定於農場主之經營能力（體力與專業化）、以及農場自家勞動力供給程度等非成本考量之因素。利用體制移轉模式之估計結果，我們亦發現8成以上樣本稻作農戶之整地契約選擇，符合了「綜合成本與非成本考量」之決策法則，而僅有5成之農戶符合「最低成本」之決策法則。研究結果亦顯示，「非成本考量」變量對決策選擇之影響程度，亦因農場類別不同而有差異。最後，我們亦在調和作業別農業勞動力供需方面，提出了政策建議。

The 'contract by practice' system, differs from traditional tenancy farming system, is a popular cultivation arrangement for rice farming in Taiwan. This paper attempts to analyze Taiwanese rice farmer decision on alternative cultivation arrangements in the field plowing practice. To serve such purpose, we developed a switching regime regression model and conducted an empirical study utilizing data from an in-person farm survey in 1999. Empirical results have indicated that farmer's choice between 'hired-service' and 'self-plow' in the rice field plowing practice depends upon cost difference of these two choices as well as other non- cost concerns including individual farmer's physical strength, ratio of income from farming and availability of family labor supply. Results also found that over 80 percent of sample farmers made their contractual choices based on the rule of 'considering both cost and non-cost factors', whereas about 50 percent of them may consider the cost factor only. The impact of non-cost factors on farmer decision tends to vary by types of rice farm. At last, a policy suggestion on how to reconcile farming labor supply and demand in the rice cultivation practice is proposed.