| Agricultural producers in the Texas High Plains are facing the worst comparative economic conditions since 1913. Under these circumstances it is desirable to evaluate which programs are beneficial to agricultural producers and which ones are not. The concept of Integrated Pest Management was introduced to the Texas High Plains in 1976 and since then many IPM practices have been adopted for the four major crops; corn, cotton, sorghum, and wheat. The reduction in production cost is used as a measure of economic benefit and contingent valuation is used to estimate the value of the environmental benefits. The IPM practices, which have been adopted, reduce the production cost by more than $173 million per year. In addition the practices reduce... |
