Food Policy
Abstract
Based on a survey of 243 soybean farmers in Paraná, Brazil, this study examines factors associated with self-reported harvest losses. It focuses on the principal–agent relationship between farmers and combine operators: operators may have incentives to finish jobs quickly, while slower operation and proper machine adjustment can reduce losses. Farmers identify operator training as an important factor. Reported harvest loss is 1.5 percentage points higher when a third party harvests the crop than when farmers harvest themselves. Higher farmer education is associated with lower loss, while larger planted areas are associated with greater loss. The findings indicate that the identity and incentives of the person harvesting matter and suggest that training, contracts, and other arrangements aligning operator and farmer incentives could help limit losses.