Labor Heterogeneity and Rice Production in Malaysia

Abstract

Estimates of an unrestricted translog production function are used to test whether a consistent aggregate exists for male and female labor in rice production in the Muda river valley of Malaysia. It is shown that the production function is of the Cobb Douglas form and that a consistent aggregate of male and female labor may be obtained by the use of geometric indices iwth weights proportioned to the elasticities of the inputs. At the same time the results cast doubt on production function estimates obtained by means of the simple addition of all types of labor.