Production Risk of Seaweed Cultivation in South Sulawesi: Comparison between Cobb-Douglas and Just-Pope Production Function

Abstract

Fluctuation in production on farm of seaweed Eucheuma cottonii could be affected by climate, pests and diseases, input factors, management and socio-economic conditions of farmers. The objectives of this study were (1) analyzed determinants of productivity, (2) analyzed the factors that affected the risk of production, and (3) analyzed the factors that affected productivity after considering the risk of production. The samples used in this study were 210 seaweed farmers selected by using proportional random sampling method. Multiple linear regression model with Cobb-Douglas and Just-Pope production functions were used to analyze the data. The results showed that (1) Productivity of seaweed E. cottonii positively influenced by number of seeds, bond distance of seeds and labor; (2) area of lots, seeds and bond distance of seeds negatively effected the risk of production; and (3) area of lots, seeds, bond distance of seeds, labor, and experience of farmers positively effected the productivity after considering of risks whereas age of farmers affected negatively. Values of regression coefficient had significant affected the productivity of seaweed E.cottonii (Cobb-Douglas model) tended to decline after considering the risk of production (Just-Pope model). This implies that in analyzing seaweed productivity, it needs to consider the risks in the model.