A Poor but Efficient Crop

Supply-Side Responses in the Greek Tobacco Sector, 1953-64

Bibliographic Data

ID12488802
AuthorsTRYFONAS LEMONTZOGLOU LEMONTZOGLOU (0000-0002-1534-6464, Institute for Mediterranean Studies, corresponding author), Juan Carmona-Zabala (0000-0003-3422-3563, Universidad de Málaga)
Year2024
Pages161-190
Publication date2024-03-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistoria Agraria Revista de agricultura e historia rural (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1139-1472 • E-ISSN: 2340-3659
PublisherHistoria Agraria (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.26882/histagrar.092e02t
OpenAlexW4392847945
LanguageEN
References cited45

We analyzed the price elasticities of the Greek tobacco supply at three different levels of analysis (cross-varietal, cross-regional, and two-dimensional) using secondary-level data published by the Greek National Tobacco Board for the years 1953 to 1964. Our panel suggest that the development of postwar Greece’s tobacco sector was largely determined by market forces rather than by state-led purchasing programs. However, market pressures impacted production and sales volume to varying degrees, depending on the tobacco varieties grown in different parts of the country. Given that tobacco was postwar Greece’s most important export crop, and that it was the object of considerable state support, the often-made claim that state interventionism has disincentivized the adaptation of the Greek agricultural sector to evolving markets needs to be revised. Our findings support Shultz’s poor-but-efficient hypothesis regarding farmers

Agricultural economics · Agricultural science · Agronomy · Biology · Business · Commerce · Crop · Economics · Supply side · Environmental Science · Italy: Economic History and Contemporary Issues · Monetary Policy and Economic Impact · Post-Communist Economic and Political Transition

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