• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.127-150
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• 2005

Under the WTO system, the farm size expansion or the existing korean agricultural structure should be improved to cope with farm income decrease and to continue rice cultivation for food security in the future. This study is aimed at identifying optimum farm size under trade liberalization and import and export parity price system of inputs and outputs. The optimum farm size expressed the minimum point of long run average cost is determined as 15.1ha. The farm size to be equalized as urban laborer's income of 37,361 thousand won per year was revealed 30ha. Therefore the G't recommended farm size of 6ha should be changed to 30ha and the concerned policies for agricultural structure improvement also should be changed to more flexibilitiy.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.27-35
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• 1985

This study was carried out to determine the optimum size and number of farm machines for various sizes of land coverage of the cooperative farm machinery utilization systems in Korea-namely Saemaul Mechanized Farming Group (SMFG). Fifty-one SMFG were selected from 8 counties in Chonnam province, and ownership, operation and management of farm machinery were surveyed. Annual covered area, cost and the break-even-point area of farm machinery were analyzed on the bases of the surveyed data and the present governmental subsidy policy, and then the optimum level of farm machinery ownership was determined. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The break-even-point areas of the tractors of 22-23ps, 28ps and 47-50ps were estimated as 12.1ha, 15.3ha and 21.6ha, respectively. The optimum size of a tractor for land sizes of 10-20ha, 20-30ha, and 30-40ha were estimated as 22-23ps, 28ps, and 47-50ps, respectively. 2. The break-even-point area of a rice transplanter was estimated as 3.3ha. The optimum numbers of rice transplanter for land sizes of 10-20ha, 20-30ha, and 30-40ha were estimated as 2,3, and 4, respectively. 3. The break-even-point areas of a speed sprayer (attached on power tiller) and a power sprayer were estimated as 114.6ha and 15.3ha, respectively. The optimum numbers of power sprayer for land sizes of 10-20ha, 20-30ha, and 30-40ha were estimated as 2,3 and 4, respectively. A speed sprayer is desirable for an area of more than 30ha coverage. 4. The break-even-point area of a combine was estimated as 10.7ha. The optimum numbers of combine for land sizes of 10-20ha, 20-30ha, and 30-40ha were estimated as 1,2, and 3, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.81-94
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• 2005

This study is aimed at giving the basic information for individual farm households to make decisions for optimizing their farm sizes and for the government to implement farm size optimization policies through the identification of combinations among rice production factors in plain areas like Cheolwon district and the suggestion of the optimal farm sizes of individual farmers based on the scale of economy calculated. The data of agricultural production costs of 50 rice farmers in the plain area which is located in Dongsong-eup Cholwon district, Kangwon province were used in the analysis. The 'translog' cost function among various methods which is a flexible function type was adopted to calculate the scale of economy in rice production. Seemingly unrelated regression(SUR) method was used in forecasting functions and processing other statistics by SHAZAM which is one of the computer aid program for quantitative econometric analysis. In conclusion, the long-run average cost(LAC) curve showed 'U-shape' which was different from 'L-type' one which was shown in the previous studies by others. The lowest point of the LAC was 9.764ha and the concerned production cost amounted to 633 Won/kg. Based on these results, it have to be suggested that around 10 ha of paddy is the target size for policy assistances to save costs under the present level of farming practices and technology. The above results show that the rice production costs could be saved up to 10ha in Cheolwon plain area which is a typical paddy field. However, land use, land condition, land ownership and manager's ability which may affect scale of economy should be considered. Furthermore, reasonable management will have to be realized by means of labor saving technology and cost saving management skill like enlargement of farm size of rice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.565-583
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• 1993

In order to reduce the production cost and improve the quality of dairy feed, several dairy feed mill model suitable for Korean farm size are developed. Also, capital requirement and operating costs of the model mill are analyzed. And these analyzed data are compared with the commercial feed production cost, in order to test whether the model mills are suitable or not in Korean dairy farm. Also optimum model is recommended depending on size of dairy farm. As a result, developed model mill(TMR) is very useful in Korea dairy farm not only reduce production cost up to 78% but also improve the qualities.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1985

The two agricultural zones, mid-and-northen region and southern region, were established according to the possibility of double cropping in the paddy field. For each agricultural zone typically mechanized farming systems with a power tiller for cultivating rice, barley and soybean were established. A computer program, which determines the optimum size of power tiller for the given farm size, the ratio of paddy area to total area and the ratio of double cropping area to the paddy area, was developed. The computer program was executed for the farm sizes, 1 to 3 ha, and the ratios of paddy area to the total area, 60~80%, and the ratio of double cropping area to the total paddy area, 70%. The following conclusions were drawn from analyzing the computer outputs. 1. In the mid-and-northern region, a smaller power tiller (5 or 6 PS) appeared to be more economical for the farm size up to 3 ha. From the viewpoint of fuel consumption a 6 PS power tiller appeared to be more favorable. 2. In the southern region, a smaller tiller (5 or 6 PS) appeared to be more economical for the farm size up to 1.5 ha. But, a larger power tiller (8 or 10 PS) appeared to become more economical as the farm size and the barley planted area increased. 3. For the southern region where rotary tilling is heavily required due to double cropping, it is recommended to develop a power tiller which weighs light like the conventional 5 or 6 PS small power tiller but has lager power.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.258-273
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• 1994

In this study, an expert system named ESMEF (Expert System for Mechanized Entrusted Farming) was developed. The function of ESMEF is to provide the various data and informations for entrusted farming such as farm machinery management data, mechanization systems by farm sizes, number of units and sizes of machinery needed, machinery replacement analysis, mechanization costs analysis. Mechanization systems were selected by ESMEF for different farming sizes of Chungnam Province and an economic analysis was conducted as an example. The results showed that the farm machinery purchasing costs were 1,344~4,829 thousand won per ha and there was no significant difference for farm sizes above 60 ha. The total annual machinery costs were 3,595~4,537 thousand won per ha, and a minimum cost was appeared for farm size of l00ha at first. According to this analysis, an optimum entrusted farming size would be 100ha by the present available farm machinery systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1996.06c
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• pp.1031-1040
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• 1996

Spawn bottle cutting and spawn cake shredding machine has been developed to save the farm labor and operating cost for mushroom growing farmers. The prototype can cut the bottom and side of the bottle while shredding the spawn cake by one farmer. The cutting plastic shell is done by two couples of high speed disc saws that can cut cross section and lengthwise two side of the bottle, while spawn cake shredding is done by spike teethed rotating drum and wiremesh concave. The optimum speed of cutting disc saw was observed 1.700rpm both the cross cutting saw and lengthwise cutting saw in consideration of the cutting accuracy. And the location for the instalation of cross cutting disc saw was considered as around 4 mm above the table bottom , while the optimum clearance between two edges of lengthwise cutting disc saw was showed 86mm. For the sawdust spawn cake shredder , proper size of spawn sawdust granule was observed in the 15 x 15mm size withmesh concave with the shredding rum speed of 500rpm. The prototype can be reduce 73 per cent of working hours with the working cost reduction of 49 per cent compare with those of conventional operation.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.261-271
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• 1996

Korean government has pursued measure of promoting specialized full time farmers, one hundred fifty thousand by 2001, along with "New Agricultural Policy" begining since year 1993, so as to improve agricultural structure depressed by urbanization and industrialization and also under pressure for agricultural imports liberlization. Objective of the study was to estimate optimal farming size for selected cash crops and livestocks aimed at farm income of more than fifty million won at the year 2001. Estimated items were eighteen fann models of four area for cash crops and nine models of three kind livestocks. Optimal fann size was estimated from the data collected through ninety nine fann household survey for farming result in 1993. and developed computer model on changing farm size estimation related on price change. Those results is espected to utilize as basic reference for promoting specialized full time farmers proposed by the New Agricultural Policy.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-72
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• 2018

Organic agriculture seeks sustainable agriculture. Organic agriculture is based on circulating agriculture of a family farm unit. However, as of the end of 2016, only 33 out of the total organic farming farms were implementing Crop-Livestock cycling organic farming. The reason seems to be a matter of income after all. The optimal size combination refers to the scale by which family farms can maintain their quality of life while engaging in farming activities. In other words. it is a farm scale that maintains optimal income through stable labor costs. In the meantime, there has been no previous study on the optimal economical combination of Crop-Livestock cycling farming. Choi (2016) analyzed whether the economies of scope (EOS) were realized in the combined production by using the management data of the farmers who practiced Crop-Livestock cycling organic farming for four years. As a result, it has been revealed that the EOS measurement value is 0 or more so the economies of scope are being realized. Therefore, the purpose of this empirical analysis is to identify farm incomes under this circumstance. It is assumed that the optimum production is achieved by balancing the total income curve and the total cost curve in the optimal scale production range. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, the income after the conversion to Crop-Livestock cycling farming was 44,789,280 won, the sum of the seedling-livestock sector, which was 17,873,120 won higher when the non-Crop-Livestock cycling farming was assumed. The same is true for 2014 and 2015. The reason for this is that pig droppings were composted from organic seedlings, and the cost of selling pork was 150,000 won/per pig more expensive even though the manufacturing cost of organic feeds was higher than the purchasing cost. Secondly, this study simulated the result that the economic index varies when the farm size combination is changed by the farm size of 100% standard (S100) as of 2014. S130 is the increase in size from 100% of 2014, whereas S30 is the result of 3ha crop and 66 livestock (pigs). As a result of this simulation, Crop-Livestock cycling farming income decreased more than non-Crop-Livestock cycling farming as the farm size decreased, whereas the income decreased as the farm size increased. When the size was reduced below S50, the income tended to decrease. In this situation, EOS changed in the same direction. The results showed that when the farming size was reorganized and reduced to 50% compared to 2014, the income and income difference was the highest. At the same time, economies of scope (EOS) were the highest at 0.12985. In other words, it was found that the income of farm houses in a family farm unit sector was the best in the combination of 1.5ha crop agriculture and 110 livestock (pigs).

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 1997

In farm management, many factors should be considered to select optimum farm machinery Some factors such as fm size can be quantified, but other factors such as working experience can not be. Futhermore, as several factors are missed and assumptions are made for the selection using conventional computer programs, the result is sometimes questionable. This problem can be solved using artificial intelligent techniques such as expert system. In this study, an expert system was developed to select optimum machinery by considering available working days, machinery to on, farming environments, labor cost, population, etc. It also took into account the characteristics of machinery, turning radius, easiness of operation, subsidy, loan to purchase, asset. farmers age, Rest Metabolic Rate, and working experience, etc. Expertise and experience of human experts were utilized to develop the expert system. The developed expert system was evaluated by the human experts and others, and it was proved to be practically useful fir farmers.