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Case Study

Harvesting Technology Adoption

A large farming cooperative is considering replacing its manual harvesting methods with a new, fuel-powered combine harvester. Initially, the daily cost to hire the necessary labor for a field is $500. The daily cost to operate the new harvester (including fuel, maintenance, and loan repayment) is also estimated to be $500. Consider two separate, possible future scenarios:

  • Scenario A: Due to a global oil shortage, the daily cost to operate the harvester increases to $750, while labor wages remain at $500 per day.
  • Scenario B: Due to high inflation in the country, both the daily labor wages and the daily harvester operating cost increase by 50%. Labor now costs $750 per day, and the harvester also costs $750 per day to operate.

Analyze the two scenarios. In which scenario does the economic incentive for the cooperative to choose manual labor over the harvester become stronger compared to the initial situation? Explain your reasoning by referring to the change in the cost of one harvesting method compared to the other.

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Updated 2025-07-26

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