Combinations of information sources and the output and risks in high-value rice: evidence from shrimp–rice co-culture systems

Purpose This study takes the shrimp-rice co-culture model in Hubei Province, China, as a case to examine the effects and heterogeneity of farmers' choices of combinations of information sources on “shrimp-rice co-culture” rice (SRR) output and risks. Design/methodology/approach We first employ a flexible random production function based on moment estimation to quantify and assess the output and risks of SRR. Then, the multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) model is used to estimate the average treatment effects of combinations of information sources on SRR output and risks. The data for this study were sourced from surveys conducted among shrimp-rice co-culture farmers in Hubei Province in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Findings Compared to obtaining information only from public sectors, farmers who combine information from digital platforms with either information from public sectors or neighbor interactions can more effectively achieve synergy in increasing output, stabilizing output volatility and controlling downside output risk. However, only young, highly educated farmers who integrate information from public sectors, neighbor interactions and digital platforms can achieve synergy among all three. Furthermore, part-time farmers, farmers with higher social capital and those with smaller operating scales exhibit differentiated effects of choosing a combination of two or more sources of information in specific situations on their output and risks. Originality/value Farmers' sources of agricultural information significantly affect their output performance, yet existing research has seldom focused on the systematic combination of multiple information sources when farmers acquire information. Using SRR as a case, this study provides the first attempt to rigorously examine the effects of combinations of information sources on agricultural output and risks.