TENANCY ARRANGEMENTS USED BY LOUISIANA CRAWFISH PRODUCERS

Land tenancy arrangements vary widely in the U.S. crawfish industry, including full ownership by the crawfish producer, cash leases, share leases, and combination cash-share leases. This study examines the array of tenancy arrangements available and analyzes the types of farmers selecting each using a multinomial logit model. Choice of tenancy arrangement varies according to a number of traditional factors, such as farm size, experience, specialization, and production system. The influence of production system on land tenancy selection is of particular interest. Crawfish-rice double-crop producers tend to own all of their crawfish land, while those farming under rotational systems with crawfish and field crops tend to select combination cash-share leases. Shares, rental rates, and percentages of pumping cost paid by the landlord vary widely.