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Abstract
This paper contributes towards the economic evaluation of small farms in the tropics and
demonstrates why this analysis can be both complex and unique. A Cobb-Douglas type
Production Function has been developed, for a number of micro regions within the state of
Rondonia, Brazil, as the basis for constructing predictive models. The models have been based
on an empirical study and illustrate the relationship between the production output of a
number perennial crops and certain physical and socio-economic variables. The results
indicate that a significant relationship exists between output and certain constraints. In
many cases, expected relationships do not exist and this is explained in the study by the
unique dynamics of the small farmer situation.