%0 Journal Article
%T A Comparative Study of Difficulties in Accounting Preparation and Judgement in Agriculture Using Fair Value and Historical Cost for Biological Assets Valuation
%A Josep Ma. Argil谷s Bosch
%A Anna Sabata Aliberch
%A Josep Garc赤a Bland車n
%J Revista de Contabilidad : Spanish Accounting Review
%D 2012
%I Elsevier
%X This paper presents empirical research comparing the accounting difficulties that arise from the use of two valuation methods for biological assets, fair value (FV) and historical cost (HC) accounting, in the agricultural sector. It also compares how reliable each valuation method is in the decision-making process of agents within the sector. By conducting an experiment with students, farmers, and accountants operating in the agricultural sector, we find that they have more difficulties, make larger miscalculations and make poorer judgements with HC accounting than with FV accounting. In-depth interviews uncover flawed accounting practices in the agricultural sector in Spain in order to meet HC accounting requirements. Given the complexities of cost calculation for biological assets and the predominance of small family business units in advanced Western countries, the study concludes that accounting can be more easily applied in the agricultural sector under FV than HC accounting, and that HC conveys a less accurate grasp of the real situation of a farm.RESUMENEste estudio realiza un investigaci車n emp赤rica comparando las dificultades que se derivan de la utilizaci車n del valor razonable (VR) y del coste hist車rico (CH) en el sector agr赤cola. Se analiza tambi谷n la fiabilidad de ambos m谷todos de valoraci車n para la interpretaci車n de la informaci車n y la toma de decisiones por parte de los agentes que act迆an en el sector. Mediante un experimento realizado con estudiantes, agricultores y contables que operan en el sector agr赤cola, se halla que estos tienen m芍s dificultades, cometen mayores errores e interpretan peor la informaci車n contable realizada a CH que la realizada a VR. Entrevistas en profundidad con agricultores y contables agr赤colas desvelan pr芍cticas contables defectuosas derivadas de la necesidad de aplicar el CH en el sector en Espa a. Dadas las complejidades del c芍lculo del coste de los activos biol車gicos y el predominio de peque as explotaciones en el sector en los pa赤ses occidentales avanzados, el estudio concluye que la contabilidad a VR constituye una mejor赤a de utilizaci車n y desarrollo de la contabilidad en el sector que la confeccionada a CH. Asimismo, el CH transmite una peor representaci車n de la situaci車n real de las explotaciones agr赤colas.
%K fair value
%K historical cost
%K biological assets
%K farm accounting
%K agriculture.
%U http://www.rc-sar.es/verPdf.php?articleId=226