Public Price Reporting, Marketing Channel Selection and Price Discovery: The Perspective of Cow/Calf Producers in the Dakotas

Cow/calf producers operating in the Dakotas were surveyed on their price discovery strategies, marketing channel preferences, and their perceptions of how regime change in the public price reporting system for fed cattle affected the beef industry in general and the cow/calf industry in particular. Survey results indicate cow/calf producers consider local institutions (auction barns etc.) to be more reliable for price discovery and marketing their feeder and stocker cattle than regional or national institutions (futures market etc.). Consistent with this view, producers perceive that the current public price reporting system is less reliable than local market sources when making individual marketing decisions. However, Dakota cow/calf producers perceive livestock mandatory price reporting as benefiting the beef industry in general.