The objective of this research is to incorporate the relationship between forage yields and rainfall levels to find optimal weights on insurance intervals using Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Rainfall Index (PRF-RI) insurance. Unlike earlier models, actuarial fairness of the insurance product is...

A consumer preference study that included willingness to pay and consumer sensory experiments was conducted for ground bison versus ground beef. A total of 82 subjects completed the study. The initial statistical analysis suggest that there is consistent consumer behavior with respect to...

Our study investigates the fed cattle grid pricing system and its premium and discount incentive mechanism over time. We hypothesize that the influence of an animal's carcass quality attributes on a price grid's incentive mechanism can be revealed by evaluating the effect of carcass quality on...

A study of early vs. normal weaning of calves concludes that early weaning improves feedlot production efficiency, reducing per day and per pound feedlot production costs. Early weaned steers finished higher thus feedlot profitability was not affected. Early weaning has a positive affect on cow...

Empirical results suggest that the grid premium and discount structure is slowly adjusting carcass quality incentive/disincentive market signals to encourage marketing on a grid and discourage marketing by the pen. If this trend continues, grid market share of steer and heifer slaughter volume...

Beef industry data suggest that carcass yield and quality grades have shown little improvement over the last six years. Trend analysis of grid market share and carcass quality suggests that grid pricing has not made sufficient progress in achieving the goals envisioned for it as a value based...

Interregional spatial linkages between South Dakota and Nebraska cash markets for slaughter cattle are investigated. Econometric procedures are used to test whether a thinning market effect or strategic price reporting behavior by packers has degraded market transparency under the voluntary...

Weekly grid market share by volume for slaughter steers is compared to slaughter heifers. Summary statistics indicate average grid market share for steers (42%) is 27% higher than slaughter heifers (33%). The literature indicates that pregnancy and increased dark cutter incidence associated with...

The relationship between publically reported weekly grid premiums and discounts for specific carcass characteristics and the percentage of those characteristics reflected in total weekly slaughter volume (i.e., proportional slaughter volume) is investigated. Granger Causality and multi-lag VAR...

The ability of the former voluntary price reporting system to generate market transparency in U.S. livestock markets was called into question by producer groups and academic research prior to the new federal system of mandatory price reporting being implemented. The market transparency issue is...