This paper addresses the question of whether the export demand for soybeans and soybean products changed structurally over the 1950 to 1992 period as the U.S. agricultural sector became more integrated with the rest of the world economy. The results suggest that export demands were stable for...

The U.S. government’s export promotion programs for red meats and the U.S. trading situation for red meats are reviewed. The Cooperator Market Development Program (CMDP), Target Export Assistance (TEA), and Market Promotion Programs (MPP) are examined with respect to expenditures for...

This study compared and analyzed actual 1989 production costs for representative regional feedlots in the U.S. The results show that grain-surplus regions have lower total costs and poorer feeding efficiencies. The analysis suggests that Iowa has a comparative advantage in producing heavily...

Stochastic simulation of daily slaughter level was used in conjunction with an estimated packing plant cost curve to assess potential reductions in processing costs due to improved vertical coordination between feedlots and packing plants. Results indicate that processing cost reductions of $1...

In 1998, the Sara Lee Corporation implemented a corporate strategy of deverticalization. Bil Mar Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of Sara Lee responsible for the processing of packaged meat products, followed the strategy by shutting down its turkey slaughter facility in Zeeland, Michigan. As a...