Decomposition methods suggest major contributors to variability in returns to New York dairy farms are purchased feed quantities and milk production; milk price variability contributes substantially less. Decomposing the Gini measure of income inequality indicates that milk revenues and...

Infectious diseases play a critical role in determining the profitability of individual farms and maintaining the viability of livestock industries, international trade, and trade policies. Thus, it is critical to analyze the economic consequences of infectious diseases, and the effects of...

Replaced with revised version of paper 06/08/11.

This paper discusses the value to milk producers and consumers of segmenting the milk market into bST-produced milk and non-bST-produced milk markets, versus losing milk consumption from consumers who will not consume bST-produced milk. Results indicate that both bST-using producers and...

Varian's Weak Axiom of Profit Maximization was used to determine whether each of 49 New York dairy farms displayed behavior consistent with profit maximization. The results indicate that most were only moderately successful in maximizing profits. Characteristics of the farms did not strongly...

A control model of the U.S. dairy sector was constructed to determine optimal policy when bovine somatotropin is released. Social welfare defined as consumer plus producer surplus minus adjustment and net government costs was maximized. Control variables were the milk support price and...