The use by farmers of futures contracts and other hedging instruments has been observed to be low in many situations, and this has sometimes seemed to be considered surprising or even mysterious. We propose that it is, in fact, readily understandable and consistent with rational decision making....

In face of climate change and other environmental challenges, inclusion of perennial forage shrubs in Australian agricultural systems has the potential to deliver multiple benefits: increased whole-farm profitability and improved natural resource management. The profitability of shrubs was...

The use by farmers of futures contracts and other hedging instruments has been observed to be low in many situations, and this has sometimes seemed to be considered surprising or even mysterious. We propose that it is, in fact, readily understandable and consistent with rational decision making....

This paper investigates the role of expected protein levels in determining the impact of protein premiums and discounts on firstly, a grower’s income stream, and secondly, a grower’s willingness-to-pay for a forward contract. The impact is examined for a range of expected protein levels...

This article analyses the risk-return efficiency of limits to which loan pricing accounts for credit risk in the Australian-farm sector. A key issue faced by banks is the trade-off between raising returns through higher risk premiums and the possibility of impairing credit quality. The...

Current arrangements for pricing water for power generation are often deficient in providing signals in which to base investment decisions and in allocating water to its highest valued use. To address these shortcomings, a framework is proposed which relies on a two-tier pricing systern....

The outstanding success of the Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) in providing a stream of revenue to overcome a chronic budget deficit and encourage economic self reliance has led the Government of Tuvalu to extend the trust concept to outer island development. This paper looks at the role of trust funds...