This article tests the efficiency of the hog options market and assesses the impact of the 1996 contract redesign on efficiency. We find that the hog options market is efficient, but some options yielded excess returns during the live hogs period but not during the lean hogs period. Our findings...

Grain prices have risen sharply since 2005 and 2006 affecting livestock markets by increasingfeed prices and leading to significant volatility shocks. The high price levels and magnitude ofsustained high volatilities has raised concerns for many sectors of the economy, in particularthose with...

Includes cover page, journal info, contents page, and editorial information

Replaced with revised version of paper Jan. 11, 2012

This paper investigates the effects of network based individual social capital on the access of rural households to services. In the context of development economics, an innovative data collection approach is used to determine network based social capital. The approach originates from the field...

In this workshop the participants identified five priority areas of concern relative to sustainable management of groundwater irrigation by farmers:1) aquifer drawdown; 2) FMIS groundwaterwater support services, 3) management problems under water-surplus conditions; 4) management problems under...

Although Pakistan's surface irrigation development has a long history, it is only about 30 years ago that the development of groundwater resources was begun. During the past decade, government policy has been reoriented towards private, instead of public, tube well development in fresh...

A recurring challenge faced by farmers is the lack of distribution infrastructure and services to allow them to take greater advantage of the growing demand for locally and regionally grown food. Regional food hubs have emerged as one effective way to overcome these infrastructural and market...