Cow-calf producers face an annual decision on when to sell their calves. They can sell them at any point between weaning and slaughter, with the objective of finding the profit maximizing selling point. This paper investigates the use of price signals to determine profit maximizing selling...

This study estimates the technical, allocative and economic efficiency obtained from the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach using farm level survey data to a sample of 100 poultry farmers in Bangladesh for the year 2007. The results from the DEA approach show that there is substantial...

The increasing use of production contracts in the hog sector has reduced the number of spot market transactions, raised concerns about price manipulation and helped to spur legislation requiring price reporting by packers. Using data from the 2002 and 2007 Censuses of Agriculture, this study...

In recent decades there has been a substantial increase in the scale of production and the use of production contracts in the hog sector. This paper explores empirically whether these two phenomena are related by examining whether the use of production contracts has allowed finish hog operations...

Models of agricultural economics typically operate at an annual basis or in a static equilibriumframework where inputs, outputs and their prices may change considerably. Production dynamics,however, imply that models relying on spatial and temporal aggregation do not capture the effects...

This study was conducted to analyze the direct and indirect effects of ethanol policy on livestock production. Results of the theoretical model indicate the possibility of ethanol policy indirectly affecting livestock production. Econometric results show a possibility of ethanol policy...

The agricultural economics literature, both academic and trade, has discussed theassumed presence of cycles in livestock markets such as cattle and hogs for a very longtime. Since Jarvis (1974), there has been considerable discussion over how these cyclesimpact optimal economic decision making....

A changing world of increasing complexity, fluctuating prices, high energy costs and limited data necessitate creative blending of economic theory and available empirical statistics to understand the welfare impacts in a specific market. In this paper, a programming approach is used in tandem...

Over the past few decades the relative price of eggs has fallen dramatically in New Zealand. This has been made possible, at least in part, by the application of increasingly intensive agricultural practices. However, there is also growing pressure from consumers and animal rights groups around...

This paper identifies and synthesises strategic opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand’s sheep meat and beef sector over the next 10 to 15 years. A Delphi surveydraws on the sector’s collective knowledge and identifies areas of consensus anddivergence of opinion. Using the results...