An approach to the development of the economically optimal dietary concentration of Paylean, duration of the Paylean feeding, and dietary lysine concentration for finishing hog production is presented. A simulation model describing daily growth of hogs under different Paylean and lysine...

A model was developed to determine the optimal slaughter weights of pigs with heterogeneous growth raised in a 1,000 head barn and marketed in truckload groups. Under commonly used revenue schemes, which include discounts for weight and leanness, the optimal strategy was to market one or two...

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/21/08.

The impact of U.S.-grown maize on Mexican markets is a subject of heated debate, and is complicated by limited substitution between white and yellow maize as well as regional price differences within Mexico. This article improves on previous analyses using a detailed data set of white maize...

Soil phosphorus levels have increased as pork production has become concentrated. Phosphorus-based manure management regulations for land application have been proposed by policy makers. The objective of this study is to determine benefits/costs of adopting two alternatives for reducing...

Preferential agricultural trade under the Caribbean Basin Initiative has been beneficial to participating countries, particularly for differentiated goods. Goods that have not performed well were either subject to policy changes, eroding preferences and deteriorating market trends or structural...

Over the past few decades, U.S. meat consumption patterns have changed. Food consumption patterns are influenced by changing demographic characteristics, changing lifestyles, increasing health, and nutrition concerns. Prior research suggests that these factors have significant influence on the...

We develop testable hypotheses for utility maximization given risk averse producers based on a general specification of the utility function. This is a direct expansion of the model posed by Pope (1978). Empirical tests using production data with a translog specification indicate that utility...

Consumers, policy makers, and business decision makers are increasingly concerned about food safety and security. In the U.S. meat industry, certification programs could address some of these problems. This study builds a three-sector partial equilibrium model to analyze the distributional...

Increased domestic concentration and international competition in the floricultural industry are forcing growers to improve resource management efficiency. Cost management and cost accounting methods are becoming key tools as growers attempt to reduce costs. These tools allow growers to allocate...