Most new futures contracts fail. This study estimates the effects of several factors on the success or failure of agricultural futures contracts. Commodities with futures markets and without futures markets are included. Characteristics for which no data exist, such as homogeneity, vertical...

Both market advisors and researchers have often suggested rollover hedging as a way of increasing producer returns. This study tests whether rollover hedging can increase expected returns for producers. For rollover hedging to increase expected returns, futures prices must follow a...

The parameters of yield response functions can vary by year. Past studies usually assume yield functions are nstochastic ‘‘limited’’ stochastic. In this study, we estimate rye– ryegrass yield functions in which all parameters are random. The three functional...

Some extension economists and others recommend profit margin hedging as a way to choose the timing of crop sales. However, the theory behind this strategy recommendation is not well developed. This article determines the producer's utility function and price processes where profit margin hedging...

Much agricultural economics research has been dedicated to determining the best time for producers to sell their commodities. Unlike this past research, we look at how producers actually sell commodities. The extent to which producers display an active or mechanical marketing style is measured...

Ramped calibration strips have been suggested as a way for grain producers to determine nitrogen needs more accurately. The strips use incrementally increasing levels of nitrogen and enable producers to conduct an experiment in each field to determine nitrogen needs. This study determines...