This paper analyzes the optimal procurement, processing, and production decisions of a meat-processing company (hereafter, a "packer") in a beef supply chain. The packer processes fed cattle to produce two beef products, program (premium) boxed beef and commodity boxed beef, in fixed...

The meat value chain is a complex organization with multiple participants performing numerous value added functions. Perhaps the most complex and least well understood segment is that downstream from the packer, e.g., the processor, wholesaler, exporter, retailer and food service (or restaurant)...

Replaced with revised version of paper 08/24/09.

This paper addresses the economic impacts of swine growth variability. Different economic penalties are determined to be associated with over-finishing versus under-finishing an animal. Marketing decisions based on the pen average are determined to be insignificantly less than optimal for a case...

As policy makers strive to maintain competitiveness in agricultural markets, the impacts of altering market information sets must be evaluated. An experiment was designed to assess the price and production impacts of forward contract information. Results suggest that this information reduced...

Low and inconsistent beef quality has been blamed by some for the losses of beef's share of total meat consumption. Tighter vertical coordination through use of alternative marketing arrangements and more precise price signaling through use of different cattle valuation methods may help improve...

This work measures the impact of captive supplies, or cattle procured through alternative marketing agreements (AMAs), on meatpacker costs, gross margins, and profits. Confidential profit and loss data were examined from all the individual packing plants within the four largest packing firms for...