U.S. farm output, from the 1930s until 1981, increased steadily, but growth stopped in the 1980s. Now, after 9 years of volatility, total farm output is less than it was in 1981. The largest decline occurred in the production of grains and oil crops such as soybeans. This stagnation of the 1980s...

The Marketing Order for California almonds was amended in 2007 to enhance food safety. Around 400-500 million pounds of almonds undergo an added step in processing to reduce risk of salmonella contamination. This paper reports on the logistics necessary for implementing the program. We use a...

This study analyzes U.S. cocoa bean imports from twenty-one major cocoa-producing and exporting countries during the pre- and post-liberalization period of 1970-2008 using the gravity equation and a linear one-way fixed effects model. The objective was to measure trade creation for a World Trade...

Blueberries are experiencing a major increase in acreage in Georgia and the Southeast region. The demand for blueberry crop budgets is at an all-time high. Due to the world economic crisis, agricultural input prices are constantly fluctuating. The increase or decrease in input prices has a...

Understanding the dynamic programming algorithms used In the optimal grain storage literature IS a prerequisite to understanding the findings of this literature This article Introduces these dynamic programming algorithms by examining several In terms of their underlying economic behavior These...

This article examines the performance of three thinly traded futures markets It tests each market with several measures of efficiency and performance and compares the test results with those from a large and mature futures market These thin markets possess some, but not all, of the attributes of...

Reports on prospective plantings are designed to aid farmers in deciding among alternative crops before the planting season. In this connection, they are a useful guide only insofar as they assist the farmer in forecasting probable levels of, or changes in, relative prices. Prices during the...