USDA's Livestock Gross Margin Insurance for Dairy: What Is It and How Can It Be Used for Risk Management

Dairy farmers are faced with tremendous and increasing volatility, both in terms of milk prices, and the costs of purchased feed. There is a new weapon in the risk management arsenal of U.S. dairy producers: the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy (LGM-Dairy) insurance program controls for lower gross revenue, defined as the value of milk produced minus feed costs. This program is administered by USDA's Risk Management Agency, and made available via authorized crop insurance agents to dairy farm operators in the lower 48 states.

Optimal Crop-Insurance Strategies under Climate Variability: Contrasting Insurer and Farmer Interests

This study analyzes the potential synergies and conflicts of interest between farmers and insurers in the selection of an optimal crop insurance contract. Special attention is given to how climate information influences this decision-making process. To do so, we consider a representative 40 hectares, rainfed, cotton-peanut farm located in Jackson County in Florida. Our results show that year-to-year ENSO-based climate variability affects farmers income and insurers gains according to crop insurance contracts. Additionally, introduction of ENSO-based climate forecasts presents a significant impact on the selection of a particular contract. We conclude that insurers and farmers can bridge their divergent interests by improving their understanding of the effect of climate conditions on the development of sustainable business plans.Environmental Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty,

The Effect of Traditional Practices in the Efficiency of Dairy Farms in Wisconsin

The US dairy sector is facing structural changes including a geographical shift in dairy production and a tendency towards the implementation of more intensive production systems. These changes might significantly affect farm efficiency, profitability and the long-term economic sustainability of the dairy sector, especially in more traditional dairy production areas. Consequently, the goal of this study was to examine the impact of practices commonly used by dairy farmers and the effect of intensification on the performance of the farms. We used a sample of 273 Wisconsin dairy farms to estimate a stochastic production frontier simultaneously with a technical inefficiency model. The empirical analysis showed that at a commercial level the administration of bovine somatotropin hormone to lactating cows increases milk production. In addition, we found that production exhibits constant returns to scale and that farm efficiency is positively related to farm intensification, the level of contribution of family labor in the farm activities, the use of a total mixed ration (TMR) feeding system and the milking frequency.Technical inefficiency, stochastic production frontier, intensification, Livestock Production/Industries, Productivity Analysis,

Livestock Gross Margin Insurance for Dairy Cattle: An Analysis of Program Performance and Cost under Alternative Policy Configurations

Livestock Gross Margin insurance for dairy cattle (LGM-Dairy) is a risk management tool that can be used to insure a lower bound on a dairy producer’s gross margin. In this paper we (1) review the basic structure of LGM-Dairy (2) examine the sensitivity of Gross Margin Guarantee (GMG) and premium to changes in feeding regimes and (3) quantify impacts of changes in deductible level on important program characteristics.Dairy Price Risk, Uncertainty, Livestock Insurance., Agribusiness, Farm Management, Financial Economics, Livestock Production/Industries, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty,

Analyzing the Determinants of Technical Efficiency Among Traditional Dairy Farms in Wisconsin: A Quantile Regression Approach

This study analyzes the determinants of TE among traditional dairy farms in the State of Wisconsin taking into account dairy farms’ heterogeneity. To do so, we first estimate a production frontier and the level of TE using the SPF framework. Then we analyze the determinants of TI using a quantile regression analysis. The results indicate that the determinants of TE affect in very specific ways farmers with different levels of TE. This result confirms our hypothesis on the importance of controlling for farm heterogeneity when analyzing the determinants of TE. This issue is also important from an empirical point of view. Policy makers could improve the effectiveness of their work by targeting specific agricultural services and aid designed for farmers with different level of TE.technical efficiency, dairy, quantile regression, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Marketing, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis,

The Cooperative Extension Service as a Boundary Organization for Diffusion of Climate Forecasts: A 5-Year Study

This article compares responses from two surveys in Florida to estimate how climate literacy has evolved as a result of the partnership of the Southeast Climate Consortium with the Cooperative Extension Services for diffusion of climate information. A 32-question survey was developed and posted to the Internet in 2004 and again in 2009. We found that climate knowledge evolved over the 5-year interval in two principal ways. Knowledge and willingness to use and provide information to end users increased on average, and agents had refined what types of climate information are actually useful and to what extent for their clients

Repro Money: An Extension Program to Improve Dairy Farm Reproductive Performance

A farmer-directed, team-based Extension program (Repro Money) was developed and executed by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Dairy Science in collaboration with University of Wisconsin–Extension. The goal of the Repro Money program was to help Wisconsin dairy farmers increase reproductive performance and profitability through identification of areas for improvement and implementation of action plans. For the 40 Wisconsin dairy farms that completed the Repro Money program, mean 21-day pregnancy rate increased by 2 percentage points, which was estimated to result in an economic net gain of $31 per cow per year. Extension professionals can apply similar team-based programs to tackle multifaceted, interrelated problems that may be only partially addressed by other, more traditional programming

Multiplicación, histodiferenciación y regeneración de suspensiones celulares embriogénicas en plátanos vianda “Navolean” (AAB)

The results obtained show that the best cell density for the multiplication of the cell suspensions in the cultivar ‘Navolean’ is 3.0% settled cell volume. In the histo-differentiation phase the greatest formation of somatic embryos in the globular stage was obtained using a density of 12.0% final cell volume in liquid culture medium. The maturation of the embryos and an increase in germination was possible on using 0.5 gFW of somatic embryos during 30 days in the maturation culture medium. Using temporary immersion systems with 0.5 gFW of mature somatic embryos, the germination value was increased to 77.40%Key words: Musa, settled cell volume (SCV), somatic embryogenesis, temporary immersionEl mejor resultado para la multiplicación de las suspensiones celulares embriogénicas en el cv. ‘Navolean’ se obtuvo al utilizar una densidad celular del 3.0% del Volumen de Células Sedimentadas. En la etapa de histodiferenciación se logró la mayor formación de embriones somáticos en etapa globular utilizando como densidad 12.0% de volumen final de células en medio de cultivo líquido. Al emplear 0.5 gMF de embriones somáticos durante 30 días de cultivo en el medio de cultivo de maduración, fue posible lograr la maduración de los embriones e incrementar la germinación. Empleando sistemas de inmersión temporal con 0.5 gMF de embriones somáticos maduros se incrementó el valor de germinación a 77.40%.Palabras clave: embriogénesis somática, inmersión temporal, Musa, volumen de células sedimentadas (VCS

Arecibon planetaarisen tutkan Maan lähiasteroidihavainnot: 2017 joulukuu - 2019 joulukuu

We successfully observed 191 near-Earth asteroids using the Arecibo Observatory's S-band planetary radar system from 2017 December through 2019 December. We present radar cross sections for 167 asteroids; circular-polarization ratios for 112 asteroids based on Doppler-echo-power spectra measurements; and radar albedos, constraints on size and spin periods, and surface-feature and shape evaluation for 37 selected asteroids using delay-Doppler radar images with a range resolution of 75 m or finer. Out of 33 asteroids with an estimated effective diameter of at least 200 m and sufficient image quality to give clues of the shape, at least 4 (∼12%) are binary asteroids, including 1 equal-mass binary asteroid, 2017 YE5, and at least 10 (∼30%) are contact-binary asteroids. For 5 out of 112 asteroids with reliable measurements in both circular polarizations, we measured circular-polarization ratios greater than 1.0, which could indicate that they are E-type asteroids, while the mean and the 1σ standard deviation were 0.37 ± 0.23. Further, we find a mean opposite-sense circular-polarization radar albedo of 0.21 ± 0.11 for 41 asteroids (0.19 ± 0.06 for 11 S-complex asteroids). We identified two asteroids, 2011 WN15 and (505657) 2014 SR339, as possible metal-rich objects based on their unusually high radar albedos, and discuss possible evidence of water ice in 2017 YE5.Peer reviewe