Feeding and the Equilibrium Feeder Animal Price-Weight Schedule

The feeder animal price is a derivative in the sense that its value depends upon the price of animals for the consumption market. It also depends upon the biological growth technology and feed costs. Daily maintenance costs are of particular interest to the husbander because they can be avoided through accelerated feeding. In this paper, the optimal feeding path under equilibrium feeder animal prices is established. This analysis is used to gain a better understanding of feeding decisions, regulation in feedstuff markets, and the consequences of genetic innovations. It is shown that days on feed can increase or decrease with a genetic innovation or other improvement in feed conversion efficiency. The structure of comparative prices for feeder animals at different weights, the early slaughter decision, and equilibrium in feeder animal markets are also developed. Feeder animal prices can increase over a weight interval if biological feed efficiency parameters are low over the interval.

Feeding and the Equilibrium Feeder Animal Price-Weight Schedule

Feeder animal prices depend on fed animal prices, the biological growth technology, and feed costs. In addition, daily maintenance costs can be avoided through accelerated feeding. These observations allow us to model optimal feeding under equilibrium feeder animal pricing. Our model enables a better understanding of regulation in feedstuff markets. The feeder animal price-weight schedule is likely decreasing and convex in weight. Prices for animals with better growth potential should be less sensitive to feed and fed animal prices. Prices for lighter animals should be more sensitive to these prices. Regression analyses on Southern Great Plains cattle prices provide support for this model.days on feed, energy use, feed ban, growth hormones, Kleiber's law, ration density, veal market, Livestock Production/Industries,

INFORMATION ASYMMETRY AS A REASON FOR VERTICAL INTEGRATION

Vertical integration, information, product quality, Agribusiness,

On Monoculture and the Structure of Crop Rotations

An issue when seeking to identify rotation choice is persistence in yield-enhancement and input-saving carry-over effects. Focusing on carry-over length and the monoculture decision, we use quasi-convexity of choice functions to develop price-independent and price-dependent principles concerning rotation structure. Iowa corn-soybean rotation data suggest corn has one-year memory. For corn, soybeans in the prior year is yield increasing (16.5 bu./ac.) and nitrogen saving (51 lb./ac.). The hypothesis that soybean has two-year memory cannot be rejected. Corn in the prior year (two years) increases yield by 7 bu./ac. (11.6 bu./ac.). We simulate to find price and practice subsidy levels that support different rotations.

Modeling Stochastic Crop Yield Expectations with a Limiting Beta Distribution

The use of plausible stochastic price processes in price risk analysis has allowed advances not seen in crop yield risk analysis. This study develops a stochastic process for yield modeling and risk management. The Pólya urn process is an internally consistent dynamic representation of yield expectations over a growing season that accommodates agronomic events such as growing degree days. The limiting distribution is the commonly used beta distribution. Binomial tree analysis of the process allows us to explore hedging decisions and crop valuation. The method is empirically flexible to accommodate alternative assumptions on the growing environment, such as intra-season input decisions.crop abandonment, crop insurance, derivative analysis, growing degree days, Pólya’s urn, stochastic process, Crop Production/Industries,

Pólya’s Urn Model for Crop Yield Expectation Stochastic Process

crop insurance, growing degree days, martingale, Pólya urn, stochastic process., Crop Production/Industries, Financial Economics, Production Economics,

Evaluating the Saskatchewan Short-Term Hog Loan Program

The Saskatchewan short-term hog loan program of 2002 provided a non-market credit line to participating hog producers. The repayment conditions for cash advances committed to by the provincial government depend on later hog prices, and so the program has derivative contract attributes. We model the contracts and use an estimated spot price stochastic process to establish summary statistics for producer benefits from the program.

THE DESEASONALIZATION OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION

We document the deseasonalization of animal production in the US and Europe. Hypotheses on causes and consequences of this trend are advanced. They pertain to feed costs, changes in animal productivity and cost fixity of the underlying technology, innovations in genetic control and epidemiology, and the capital intensity of production.Animal Production, Capital Intensity, Dairy, Industrialization, Seasonality, Livestock Production/Industries,

Economic Value of Information: Wheat Protein Measurement

In this paper we study U.S. wheat farmers’ willingness to pay for near infrared (NIR) sensor that can segregates wheat grains according to their protein concentration. We first develop a microeconomic optimization model of wheat farmers’ segregating and commingling decisions. Then we use U.S. wheat prices and stocks to estimate a wheat protein stock demand system. This allows us to establish the effects of changes in the protein profile of wheat stocks on protein premiums. The paper’s simulation section combines the results from the microeconomic optimization model and from the econometric estimations to simulate wheat farmers’ WTP for the sorting technology. Preliminary findings from the simulation show that a typical hard red winter (hard red spring) wheat farmer’s WTP for the sorting technology is 5.6 (4.8) cents per bushel.information, economic value, wheat, protein, market structure, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Q12, Q16, D81,

Ledger Provision in Hog Marketing Contracts

Price-dependent loan agreements at low interest rates have sometimes been included in North American hog sector long-term marketing contracts. We show that a general form of this stipulation can be viewed as a hybrid between a forward rate agreement and a bundle of commodity spot options. In some cases, the provision amounts to a commodity swap. These observations provide an approach to valuing the provision. Historical data are used to estimate expected payouts to the producer under the contract feature.