Increasing U.S. Hard Red Winter Wheat Competitiveness in Latin American Markets

The United States wheat sector leadership in world markets is facing serious challenges. Canada, Australia, Argentina, the European Union (EU), and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) are growing contenders for international wheat markets. Wheat buyers´ concerns about quality specifications and its consistency have intensified without precedents in the last years. The study focuses on identifying the attributes that wheat buyers most value at the moment of purchase. The study will be done in two stages. The first stage will focus in estimating preferences from actual wheat transactions from different grain-sheds in the HRW growing area. The second stage will focus on the demand from Latin American millers and will estimate their attribute preference and elicit willingness to pay. The second stage will start with Mexican millers, given their importance for the HRW exports. A hedonic price model will be used for the first stage. The second part of the study will attempt to elicit miller´s preferences by using a self explicated approach. Expected results are that the "easy-to-measure attributes": test weight, and protein levels; and all functionality characteristics such as bake absorption, farinograph peak time, farinograph stability, alveograph p/l ratio will be the most valued by the wheat customers. We hypothesize that millers will be willing to pay a premium if those attributes are present in desirable levels. The information should provide insight into the efforts being made by wheat marketing agencies and the U.S. Wheat Associates to promote quality-based marketing of wheat to domestic and foreign millers. Discussion may also include the impacts of quality-based marketing on U.S. share of the world wheat market.International Relations/Trade,

American Native Beef Cooperative

The American Native Beef project involved a failed attempt to establish cow and bull slaughter operation in Southeast Oklahoma. The effort was initially organized as a new generation cooperative and raised over US$2.5M from area producers who retained their funds in escrow for over 5 years despite numerous opportunities to withdraw their investment. The business model was restructured several times to attract equity capital from outside investors. The case provides insights into the linkages between business strategy and business structure. It also raises the question as to whether the project could have been successful under the original business model.Agribusiness, Livestock Production/Industries,

Energizing a Cooperative Class with Cooperative Feasibility Software

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Agribusiness,

Producers Cooperative Oil Mill: A Case Study in Strategic Planning for a Cooperative

This study examines the strategic issues and decisions of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, a regional oilseed processing cooperative located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The process of strategic planning and strategy implementation in agribusiness has been the topic of numerous research studies and case studies. While cooperative firms have been the subject of case studies focusing on strategic issues, the unique aspects of strategic decisions in a cooperative firm have not been highlighted. The formulation and implementation of strategy in cooperative organizations is impacted by their business structure. This case study provides unique examples of how strategy formulation and implementation is impacted by the unique structure and values of a cooperative firm. The article is formatted such that it can be used in educational programs as three inter-related mini-case studies. Questions for students are included.cooperative, strategic planning, oilseed processing, Agribusiness, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Before the Bricks and Mortar: A Case Study of a New Generation Cooperative’s Planning Process

To generate additional income for their members, many cooperatives consider forward integrating into processing activities. However, many market, industry, and economic issues must be considered before choosing a value-added processing activity to pursue. Gathering the necessary information to evaluate various processing opportunities is a considerable undertaking and may require the expertise of university personnel, economic development specialists, and possibly professional consultants. Using an Oklahoma new generation cooperative case study, this paper outlines a market assessment process for value-added ventures.market entry strategies, “matrix†assessment, new generation cooperative, strategic planning, Financial Economics, Marketing, Productivity Analysis,

Factors Impacting Participation In and Purchases Made by Members of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative

The Oklahoma Food Cooperative (OFC) facilitates transactions between producers and consumers of locally-grown food items. Even with more than 3,000 members and roughly $1M in annual sales, the OFC still needs to establish its long-term sustainability. Both customer-members and supplier-members of the OFC were surveyed to determine the factors driving their current and continued participation in the cooperative.cooperative, local food movement, member communications, business sustainability, strategic planning, Agribusiness, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Marketing,

Feasibility of a Co-operative Winery

The number of operating wineries in the United States has doubled during the past decade. Most of this growth has been due to a large number of entrepreneurial landowners developing their own small acreage vineyards and trying to branch into winemaking. However, wineries are capital-intensive enterprises which require high initial investment and experience lagged cash flow associated with the time between the purchase of grapes and initial wine sales. Additionally, the availability of local grape production often limits the production capabilities of an entrepreneur’s small winery. As a result, some vineyard owners consider establishing co-operative wineries. This paper describes a feasibility assessment tool developed to assist vineyard owners in examining the potential for a co-operative winery and provides an example of how this tool can be used to examine a number of co-operative operating scenarios.co-operative, feasibility template, qualified and nonqualified stock, revolving equity, winery, Agribusiness, Financial Economics,

FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER DECISIONS RELATED TO "NATURAL" BEEF IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS

Consumer/Household Economics,

Launch Rules for Small Businesses

The entrepreneurial desire is alive and well in the U.S., and universities have developed various programs targeted at helping those embarking on this adventure. From their work with hundreds of start-up businesses, Extension economists at two such centers have defined a set of launch rules to help new businesses avoid common pitfalls. These rules are highly recommended actions to be taken by entrepreneurs as they stake their time and resources to a new venture. They will also provide direction for Extension faculty engaged in helping these entrepreneurs

Golden Rules of New Venture Creation

When assisting stakeholders developing new value-added businesses, Extension faculty need to direct their attention to market research and the assessment of their clients\u27 strengths/weaknesses prior to the development/launch of their product. This article presents two rules, know thy customer and know thy self, and supporting details to help in the new venture creation process. The rules were developed based on two Extension programs in value-added centers. The information will help Extension agents understand the need to pay closer attention to markets and management when helping their clientele, and they will be able to communicate that need to them