Implications of Integrated Commodity Programs and Crop Insurance

Moving from price-triggered to area revenue–triggered programs was perhaps the most common theme among 2007 farm bill proposals. Area revenue–triggered commodity programs may make farm-level revenue insurance products seem redundant, raising questions about why the federal government should continue both programs. Area revenue–triggered programs would remove much of the systemic risk faced by producers. As a result, private sector insurers may be able to insure the residual risk without federal involvement. This paper examines the effects of moving to area revenue–triggered commodity programs with a focus on public policy issues that would likely arise.commodity programs, revenue insurance, systemic risk, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Productivity Analysis, D81, G22, Q18,

Summer Institute in Biomedical Engineering, 1973

Bioengineering of medical equipment is detailed. Equipment described includes: an environmental control system for a surgical suite; surface potential mapping for an electrode system; the use of speech-modulated-white-noise to differentiate hearers and feelers among the profoundly deaf; the design of an automatic weight scale for an isolette; and an internal tibial torsion correction study. Graphs and charts are included with design specifications of this equipment

An International Comparison of the Effects of Government Agricultural Support on Food Budget Shares

This study evaluates econometrically the effect of government support to agriculture on a measure of the affordability of food in 10 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The panel model we construct specifically utilizes two values calculated by the OECD: Producer Support Estimates as a percentage of gross farm receipts and the Consumer Nominal Protection Coefficient. These two variables represent transfers from taxpayers to agricultural producers through government programs and transfers from consumers to government through protectionist measures, respectively. By using dummy variables, we find implications for groups of countries on the basis of their relative levels of support and protection.agricultural policy, obesity, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, I18, Q18,

Are Our Agricultural Risk Management Tools Adequate for a New Era?

risk, commodity programs, insurance, Agricultural Finance, Risk and Uncertainty, D80, G11, Q18,

Incentives Matter: Assessing Biofuel Policies in the South

As a result of the increase in the real cost of fossil fuel-based energy in recent years, federal and state governments have taken a more active role in energy policy by creating incentives to develop alternative sources of energy, including biofuels. However, policymakers often become focused on the specific type of energy and not the energy services consumers ultimately value. The lack of recognition of energy as a commodity results in policies that ignore the characteristics of the associated markets: easy entry and exit, no barriers to entry, and sensitivity to changes in supply and demand. Consequently, energy industries may fail to arise because entrepreneurs must be able to account for all costs and earn—at a minimum—a competitive return on the investment. This article evaluates the options available to policymakers related to biofuels, which are of particular concern to the South, and includes an assessment of the knowledge base on which policy decisions are made.alternative energy, biofuels, energy policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q41, Q42, Q48,

Subscriber churn in the Australian ISP market

Rapid growth in Internet use, combined with easy market entry by Internet service providers (ISPs), has resulted in a highly competitive supply of Internet services. Australian ISPs range in size from a few large national operators to niche ISPs focused on specialised service. With many ISPs currently not profitable, subscriber retention is an important aspect of survival. This study develops a model which relates the probability of subscriber churn to various service attributes and subscriber characteristics. Estimation results show that churn probability is positively associated with monthly ISP expenditure, but inversely related to household income. Pricing also matters with subscribers preferring ISPs which offer flat-rate pricing arrangements.

Factors affecting plant recovery of cultured embryos of three Glycine genotypes

Call number: LD2668 .T4 AGRN 1988 C62Master of ScienceAgronom

INVESTIGATING THE IMPLICATIONS OF MULTI-CROP REVENUE INSURANCE FOR PRODUCER RISK MANAGEMENT

This study investigates the potential for alternative multi-crop revenue insurance designs in comparison to single crop yield and revenue insurance designs. A non-parametric multi-crop insurance model is developed which subsumes the single crop designs. The results compare alternative designs in terms of rate levels and risk reduction gains for representative Mississippi producers.crop insurance, revenue insurance, risk, Risk and Uncertainty,

Customizable Area Whole Farm Insurance (CAWFI)

The customizable area whole farm insurance (CAWFI) was designed and compared with no insurance program and currently available whole farm insurance based on farm level yield (CFWFI). The CAWFI yields higher certainty equivalents over no insurance program, but lower to CFWFI; CAWFI has fairly small indemnity compared with CFWFI.Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty,

The Effect of Changing Government Subsidy Programs: An Analysis of Revenue at the Farm level

Producer revenue is simultaneously simulated for several hundred county-specific representative farms. The effects of current and alternative commodity programs are analyzed. In particular, two variations of revenue-triggered programs similar to plans proposed by the National Corn Growers Association are evaluated.Risk, commodity policy, simulation, Agricultural and Food Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, Q180,