TRANSPORTATION COSTS IN ECONOMETRIC MODELS OF STATE AGRICULTURAL SECTORS: THE CASE OF BEEF IN HAWAII

Econometric models designed to show how national policies affect state agricultural sectors often use national prices as proxies for state prices. Consequently, they ignore the influence of freight rates on state production. An application to the Hawaii beef industry demonstrates that both freight rates and national beef prices have important impacts on Hawaii beef prices and production. By using state prices rather than national prices, error from changes in freight rates might be reduced, and the model's capacity for policy analysis might be broadened.Livestock Production/Industries,

PLANT NUTRIENT DEMAND FUNCTIONS FOR TENNESSEE WITH PRICES OF JOINTLY APPLIED NUTRIENTS

Several studies have estimated plant nutrient demand functions for nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. All included own-price effects but excluded prices of jointly applied nutrients. In this study, nutrient demand functions, which include prices of all three nutrients, are estimated for Tennessee by seemingly unrelated regression. Results suggest that cross-price effects are important in determining plant nutrient demand, at least in the case of Tennessee, and that multicollinearity need not be a hindrance in all cases to including cross-price effects in plant nutrient demand models.Crop Production/Industries,

STATE-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL BEEF POLICY: THE USE OF STATE ECONOMETRIC MODELS

Interest has grown in analyzing the impact of national imports of foreign beef on state agricultural sectors. In this study, an interfaced Hawaiian-national model is simulated for a change in national beef imports. Hawaiian and national impacts demonstrate wide variation in both sign and magnitude. Usefulness of state models is emphasized for situations where state impacts of national policies are of interest.Agricultural and Food Policy,

THE EFFECTS OF ALTERNATIVE BEEF IMPORT QUOTA REGIMES ON THE BEEF INDUSTRIES OF THE AGGREGATE UNITED STATES AND HAWAII

The effects of the 1964 and 1979 beef import laws on the beef industries of the aggregate United States and Hawaii are simulated for 1972-81 by linking Hawaii and national econometric models. Although impacts are slight for both models, Hawaii beef prices and production appear to be less affected by changes in beef import rules.International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY: THE CASE OF GRASS FED VERSUS GRAIN FED CATTLE IN HAWAII

A model describing the choice of technology is developed from theoretical considerations. It is shown that the model can be approximated using a logit function. Estimates of short-run elasticities are easily obtained. The model is then applied to the decision to place feeder cattle in confined feeding situations or on range. With one possible exception, the results are consistent with theoretical expectations and with previous studies.Livestock Production/Industries,

FERTILIZER DEMAND FUNCTIONS FOR SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS APPLIED TO THREE MAJOR U.S. CROPS

Several past studies used time series data to estimate price elasticities of demand for fertilizer or nutrient use on all crops in the United States or by region. In this study, demand functions for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium applied per acre of corn, wheat and soybeans in the United States were estimated, using a combination of autoregressive least squares and seemingly unrelated regression techniques. The results suggest that the demands for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium applied to corn are price elastic, while similar responses for wheat and soybeans are price inelastic. Nitrogen and phosphorous applied per acre of corn were found to be positively related to government sponsored acreage diversion. The estimated elasticities could provide policymakers with insight for developing fertilizer and crop policies.Crop Production/Industries,

DEMAND FOR PLANT NUTRIENTS IN TENNESSEE DISAGGREGATED BY MIXED FERTILIZERS AND DIRECT APPLICATION MATERIALS

When obtaining nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potash (K), purchasing decisions concerning the quantity and the form of each plant nutrient must be made. Logit models are estimated for the choice-of-form decision by considering those variables influencing the probability that plant nutrients will be purchased in Tennessee as part of a mixed fertilizer or as direct application materials. Parameter and elasticity estimates can be used by fertilizer manufacturers and distributors to anticipate changes in the composition of demand for plant nutrients in Tennessee.Crop Production/Industries,

FARMERS' PERCEPTIONS OF SPATIAL YIELD VARIABILITY AS INFLUENCED BY PRECISION FARMING INFORMATION GATHERING TECHNOLOGIES

This study evaluated how farmers' perceptions of spatial yield variability are influenced by precision technologies. Farmer estimates from a mail survey were regressed on use of alternative information technologies and personal characteristics. Results indicate that farmers who adopted yield monitors with GPS for cotton perceived significantly higher spatial yield variability.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

The Projected Impact of Oil Shale Development on Housing in Uintah County, Utah

The purpose of this paper is to project the demand for housing due to oil shale development in Uintah County, Utah. An overview of the present housing conditions is presented to give a better understanding of the housing situation as it exists at the present time. The demand for housing due to oil shale development is based upon a set of assumptions which was derived from data collected by the author and from a review of the literature. The demand for all housing units due to oil shale is estimated by subtracting the working wives of the employees from local service employment. The demand by type of structure (single, wife-family, multiple-family, and mobile homes) is estimated by making some assumptions about the types of housing each employment group (construction, operation, and lo cal service) will demand

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF VARIABLE RATE APPLICATION OF NITROGEN TO CORN FIELDS: ROLE OF VARIABILITY AND WEATHER

The use of meta-response functions based on EPIC-generated data resulted in comparisons between variable (VRAT) and uniform rate application technologies for 36 simulated fields. VRAT was more profitable and less nitrogen was lost to the environment in most cases. When spatial variability was small, uniform rate application techniques were adopted. However, when nitrogen use is restricted, VRAT is used on all simulated fields.Precision farming, site-specific farming, spatial variability, nitrogen restriction, rainfall, EPIC, crop growth simulation model, meta-response functions, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,