Weather Cycles, Production Yields and Georgia's Muscadine

This paper looks at the relationship between weather, crop yield, and market price of muscadines using a dynamic panel data that spans from the 2000 to 2005 and across the state of Georgia. We use a Generalized Methods of Moments technique to estimate the impact of weather on the price of muscadines with the yield per acre as the instrumented variable. The results suggest that there is a relationship between the price and weather for muscadines, which provide important implications for the potential relevance of a weather derivative for muscadine production.muscadines, weather cycles, price, production yields, Georgia, Generalized Method of Moments, Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty,

Gender Bias Claims in Farm Service Agency’s Lending Decisions

This study analyzes the courts’ denial of women farmers’ motion for class-action certification of their lawsuits alleging gender discrimination in Farm Service Agency (FSA) lending decisions. The plaintiffs’ claim of “commonality†of circumstances in women farmers’ dealings with FSA is tested using a four-year sampling of Georgia FSA loan applications. The econometric framework has been developed after accounting for the separability of loan approval and amount decisions, as well as endogeneity issues through instrumental variable estimation. This study’s results do not produce overwhelming evidence of gender bias in FSA loan approval decisions and in favor of the “commonality†argument among Georgia FSA farm loan applicants.class-action suit, credit risk, creditworthiness, gender discrimination, Heckman selection, instrumental variable probit, Labor and Human Capital,

Grass-Fed versus Organic Dairy Production: Southeastern US Willingness to Pay

This paper examines determinants of consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for grass-fed and organic dairy by using a survey data from the southeastern United States. We use ordered and Heckman probit regression techniques to estimate the impact of consumer characteristics on their willingness to pay premiums. The results suggest that some of relevant determinants are: age, income, gender, and geographical variables. This research has important implications for the large dairy industries in Florida and also as provides important information for the growing dairy industries in the rest of the southeastern United States.Grass-fed Dairy, Heckman Probit Regression, Organic Dairy, WTP, Livestock Production/Industries,

The Impact on The Milk Supply Response to MPP-Dairy

This paper presents an analysis of potential milk supply changes by farms due to the newly enacted Margin Protection Plan (MPP) – Dairy. The analysis is done on small, medium, and large farms and compares the MPP-Dairy to the Milk Income Loss Contract and no governmental program. The results show that the medium farms are the most sensitive to margins and governmental policies

Weather Cycles, Production Yields and Georgia's Muscadine

This paper looks at the relationship between weather, crop yield, and market price of muscadines using a dynamic panel data that spans from the 2000 to 2005 and across the state of Georgia. We use a Generalized Methods of Moments technique to estimate the impact of weather on the price of muscadines with the yield per acre as the instrumented variable. The results suggest that there is a relationship between the price and weather for muscadines, which provide important implications for the potential relevance of a weather derivative for muscadine production

Consumer Premiums for Environmentally Friendly Grass-Fed and Organic Milk in the Southeast

This paper examines determinants of consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for grass-fed and organic dairy by using survey data collected from several south- eastern states. Ordered and Heckman probit regression techniques were used to identify the significance of consumer characteristics on their willingness to pay separate and comparative premiums, respectively, for the two milk product alternatives. The results indicate that while gender and household income are significant determinants of price premiums for both organic and grass-fed dairy products, only household income is positively significant in the Heckman selection estimation

Gender Bias Claims in Farm Service Agency’s Lending Decisions

This study analyzes the courts’ denial of women farmers’ motion for class-action certification of their lawsuits alleging gender discrimination in Farm Service Agency (FSA) lending decisions. The plaintiffs’ claim of “commonality” of circumstances in women farmers’ dealings with FSA is tested using a four-year sampling of Georgia FSA loan applications. The econometric framework has been developed after accounting for the separability of loan approval and amount decisions, as well as endogeneity issues through instrumental variable estimation. This study’s results do not produce overwhelming evidence of gender bias in FSA loan approval decisions and in favor of the “commonality” argument among Georgia FSA farm loan applicants