THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPENDITURES: FOOD SAFETY AND THE STRAWBERRY CASE

Food safety has become an important issue affecting public health and grower profits. Outbreaks of foodborne illnesses are typically accompanied by press accounts of the incident and a decrease in demand. This study estimates the short- and long-run impacts of adverse and positive information delivered through print media on strawberry grower profits. Positive information may arise as apart of the promotional efforts of grower associations. It is found that adverse information reduces grower profits, but that positive information can partially offset their effects. It is suggested that grower groups could redirect funds used for promotion to food safety initiatives.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Development of the interactive broiler income spreadsheet

The poultry industry has experienced unprecedented increased efficiencies since 1960 in large part due to vertical integration facilitated by production contracts between growers and integrators. As growers seek information about contract production they need to be well informed about all aspects of the process, especially potential income. Recent poultry grower complaints have surfaced as a result of incorrect expense and revenue expectations. The Interactive Broiler Income Spreadsheet (IBIS) is being developed to enable current and prospective poultry producers to better estimate income. IBIS, an unbiased Excel™ spreadsheet tool to assist in decision making regarding broiler production profitability, uses actual grower expense and revenue information or, alternatively, grower-panel default data to assess income under various growerspecified production, expense, and price scenarios. Poultry integrator grower service personnel, lenders, and Cooperative Extension professionals will utilize IBIS to assist growers in operational planning and risk tolerance identification in varying economic situations. Growers may also gauge effects of capital improvements, equipment upgrades, chick placements, and time between flocks on income. Development of IBIS is continuing with collection of additional data and revision of procedures based upon results of field testing

FACTORS AFFECTING CONTRACTOR AND GROWER SUCCESS IN HOG CONTRACTING

This study analyzes a national survey of U.S. hog producers within a principal-agent framework in order to examine factors affecting contractor and grower success in hog contracting. Several factors had differential impacts on contractor and grower returns. Results suggest that there may be a role for public policy in ensuring that contract arrangements are conducted fairly.Livestock Production/Industries,

THE SKY IS FALLING: AN EXAMINATION OF BROILER CONTRACT DESIGN AND GROWER REVENUES

A math program is used to examine an integrators problem of assigning broiler growers into settlement pools. The integrator varies the size and frequency of flock placements by grower ability. This differentiates grower incentives by ability. Which growers receive the strongest incentives depends on amount of excess grow-out capacity.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Understanding the World Wool Market: Trade, Productivity and Grower Incomes. Part 1: Introduction

This is the front matter and Chapter 1 of my PhD thesis Understanding the World Wool Market: Trade, Productivity and Grower Incomes, UWA, 2006. The full thesis is available as Discussion Papers 06.19 to 06.24. The core objective of this thesis is summarised by its title: “Understanding the World Wool Market: Trade, Productivity and Grower Incomes”. Thus, we wish to aid understanding of the economic mechanisms by which the world wool market operates. In doing so, we analyse two issues – trade and productivity – and their effect on, inter alia, grower incomes. To achieve the objective, we develop a novel analytical framework, or model. The model combines two long and rich modelling traditions: the partial-equilibrium commodity-specific approach and the computable-general-equilibrium approach. The result is a model that represents the world wool market in detail, tracking the production of greasy wool through five off-farm production stages ending in the production of wool garments.

Development of advanced Czochralski growth process to produce low-cost 150 kG silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness

The modified CG2000 crystal grower construction, installation, and machine check out was completed. The process development check out proceeded with several dry runs and one growth run. Several machine calibrations and functional problems were discovered and corrected. Exhaust gas analysis system alternatives were evaluated and an integrated system approved and ordered. Several growth runs on a development CG2000 RC grower show that complete neck, crown, and body automated growth can be achieved with only one operator input

The effect of breed and feed-type on the sensory profile of breast meat in male broilers reared in an organic free-range system

1. Studies on the sensory profiling of male broiler breast meat were carried out to evaluate the effect of two very different broiler breeds (JA757 and New Hampshire), two different feed types (broiler and grower feed) and age at slaughter (82 and 110 d). 2. The sensory profiling consisted of a pilot study, 4 training sessions, and finally the assessment. During the training session a panel of 9 assessors defined 17 attributes, which were used to describe the smell, texture and flavour of the breast fillets. Each attribute was evaluated on a 15-cm unstructured line scale. 3. The breast meat became significantly less hard, and more juicy and tender in the New Hampshire at 110 d of age, whereas the opposite was found in JA757, which also acquired a more ‘‘sourish’’ flavour with age. The smell of ‘‘sweet/maize’’ and ‘‘bouillon’’ became weaker with age in JA757, but not in New Hampshire. 4. Several significant differences in relation to the main factors of breed and age were found. The traditional broiler hybrid JA757 did best for most smell and flavour attributes, whereas New Hampshire did best for the texture attributes. Age had a negative effect on the flavours and smell attributes ‘‘fresh chicken’’, ‘‘neck of pork’’ and ‘‘sweet maize’’, but a positive effect on the texture attribute ‘‘crumbly’’. In addition meat was more ‘‘stringy’’ at 110 d of age. 5. The flavours ‘‘neck of pork’’ and ‘‘umami’’ were significantly improved when JA757 was fed on the broiler feed and when New Hampshire was given the grower feed. The meat smelt more ‘‘sourish’’ at 82 d of age and less ‘‘sourish’’ at 110 d of age when the grower feed was consumed. Meat was significantly harder and stringier when JA757 was fed on the grower feed. This was not the case for New Hampshire. In general, the meat was significantly less crumbly and stringier with the grower feed. 6. Overall a very distinct difference in sensory profile was found between the two breeds. In addition different slaughter ages and feeding strategies should be taken into consideration in a niche production based on alternative genotypes

Accelerated fruit libraries to predict storage potential of 'Hayward' kiwifruit grower lines : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology at Massey University, New Zealand.

Reducing postharvest losses is a major challenge of the kiwifruit industry. Inherent variability between kiwifruit grower lines makes the prediction of postharvest storage quality a difficult task. This research aims to establish an Accelerated Fruit Library (AFL) rapid test methodology to collect data that would enable a priori segregation of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit grower lines for storage potential. In the AFL, fruit losses were accelerated by storing at 20 °C and measured regularly at 3 day (d) intervals. The resulting pattern of losses in the AFL was assumed to reflect the losses in optimal storage (0 °C). Results from a preliminary study found that late harvested lines in the AFL displayed a more rapid decline in firmness than those harvested earlier, corresponding with the highest recorded ethylene contamination in the room. Therefore, later AFL attempts were refined by storing each grower line in a flow through system to maintain ethylene independence. The refined AFL methodology ensured expression of inherent loss patterns of each grower line. From the AFL data, parameters describing the distribution, variability and defect count were extracted. Number of fruit < 0.6 kgf, 1st quartile, 3rd quartile firmness, mean and median firmness, SSC:firmness ratio and number of rots during AFL monitoring were slightly correlated (r = |0.5|) with fruit firmness at 126 d of optimal storage. None of the AFL parameters had consistent correlation (r = |0.5| continuously at more than two measurement occasions) with storage firmness. Later, AFL softening curves were described with the Complementary Gompertz equation using the non-linear mixed effects procedure for fitting. Grower lines with higher fitted rate of firmness change parameter (?) during AFL monitoring had a tendency to have low firmness at 100 and 126 d of optimal storage (r = -0.53 and -0.45 respectively). Using the fitted ? as a segregation guide, 60% of grower lines were successfully categorised into 1 of 3 storage potential categories (i.e. low, medium and high). Notably, ? successfully identified 90% of the low storage grower lines. Removing grower lines identified as low storing (65% of whole population) changed the proportion of observed low storing lines in the remaining population from 35% to 10%. However, in the next season where validation of the AFL methodology was conducted, using the fitted ? as a segregation tool resulted in only 53% of grower lines being correctly categorised. Meanwhile, 78% of grower lines with low storage potential were accurately predicted. However, removal of lines categorised as low storing (64.7% of whole population) changed the proportion of observed low storing lines in the remaining population from 53% to 33.3%. Overall, the AFL methodology could have potential to segregate grower lines with different storage potentials but unfortunately higher proportion of low storing lines in the remaining population categorised as medium and high storage restrict its industrial application. Further development of the AFL methodology to predict storability of kiwifruit grower lines may be achieved with incorporation of pre-harvest information (change in fruit quality e.g. SSC and firmness on vine), compositional attributes (amount of minerals e.g. calcium), physiological indicators (e.g. respiration rate and ethylene production) and processes (e.g. cell wall changes and enzymatic activity) of fruit ripening during storage

Stochastic Dominance in Wheat Variety Development and Release Strategies

Variety development and release decisions involve tradeoffs between yields and characteristics valued by end-users, as well as uncertainties about agronomic, quality, and economic variables. In this study, methods are developed to determine the value of varieties to growers and end-users including the effects of variability in economic, agronomic, and quality variables. The application is to hard red spring (HRS) wheat, a class of wheat for which these tradeoffs and risks are particularly apparent. Results indicate two experimental varieties provide improvements in grower and end-user value, relative to incumbents. Stochastic dominance techniques and statistical tests are applied to determine efficient sets and robustness of the results. A risk-adjusted portfolio model, which simultaneously incorporates correlations between grower and end-use characteristics, is also developed to compare the portfolio value of varieties.end-user value, grower value, portfolio value, stochastic dominance, tradeoffs, variety development, wheat, Crop Production/Industries,

Economic Impact of the Alabama Green Industry 2003 to 2008: Grower Optimism in a Changing Economy

Greenhouse and nursery contributes significantly to Alabama’s agricultural industry and the nation’s green industry. This industry represents the number one crop sector in Alabama agriculture and ranks 16th in the nation. This paper compared the 2003 and 2008 economic impact of the green industry in Alabama, which showed tremendous growth over the period. The paper also evaluated factors that influence grower optimism for future growth of their firm. It was found that the product type, percentage sales to different states and different wholesale marketing outlet had a significant impact on grower optimism.Financial Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,