Agribusiness Commons^™

Evaluation Of Animal-Based Indicators To Be Used In A Welfare Assessment Protocol For Sheep, Susan E. Richmond, Françoise Wemelsfelder, Ina Beltran De Heredia, Roberto Ruiz, Elisabetta Canali, Cathy M. Dwyer

Farm Animal Welfare Collection

Sheep are managed under a variety of different environments (continually outdoors, partially outdoors with seasonal or diurnal variation, continuously indoors) and for different purposes, which makes assessing welfare challenging. This diversity means that resource-based indicators are not particularly useful and, thus, a welfare assessment scheme for sheep, focusing on animal-based indicators, was developed. We focus specifically on ewes, as the most numerous group of sheep present on farm, although many of the indicators may also have relevance to adult male sheep. Using the Welfare Quality® framework of four Principles and 12 Criteria, we considered the validity, reliability, and feasibility of …

Assessing The Current Efficiencies Of Farm Credit Of Western Arkansas, Hailey Paulsen

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Farm Credit is a unique banking structure, as it is a cooperative which pays patronage dividends to its members. As such, the rates for loans (nominal interest rates) that Farm Credit offers can be slightly higher than larger commercial banks because the patronage payment can offset some, all or more of interest rate difference, which results in an effective rate. Farm Credit, like other globally evolving industries, must continuously look for ways to differentiate themselves to compete for new customers and retain existing ones. Thus, this study sets out to survey the members of Western Farm Credit of Arkansas to …

Profitability Analysis Of Varying Herd Sizes Based On Price Signals In Cow-Calf Operations, Colson Tester

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

The third most consumed meat around the world is beef. Despite global growth in demand, cattle markets experience price cycles related to biological production lags causing variability in cash flow and profitability for producers. Price-driven herd size management strategies thus have received attention. This study adds to that literature by analyzing both price and production risk using three herd size management strategies: i) steady state – holding herd size constant; ii) dollar cost averaging – keeping reinvestment constant by varying the number of replacement heifers retained at a constant long run average dollar total; and iii) moving average – using …

Capacity Management In Agricultural Commodity Processing And Application In The Palm Industry, Onur Boyabatli, Jason Quang Dang Nguyen, Tong Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper examines the capacity investment decisions of a processor that uses a commodity input to produce both a commodity output and a byproduct in the context of agricultural industries. We employ a multi-period model to study the optimal one-time processing and (output) storage capacity investment decisions---in addition to the periodic processing and inventory decisions---when both input and output spot prices as well as production yield are uncertain. We characterize the optimal decisions and perform sensitivity analysis to investigate how spot price uncertainty affects the processor's optimal capacity and profitability. Using a calibration based on the palm industry, we study …

Increasing Commerce Competitiveness: Case Study On Solving Issues In The Fruit Supply Chain In The Dominican Republic, Which Limit Exports, And Self-Reliance, Maria G. Mera Rivas

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Agriculture was the main economic pillar of the Dominican Republic from its origins. Government decisions during the 80s and 90s resulted in high imports of food products, migration of rural workers to the urban areas, loss of arable land, and disinterest from a younger generation to continue food production. This case study explains the findings from research conducted in the Dominican Republic and Georgia, USA between 2014 and 2017. The researcher interviewed major players in the fruit sector in both areas, used data from the cacao sector to analyze exports behavior, and applied Porter’s Diamond of National Advantage to the …

Governance Rules And Bargaining Power In Sustainability Alliances, Matthew Elliott, Lisa Elliott

Matthew Elliott

General Principles For The Welfare Of Animals In Production Systems: The Underlying Science And Its Application, David Fraser, Ian J.H. Duncan, Sandra A. Edwards, Temple Grandin, Neville G. Gregory, Vincent Guyonnet, Paul H. Hemsworth, Stella M. Huertas, Juliana M. Huzzey, David J. Mellor, Joy A. Mench, Marek Špinka, H. Rebecca Whay

David Fraser, PhD

In 2012, the World Organisation for Animal Health adopted 10 ‘General Principles for the Welfare of Animals in Livestock Production Systems’ to guide the development of animal welfare standards. The General Principles draw on half a century of scientific research relevant to animal welfare: (1) how genetic selection affects animal health, behaviour and temperament; (2) how the environment influences injuries and the transmission of diseases and parasites; (3) how the environment affects resting, movement and the performance of natural behaviour; (4) the management of groups to minimize conflict and allow positive social contact; (5) the effects of air quality, temperature …

Attitudes Of Canadian Citizens Toward Farm Animal Welfare: A Qualitative Study, Jeffrey M. Spooner, Catherine A. Schuppli, David Fraser

David Fraser, PhD

As part of a larger project to determine if there are animal-welfare-related values shared by some commercial food–animal producers and non-producers in Canada, open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit opinions about animal welfare among 24 urban and rural residents not involved in commercial animal production. All participants possessed a self-described interest in food animal well-being and were therefore assumed to represent the views of Canadian non-producers most apt to engage in efforts to shape the animal welfare policies of governments and businesses. Participants described animal welfare in moral or ethical terms, expressed virtually unanimous support for animals having access …

Attitudes Of Canadian Beef Producers Toward Animal Welfare, J. M. Spooner, C. A. Schuppli, D. Fraser

David Fraser, PhD

Commercial beef production in western Canada involves raising cows and calves on large tracts of grassland, plus grain-based ‘finishing’ of animals in outdoor feedlots. This study used open-ended, semi-structured interviews to explore views on animal welfare of 23 commercial beef producers in this system. Although wary of the term ‘animal welfare’, participants understood the concept to encompass three well-known elements: (i) basic animal health and body condition; (ii) affective states (comfort, contentment, freedom from hunger or thirst); and (iii) the ability to live a ‘natural’ life. Participants attached importance to protecting animals from natural hardships (extreme weather, predators), yet many …

Attitudes Of Canadian Pig Producers Toward Animal Welfare, Jeffrey M. Spooner, Catherine A. Schuppli, David Fraser

David Fraser, PhD

As part of a larger study eliciting Canadian producer and non-producer views about animal welfare, open-ended, semi-structured interviews were used to explore opinions about animal welfare of 20 Canadian pig producers, most of whom were involved in confinement-based systems. With the exception of the one organic producer, who emphasized the importance of a ‘‘natural’’ life, participants attached overriding importance to biological health and functioning. They saw their efforts as providing pigs with dry, thermally regulated, indoor environments where animals received abundant feed, careful monitoring and where prospective disease outbreaks could be minimized and controlled. Emphasis was also placed on low-stress …

Impact Of Automated Guidance For Mechanical Control Of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds In Corn, Terry Griffin, James M. Lowenberg-Deboer

Journal of Applied Farm Economics

This study evaluated the feasibility of reintroducing mechanical weed control as an alternative for herbicide-resistance weed infestations. The production practice tested included row cultivation with a separate banded spray application using high-accuracy automated guidance systems. A range of ground speeds were tested for the row cultivation operation, each with a different per acre cost and timeliness penalty. A typical eastern Corn Belt farm with a rotation of corn and soybean served as the base for the linear programming model. It was found that if the farmer was willing to reintroduce tillage, row cultivation conducted at higher operating speeds in conjunction …

Snap, Crackle, Crunch: For This Team Of Food Visionaries, Insects Are The Key To Feeding The World, Susan Abram

Colby Magazine

For most people, a cricket's chirp is the song of summer. But for a multidisciplinary team of Colby alumni, the uninhibited chorus that comes from the insects marks a leap towards the future of sustainable food systems.

2015 Maple Business Benchmark, Mark Cannella, Christopher Lindgren, Betsy Miller

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The 2015 Maple Business Benchmark is the third year of financial analysis for a small group of commercial syrup producers. The University of Vermont Extension worked with 14 maple producers to complete financial analysis of their maple enterprise. This report demonstrates key management and financial metrics including: yield statistics, land use, operating costs, investment requirements, total cost of production, marketing strategy and net income. The participants represent a small sample of the entire Vermont maple industry but the findings can compel any manager to consider the methods and results of financial analysis for their particular business situations. This report will …

Market Opportunities For Wa Fruits, Manju Radhakrishnan

Bulletins 4000 -

The purpose of this analysis was to identify potential high-value markets for selected WA fruits. The limited size of the domestic market, coupled with slowing population growth, makes a robust increase in export necessary to achieve the aspirational goal of ‘doubling the value of agriculture’ by 2025 (Radhakrishnan 2017). Building opportunities for WA produce through identifying export markets with the best potential return, underpinned by demand, is of prime importance. This report analyses the market opportunities for seven fruits — apples, avocados, grapes, melons, oranges, plums and strawberries. These fruits were selected in response to an earlier analysis by Radhakrishnan, …

Newsroom: From Farm To School 09-21-2017, Jill Rodrigues, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Sex Differences In The Herding Styles Of Working Sheepdogs And Their Handlers, Erin Kydd, Paul Mcgreevy

Livestock and Working Dogs Collection

Working sheepdog trials test the attributes of dogs as well as the dogmanship and stockmanship skills of handlers. They generally include standard elements such as outrun, lift, fetch, drive, shed, pen and single to test all facets of the work that dogs perform on a farm. While both male and female handlers participate, these trials are traditionally dominated by male handlers. Both male and female dogs compete on equal terms within the same events. Drawing data from files (n = 60) downloaded from YouTube, the current study explores whether behaviours of dogs and their handlers during sheepdog trials differ between …

Cbn Real Sector Financing For Inclusive Growth And Economic Development., Mudashiru A. Olaitan

Bullion

The fall in crude oil in the international market has expose Nigeria's vulnerability to external shocks and overdependence on a mono-product economy thereby presenting the opportunity for Nigeria to diversify its economy away from oil into agriculture, manufacturing services and other non-oil sectors. This paper examines the need to support key sectors that are drivers of growth and to also upscale its developmental finance initiatives targeted at economic growth, deepening of deepening of credit delivery to the real sector. The paper highlighted focal areas and the interventions by CBN in these areas to include Agricultural sector; Infrastructure; Manufacturing sector; MSMEs …

Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Florida Consumers' Perceptions On Use Of Chemical In Locally Or Regionally Produced Livestock Products, David Nii O. Tackie, Akua Adu-Gyamfi, Janette R. Bartlett, Bridget J. Perry

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The use of chemicals in livestock production has been an issue for consumers for several decades. This study, therefore, assessed the impact of socioeconomic factors on Florida consumers’ perceptions on the use of chemicals in locally or regionally produced livestock products. Data were collected from a sample of 404 participants from several Florida counties and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic analysis. Most of the respondents were of the opinion that using chemicals in locally or regionally produced and sold beef or goat meat was a serious or somewhat serious hazard. The ordinal logistic regression results showed …

Farm Deaths And Injuries: Changing Irish Farmer Attitudes And Behaviour On Farm Safety, Maurice Murphy, Kieran O'Connell

Dept. of Management & Enterprise Conference Material

While the Irish agricultural sector accounts for just 6% of the working population of Ireland, it consistently has the highest proportion of fatal incidents of any sector - generally ranging from between 35% and 45% of all workplace fatalities in any given year. This was again evident in 2014 where 55% (30 of the 56) of the fatal workplace incidents were in the agricultural sector. Agriculture has an ageing workforce with the average age of an Irish farmer now standing at fifty-seven and farmers are eight times more likely to be fatally injured in a farm accident than the general …

Lighting The Flame Of Entrepreneurship Among Agribusiness Students, Christiane Schroeter, Lindsey Higgins, Carlyn Wright

Christiane Schroeter

Almonds, A Fiesty Industry, Kenneth M. Petrowsky

Marriott Student Review

A bitter power struggle between the almond industry and the milk industry has become a test of the United States’ free market. The National Milk Producers Federation has turned to Washington for aid while the Almond board of California and the Blue Diamond co-op have focused on improving their product.

Determining The Location Of A Milk Condensing Plant In Tennessee, David Frederick Mendez

Masters Theses

Given the increasing popularity of local foods and the desire to reduce shipping costs and carbon footprint, Tennessee-based dairy product producers are showing interest in sourcing fluid milk locally. Based on dairy farmer surveys, discussions with industry leaders, shipping distances, and transportation costs estimates, a mixed integer linear programming model is used to determine the optimal location of an in-state milk condensing plant. The objective is to minimize the total transportation costs of shipments of fluid milk from farms to the condensing plant plus the transportation cost of shipments of condensing plant products to further in-state processing. Twelve scenarios of …

Analysis Of Japanese International Agricultural Trade Practices, Kelsey Vourazeris

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Measurement Of Commodity Price Risk: An Overview Of Brazilian Agricultural Markets, Daniel Henrique Dario Capitani, Fabio Mattos

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

This study explores different procedures to estimate price risk in commodity markets. Focusing on Brazilian agricultural markets, the paper proposes to assess both dispersion and downside risk measures using five different approaches (volatility, coefficient of variation, lower partial moments, value at risk and conditional value at risk). Results suggest that some commodities have large price variability but small downside risk, while other commodities show small price variability and large downside risk. Thus, there is no single answer to the question of which commodity exhibits more price risk, but rather distinct answers depending on how risk is perceived by different individuals. …

Farmers' Cooperatives In China: A Typology Of Fraud And Failure, Zhanping Hu, Qian Forrest Zhang, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Since the 1990s, agricultural cooperatives—particularly what China calls Farmers’ Specialized Cooperatives—have experienced rapid expansion in China. After more than two decades of growth and policy support, what is the overall performance of the ever-increasing numbers of these cooperatives? We visited 50 cooperatives across the country, most of which had officially been lauded as successful, to make a first-hand evaluation of their overall status and performance. We argue that, judging by either international or Chinese standards, the vast majority of these agricultural cooperatives are not authentic and fail to deliver expected benefits to smallholders. We categorize them into five types: genuine …

Nonhuman Animal Rights, Alternative Food Systems, And The Non-Profit Industrial Complex, Corey Lee Wrenn

Corey Lee Wrenn, PhD

No abstract provided.

Bonipak Produce Inc., Steven Partie, Grant Copeland, David Minney

Case Studies in Agribusiness

Bonipak grows, packs and ships fresh produce. As the 10th largest (by acreage) agricultural firm in the western US, it supplies a wide range of produce to national chain retailers such as Costco, Safeway, Kroger and Loblaw. The case discusses Bonipak’s Seed to Sale approach, in which they aim to satisfy their buyers, who demand consist, high quality produce for the final retail customer. Bonipak has dealt with issues including labor and water, and has worked with sustainability, in terms of “farming with the future in mind”.

Mission Produce, Davis Cracknell, Kendall Moore, Salvador Lopez

Case Studies in Agribusiness

Mission Produce's founding, growth and expansion into oversea's markets is discussed. In particular, Mission Produce's ripening centers are presented as an innovation in avocado marketing.

Feasibility Study For Renovating An Old Barn Into A Tasting Room For K-Dot Winery, Kendall Ott

Agricultural Education and Communication

California is the largest wine producer in the nation. There are more than 4,000 wineries in the state and much of their success comes from tasting rooms. A study will be conducted in the spring of 2017 to determine the feasibility of building a tasting room out of an old barn at an established winery. Tasting rooms can add monetary and aesthetic value to a winery. Knowing how to conduct a feasibility study for the build is crucial to its success. The author will create a feasibility study including a cash flow budget, a capital budgeting statement, and a sensitivity …

Business Model: California Agriculture Marketing Agency, Mary M. Alameda, Emma L. Larson

Agricultural Education and Communication

The importance of creating a marketing agency specializing in agriculture is to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. The lack of transparency from the producer has created a torn industry causing the average consumer to be questioning his or her food, or simply not understanding the agricultural way of life. An agricultural marketing firm in California can represent and advocate for local businesses to start closing the producer to consumer gap.

The American farmer excels at many things, but lacks in public communications. Modern day farmers have been able to produce more food than ever despite fewer resources and …