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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Sweet Sorghum As Feedstock In Great Plains Corn Ethanol Plants: The Role Of Biofuel Policy, Richard Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Subir Bairagi, Ismail Dweikat Jan 2018

Sweet Sorghum As Feedstock In Great Plains Corn Ethanol Plants: The Role Of Biofuel Policy, Richard Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Subir Bairagi, Ismail Dweikat

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

This research examines whether sweet sorghum, a crop considered more drought-tolerant and suitable for semi-arid areas than corn, could result in an economically viable sweet sorghum ethanol pathway in the Great Plains. We find that that if the D5–D6 RIN price spread exceeds the $0.35/gal recently experienced, the benefits of the pathway would be equivalent to about $90/acre of sweet sorghum, or $0.38/gal of ethanol. Because of sparse cultivation potential, only four the six existing plants in the Nebraska–Colorado High Plains area might expect transportation costs to be low enough for economic feasibility.


Input Use Under Crop Insurance: The Role Of Actual Production History, Taro Mieno, Cory Walters, Lilyan E. Fulginiti Jan 2018

Input Use Under Crop Insurance: The Role Of Actual Production History, Taro Mieno, Cory Walters, Lilyan E. Fulginiti

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications


The impact of crop insurance on changes in input use has attracted much attention by economists. While there are a number of studies on this topic, they frame moral hazard in inputs use in a static model. However, when agricultural producers are forward-looking, they would make input allocation decisions realizing that their decisions would affect their future actual production history. This, in turn, affects the probability and size of future indemnity payments. Thus, moral hazard should be framed in a dynamic input use decision model. We first show theoretically that under certain feasible conditions, a static analysis always results in …


Value Of Arrival Metaphylaxis In U.S. Cattle Industry, Elliott James Dennis, Ted C. Schroeder, David G. Renter, Dustin L. Pendell Jan 2018

Value Of Arrival Metaphylaxis In U.S. Cattle Industry, Elliott James Dennis, Ted C. Schroeder, David G. Renter, Dustin L. Pendell

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Although several studies have estimated economic impacts of antimicrobials for growth promotion, little is known about economic impacts of the common animal health management strategy known as metaphylaxis: administering antimicrobials to groups of animals to prevent disease. This article develops a new framework to map animal disease to producer profitability and determine societal economic impacts surrounding metaphylactic use of antimicrobials in beef cattle production. Results indicate the direct net return value of metaphylaxis to the U.S. fed cattle industry is at least $532 million. Beef producer surplus losses of $1.8 billion would be associated with eliminating metaphylaxis.