Agricultural Economics Commons^™

1993 Agricultural Outlook & Nebraska Policy Issues, University Of Nebraska Agricultural Economics Department

Department of Agricultural Economics: News, Announcements, and Information

Introduction by Sam Cordes

The Development of the U.S. Economy – Wesley F. Peterson

North America Free Trade Agreement – Roy Frederick

The Significance of Free Trade Agreements in an Era of Declining Import Duties – Robert McGeorge

Implications of Foreign Agricultural Assistance for Nebraska Agriculture – Dale Anderson

Ag Finance and Credit Outlook – Larry Bitney

Projecting Production Costs for 1993 – Doug Jose

1993 Custom Rates Outlook – Ray Massey

U.S. Tractor Sales Demand – Dennis Conley

Wheat Outlook in 1993 – Lynn Lute

Outlook for Soybeans in 1993 – Lynn Lute

Corn Outlook in 1993 – Lynn …

Should We Export Our Native Birds?, Ross Kingwell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The export of Australia's native birds is prohibited by the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982. A review of the Act in 1991 has not led to any relaxation of the export ban.

However, the review recommended that government examine "the practical aspects of establishing a fully funded administrative control mechanism to allow strictly regulated commercial exports of a limited number of species of captivebred native birds which are not endangered or threatened". In making this recommendation, the report acknowledged there may be a case for highly regulated export of some native bird species.

This article explores …

Bulletin No 4247 - Introduction To Commercial Mushroom Growing, Margaret Graham

Bulletins 4000 -

No abstract provided.

Packer Integration Into Hog Production: Current Status And Likely Impacts Of Increased Vertical Control On Hog Prices And Quantities, Azzeddine M. Azzam, Allen C. Wellman

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

In a survey conducted three years ago by the staff of Pork '88, it was found that some of the major players in the pork industry, like Smithfield foods, for example, have either integrated into hog production or have all the requirements for vertical integration in place. The move toward internalizing the exchange process in the hog/pork sector through vertical integration has raised several questions ranging from its impact on prices and quantities to its impact on individual hog producers. This report is a first step toward studying these issues. Its specific objectives are a) to provide some insights into …

1992 Agriculture Outlook And Policy Issues, Agricultural Economics Department, Lynn Lutgen

Department of Agricultural Economics: News, Announcements, and Information

INTRODUCTION. Sam Cordes (2)

GENERAL OUTLOOK

Outlook for the General Economy. A. L. (Roy) Frederick (3)

Free Trade with Mexico: A Plus for Nebraska Agriculture? Nancy H. Cottrell & E. Wesley Peterson (4)

Ag Finance & Credit Outlook. Larry L. Bitney (5)

AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AND PROCEDURES

Outlook for Input Costs for 1992. H. Doug Jose (6)

A New Look in Farm Financial Statements? Larry L. Bitney (7)

COMMODITY OUTLOOK

Outlook for Corn in 1992. Lynn H. Lutgen (8)

Outlook for Wheat in 1992. Lynn H. Lutgen (9)

Outlook for Soybeans in 1992. Lynn H. Lutgen (10)

Establishing a Marketing Outlook …

Land Use History: Universal Forest Products Mill Site, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

A history of land use in post-settler Humboldt County, spanning from 1850-1992. This report discusses the process of industrialization in Humboldt County, focusing on the Arcata Creamery and the Arcata Mill. This report includes a history of how the logging, milling, and agriculture industries expanded and created the need for industry such as the Creamery and the Mill.

A Review Of Plant Introductions To The Kimberley 1955 To 1987, R Mccartney

Grain and other field crops published reports

This report summarizes the work done by the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, in the west and north Kimberley in introducing plant species during 1955-1987.

For the purposes of this repor1the following areas are defined thus:

• West Kimberley- lies between latitude 17°5 and 19°5 and longitude 121°E and 127°E, with an extension to the north of 1° between 121°E and I 24°20'E. The area is 118,000 km".

• North Kimberley - lies north of latitude 17°5 and between longitude 124°20'E and 127°30'E. The area is 85,000 km'.

• East Kimberley-lies north of latitude 19°5 and between longitude 127°30'E and …

Miscellaneous Publication 28/91 - Midas (Model Of An Integrated Dryland Agricultural System), David J. Pannell, Andrew Bathgate

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

MIDAS is a bioeconomic model of mixed crop/livestock farms in Western Australia. It selects farm management strategies which maximise profit subject to resource, technical and environmental constraints using the linear programming technique. This document provides a thorough documentation of the version of MIDAS developed for the "eastern wheatbelt" region. If you are learning to use MIDAS with the MARG menu driven system, you need to read the MARG manual as well as this documentation.

From early in the life of MIDAS, we gave a high priority to making the data and assumptions readily accessible in documentation and in microcomputer spreadsheet …

Federal Government Policies In Respect Of Agricultural Finance, Godwill Ukpong, Usman Malgwi

Bullion

The objective of this paper is to identify some of the major policies pursued by government to increase agricultural output, with particular reference to agricultural finance and assess their effectiveness in terms of expectations and set targets. For ease of presentation, the paper is divided into three parts. Part 1 reviews past and current government policies on agricultural financing. Part 11 examines some specific measures taken and assesses their degree of effectiveness. Part 111 provides a Summary and Concluding remarks.

Bulletin No 4189 - Training And Care Of The Sheep-Dog, John Charlick, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

A well trained sheep-dog is a considerable asset to a farmer — in a recent Queensland Department of Primary Industries study, participating graziers estimated the value of a good working dog to be up to $20,000 a year.

Despite their value, dogs can be maintained cheaply. The Queensland study quoted $130 a year as the most any grazier spent on an individual dog — for dry food, vaccine and treatments for internal and external parasites.

This Bulletin aims to show how to train a sheep-dog from a raw pup to a highly useful and well trained, mature dog. The methods …

Miscellaneous Publication 33/91 - Markets For Western Australian Beef, Alan Peggs

Animal production and livestock published reports

In 1990/91 the Western Australian beef industry generated close to $172 million and was the State's third largest rural industry.

As at 31 March this year the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the State's cattle herd at 1,651,000 head of which 108,000 head are dairy cattle. Of the beef cattle 832,000 are located in the agricultural area and 819,000 in the pastoral area.

The principal market for Western Australian beef is the domestic market. This market consumes around 65 per cent of the State's annual production. Export markets use close to 35 per cent with the principal markets being the …

Bulletin No 4176 - Agroforestry With Widely Spaced Pine Trees, Richard Moore, Peter Jenkins, Geoff Anderson, Phil Scott

Bulletins 4000 -

Combining a softwood timber crop with other forms of agriculture on the same land can make better use of available space, soil and water, and lead to higher productivity from farms.

This Bulletin outlines the potential benefits of, and a programme for, the growing of pine on farmland in Western Australia in conjunction with either pasture or another crop. The agroforestry system described has been well researched in Westem Australia.

The main objectives of agroforestry are to produce high quality timber while maintaining adequate pasture for either grazing or fodder cropping until the timber is harvested.

Farm Management Memo - Advice To Help Farming Through The Rural Downturn, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Historically, commodity prices cycle between a "boom and a bust" every few years. Farmers are often able to adjust their operations to reduce the impact of a downturn in commodity prices by:

• Increasing efficiency through reducing or maintaining input costs while maintaining or increasing production levels.

• Maximising returns through seeking price premiums on commodities (protein, noodle quality, finer wool, increased clean wool yield).

• Reducing overhead costs

• Seeking cheaper finance or refinancing costly loans

• Careful planning and management with a high degree of attention to detail.

• Seeking advice

An Investigation Into The Government Extension Services Operating In South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, North And South Island, New Zealand : June 1 To July 7, 1991, Philip Hawker

All other publications

Brian Carlin Memorial Award Study Tour Report

Miscellaneous Publication 36/90 - Western Australian Beef Industry - Background, Alan Peggs

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Western Australian beef industry is poised to expand production in response to improved export opportunities in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

There are a number of beef processors and exporters with substantial experience in exporting beef to international markets. These companies can supply a wide range of beef products.

Most beef produced in Western Australia is grass-fed. However, grain-finished beef is produced at certain times of the year.

The beef industry has been in a period of contraction since the "beef price crash" of the mid 1970s. As a result it has come to focus more on domestic market …

Bulletin No 4158 - Western Australian Beef Industry - Economic Constraints And Future Market Outlook, Alan Peggs

Bulletins 4000 -

Since the mid 1970s there has been a substantial decline in cattle numbers in Western Australia. Most of this decline has occurred in the agricultural areas.

Much of the decline in cattle numbers can be attributed to low real cattle prices.

As a result of the fall in cattle numbers beef production has also fallen. However, the percentage fall in production has been somewhat less than the percentage decline in numbers due to a rise in the average carcass weight of animals slaughtered.

With declining beef production the amount of beef available for export has also declined. Similarly domestic consumption …

The Benefits Of Weaning Cattle In The Kimberley, David Pratchett, Stuart Young

Animal production and livestock research reports

The Kimberley region was populated with Shorthorn cattle from Queensland and New Sonth Wales in the 1880's. The descendants of these cattle known as Kimberley Shorthorn are still the predominant breed in the region. The relatively poor performance of these cattle under the harsh Kimberley conditions and the fact that changing the genotype can improve productivity was recently published (Pratchett D. WADA Journal No. 4 1988)

While the adoption of Bos indicus breeds is the correct move, improved husbandry can also increase the productivity of the Kimberley Shorthorn cow. The majority of cattle in the Kimberley are not weaned. Sometimes …

Miscellaneous Publication 11/88 - Manjimup Horticultural Research Centre - A Guide To Activites, David Johnston

Horticulture published reports

Within the south-west of Western Australia, in the area encompassed by Bunbury, Margaret River, Albany and Manjimup, the horticultural industries have become of major importance to economic viability and employment opportunities.

The Manjimup Shire grows45 percent of the State's potatoes, 50 per cent profits cauliflowers and 32 per cent profits apples. Other important crops are onions, beans and peas for processing and Chinese cabbage. A range of other horticultural crops are produced on a small scale.

The recent establishment of an Edgell-Birds Eye processing plant at Manjimup will provide a further significant boost to the region. By 1992 this plant …

Australian Economy, R S. Kingwell, Juliann Lloyd-Smith

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The Australian economy has experienced some dramatic changes in economic conditions over the lasdt few years. Low or falling export prices for our main exports, greater volatility in exchange rate movements and an underlying depreciation of the Australian dollar, high real interset rates, high inflation rates compared with our trading partners and a burgeoning foreign debt, are all features of Australias economic situation.

The economic environment affects the rural economy and has major implications of the prospects of Australia's rural industries. Therefore it is important to understand not only the main economic conditions facing Australia, as well as some of …

Vegetable Budgeting Handbook Manjimup Region 1986-87, Peter Eckersley

Horticulture published reports

This handbook is designed as a guide

i) to help growers cost out or budget for their own or alternative enterprises, and use correct methods for calculating benefits and costs of alternative actions. production, and

ii) to help advisers and lending agencies prepare and review budgets.

WARNING - The budgets herein do not purport to represent the average profitability of each crop. It is the reader's responsibility to use the information in them correctly.

The Manjimup region here includes Pemberton, Nannup, Bridgetown and Donnybrook.

Unit production costs vary widely within any farming district. Low-cost production requires the right levels and …

Taxation And Agriculture Development In India By C.H. Shah, Bombay: Himalayan Publishing House, 1986, N V Ratnam

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Programming Model Of Western Australian Dairy Farms, G R. Olney, D A. Falconer

Animal production and livestock research reports

A profit maximising mathematical programming dairy farm model has been developed which determines the most profitable management strategies for the full year. This model was initially an extension of the one used in the Western Australian Dairy Feed Management Service (DFMS) which determines the most profitable ration to feed for a specific period, the milk yield per cow and the number of cows to milk. The DFMS is useful for formulating a ration for a specific period, particularly during summer on non-irrigated farms in Western Australia when complete hand feeding is required, but it cannot be used to determine optimum …

Documentation Of Whole-Farm Model For The Eastern Wheatbelt Of Western Australia, Ross S. Kingwell, David J. Pannell, David. A. Morrison

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Eastern Wheatbelt Model (EwM) is a hypothetical farm model, intended to be representative of farms in the eastern wheatbelt region. It is a model of an 'average' farm in an 'average' season. Nevertheless it is possible to substitute the resource mix of a 'real' farm for the •average' and to substitute various types of season for the 'average'.

Assumptions of 'average' farm resources and •average' season are based on opinions by WADA researchers and advisers. For the EWM, researchers and advisers at Merredin prescribed average resources for an eastern wheatbelt farm receiving a 300 mm average rainfall including 210 …

Introducing The Western Australian Department Of Agriculture, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

District offices and Research stations

Any big organisation, Government or private, needs an effective Directorate and 'back-up' staff to make full use of its potential. In the Department of Agriculture, the organisational structure has been up-dated to cope with the changing and increasing demands of the State's growing agricultural industries.

Farm Debt In The Wheatbelt : 1984 Survey Results, Ross Kingwell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In recent years many farms in Western Australia's wheat-growing areas have experienced adverse seasons. For example, the 1983-84 season was characterised by a late start, dry spring and wet harvest which resulted in many farms suffering a combination of low yields and the downgrading or dockage of their grain.

Poor seasons and poor profitability prospects for wheat-growing caused some concern about farm indebtedness in these areas.

In late 1983, a Parlimentary select committee was appointed to inquire into rural hardship. The State Minister for Agriculture also announced that the Department of Agriculture would conduct a farm survey to determine the …

Weather Risk And Size Economies Of Large Machinery In Wheat Production, Glenn A. Helmers, Romanus Monji

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Major objectives of this study were to determine the existence of economies or diseconomies of size for large farms and to determine the impact of farmers' risk aversion level on the size of farm machinery selected.

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

IANR Conservation Efforts........................... 2

Energy, Soil, Water-Program Stresses Conservation ............................. 3

Producers 'Break Tradition' .......................... 5

Soil Erosion: Mechanisms and Control ......................... 6

Can We Measure the Economics of Erosion? ....................... 9

Weed Control Essential in Reduced Tillage ......................... 11

Herbicides Important in Eco-farming ........................... 14

Conservation Tillage Aids Wildlife ............................ 16

Nebraska Erosion Magnitude Seen .......................... 17

Conservation TiIlage Effective, Inexpensive Erosion Control ...................... 18

Conservation TiIlage: Fertilizer Programs Should Match System ........................ 21

PUMP Improves Irrigation ........................... 23

Scheduling Key to Efficient Irrigation .................... 26

About The Authors ................................... 28

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

2001 Assesses Needs..................... 2

Fats In your Diet-What Role Do They Play?...................... 3

Energy-Integrated Farming- Research and Demonstration For Energy Self-Sufficiency....................6

Consider Plant Disease in Row Crop Conservation Tillage ...............................14

Increase Production From Dry-land Pastures on Sandy Soil ..............................18

The COMPUTER-Its Time Is Now .................. 20

The Status of Family Farming in Nebraska................... 22

Price, Yield And Net Income Variability For Selected Field Crops And Counties In Nebraska, Boris E. Bravo-Ureta, Glenn A. Helmers

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The primary objective of this study was to establish an empirical estimate of the riskiness of various crops in different regions of Nebraska. For this purpose the variate difference method was used to estimate random variability indexes of prices, yields, and net returns for six Nebraska crops (wheat, soybeans, alfalfa, oats, grain sorghum, corn). The period of analysis included 1957-1976 and one county in each of the eight crop reporting districts was analyzed. Where relevant, both dryland and irrigated alternatives were examined. Most business decision-makers accept more risk only under the conditions that the probability of higher returns accompany risky …

Ord River Irrigation Area Of Western Australia - Background Information For Prospective Farmers, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The Ord Irrigation Project is located in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in the far north of the State of Western Australia.

The potential for harnessing northern rivers was realised many years ago. In 1941, a small experimental farm was established on the Ord, and possible dam sites were investigated upstream.

In 1945, this small experimental farm was relocated and the Kimberley Research Station was established on Ivanhoe Plain, part of the 12,000 hectare area now irrigated from Lake Kununurra above the Diversion Dam.

By 1958, the Western Australian Government was convinced of the viability of an irrigation scheme on …