Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Quality Determinates Of Rice Price In Open Bag Markets In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bailey Peterson-Wilhelm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Weaknesses in the grades and standards system in low-income countries across Sub-Saharan Africa undermine the transparency of agricultural markets. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana and Mozambique rice is predominately sold in open bags and if rice price does not reflect its quality, then inefficiencies may lead to consumer welfare losses. Importantly, it is possible that impoverished communities are priced out of the market due to inflated and inefficient prices. The objective of this study is to examine determinates of rice price by estimating the impact of selected rice quality attributes on rice prices in DRC, Ghana …

The Pandemic, Climate Change And Farm Subsidies, Allen H. Olson, Edward J. Peterson

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Many people believe that once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, life will return to the way it was. This belief is both unrealistic and dangerous. It is unrealistic because the virus will be around for years if not indefinitely. The timeframe for the worst of the pandemic will depend on our ability to administer effective vaccines worldwide and the public’s willingness to accept continued social distancing in the meantime. The damage done to public health, the economy and individuals is already substantial and will get worse. Recovery will be slow and incomplete. The belief that life will return to the …

The Effects Of Common Stressors On Poultry Production: A Case Study In Northern Mozambique, Grace Lehfeldt

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chicken is one of the main proteins that feeds the world. For centuries, the human race has relied on chickens to eat. Therefore, as food science becomes more relevant, the way that chickens are raised has become a science. However, this is not true in every part of the world. In Mozambique the process for raising chickens for consumption is not the same as it would be in America. This is a study of two specific “stressors” (feed and temperature) and how they impacted chicken growth and development on a live production poultry farm in Northern Mozambique. In addition, it …

Can Small-Scale Poultry Initiatives Alleviate Food Insecurity And Increase Empowerment For Women In Economically Disadvantaged Areas?, Patrick Daniels

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the summer of 2019, I, along with 8 other students from the University of Arkansas departed the United States for the Central American country of Belize. Despite our limited knowledge of what Belize held in store for us, we were enthusiastic about the coming months. While we had different projects, we all set out with the same universal question in mind. How can we use the knowledge we have gained through education to make a positive impact on the lives of people living in an impoverished town? Some of the members of our team worked alongside local businesses to …

Corn Co-Product Logistics: An Application Of Linear Programming, Dmitry Kalashnikov Adams

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this thesis is not to explore new ways to apply or to study the general field of linear programming. Rather the emphasis is on applying a particular type of linear programming to a specific problem. In this thesis the classic case of linear programing - the transportation problem – is used to optimize corn co-product logistics between six ethanol producing facilities. At the core, the problem of corn germ logistics lies in transporting products from areas of excess supply to areas with excess demand. The challenge of optimizing corn germ logistics lies in managing transportation between producing …

Is Nebraska Farmland A Good Investment?, Jeff Stokes, Jim Jansen, Jared Stauffer

Cornhusker Economics

Economists analyze the performance of financial in-vestments in a variety of ways. Probably the most significant analysis undertaken is the quantification of the tradeoff between risk and return. While individuals are generally thought to prefer investments offering higher returns, they also prefer to not be exposed to excessive risk. And because higher returns are generally associated with higher risk, investors tend to choose investments that are consistent with their specific risk/return goals. In this article, Nebraska farm-land (dryland, irrigated, and grazing) is analyzed from the perspective of its investment potential by quantifying the risk/return tradeoff.

Essays On Agricultural Technology, Resource Allocation And The Value Of Information, Pedro W. Vertino De Queiroz

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation studied the adoption of agricultural technologies and the value of information for the allocation of resources in agriculture. Chapter 1 studied traditional (e.g., land and labor) and commercial (e.g., machinery and fertilizers) inputs in South American agriculture. Acemoglu’s directed technical change was used to estimate the process of induced innovation using deforestation as source of exogenous variation for the agricultural land supply. The results indicated that larger availability of land in intensive deforestation countries caused more land-complementary inputs (machinery) to be used relative to labor-complementary inputs (fertilizers). Technical change was biased towards land. Chapter 2 studied nitrogen fertilizer …

Ag Carbon Credits, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

There is a lot of discussion in the ag community about ag carbon credits as part of a larger U.S. strategy to reduce carbon emissions and avoid the very worst impacts of global warming. This newsletter takes us through some of the basics regarding what ag credits are and why they are a current topic of discussion.

The Importance Of Goats In The World, Mahendra Lohani, Dilip Bhandari

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

It is a challenge to transform the mindset of subsistence farmers to consider goats as a productive asset. Goat health, breeding, housing and nutrition are the main challenges in a smallholder production system. The development of the goat market sector is informal and underdeveloped. As a result, goats have not been identified as a significant contributor to the national gross domestic product. Many development organizations consider goats a preferred livestock commodity for poverty alleviation. Therefore, it is desirable to have a systematic approach to optimize goat production for smallholders. A smallholder goat value chain works well with a focus on …

Steps To Become A Welcoming Community, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

Just because some rural areas are declining does not mean that all areas are declining or are destined to decline. Rural population gains are often seen in high amenity counties that support both tourism and early retiree relocation and in counties that are located just beyond metropolitan borders. But those are not the only places where gains are being made. Rural areas across the nation are becoming more culturally diverse with “racial and ethnic minorities accounting for 83 percent of rural population growth between 2000 and 2010” (Johnson, 2012).

Determinants Of Discretionary Agricultural Policy Adoption: The Case Of The Livestock Friendly County Program In Nebraska, Cicely Batie

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study analyzes the voluntary approach to agriculture promotion programs through the lens of the Nebraska Livestock Friendly County (LFC) Program. In 2003, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) launched the LFC program to bolster the livestock sector in participating counties. The program is unique because of its voluntary nature and targeted agricultural promotion efforts. The NDA designates counties as “Livestock Friendly,” and assists them in streamlining approval processes for livestock feeding operations. This thesis examines why a program like LFC is necessary, the patterns of its adoption across Nebraska, and finally, its impact on the livestock sector of participating …

A Review Of The Economics Of Regenerative Agriculture In Western Australia, Anne Bennett

All other publications

• There is no published work detailing the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia.
• Of the work completed in other jurisdictions and nations captured in this review, the profitability of regenerative agriculture compared with conventional agriculture was variable, although generally lower.
• The loss of income associated with the transition from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture is a significant barrier to adoption, although it is enterprise-sensitive.
• Farmers who are operating regenerative agriculture systems self-report higher levels of wellbeing.
• Conventional agriculture and regenerative agriculture are overlapping approaches.
• The literature presented in this review is mostly based on small samples, case studies or …

Monitoring And Trends Of Antimicrobial Use In Livestock Production, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

There has been growing consumer and human medical profession concern about the use of “Shared Use/Medically Important” antimicrobials in food-animal production. The concern partially stems from the concern that livestock and poultry fed antimicrobials can develop resistant bacteria which can then be passed on to humans primarily via consumed meat and poultry products. To curtail this real or hypothetical consumer concern, major restaurants, food service companies, food processors, and supermarkets have pledged to reduce or eliminate meat and poultry that were raised with a non-negative quantity of antimicrobials. For example, Wendy’s© pledged that 50% of procured beef would come from …

2021 Women In Agriculture Conference, Jessica J. Groskopf

Cornhusker Economics

More than 200 attendees joined the virtual 2021 Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference from the comfort of their own homes, February 19-20. While this conference looked different compared to years past, it still captured the goals of building relation-ships while gaining valuable knowledge.

The two-day event offered both a live stream and an on-demand learning opportunity for the attendees. Two keynote speakers, four live workshops, and more than 10 on-demand workshops gave attendees a variety of topics and knowledge to take back to their operations.

The Impact Of China’S Environmental And Trade Policies On U.S. Plastic And Paper Waste Exports, Savant Nzayiramya, John C. Beghin

Cornhusker Economics

This article documents major environmental and trade policy changes in China and their impact on plastic and paper waste trade between the U.S. and China and other trade partners. The article explains how U.S. plastic waste exports have been nearly annihilated by these policies. Paper waste trade is more resilient and has survived the policy shifts in China, although quite diminished.

The Impact Of Covid-19 And Economic Policies On Nebraska Farm Real Estate In 2021, Jim Jansen, Jeffrey Stokes

Cornhusker Economics

Land industry professionals responding to the annual survey attributed the rise in Nebraska farm real estate values to current interest rate levels, crop prices, and COVID-19 disaster assistance payments provided to operators across the state. These forces substantially impacted farm and ranch finances across Nebraska. Operators faced an exceptional amount of risk and uncertainty when navigating production decisions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower interest rates and disaster assistance payments provided stability to an industry facing an unpreceded economic shutdown and disruptions of supply chains.

Community Supported Enterprises – Preparing For The Future, Charlotte Narjes

Cornhusker Economics

The Bayard Grocery store made headline news in Nebraska the end of January with the announcement of its upcoming closure. Unfortunately, a grocery store closing is not uncommon in Nebraska or across the United States. A North Dakota study from the state’s association of rural electric cooperatives in 2017 found that in communities with 2,100 people or fewer, there are 98 full-service grocery stores, down from 137 in 2014. In addition, A PEW Trusts article in October 2019, further addresses the nationwide challenge of rural grocery store closures. Challenges include decreased population, competition from superstores (i.e., Walmart), and rural food …

Hemp Production Network Effects: Are Producers Tipped Toward Suboptimal Varietal Selection By Their Neighbors?, Tanner Mccarty, Jeffrey Young

Journal of Applied Farm Economics

The 2018 farm bill removed industrial hemp from the Schedule 1 Controlled Substance List. In response, states scrambled to enact hemp legislation. Some hemp flower producers report their hemp fields were cross- pollinated by a neighbor growing a different hemp cultivar. For hemp flower crops, cross- pollination reduces cannabinoid concentration levels within the flower; these concentration levels dictate flower price. We show that in a repeated game, once a sufficiently large percentage of growers decide to plant hemp fiber/seed crops, cross-pollination forces flower growers to convert to fiber/seed to avoid the negative network externality. Over time, a stable, suboptimal Nash …

The Biden Climate Plan, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

President Obama had an aggressive climate plan that included regulation of carbon emissions from power plants. Hillary Clinton would have continued with aggressive policies to slow and reverse global warming but was defeated by Donald Trump in 2016. President Trump sought to undo most of President Obama’s climate policies and pursued a fossil-fuel friendly energy and climate policy. The 2020 election of President Biden marks a resumption of ambitious policies to slow and ultimately reverse global warming. This newsletter identifies three major policies the Biden administration is expected to pursue and attempts to explain what policy implication might look like.

Strategically Making Your Farm Or Ranch Profitable, Matthew Stockton

Cornhusker Economics

The word ‘strategically’ sounds sophisticated and is often used to imply the presence of some secret idea that will always work to increase profit. The word seems to suggest that to be strategic requires special knowledge or an almost magical method of accomplishing something. In truth, however, strategy is simply a plan of action or policy designed to achieve something desired, and it can be complex or basic, as each occasion requires. Strategy can be good or bad, a successful endeavor or a disaster. The key to good strategy is to have clear understanding of desired out-come, as well as …

Payroll Protection Program Increases Eligibility, Marilyn R. Schlake, Austin Duerfeldt

Cornhusker Economics

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact business-es across the country, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued new guidelines for the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) in 2021. These guidelines increase the eligibility rules for self-employed, sole proprietors and 1099 workers, including agricultural producers, that allow them to apply and access the PPP Loan funds.

Nebraska Land Link, Jessica Groskopf, Allan Vyhnalek

Cornhusker Economics

Nebraska Extension is pleased to announce that the Nebraska Land Link is open for applications. Nebraska Land Link connects new or beginning farmers and ranchers seeking land with landowners who wish to lease, sell or gift their land to a new or beginning farmer or rancher. The web-based enrollment and information for the program can be found at https://farm.unl.edu/landlink

The Feasibility Of Renewable Natural Gas In New Jersey, Anneliese Dyer, Amelia Christine Miller, Brianna Chandra, Juan Galindo Maza, Carley Tran, Justin Bates, Vicky Olivier, Amy Tuininga

PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies Publications

With traditional natural gas being one of the top options for heating in the United States and the present threat of climate change, there is a demand for an alternative clean fuel source. A Renewable Natural Gas Implementation Decision-Making Conceptual Model was created to provide a framework for considering the feasibility of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects and applied to New Jersey, specifically investigating landfills and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Data from the US EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program and New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Sewage Sludge databases were used to identify seven landfills and 22 WWTPs as possible …

Potential Benefits Of Rcep On The Philippines: Accelerating Recovery Through Trade And Other Economic Opportunities, Caesar Cororaton, Marites Tiongco, Arlene B. Inocencio

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

The Philippines, as a member of ASEAN, is part of the RCEP, which is the world’s largest trading block in terms of population and GDP. RCEP was signed on November 15, 2020, by 15 member countries. This policy note discusses the potential effects of RCEP on the Philippines. Using a global CGE model calibrated to the most recent GTAP 10 database, the results indicate that the Philippines will benefit from higher exports, lower consumer prices, higher factor prices, and factor incomes of households. Among the Philippine sectors, the largest positive effects are observed in electronic equipment. Interestingly, the impact on …

Egyptian Women’S Agriculture Contribution; Assessment Of The Gender Gap For Sustainable Development, Noha El Khorazaty

Theses and Dissertations

Women’s contribution to the agriculture sector in developing countries is undeniable, yet they do not have equal access to the resources and opportunities they need to be more productive. Sustainable development entails inclusive and effective management of natural resources, this entails gender equity in agriculture. Bridging the gender gap in agriculture far exceeds the benefits of the individual. According to the latest estimates bridging the yield gap in agricultural productivity could possibly decrease the numbers of undernourished people in the world by around 100 – 140 million people. Sustainable agriculture development and gender equity necessitate policy interventions targeting the gender …

2021 Nebraska Crop Budgets Review, Glennis Mcclure

Cornhusker Economics

For the 2021 production year, 83 budgets for 15 crops including 2 cover crops and pasture budgets are avail-able from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Department of Agricultural Economics and UNL Crop Specialists. The budgets are published online at crop-watch.unl.edu/budgets in two formats including a printable pdf file version and an Excel file version. In-formation on crop budgeting procedures, machinery operation and ownership costs, material and service prices, and a crop budget production cost summary are included in the format of each budget. In general, cash costs per bushel of corn for both dryland and irrigated budgets were projected lower …

Buy Fresh, Buy Local: Nebraska Working Together For Local Food, Margaret Milligan

Cornhusker Economics

Direct market farms in Nebraska are made up of people passionate about raising good food for their fellow Nebraskans. They grow vegetables, fruits, meat, grains, and value-added products to sell directly to consumers in their communities.

During the pandemic, these small farms have experienced restaurant sales vanishing, farmers’ market attendance de-creasing, and slots filling up at the small meat processors where they take their livestock. At the same time, there has been a renewed interest from consumers seeking reliable, transparent food produced close to home. It’s been a volatile year, and it has required quick pivoting, group coordination and action …

Why Do People Follow Popular, Or Fad, Diets?, Christopher R. Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

The tradition of goal setting at the start of a year—New Year’s resolutions—is deeply engrained in American society: estimates suggest that between 40 and 50% of adults set New Year’s Resolutions. Many of the most common goals relate to weight management—initiating exercise programs, dieting, or both—which is perhaps unsurprising since over 70% of American adults are overweight or obese.

Relationships Between Community Resilience And Perceived Community Outcomes, Rebecca J. Vogt

Cornhusker Economics

The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Synonyms include toughness, perseverance and grit. The severe weather events of the spring of 2019 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are likely testing the resilience of rural Nebraskans and their communities. The 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll examined how rural Nebraskans rate their communities on dimensions that measure its resiliency. While it is important to assess how resilient rural Nebraskans believe their communities are, it is also critical to understand how these perceptions correlate to perceived community change, perceived community powerlessness and ease or difficulty of leaving the community.

Technical Efficiency Of Milkfish Production In The Province Of Iloilo, Philippines, Lylve Maliz L. Zeller, Salvador P. Catelo, Nora Dm. Carambas

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The Philippine aquaculture sector is primarily dominated by milkfish, with the province of Iloilo as one of the key producing areas. However, the production in the province has exhibited a decreasing trend since 2011. In this light, this study is undertaken to determine the technical efficiency of milkfish production in the province of Iloilo and identify the factors that significantly affect such efficiency. Utilizing the maximum likelihood estimation method, a Cobb-Douglas production function was specified to estimate farm-level efficiency using the data from 181 milkfish producers interviewed. The technical efficiency scores ranged between 12.38% to 90.00%, with a mean of …