Agricultural Economics Commons^™

The Relationship Of Male And Female Pastoralist Income With Household Food Security And Nutrition Status In Tanzania: Maasai, Sukuma, And Barabaig Ethnic Groups, Henriette Gitungwa

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

Although previous work provides a significant baseline for understanding the impact of gender on household decision making and resource (i.e. income and food) allocation, there are gaps in evidence for important groups, including East African pastoralists. Previous authors have noted that pastoralists’ gender roles and relations appear to be resistant to change, potentially impeding household development. This paper attempts to assess the relationship between male and female pastoralists’ income control and household food security and nutritional status in Tanzania. We use three surveys: a household-level livestock health and economics survey, a household food security survey, and an individual woman-level survey …

2018 Nebraska Farm Custom Rates Statewide Survey Summary, Glennis Mcclure

Cornhusker Economics

Many Nebraska agricultural producers hire custom operators to perform machinery services for their farms and ranches across the state. The 2018 Nebraska Custom Rates Survey Report summarizes the current rates charged for specific machinery operations and other on farm or ranch custom services. Prices paid for these services become more critical as profit margins tighten because of lower commodity prices.

Irrigation Management, Environment, And Profits: Who Wins?, Emily O'Donnell

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

The impact of irrigation technology on farmers’ management strategies and resulting environmental benefits depends upon agronomic properties and market forces. We evaluate the role of deficit irrigation using soil moisture probe technology on corn yield and evapotranspiration, which is a measure of water use efficiency. Evapotranspiration represents the water that transits through the plant during planting to harvest (transpiration) and the evaporation from the soil into the environment, or the displaced water in the production process. We develop yield and evapotranspiration response functions to inform a constrained profit maximization model used to identify the optimal irrigation level across a variety …

Agricultural Market Liberalization And Household Food Security In Rural China, Lia Nogueira, Kathy Baylis, Linlin Fan

Cornhusker Economics

Recent World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes have brought China’s agricultural trade policy back into the spotlight. In November 2008, China issued the nation’s first Outline of Medium and Long-term Plan for National Food Security (China Central People’s Government, 2008), in which they stipulate that the country will seek to stabilize the area sown to grain and achieve more than 95% grain self-sufficiency. Trade restrictions are argued to support implementing this plan because increased imports of grains and soybeans will lower prices, causing grain and soybean farmers to leave farming, thereby generating food insecurity (Wong and Huang, 2012). Others suggest that …

Trade Wars, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

Current United States trade policies are in line with an old economic doctrine known as mercantilism which calls for protectionist policies to reduce imports and expand exports with the goal of generating large trade surpluses. This doctrine has been discredited for over 200 years following the analyses of Adam Smith, David Ricardo and other late eighteenth- and early nineteenth century economists. Mercantilist policies by one country not only lower well-being in that country through harm to consumers and industries relying on imported inputs but also almost always lead to trade wars with that country’s trading partners. This is precisely what …

Role Of Information And Communication On Spatial Conservation Auction Performance: Evidence From A Laboratory Experiment, Simanti Banerjee, Marc Conte

Cornhusker Economics

Policy makers such as the USDA are interested in producers voluntarily adopting pro-environmental land use practices on their properties as these land uses deliver various ecosystem service benefits. As a result, they have implemented incentive based policies such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) (Hellerstein et al., 2015). The CRP involves a reverse auction in which producers submit bids for adopting different land use practices. In running these auctions, agencies are interested in both cost-effectiveness i.e. procuring land use projects which yield the highest level of ecosystem service benefits for the money spent and specific environmental goals. One key goal …

Salary Negotiation And Graduates From The Department Of Agricultural Economics, Larry W. Van Tassell

Cornhusker Economics

To better serve our students, one skill set that we as a department have considered incorporating more amply in our curriculum is negotiation skills. Negotiation can be defined as, “[a] give and take process between two or more parties (each with its own aims, needs, and viewpoints) seeking to discover a common ground and reach an agreement to settle a matter of mutual concern or resolve a conflict.” (http:// www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ negotiation.html) One of the first opportunities our students have to experience the negotiation process is in obtaining their first employment out of college and negotiating a fair market wage.

Thinking About The Corn Market, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

It was twenty years ago today, in the late 1990s, that the United States was the dominant corn producer and exporter in the world, producing about 240 million metric tons (40 percent of the world total) and exporting close to 50 million metric tons (65 percent of the world total). Brazil, on the other hand, was a minor player in the corn market, producing approximately 25 million metric tons (4 percent of the world total) and exporting barely anything. Many changes have happened and we have a different corn market today. For the 2018/19 crop year, USDA projections show the …

Livestock Production Value And Economic Impact For Nebraska Counties, Glennis Mcclure, Bradley D. Lubben

Cornhusker Economics

Livestock production provides a significant economic impact in Nebraska. In 2016, 56 percent of all agriculture commodity sales in Nebraska were attributed to livestock and the industry accounted for over 50 percent of agricultural commodity sales each year since the 2012. This article provides an analysis of livestock production value and corresponding direct economic impact per county. The analysis estimates the direct economic impact of livestock production is $8.5 billion and the total impact of livestock production in Nebraska is $13.8 billion.

Consumer Response To Fraudulent Producer Behavior In The Agri-Food Marketing System, Syed Imran Ali Meerza, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

Over the last decade, food fraud scandals, such as the adulteration of Chinese milk with melamine, the discovery of horse-meat in many European meat products, and the mislabeling of Italian olive oils, have increased the attention of the media, consumers, and governments about the vulnerability of the food system to intentional adulteration or misrepresentation of product ingredients or products themselves based on economic motives (Lotta and Bogue 2015). Food fraud is defined as the intentional substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation of food products for economic gains (Spink and Moyer 2011). Food fraud is motivated by economic gain and is enabled …

Syngenta Gmo Settlement Claims Due October 12, 2018, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

The federal judge presiding over the Syngenta class action lawsuit granted preliminary approval for the $1.51 billion Syngenta GMO corn lawsuit settlement on April 10, 2018. Written settlement notices have been mailed to corn producers, crop-share and some variable cash rent landlords, grain handling faculties and ethanol production facilities beginning on May 11, 2018. This newsletter focuses on the claims process for corn producers and eligible landlords.

North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, Christine Lockert, Cheryl Griffith, Bradley D. Lubben

Cornhusker Economics

After several years of growing agricultural prosperity and United States net farm income that peaked at $124 billion in 2013, the most recent forecast from UDSA’s Economic Research Service projects net farm income at less than $60 billion for 2018. The drop of more than 50% since 2013 is primarily due to a decline in commodity prices, presenting significant challenges for agricultural producers. While the aggregate financial position of U.S. agriculture remains relatively strong with a debt-asset ratio of less than 13% (USDA-ERS, 2018), total debt has grown while profit margins have shrunk, putting more pressure on management decisions and …

National Agri-Marketing Association Annual Conference A Winning Combination Of Experiential Learning And Networking, Erika Harms, Rosalee A. Swartz, Kara Heideman

Cornhusker Economics

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is comprised of 22 professional chapters in 6 regions nationwide and 33 student chapters at universities across the United States and Canada. NAMA members include professionals in agribusinesses, advertising and public relations agencies, commodity associations, and faculty, staff, and students. Nebraska’s professional Cornhusker Chapter has nearly 70 members and Nebraska NAMA student members are invited to Cornhusker Chapter meetings to learn about the latest trends and rub shoulders with marketing professionals. This network of professionals— at the state and national levels—provides valuable opportunities for Nebraska NAMA students.

Smart Choices In Agriculture, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

Smart Choices in Agriculture (Figure 1) is a process designed to provide agricultural producers with a solid foundation for consistenly making good decisions in a very challenging environment. Besides operating in the presence of an incredible amount of uncertainty, farmers and ranchers typically make decisions with multiple short-term and long-term objectives in mind. They have a lot of things they are trying to accomplish with the choices they make on a regular basis. Sorting through information to arrive at the best choice can be a bit of a challenge when information is deep and time to process seems short. It …

Agricultural Production And Forest Preservation In The Brazilian Amazon, Felipe De Figueiredo Silva, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti

Cornhusker Economics

Brazil has become a strong competitor in world soybean production. In 2014, Brazil produced 28% of the world’s soybeans, while the United States produced 34%. Brazil increased its production sharply during the 1990s and 2000s, partly due to the expansion into the Amazon forest region. Soybean was one of the main commodities that led to this expansion. In 2016, the Legal Amazon region produced 33% of the Brazilian soybean production compared to 15% in 1990 (Figure 1).

Impacts Identified With Women In Agriculture Conference Review, Marilyn R. Schlake, Rebecca J. Vogt

Cornhusker Economics

Since 1985, more than 300 farmers, ranchers and business owners annually attend the Women in Agriculture (WIA) Conference. Their purpose – to learn and to network. Are these women using their newly acquired knowledge and skills to positively impact their personal and business goals? Do they share their knowledge, teach others, add value to their agricultural operations, or serve as advocates for agriculture?

The Ethanol Renewable Identification Number Price Fight And Nebraska Agriculture, Richard K. Perrin

Cornhusker Economics

The petroleum industry has launched a fierce political fight against the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the regulations that require renewable fuels such as ethanol to be blended into the motor fuel supply. The industry complains that meeting those requirements has become too expensive. President Trump has been presiding over frequent White House meetings to address the issue, with corn-state senators leading corn/ ethanol constituents in confrontation with Texas senators leading the petroleum refiners.

Complexity And Efficiency In Conservation Auctions: Evidence From A Laboratory Experiment, Simanti Banerjee, Marc Conte

Cornhusker Economics

Payment-for-ecosystem-services (PES) schemes financially compensate producers for implementing various conservation practices on their properties that generate ecosystem-service benefits for society. Conservation auctions have been adopted in several PES programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) (Hellerstein et al., 2015) and involve producers submitting bids for one or more environmental practices for consideration in the auction.

Statistical Analysis Of The Adoption Of Conservation Practices In Midwest And Great Plains Agriculture, Regan Gilmore, Karina Schoengold

UCARE: Research Products

Improving conservation in conventional agriculture is crucial for the sustainability of agricultural economies. The aim of this project is to identify factors correlated with agricultural producers adopting conservation practices on their land.

Producers tend to choose their tillage and cropping systems based on soil management and yield/productivity concerns. Reasons and concerns for using no-till vary by state. For example, producers in Iowa choosing their tillage system based on yield/productivity concerns are 9.8% less likely to use no-till, while producers in South Dakota with the same concerns are 21.5% more likely to use no-till.

Conference Educates, Uplifts Nebraska Women In Agriculture, Jessica J. Groskopf, Haley Apel

Cornhusker Economics

Women in agriculture are business partners, owners and operators; they oversee financial and human resources and keep farms and ranches running. This was the message more than 250 women heard at the 33rd annual Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference February 22 and 23 in Kearney.

Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, Charlotte Narjes

Cornhusker Economics

What Is It? The Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference is an opportunity to educate communities on the various tools and resources available to assist them in helping entrepreneurs grow and prosper in their communities. Presenters are found locally, regionally and from other states to share how they found success in a variety of aspects of building the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

2018 Trends In Nebraska Farmland Values And Rental Rates, Jim Jansen, Jeffrey Stokes

Cornhusker Economics

The average market value of farmland in Nebraska declined by three percent over the prior year to $2,745 per acre according to the 2018 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey (Figure 1 and Table 1). This marks the fourth consecutive year of downward pressure. Market values have dropped 17 percent since reaching a high of $3,315 in 2014.

Price Volatility Transmission Between U.S. Biofuel, Corn, And Oil Markets, Cory Walters

Cornhusker Economics

Many factors have been suggested as sources of increased volatility (unexpected changes) in agricultural commodity prices in recent years. One of the most-stated causes is the increase in corn based ethanol production and the new food and ethanol linkages (Serra, 2013; Balcombe, 2011; Wright, 2011; Irwin and Good, 2009). The increased links between energy and agricultural markets raise concerns about whether new corn– ethanol links lead to volatility-spillover effects between prices of energy and agricultural commodities. Increased food-price volatility and its detrimental effects have profound economic implications, raising concerns among consumers, producers, and policy makers. High price volatility heightens food …

Financially Successful Farms In Nebraska, What Matters?, Matthew C. Stockton, Robert Tigner

Cornhusker Economics

The 2012 record high cash receipts for corn brought much optimism among corn farmers and associated businesses. However, more recent years have fostered feelings of concern with many reflections about other challenging times, such as those experienced in the 1980’s. Among producers such feelings are usually negative, but when properly channeled can lead to positive business actions, such as cost reductions and increased efficiencies.

Livestock Air Emission Requirements Delayed For Now, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Summary. Federal environmental laws require the reporting of emergency releases of hazardous substances to federal, state and local emergency res-ponders. EPA has established a 2008 reporting exemption for livestock operations smaller than large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Environmental groups challenged the EPA livestock exemption. On April 11, 2017, the D. C. Court of Appeals invalidated the EPA livestock reporting exemption. Reporting requirements briefly went into effect November 15, 2017 but have now been postponed until May 1, 2018.

Capital Budgeting By Cooperatives, Jeffrey S. Royer

Cornhusker Economics

In capital budgeting, a firm must decide whether or not to invest in a project, such as a new machine, plant, or product. Typically, the firm will invest in the project if the present value of the stream of cash flows the project is expected to generate exceeds the project’s cost. The discount rate used in the present value calculation usually is the weighted average cost of capital for the firm, i.e., the weighted average of the firm’s costs of equity and debt. For publicly traded firms, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is the most commonly used means for …

Does Gender Really Matter In Agriculture?, Marianna Khachaturyan, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

Agriculture comprises around 9.5 percent of GDP for all developing countries, 26.0 percent for the least developed, 17.6 percent in South Asia and 17.4 percent in Sub -Saharan Africa compared with only 1.1 percent in the United States (World Bank, 2018). Agriculture is the main source of employment and livelihood for many, especially in Asia and Africa where about 60 percent of workers (both men and women) are employed in the agricultural sector (Agarwal, 2015). Globally, about 43 percent of workers who are engaged in agricultural activities are women (Akter et al., 2017), and across Asian and African countries, about …

How Will The Section 199(A) Tax Deduction Affect Cooperatives?, Greg Mckee

Cornhusker Economics

The design of the income tax code reflects the special role of patronage equity in cooperative finance. Federal tax laws and policies allow agricultural cooperatives to retain net income as a source of equity capital by giving special tax deductions when income is allocated to patrons in proportion to their business with the cooperative. Income distribution choices by cooperatives have tax consequences.

Characteristics Contributing To Nebraska Farm And Ranch Financial Stress, Kate Brooks, Cory Walters, Jay Parsons, Andrea Ramirez, Larry Van Tassell, Bradley D. Lubben, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Significant financial changes have been underway in the U.S. agricultural system. After a decade of increases in crop and livestock prices mirrored by corresponding increases in expenses, prices began declining dramatically in 2014 (USDA-NASS, 2017). Figure 1 shows yearly net farm income for Nebraska crop and livestock producers from 2000 to 2015 (USDA, ERS). A survey in July 2016 indicated that 52 percent of Nebraska farmers and ranchers were financially stressed.

Sweet Sorghum As An Ethanol Feedstock In Western Nebraska – Could It Happen?, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan Fulginiti, Subir Bairagi, Ismail Dweikat

Cornhusker Economics

It has been proposed that non-irrigated sweet sorghum might be grown in western Nebraska as a seasonal substitute for corn grain in corn ethanol plants. In the research summarized here, we examine the economic feasibility of this possibility, based on the technical data that are currently available about sweet sorghum production.