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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Water Policy Task Force Proposed Recommendations, J. David Aiken
Water Policy Task Force Proposed Recommendations, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
LB1003, establishing the Nebraska Water Policy Task Force, was signed by Governor Johanns on April 12, 2002. The task force was established to consider (1) changes to LB108, the law dealing with Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Natural Resources District (NRD) regulations to deal with conflicts between surface water users and groundwater users, and (2) authorizing the buying and selling of water rights, including water leasing and water banking. The task force was initially designed to consider changes in Nebraska water law necessary to allow Nebraska to meet its responsibilities to help protect Platte River endangered species under the …
Rural Economic Development - An Evolving Approach, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Rural Economic Development - An Evolving Approach, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Cornhusker Economics
In rural economic development, the old way of doing business no longer works. There used to be a time when all a community had to do was have an adequate infrastructure, a supply of low-cost labor, some tax incentives and a few empty spec buildings, and they could attract new businesses. Granted, there was still competition between communities to attract new businesses, but the components that communities had to work with were known commodities to both the potential firms and to the community.
The Market And Welfare Effects Of The New National Organic Program, Amalia Yiannaka
The Market And Welfare Effects Of The New National Organic Program, Amalia Yiannaka
Cornhusker Economics
Organic agriculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States (U.S.). Organic food sales are growing at a rate of more than 20 percent annually, totaling $7.8 billion in 2000 [1].1 Advocates of the recently introduced national organic standards predict that their introduction will further enhance the growth of the organic sector.
Nebraska Livestock Development Policy:The Road Not Taken, J. David Aiken
Nebraska Livestock Development Policy:The Road Not Taken, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
Nebraska is engaged in a civil war between proponents of additional livestock production and opponents who see large livestock facilities as threats to smaller producers, communities and the environment.
Country Of Origin Labeling: An Update, Darrell R. Mark
Country Of Origin Labeling: An Update, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
Another step in the multi-year development and implementation of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) was completed at the end of October when USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published proposed rules for mandatory COOL. These proposed rules, published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2003, provided AMS’s requirements for compliance with COOL and clarification of some issues raised through public comment on the voluntary COOL guidelines released last year. Additionally, AMS offered a summary of research identifying costs and benefits of the program and its own cost assessment.
Women In Agriculture, Beth A. Eberspacher
Women In Agriculture, Beth A. Eberspacher
Cornhusker Economics
The nineteenth annual Women In Agriculture Conference was held September 11-12, 2003 in Kearney, Nebraska. This year’s conference hosted 425 women representing 5 states and 79 counties in Nebraska. As in the past, lenders played a large part, 233 of the women who attended were sponsored by their local lender. The conference took on a special format this year as a time of healing and sharing due to the untimely death of Deb Rood, Conference Coordinator.
Commodity Checkoffs Again In The News, Roy Frederick
Commodity Checkoffs Again In The News, Roy Frederick
Cornhusker Economics
It was like landing two punches in rapid succession to the livestock industry’s checkoff programs. In separate mid-October rulings made less than a week apart, two panels of judges from U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the beef and pork checkoff programs are unconstitutional. These rulings reaffirmed earlier court decisions that reached the same conclusion.
2003 Nebraska Ag Worker Compensation Requirements, J. David Aiken
2003 Nebraska Ag Worker Compensation Requirements, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
The purpose of the Nebraska worker compensation program is to provide no-fault compensation to employees injured on the job. Traditionally farm and ranch workers have been exempted from Nebraska worker compensation statutes, despite the fact that agriculture is one of Nebraska’s most dangerous industries. For many years the Supreme Court has interpreted the farm and ranch worker exemption narrowly in order to provide worker compensation protection to as many injured agricultural workers as possible. This attitude was reflected in a 2002 opinion (Larsen v D B Feedyards, 264 Neb 483) in which the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that a cattle …
Team Approach To Management, Al Prosch
Team Approach To Management, Al Prosch
Cornhusker Economics
In 2003 Key and Mcbride1 found that pork operations using production contracts improved productivity. They asserted that improvement in the quality of managerial inputs such as improving information transfers and facilitating access to credit may account for such improvements. Alvarez and Arias2 suggested that fixed managerial ability causes agricultural operations to suffer dis-economies of size. Managerial ability, as described by Kaldor3, consists of supervision and coordination. Supervision is crucial for numerous individuals to work together to complete the responsibilities for common production results. The coordination aspect is that function of deciding which arrangements or contracts should be entered into. While …
Trade Adjustment Assistance Available For Farmers, David J. Goeller
Trade Adjustment Assistance Available For Farmers, David J. Goeller
Cornhusker Economics
The Trade Act of 2002 (P. L. 107-210) amended the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U. S. C. 2551, et seq.) to add a new chapter, Chapter 6, which establishes a program of trade adjustment assistance for farmers. The statute authorizes an appropriation of not more than $90 million for each fiscal year 2003 through 2007 to carry out the program.
Supreme Court Rules City Can Regulate Animal Feeding Operation, J. David Aiken
Supreme Court Rules City Can Regulate Animal Feeding Operation, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
The construction of large swine facilities has been very controversial in Nebraska for the past several years. A major focus of the “hog wars” has been county livestock zoning regulations. In Nebraska livestock facilities are subject to state environmental regulation by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and to local zoning regulations if the county is zoned (or if the livestock facility will be located near a zoned community). The number of zoned counties has more than doubled in the last decade, from 36 to at least 80. Most of the newly zoned counties have adopted zoning in order …
Basis Variation In Nebraska, Roger K. Wilson, Richard T. Clark, Lynn Lutgen
Basis Variation In Nebraska, Roger K. Wilson, Richard T. Clark, Lynn Lutgen
Cornhusker Economics
Choosing an appropriate basis is critical to using futures and option markets. The NebGuide The Importance of the “Basis” in Trading on the Futures Market,1 states, “If the producer plans to use hedging as a marketing strategy he must first understand basis and its patterns for his local area. He must know how the basis changes over time and how much fluctuation can occur over a short period. He must understand that hedging will not entirely eliminate price risk from marketing. The basis has to be estimated as it can be the key to receiving the expected price, or better. …
Cattle Prices Are Record High, Aren’T They?, Dillon Feuz
Cattle Prices Are Record High, Aren’T They?, Dillon Feuz
Cornhusker Economics
Holy Cow! Can you believe the current cattle market? Fed cattle prices in Nebraska exceeded $90 per cwt. the week of September 7-13. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange September Feeder Cattle contract traded over $100 per cwt. A set of 5-weight steer calves sold for $120 per cwt. in North Platte on September 9. These are record high prices. But how high are these prices in relationship to other prices, or when you adjust them for inflation? Before answering that question, let’s first consider what has brought the market to this point.
Some Musings On Taxation, Bruce B. Johnson
Some Musings On Taxation, Bruce B. Johnson
Cornhusker Economics
I may be wrong, but it seems to me we are witnessing a profound shift in American politics and that only seems to be accelerating these days. The shift is in regard to government fiscal policy - particularly the revenue/taxation side. From the federal level down through the state levels to local levels, we see a “fiscal crisis” of varying degrees of severity. There is a lot of political rhetoric. Yet neither political party seems to be engaging in any serious debate (probably because they are too busy finger-pointing and passing the buck). The leaning down of government and “cutting …
Corn And Soybean Conditions Deteriorate, Darrell R. Mark
Corn And Soybean Conditions Deteriorate, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
What started out as a relatively good crop year for Nebraska rapidly changed during mid-summer. With the drought of 2002 fresh on producers’ minds this spring, many were relieved to receive enough precipitation and good planting weather to get the corn and soybean crop off to an above average start. A return to hot and dry conditions across much of Nebraska and other Corn Belt states in 2003, however, has resulted in a deterioration of crop conditions and lower yield expectations.
Plan Market Strategies Early In The Marketing Year, Lynn Lutgen
Plan Market Strategies Early In The Marketing Year, Lynn Lutgen
Cornhusker Economics
On August 12, 2003 USDA released it’s first survey driven report on crop conditions in the U.S. Immediately following the report the market rose dramatically. One always needs to ask why. First, this is the first production report that uses actual crop data and second, the production numbers were well below what the trade had expected. As we move towards harvest for row crops we need to begin to watch the market for opportunities and potential change. Of course wheat has already been harvested, but we must not only be aware of present conditions but look for potential change on …
Importance Of “Who Pays” As An Environmental Policy Variable, Ray Supalla
Importance Of “Who Pays” As An Environmental Policy Variable, Ray Supalla
Cornhusker Economics
Environmental goods and services often have characteristics which make it necessary to publicly provide them at no direct cost to the users or beneficiaries. With environmental goods and services, or more generally public goods, charging people for the product in a private market context is usually inefficient because of low marginal costs, and often not possible because those who don’t pay for the good cannot be excluded from its benefits. As a result, historically most environmental goods have been publicly provided via public investment, law, regulatory action or some combination of regulatory and investment programs.
Is Mandatory Price Reporting Good For The Cattle Industry?, Azzeddine Azzam
Is Mandatory Price Reporting Good For The Cattle Industry?, Azzeddine Azzam
Cornhusker Economics
On April 2, 2001 the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) implemented the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act, mandating collection and reporting of transaction data for cattle, swine, lambs and other livestock products. What prompted the Act, which was pushed through Congress by some livestock organizations, was concern over price discovery in the light of increased concentration in the livestock industry and increased use of captive supplies. As more and more animals are transacted through contracts, the argument goes, less and less price information becomes available for independent livestock producers.
Carbon Trading In Europe Is On The (Near) Horizon, Gary D. Lynne
Carbon Trading In Europe Is On The (Near) Horizon, Gary D. Lynne
Cornhusker Economics
The European Parliament just recently committed the 15-European Union countries to forming a greenhouse gas market trading in carbon equivalents starting January 1, 2005, consistent with each country also ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. Other European countries will also likely be included, for a total of twenty-seven countries. Trading will be among as many as 10,000 to 12,000 industrial and public firms (e.g., electric utilities burning coal) that account for almost one-half the emissions of greenhouse gases in Europe. The precursor to trading will be the setting of emissions caps on 1) each country; 2) on each industry within each country, …
The Base Capital Plan For Managing Cooperative Equity, Jeffrey S. Royer
The Base Capital Plan For Managing Cooperative Equity, Jeffrey S. Royer
Cornhusker Economics
Equity management is always challenging for agricultural cooperatives, which generally rely on patronage-based methods for accumulating equity and are frequently subject to competing pressures from current and former patrons. Current patrons, who must pay income tax on patronage refunds, may seek to have a greater proportion of refunds paid in cash. Meanwhile, former patrons may press to have retained patronage refund allocations redeemed in a more timely manner. Faced with these demands, many cooperatives have experienced considerable difficulty in maintaining adequate levels of equity capital.
The New Eu Regulation On Gmos: Causes And Consequences, Konstantinos Giannakas
The New Eu Regulation On Gmos: Causes And Consequences, Konstantinos Giannakas
Cornhusker Economics
On July 2 the European Parliament approved a new regulation governing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) that includes a requirement for products with more than 0.9 percent of biotech material to be labeled as: “This product is produced with GMOs.” The regulation also includes provisions for tracing GMOs at all stages of production. The regulation is expected to be approved by the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and pass into law before the end of the summer. The introduction of strict traceability and labeling requirements by the European Union (EU) is the latest event in an on-going dispute between the EU …
Eliminating Fallow: What Is The Best Transition Crop Back To Winter Wheat?, Paul Burgener
Eliminating Fallow: What Is The Best Transition Crop Back To Winter Wheat?, Paul Burgener
Cornhusker Economics
Dryland crop production has been a key component in the economy of the Central Great Plains for over 100 years. Although the river valleys and some underground water sources have provided small areas of irrigation, dryland crop production is dominant. With additional demands on the limited water resource in this region, dryland crop production is expected to increase in importance in the future.
Livestock Friendly County Zoning Bill Enacted, J. David Aiken
Livestock Friendly County Zoning Bill Enacted, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
On May 22, 2003 the Nebraska Unicameral adopted Legislative Bill 754 (1) to allow the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to designate counties as livestock friendly, and (2) to change procedures for county livestock zoning permits. LB754 is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal and political battle over livestock production. LB754 was signed by Governor Johanns and will take effect August 31, 2003. This newsletter briefly reviews LB754 within the context of recent livestock production controversies.
Feeder And Fed Cattle Now Covered Under The Livestock Risk Protection Pilot Program, Matthew M. Larson, H. Douglas Jose
Feeder And Fed Cattle Now Covered Under The Livestock Risk Protection Pilot Program, Matthew M. Larson, H. Douglas Jose
Cornhusker Economics
On December 18, 2002 the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) approved an expansion of the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) pilot program to include fed and feeder cattle. The LRP pilot program was first approved by the FCIC on November 15, 2001 and began offering the insurance to swine producers on July 8, 2002.
Planning For Future Farmers, Darrell R. Mark
Planning For Future Farmers, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
The Spring Semester ended about one month ago for students in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska. The end of the academic school year always marks an exciting and busy time for students and their instructors as class projects are completed, final exams are taken and plans for the summer are made. It is always interesting to watch what career paths graduates will follow after completion of their studies. Many will find employment in the agribusiness industry, some will pursue a graduate degree and some may launch their own business ventures.
Some Thoughts On U.S. - European Relations, George Pfeiffer
Some Thoughts On U.S. - European Relations, George Pfeiffer
Cornhusker Economics
Having recently returned from this year’s annual student agribusiness study tour to France, I was struck by a number of changing attitudes in Europe regarding their relationship with the U.S., and also struck by the degree to which some attitudes have changed little or not at all.
Nascent Entrepreneurs: Are They Worth Our Investment?, Marilyn R. Schlake
Nascent Entrepreneurs: Are They Worth Our Investment?, Marilyn R. Schlake
Cornhusker Economics
New business formation is key to any society expecting economic growth and industry innovation. Giant corporations of today were once start-up companies more than 25 years ago. Apple Computer, started in 1978, had $8 billion in sales in 2000 and employed approximately 95,000 people. Likewise, Microsoft Corporation, started in 1976, is the world’s largest software company with more than $23 billion in sales. Other well-known companies such as Federal Express, Walmart, ConAgra and Amazon.com were once fledgling businesses that revolutionized industries.
Iraq’S Potential As A Market For U.S. Agriculture, Roy Frederick
Iraq’S Potential As A Market For U.S. Agriculture, Roy Frederick
Cornhusker Economics
Nebraska farmers and ranchers are always sensitive to new market opportunities. Thus, it’s not surprising that questions have arisen about potential sales of U.S. agricultural products to Iraq.
Mandatory Country Of Origin Labeling: The Ongoing Cool Debate Continues In Kearney, Wendy Umberger, Darrell R. Mark, Dillon Feuz
Mandatory Country Of Origin Labeling: The Ongoing Cool Debate Continues In Kearney, Wendy Umberger, Darrell R. Mark, Dillon Feuz
Cornhusker Economics
The ongoing debate over mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) continues, despite COOL being passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill and plans for it to become a mandatory program on September 30, 2004. As the discussion surrounding COOL intensifies, it is clear that there is still much contention regarding implementation of the mandatory COOL provisions.
Nebraskans Down Under, Deb Rood
Nebraskans Down Under, Deb Rood
Cornhusker Economics
G’day mate was the phrase that twenty Nebraska ag folks heard as they stepped off the plane in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia this past March. It all began in 1998 at the International Women in Ag program in Washington D.C. It was there that the idea of a Nebraska - Tasmania ag woman exchange was born. The exchange program was based on the premise that ag women would learn more about international agriculture by experiencing another country’s agriculture first hand. The Nebraska delegation at the International Women in Ag Conference invited the Australia delegation to first visit our state.