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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Lake Mcconaughy: Who Gets The Water?*, J. David Aiken
Lake Mcconaughy: Who Gets The Water?*, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
Nebraska is in a drought of historic proportions. Because of this, water levels in Lake McConaughy near Ogallala are falling to near-record lows. This has led to an active debate regarding how water in McConaughy should be managed, and (in my opinion) unfair criticism of how the lake has been managed. This column takes a quick look at the water rights dimension of McConaughy water levels.
Community Capital: More Than Just Money, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Community Capital: More Than Just Money, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Cornhusker Economics
When you think of the word, capital, dollars or money probably comes to mind. What if I told you there were at least six kinds of capital within every community? Capital is more than just... capital. Cornelia and Jan Flora, in their recent book, Rural Communities: Legacy and Change (2003), identify several kinds of capital that are present in varying degrees in all communities. You might think of it as layers on an onion, with each layer relying on the next (Figure 1). These layers of capital are the building blocks or assets within communities. These common elements can be …
The Market And Consumer Welfare Effects Of The Introduction Of Second-Generation Gmps, Amalia Yiannaka
The Market And Consumer Welfare Effects Of The Introduction Of Second-Generation Gmps, Amalia Yiannaka
Cornhusker Economics
The introduction of genetically modified products (GMPs) into the food system and the significant growth of organic agriculture are among the most notable features of the increasingly industrialized agri-food sector. They have both received considerable attention in the agricultural economics literature, with the main focus being on the optimal regulatory responses as they relate to the introduction of standards for, and labeling of, GM and organic food products.
Women In Agriculture, Karrie Blake
Women In Agriculture, Karrie Blake
Cornhusker Economics
Although farm numbers continue to decline, women in agriculture are increasing their responsibility in decision making and management on the farm. According to the 2002 U.S. Agricultural Census the number of farms in Nebraska was 49,355, down 10 percent from 1997. However, the number of female principle operators in Nebraska was up from 2,948 in 1997 to 3,005 in 2002 according to the census. T his is a small increase compared to the 13 percent jump of women operating farms in the nation (209,784 in 1997 to 237,819 in 2002). Of those principal female operators in Nebraska, 1,568 have farming …
Evaluating Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Coverage, Roger Selley
Evaluating Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Coverage, Roger Selley
Cornhusker Economics
Past issues of this newsletter have addressed the assessment of crop insurance needs (March 11 and November 11, 1998). The approach suggested was to identify the cash flow commitments for the year and then to prioritize those commitments. The latter step was suggested recognizing that: 1) insurance coverage may not be available to cover all commitments, 2) even if sufficient coverage is available, premiums increase substantially as coverage is increased, and 3) the more insurance purchased the more risk transferred to the insurance company and the less profit potential retained by the farm operation. In a more recent issue the …
Crop Price Declines Could Trigger Revenue Insurance Indemnities, H. Douglas Jose
Crop Price Declines Could Trigger Revenue Insurance Indemnities, H. Douglas Jose
Cornhusker Economics
Two occurrences that could affect grain producers’ incomes this year have just come into play. The first is the establishment of the harvest price for the crop insurance revenue programs. The second is the counter cyclical payments for the farm commodity program.
2004 Ballot Proposals, J. David Aiken
2004 Ballot Proposals, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
The November 2, 2004 general election ballot has eight ballot questions. Amendments 1-4 (all proposed amendments to the Nebraska Constitution) were adopted by the Nebraska Unicameral. Initiatives 417-420 (two constitutional amendments and two citizen-initiated statutes) are a four-part citizen initiative petition package supported by a gambling coalition. The eight proposals are briefly discussed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Poverty In Nebraska, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Avinash Alok
Poverty In Nebraska, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Avinash Alok
Cornhusker Economics
“Five Nebraska counties are among the nation's poorest 12 counties" (Lincoln Journal Star, July 18, 2004) Y" 'Some of the bigger ranchers here, they didn't like it at all being called the poorest,' said Van Diest, 68, (Loup County Commissioner, Wade) adding that he's been puzzled by how Loup County got the No.1 ranking." (Omaha World Herald, July 17, 2004). These comments were typical of those in response to a federal report released in July, 2004. Some people are indignant, others are puzzled. Which areas of Nebraska really are the poorest, how poor are they, and why? A clear understanding …
2004 Hog Prices - The “Perfect Storm”?, Al Prosch
2004 Hog Prices - The “Perfect Storm”?, Al Prosch
Cornhusker Economics
In 2004 we’ve had the highest hog prices since 1997 (Figure 1). At the same time, we have had record hog slaughter. Perhaps the most telling comment for this year was made by Glen Grimes at the National Pork Board Educators Seminar in September. Glen stated that in all his years he has never seen anything like this. Supply has been up and price has been up more.
Start-Up Strategies For Beginning Farmers, David J. Goeller
Start-Up Strategies For Beginning Farmers, David J. Goeller
Cornhusker Economics
Preliminary information from the U.S. 2002 Agricultural Census has recently been released. The chart groups U.S. census data for Nebraska farmers into three categories: under 34 years of age, 35 to 64 and over 65. The data indicates a 20 year trend of fewer farmers, older farmers and very few beginning farmers. A farmer is defined, for purposes of this census, as anyone producing or selling at least $1,000 of agricultural commodities annually. The average age of Nebraska farmers continues to rise. The average age in 1982 was 48.5 compared to 53.9 in 2002. The increase in average age is …
Public Universities And Private Industry: A Case Study, Jeffrey S. Royer
Public Universities And Private Industry: A Case Study, Jeffrey S. Royer
Cornhusker Economics
A report recently released by an external review panel evaluates a controversial five-year contract between the University of California, Berkeley, and Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical and agrochemical company now known as Syngenta. The report, which was written by a team of consultants from Michigan State University and released in early August, addresses a number of issues related to the increasingly complex relationship between public universities and private industry. Given the size of the agreement and that it involved an entire academic department, the Berkeley-Novartis contract quickly became a focus for concerns relating to the basic mission of land-grant universities and …
Cattle Market Outlook: Fall 2004 And Beyond, Dillon Feuz
Cattle Market Outlook: Fall 2004 And Beyond, Dillon Feuz
Cornhusker Economics
This past year has certainly seen some ups and downs in the cattle market. One confirmed case of a BSE positive cow in Washington State last December, following an earlier discovery of a BSE cow in Canada in May of 2003 has changed the North American beef industry. Trade flows have been dramatically altered and producers have become frustrated with how political this issue has become. Other issues in the beef industry: animal identification, packer ownership of cattle, country of origin labeling and environmental regulations have generated considerable debate. Some of these issues have a more direct impact on markets …
Nebraska Farm Income A Near-Record High In 2003, Bruce B. Johnson
Nebraska Farm Income A Near-Record High In 2003, Bruce B. Johnson
Cornhusker Economics
Fueled by large value increases of both crop and livestock production, Nebraska’s net farm income surged in 2003 to $3.233 billion. Based on recently-released state estimates by Economic Research Service, USDA, this 2003 aggregate income level was the second largest on record for Nebraska; and was within only $150 million of surpassing the historical high-income year of 1996 (Table 1). Nebraska’s 2003 net farm income level was about 1.8 times its average of the preceding 10 years. This level for 2003 placed Nebraska third among the 50 states (only California with $8.4 billion and Texas with $5.9 billion had higher …
Sales Of Livestock Insurance Scheduled To Resume, Darrell R. Mark
Sales Of Livestock Insurance Scheduled To Resume, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
USDAs Risk Management Agency (RMA) offered livestock producers in selected pilot states, including Nebraska, a new insurance product in 2003 called Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). It provided down-side price risk protection while allowing producers to take advantage of higher prices, similar to creating a floor price by purchasing put options. Premiums for LRP insurance changed daily and depended on current market prices and market volatility. Unlike put option premiums that change based on the current day’s futures trade, LRP premiums were determined using the previous days futures and options prices. Since LRP could be purchased until 8:00 p.m. based on …
Nebraska’S Retailing Patterns And Trends, Bruce B. Johnson
Nebraska’S Retailing Patterns And Trends, Bruce B. Johnson
Cornhusker Economics
Retail trade activity is a significant sector in the state’s economy. Per capita net taxable sales (not including motor vehicle sales) exceed $10,000 annually; and nearly one quarter (24 percent) of Nebraska’s non-farm workforce is employed in the wholesale/retail sector. Therefore, the patterns and trends of retailing over time are important economic indicators. We have followed Nebraska’s retailing activity for many years, and have compiled a comprehensive web page of tables and charts (accessible through the Departmental web site at http://agecon.unl.edu). The following are some highlights of the retail trade data and analysis.
Another Bumper Crop On The Way, Now What Do We Do?, Lynn Lutgen
Another Bumper Crop On The Way, Now What Do We Do?, Lynn Lutgen
Cornhusker Economics
The USDA recently released its August Crop Production Report. All indications are that we will have a huge, almost record breaking crop this year. As we try to develop marketing plans there are certain things that must be taken into consideration: those things that are pretty much fact and those things that may change production numbers.
Land Valuation And The Income Capitalization Model, Glenn A. Helmers
Land Valuation And The Income Capitalization Model, Glenn A. Helmers
Cornhusker Economics
Early work in agricultural land appraisal emphasized several factors contributing to the value of agricultural land. These included productivity, building quality, location, adjoining road quality and other factors. Irrigation potential also came to be important and more recently, recreational factors and urban development have become important in explaining land values. Productivity gained in importance over time as the underlying force, although the remaining factors still are considered in explaining value differences among tracts. The reliance on productivity is the focus of this article, and other influences on land values such as urban development potential are not considered, even though they …
Tax Planning Update For 2004, Tina N. Barrett
Tax Planning Update For 2004, Tina N. Barrett
Cornhusker Economics
Although there have not been many changes to the tax law this year, there are a few things to keep in mind with tax planning this fall. In the past couple of years we have seen major law changes with short-term lives. The major change affecting farmers this year is the end of the bonus depreciation allowances.
Kyoto, Global Warming And Greenhouse Gases - Missing From The Political Table?, Gary D. Lynne
Kyoto, Global Warming And Greenhouse Gases - Missing From The Political Table?, Gary D. Lynne
Cornhusker Economics
A recent research report from the Woods Hole Research Laboratory shows that the burning of fossil fuels is substantively raising the carbon dioxide content of both the oceans and the atmosphere, as shown in the chart from the Boston Globe on the next page. The concern is that both the atmosphere and the ocean will eventually become overburdened with this greenhouse gas, leading to unpredictable climate and environmental changes. The gamble is substantial. It remains unclear, however, how U.S. politicians are going to interact with this problem. We can only look at indicators, such as the Boston Carbon Corporation donating …
Will Rise Of New Diets Raze Old Pyramid?, Zachary Hunnicutt, Darrell R. Mark
Will Rise Of New Diets Raze Old Pyramid?, Zachary Hunnicutt, Darrell R. Mark
Cornhusker Economics
The United States Department ofAgriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid was promoted in its 1992 launch as a more detailed, yet easier to understand, system of guidelines and recommendations for daily food consumption. Although widely recognized by much of the American public, it has also been the source of considerable confusion. Recommended intakes are given by "servings," a unit that many interpret as the amount consumed in one sitting. This misunderstanding is cleared up only through thorough investigationthat entails locating information not available on the simple pyramid. Further, many have raised concerns that the placementof"fats, oils and sweets" at the top …
Conservation Compliance On Highly Erodible Lands, Konstantinos Giannakas
Conservation Compliance On Highly Erodible Lands, Konstantinos Giannakas
Cornhusker Economics
The 1985 Food Security Act linked farm program payments to the conservation ofsoil throughout the United States by tying producer eligibility for commodityprogram payments to the adoption of certain on-farm resource conservation activities on highly erodible lands (HEL). By requiring producers who receive government payments to adopt conservation practices on HEL, this policy (HEL policy, hereafter) seeks to address the inconsistency between commodityprograms that increase production and environmental programs designed to decrease environmental problems from expanded production.l
Areawide Ipm Project Under Way To Assist Nebraska Wheat Growers, Paul Burgener
Areawide Ipm Project Under Way To Assist Nebraska Wheat Growers, Paul Burgener
Cornhusker Economics
Areawide wheat Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). To implement the program, the USDA-ARS established cooperative agreements with research and extension professionals from five universities: Colorado State University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska. The four-year implementation phase of this program began in the fall of 2002. The main theme of the program is to collaborate with growers of dryland winter wheat to evaluate and demonstrate non-chemical pest management techniques, with particular emphasis on the management of the Russian …
Regulating Tributary Wells In The Republican River Basin, J. David Aiken
Regulating Tributary Wells In The Republican River Basin, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
On December 16, 2002 Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado settled the Republican River Compact lawsuit. The settlement allowed each state to use the same amount of water as was originally established in the 1943 compact. However, the settlement requires Nebraska to treat “tributary” wells, i.e. wells the pumping of which affects the river’s flow, as part of Nebraska’s compact water use. Further, regulation of these tributary wells will be required in dry years to insure that Kansas receives the water to which it is entitled. It is important to note that the settlement does not use the term “tributary wells.” Instead …
Selected Demographics Of Western Nebraska Cow-Calf Producers, Richard T. Clark, Roger K. Wilson
Selected Demographics Of Western Nebraska Cow-Calf Producers, Richard T. Clark, Roger K. Wilson
Cornhusker Economics
A recent survey of cow-calf producers in thirtyseven Western Nebraska counties inquired about cowcalf management practices and demographic characteristics of the respondents. Usable questionnaires were returned by 315 producers. Respondents categorized themselves as living either in the Panhandle (PH), Southwest (SW), Sandhills (SH) or ‘CKB’ areas of Western Nebraska. The ‘CKB’ area included producers who lived in Custer, Keya Paha or Boyd counties. For some questions the responses from some areas were too few to report separately, so areas were aggregated for reporting purposes. The survey sample was stratified by herd size measured as number of beef cows. The Nebraska …
2004 Nebraska Custom Rates, Part I, H. Douglas Jose, Lydee Jo Brown
2004 Nebraska Custom Rates, Part I, H. Douglas Jose, Lydee Jo Brown
Cornhusker Economics
The reports for Parts I and II of the 2004 Survey of Custom Rates in Nebraska have gone to press and will soon be available in printed and electronic form. The 2004 reports should be available online by early July, and the website address for the publications is http//:agecon.unl.edu/pub/misc.html and then click on “2004 Farm Custom Rates.” Part I covers spring operations, hay harvesting, small grain harvest, tractor rental and custom framing contracts. Part II covers fall operations including harvesting of corn, soybeans and other crops and silage operations.
The Growing Concentration Of Nebraska Agricultural Production, Bruce B. Johnson
The Growing Concentration Of Nebraska Agricultural Production, Bruce B. Johnson
Cornhusker Economics
With the June 2, 2004 release of final numbers of the 2002 Agricultural Census, we gain a new benchmark of production agriculture and the trends underway.1 While there are many interesting aspects to observe, one of the most striking features is the magnitude of the production concentrated among the larger production units, and the momentum of this trend over time. Nebraska is not a state of some 49,000 farms of similar size and function, but rather one of farm size extremes.
Management Of Hydrologically Connected Surface Water And Groundwater In Nebraska, J. David Aiken
Management Of Hydrologically Connected Surface Water And Groundwater In Nebraska, J. David Aiken
Cornhusker Economics
On April 13, 2004 the Nebraska Legislature adopted LB962, one of the most far-reaching water laws in the state’s history. Governor Johanns signed LB962 into law on April 15, 2004. LB962 is based upon the December 2003 recommendations of the Nebraska Water Policy Task Force, and builds upon 1996 integrated water management legislation (LB108). This newsletter traces the development of integrated water management policies in Nebraska and how they are affected by LB962.
Nebraska’S Informal Economy, Marilyn R. Schlake
Nebraska’S Informal Economy, Marilyn R. Schlake
Cornhusker Economics
Any measurement of Nebraska’s informal economy is questionable at best, given the nature of the businesses that comprise this economic segment. Economists estimate the size of the nations informal economy as a percentage of the GNP to range from 4.4 percent to 27 percent, with most estimates falling around 10 percent. If this figure holds true for Nebraska, we can measure Nebraska’s informal economy to be $5.6 million or 10 percent of Nebraska’s 2001 Gross State Product of $56,967 million.
The Hog Market, Allen Prosch
The Hog Market, Allen Prosch
Cornhusker Economics
Pork producers have the opportunity to have a very profitable year, even through the summer of 2005. Using the Lean Hog Futures Contract and the futures contracts for corn and soybean meal, all adjusted for basis, the average margin per hog improved from mid- April and mid-May by $4.75 per head. To be sure, the volatility in feed and hog markets makes for sizable swings in margins. The change of $4.75 per hog amounted to a 33 percent increase in margin in a 30 day period.
Exporting Is Not Just For Big Business, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Exporting Is Not Just For Big Business, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel
Cornhusker Economics
According to Susan Rouch, Director of International Trade and Investment for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, 30 percent of Nebraska’s small businesses export their goods to another country. Being an exporter is no longer just for big business.