Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Awareness And The Perceived Effects Of The New Livestock And Meat Industries Act Of 2006: A Case Study Of Kgatleng And Kweneng Districts, Botswana, Patrick Malope, Elizabeth Ransom

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine whether butchery owners in rural Botswana are aware of the New Livestock and Meat Industries Act of 2006 and their perceptions as to how it will affect their businesses. The study further sought to determine whether the present slaughter facilities were compliant with the New Act. A structured questionnaire was administered to butcheries in selected villages of Kgatleng (n=9) and Kweneng (n=4) districts to get butchery owners’ views about the New Act and how it will affect their businesses. Data was analysed using frequencies.

The study found that the majority (77%) of …

Who’S To Blame?: An Analysis Of Agricultural Subsidies And Their Effects On Development, Jared Baragar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This essay aims to reveal the complex landscape of the hindrances to development that developing countries themselves and developed nations’ agricultural subsidies pose. It discusses developing countries’ objectives and desires to see trade as a tool for development and then considers the potential for trade to contribute to development by examining how different international organizations use trade to aid developing countries. It examines China’s use of the green box as a case study of the potential that certain agricultural subsidies hold for development. Then, it looks at the limitations of trade as a means to make development progress, citing both …

A Multidimensional International Examination Of The Impact Of Gmos: A Biological, Economic, International Trade, Intellectual Property, And Geopolitical View, Kevin E. Soubly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper includes working papers, UN official documents, corporate internal memos, scientific studies, international agreements, and interviews conducted with prominent persons or experts in the fields of biotechnology, the environment, trade, economics, sustainable development, intellectual property law, and international policy. Interviews were conducted in both English and French, and printed sources appeared in both languages as well.

The thesis of this paper strives to consider the various components of genetically modified organisms in their development, use, and ownership on a global scale, examining the biological and scientific backgrounds of them, the multi-national corporations who claim to own them, and the …

Nebraska To Modify Nrd Dry Year Plans?, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

In July, an arbitrator concluded that Nebraska needs to change Natural Resource District ground water plans and cut back irrigation water use in dry-years to comply with the Republican River Basin Compact. This newsletter takes a look at the evolving Republican River dry-year plans.

Market And Welfare Effects Of Mandatory Country-Of-Origin Labeling In The Specialty Crops Sector, Alejandro Plastina, Konstantinos Giannakas

Cornhusker Economics

Public Law 107-171 of the U.S. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 required country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables) and peanuts. While a goal of this law was to benefit domestic consumers by allowing them to make informed consumption decisions, the effects of COOL on the interest groups involved have been the subject of a heated on-going debate.

South Dakota Grain Elevators: Manage Characteristics And Impact On Ethanol, Yonas Hamda, Bashir Qasmi, Scott Fausti

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

Principal Component Analysis; Fall Crop Markets, Jing Li, Alan May

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

Price Discovery In Nebraska Cash Cattle Markets, Matthew Stockton, Roger K. Wilson

Cornhusker Economics

Over three quarters of a million head of cattle were sold in livestock auction markets in or near the Nebraska Sandhills during the 2008 market year. These markets range from as far south as McCook, as far north as Valentine, as far west as Ogallala and as far east as Columbus. Each sale is associated with many different expectations by both buyers and sellers. Those expectations engage these stakeholders in a study of the markets. One of the most important questions that many of these market participants want to know the answer to is, “What are the key factors driving …

Agricultural Property And Property Taxation, Bruce B. Johnson

Cornhusker Economics

One entry sure to win most liars’ contests is the one about the farmer who was asked about his property taxes and he replied “no comment.” Farmers and other owners of agricultural real estate have always grumbled about property taxes. And here in Nebraska, the concern seems to be even more than elsewhere.

California Animal Welfare Initiative Proposition Two, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

In November 2008, California voters approved Proposition Two, the California Animal Welfare Initiative. This newsletter discusses Proposition Two and possible implications for Nebraska.

Interim Report: Teaching Of Econometrics At Pace University, Gregory Colman

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Managing Maize Production In Shifting Cultivation Milpa Systems In Yucatan, Through Weed Control And Manure Application, David Parsons, Luis Ramirez-Aviles, Jerome H. Cherney, Quirine M. Ketterings, Robert W. Blake, Charles F. Nicholson

Agribusiness

Milpa cultivation involving cutting an area of forest, burning, and planting crops has existed in the Yucatán Peninsula for more than three millennia. Fallow periods are short and decreasing, leading to a productivity collapse of the system. Technologies that increase yield and maintain plots under cultivation have the potential to decrease the land area needed for family food production, resulting in more mature forests. This study was undertaken to examine the relative importance and potential interactions of declining fertility and increasing weed pressure in reducing maize (Zea mays L.) yields, and to examine the effectiveness of combinations of weed …

The Use Of Economics Experiments To Understand Patent Licensing, Patent Challenging And Patent Litigation Behavior, Rita Abdelnour

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

The existing patent literature suggests that the patent breadth is an important factor in determining the innovator’s patent licensing and litigation behavior and that licensing a patent to a competitor is driven by profit. The present study develops two economics experiment to investigate these assumptions. First, a choice experiment is developed to investigate the patentee’s objective when licensing her innovation, by examining whether, when the decision to license is made, the patentee maximizes profits or her strategy is to maintain a dominant market position by controlling the largest market share. The results show that the assumptions of profit maximization and …

The First Scientific Defense Of A Vegetarian Diet, Ken Albala

College of the Pacific Faculty Books and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Three Counties Saw The Majority Of Nebraska’S Housing Growth 2007 – 2008, Randolph L. Cantrell

Cornhusker Economics

According to estimates released by the Bureau of the Census in August, 2009, Nebraska’s total housing stock increased by 5,529 units between July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008, an increase of 0.7 percent for the year. This represented an estimated rate of growth in housing stock slightly below the state’s estimated rate of population growth, which was 0.8 percent for the same time period.

Nebraska Republican River Policy Choices, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

On June 30, 2009 an arbitrator recommended that Nebraska be required to pay Kansas $10,000 for violating the Republican River Settlement, after Kansas had originally requested $72 million in damages. The August 5, 2009 Cornhusker Economics explored the significance of the arbitrator’s decision. This newsletter explores the choices facing the Governor, Unicameral and Republican Basin Natural Resources Districts (NRDs).

The Myth Of The Rational Market: Nudging Each Other Away From Fool’S Gold, Gary D. Lynne

Cornhusker Economics

A flurry of media commentary and several new books are focused on the recent financial crisis and near economic collapse. A Newsweek article by Zakaria (2009), “Greed is Good (To a Point),” suggests reconsidering the role of greed in capitalism. This is also the theme in Fools Gold (Tett, 2009), a story about the way derivatives markets have evolved: showing greed at its worst. In many ways this is the core source of the current set of problems. In some sense, these perspectives are integrated in The Myth of the Rational Market by Fox (2009), who traces the thinking on …

Nebraska Wins First Round In Republican River Dispute, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

On June 30, 2009 an arbitrator recommended that Nebraska be required to pay Kansas $10,000 for violating the Republican River Settlement, after Kansas had originally requested $72 million in damages. This newsletter explores the significance of the arbitrator’s decision.

Grades 2-3 Urban Communities, Amanda Bub

Social Studies

This is a social studies lesson for second and third graders on Urban Communities. Through this lesson students will be able to identify and understand the characteristics of an urban community and the benefits and disadvantages of that community. Students will learn to apply these ideas to understand the influence of environment on a person’s life. The lesson is tiered using a shape contract where the student on each level will choose three different shapes to complete the task based on their level and interest.

Understanding Spatial Welfare Impacts Of A Grain Ethanol Plant, Justin Van Wart, Richard K. Perrin

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

This study inquires into the spatial welfare impacts of a grain ethanol plant established in an area with a beef feeding industry. Beef feeders, corn farmers, and the ethanol plant interact with each other simultaneously in a dynamic market situation. To date, there are no studies which simultaneously analyze the welfare impacts of an ethanol enterprise on the three major players affected by the existence of a plant. In this market situation, some interesting phenomena have been noted which raise some intriguing questions. Why do plants sell ethanol byproduct feed at prices below corn price, even though studies show the …

Almonds Along The Silk Road: The Exchange And Adaptation Of Ideas From West To East, Ken Albala

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

The article discusses the trade routes and the use of almonds to treat ailments. According to the author, almonds were among the first plants to be domesticated around world, particularly in Asia. It also notes that almonds would be ideal for treating colds and other phlegmatic disorders, as well as for bowels. Moreover, some forms in which almonds could be consumed are also mentioned, such as soaking or blanching and roasting.

Grain Elevator Industry Revisited, Yonas Hamda, Bashir Qasmi, Scott Fausti

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

Making An Acre Decision For 2009, Bradley D. Lubben

Cornhusker Economics

The initial sign-up period for 2009 farm commodity programs and the choice between the new ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Election) program and the existing DCP (Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment) program is quickly winding down. But as the current August 14 deadline approaches, producers know more and more about the potential safety net provided under the ACRE program, and have a better opportunity to analyze the economics of choosing ACRE versus the DCP program before visiting their USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

Interview With Steve Cohen, Planning & Sustainable Development, 2009 (Audio), Steve Cohen

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Steve Cohen by Chris Stephens at Ecotrust Building, Portland, Oregon on July 28th, 2009.

The interview index is available for download.

High Plains Ag Lab Rotations Show Fallow Still Works In Western Nebraska, Paul Burgener

Cornhusker Economics

The High Plains Ag Laboratory (HPAL) in Sidney, Nebraska is the dryland research site for the University of Nebraska located in the Panhandle. In addition to the typical small plot agriculture experiment areas, there is a significant dryland production area. There are a total of 718.5 acres in production, divided into 27 individual fields, ranging from the smallest unit at 19.7 acres to the largest at 36.7 acres. Within these fields there are presently seven different crop rotations, each with winter wheat as the base crop, including everything from the traditional wheat-fallow system to a continuous cropping system.

Chinese Regional Agricultural Productivity: 1994-2005, Haizhi Tong, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Juan P. Sesmero

Lilyan E. Fulginiti Publications

Agricultural productivity growth in Chinese provinces during the 1994-2005 period is examined using two alternative approaches: a parametric stochastic frontier and a non-parametric Malmquist index. These models are suitable to the Chinese situation due to the existence of procurement prices, quotas, and other interventions that have distorted prices. Results show that there is high but declining productivity growth rates in the mid 1990’s with productivity growth decreasing in the late 1990’s but with a reversal of the trend around 1998 when growth rates start accelerating. A stochastic frontier translog production function is estimated to obtain an alternative measure of total …

Chinese Regional Agricultural Productivity: 1994–2005, Haizhi Tong, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Juan P. Sesmero

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Agricultural productivity growth in Chinese provinces during the 1994-2005 period is examined using two alternative approaches: a parametric stochastic frontier and a non-parametric Malmquist index. These models are suitable to the Chinese situation due to the existence of procurement prices, quotas, and other interventions that have distorted prices. Results show that there is high but declining productivity growth rates in the mid 1990’s with productivity growth decreasing in the late 1990’s but with a reversal of the trend around 1998 when growth rates start accelerating. A stochastic frontier translog production function is estimated to obtain an alternative measure of total …

Margin Requirement Impacts On Live Cattle Futures Hedges, Yi Liu, Darrell R. Mark

Cornhusker Economics

All buyers and sellers of futures contracts have to post margin money through their brokers to act as a performance bond. This margin money financially secures their position and protects the party on the opposite side of the transaction from default. Generally, the margin requirement for a futures contract is established at a level close to the maximum amount that any short or long trader could lose in any one-day trading period because each day the account is “marked-to-the-market” and the daily gain or loss is reflected in the account balance at the end of the day. The maximum amount …

Are Credit Unions In Ecuador Achieving Economies Of Scale?, Nick A. Marchio

Economics Honors Projects

This study tests the assertion that membership growth in credit unions is constrained by their unique structural features, such as their non-profit mission and member-based ownership. Although these features enhance inclusiveness, existing theory suggest that they work against efficiency when membership grows too diffuse. To address this issue, this study uses a model that takes into account existing theory on constrained-optimization in credit unions and theory on the adverse effects of diffuse ownership. Using data on 36 public credit unions in Ecuador, the empirical analysis finds evidence that credit unions can achieve economies of scale despite their problematic structural features. …

Department Of Economics Publication List 2009, Penny Stover

Economics Pamphlet Series (1985-2016)

This compilation lists published works authored by Department of Economics faculty members and other staff working on projects funded through the Department of Economics. Publications resulting from their research and academic activities are indexed by author for easy access by the public. The articles were published between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.