bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Discussant's Views of Computerized Budget Development, Distribution and Use
Authors: Brant William L.
Published: July 2016

These remarks relate to papers presented by Lampher, Krenz and Kletke. Budget development, distribution and use has always been a perennial concern of farm management personnel. However, as Lampher pointed out, many agricultural economists gave low priority to cost and return budgets in recent years. This is clearly a case of professionals abandoning one of the basic tools of their trade, thereby shortchanging agriculture and the profession. Fortunately, a return to the fold is in evidence with all the interest in cost of production.

The three papers indicated that there are major problems associated with developing cost and return budgets. Data input will always be a problem but it is not insurmountable. The problem, then, really involves defining procedures and techniques that minimize difficulties associated with data input.
Simulation of Soil Water-Crop Yield Systems: The Potential for Economic Analysis
Authors: Mapp Harry P. , Eidman Vernon R.
Published: July 2016

Economists have shown an increasing interest in systems theory and simulation. The recent reviews by Anderson and LaDue and Vincent indicate the literature is repleat with models of business and farm firms developed by researchers from several disciplines. A smaller but no less sophisticated group of models is focused on simulated physical or biological processes. An even smaller segment of the literature deals with economic applications of models which simulate physical and biological phenomena.

Economists have become interested in models simulating physical and biological phenomena because of their experimental value. When a satisfactory approximation of reality can be created within the context of the model, experiments can then be conducted to determine the effects of changes in exogeneous factors on outcomes predicted by the model.
The Impact of Management on Farm Expansion and Survival
Authors: Musser Wesley N. , White Fred C.
Published: July 2016

Commercial agriculture is undergoing a major structural change in the form of decreasing numbers and increasing sizes of farm units. This structural change results in farm firms constantly experiencing expansion and survival problems. In some cases, expansion and survival are related: growth in size is necessary to incorporate cost-reducing technological improvements to maintain income levels. In others, these problems are separated: expansion is desired to increase income-earning capacity, or survival may be a primary objective for the firm when expansion is unlikely. This paper develops an analytical framework, incorporating the dynamics of expansion and survival, and explores their interrelationships. Stochastic relationships are incorporated for use in conceptualizing simulation studies of firm growth. Its empirical relevance is demonstrated with an analysis of the interaction between managerial ability and leverage in the process of expansion and survival of a representative farm firm in South Central Georgia.
A Simulation Analysis of a Reserve Stock Management Policy for Feed Grains and Wheat
Authors: Ray Daryll E. , Richardson James W. , Collins Glenn S.
Published: July 2016

During the last three years agriculture has exhibited characteristics that parallel those of a manic depressive. The livestock sector was flying high during 1973 and in the depths of despair in 1974. The crop sector was elevated from two decades of despondent but stable economic health to a state of price elation in 1973 and 1974. Over the last couple of years consumers, who enjoyed excellent food budget health for years, have slipped into a state of belligerent depression. Each group views the future with anxious dismay. Livestock producers fear that the feed prices will remain high, crop producers fear they will not. Neither livestock nor crop producers have a sound basis for making short or longer term production plans.
Chrysanthemum Production Planning Under Time-To-Harvest Uncertainty
Authors: Levins Richard A. , Langham Max R.
Published: July 2016

Planning a season's planting is a complex problem facing Florida's chrysanthemum producers. Planting must be carefully timed to assure adequate supplies of flowers during peak marketing periods. Also, widely varying labor requirements of the crop should be considered. Finally, even the best-laid plans may be ruined by crops coming in too soon or too late due to unexpected weather variations. In this paper, a dynamic linear program is developed as a planning aid for chrysantheum production. The model parameters are then estimated with sufficient accuracy to demonstrate the model's workability, and an application of the model is suggested.

Chrysanthemums (pompons) may be grown as either a single-stem or pinched crop. In single-stem production, a cutting is planted and harvested as a single stem of flowers that is sold in a bunch of six or seven stems.
Land Subsidence and Associated Externalities in the Coastal Area of Texas
Authors: Warren John P. , Jones Lonnie L.
Published: July 2016

Texas Gulf Coast areas near Houston have been affected to an increasing degree by land subsidence in recent years. Sinking of the surface has reached critical proportions in many areas, and subsidence of as much as nine feet has occurred since 1943. Physical effects have been extensive, affecting over 3,000 square miles, and economic effects have been aggravated by the approximity of much of the area to bay waters. Subsidence has resulted in significant damage and property loss, from both permanent salt water inundation and temporary flooding due to storm-related tides and rains.

Industrial, municipal and agricultural demands for water have increased sharply in recent years. Engineers.have linked subsidence to the decline of subsurface water levels due to heavy groundwater withdrawals. An alternative water source, the importation and treatment of surface water, has been introduced, but relatively high prices have slowed its acceptance.
An Analysis of the Effect of Price on Residential Water Demand: Metropolitan Miami, Florida
Authors: Andrews Donald R. , Gibbs Kenneth C.
Published: July 2016

The economic development of any area is tied to its natural resource base. Water, one of the most important of these natural resources, is used for a multitude of purposes including crop irrigation, human consumption, food processing, generation of electricity, transportation, recreation and waste disposal.

Municipal water use is essential in the development of any state. Florida is no exception. One of the first considerations in development of an area's water resources is that of furnishing municipal water for commercial, industrial, residential and public uses.
Projection of Cotton Warehouse Facilities for Oklahoma: A Markov Process
Authors: Cleveland O. A. , Salkin Michael S.
Published: July 2016

The cotton industry's decline in competitive strength is a matter of increasing concern to industry members and public policymakers. There are many complex economic adjustments arising from changes in government policies, technological advancement, and changing market conditions at home and abroad. The impact of these factors, coupled with increased competition of synthetic fibers and foreign-grown cotton, has been felt by all segments of the industry. Industry experience and recent research results [1, 3] indicate that serious overcapacity has developed in warehousing facilities and, as a consequence, producers and consumers have suffered through increased per-bale storage and assembly costs.
Discussion of the Effects of Recession on the Rural-Farm Economy
Authors: Redfern J. Martin
Published: July 2016

It will probably be useful to trace the evolution of the title of this paper. Initially, the assigned purpose of the paper was “to contrast the impact of a recession on rural areas having industrial development with those that have not attracted additional industry.” The program title became “The Effect of a Recession on Employment, Population and Industrial Development in a Rural Economy.” My first review draft of the paper carried the title “Effects of General Economic Conditions on an Industrialized Rural Economy.” One week preceding the meetings, I received a revised draft of the manuscript, title “The Effect of Recession on the Rural-Farm Economy.”
Discussion of Agricultural Economics and the Changing Structure of Higher Education
Authors: Shumway C. Richard
Published: July 2016

Professor Coutu is to be commended for synthesizing in a brief paper a great many insights bearing on the management of teaching, research and extension in the next decade. As a discussant, I feel much as a blind man trying to describe the Taj Mahal—I can only reach so high. The future is as yet unknown and any predictions are at best pretty wild guesses. But there are insights gleaned from the past that can guide us in anticipating the future.

In developing his anticipations, Professor Coutu drew upon several important sources of information, including his personal observations on the status of the university, his recent research on organizational structures used by the University of North Carolina system to manage research, and the Carnegie Commission report on higher education.
Alternative Methods of Accounting for Livestock Capital Formation: An Application to Southern U.S. Agriculture
Authors: Browning Thomas L. , Dyer David R.
Published: July 2016

This paper presents empirical estimates of livestock capital formation and disposition on farms in 14 southern U.S. states during 1974. Livestock capital is defined to include dairy and beef breeding cows. Concern with measuring the formation and disposition of livestock capital stems from the demand for knowledge of its importance as farm input, output and investment and from its inconsistent treatment given it in current USDA statistical series and the subsequent impact on farm income measurement.

The objectives of this study are to present new information on dairy and beef cow capital formation and disposition via development of a cow capital flows account, and to provide a perspective on the importance of this information by incorporating it into estimates of farm income.
Optimum Locations for a Rural Fire System: A Study of Major County, Oklahoma
Authors: Doeksen Gerald A. , Oehrtman Robert L.
Published: July 2016

Extremely dry conditions in the Great Plains during Spring and Summer of 1976 have greatly increased the awareness of rural residents and decision-makers of the need for increasing rural fire protection. In addition, increasing investments in farm machinery, buildings, crops and livestock, and urban sprawl have increased the need for improved rural fire protection. Oklahoma farmers have six billion dollars invested in farm property and annually produce crops and livestock worth about 1.9 billion dollars. More than one-third of the state's population lives in rural areas. These large agricultural investments, movements of urban people to small acreages and extremely dry conditions have induced rural residents to pressure county and community officials to improve fire protection. The usual procedure is to approach county commissioners and ask them for funds. Commissioners are acutely aware of the problem, but have several crucial needs competing for limited funds. If they decide to invest in fire equipment such as providing rural truck(s) for an existing department(s) to operate, the problem of optimum placement becomes very important.
Needed Research with Respect to Energy Use in Agricultural Production
Authors: Havlicek Joseph , Capps Oral
Published: July 2016

The agricultural industry, like other industries, has become increasingly dependent upon energy resources such as electricity, fossil fuels, chemicals and fertilizers, largely due to relatively low energy prices. In the middle 1970s, however, energy prices rose sharply as a result of continuously rightward shifting energy demands and leftward shifting energy supplies due to dwindling domestic reserves and oil price increases by OPEC nations. Although the rapidly rising energy prices may have been viewed initially as a temporary phenomenon, most now agree that we are in an era of high energy prices. Carter and Youde [2] have discussed some impacts of the changing energy situation on U.S. agriculture.
Factors Affecting Structural Change in Agricultural Subsectors: Implications for Research
Authors: Reimund Donn A. , Moore Charles V. , Martin J. Rod
Published: July 2016

The U.S. farm sector has long been dominated by independent firms exemplifying competitive free enterprise norms. Individual farm operators have had considerable freedom in controlling their own operations. Certain government programs and financial limitations have been the major restraints on their decision making.

In about the past two decades, however, a number of production subsectors have become organized or structured along lines more closely resembling industrial sectors of the economy than the traditional agricultural sector. At the same time, other production subsectors have remained virtually unaffected by this industrialization process and have retained their traditional independent form of organization. Concern over industrialization in agriculture relates to the question of who will control agricultural resources.
Political Forces as a Substitute for the Land Market
Authors: Pasour E. C.
Published: July 2016

The paper by Long, Infanger and Danielson [5] (hereafter referred to as LID) does a good job of presenting conventional rationale for an approach to land use planning. Survey results presented in the LID paper clearly identify the topics currently concentrated upon in land use research and educational programs. Identification of the specific nature of current educational programs in land use is a necessary first step in assessing the effectiveness of these programs. The primary objective of this paper is not to further review current research and extension activities but to take a fresh look at issues involved in land use planning, and point out areas where both rationale and approach of conventional research and extension land use efforts should be subjected to further scrutiny. Comments are not restricted to the LID paper only, but relate also to described land use research and educational programs.
Canonical Correlation Analysis of Selected Demographic and Health Personnel Variables
Authors: Dunn James W. , Doeksen Gerald A.
Published: July 2016

The number of employed health care personnel in an area is the combined result of factors affecting both demand and supply for health care personnel. When service areas are compared, differences between each area's number of health care personnel are related to differences in health facilities' ability and desire to attract these persons.

At any point in time, the potential supply of health care personnel is fixed. The choice facing this segment of the labor force is between alternative locations or non-participation. The location decision is a function of salary, working conditions and such non-working conditions as cost of living in the community, schools, cultural opportunities, employment opportunities for other family members and general amenities associated with a community.
Water Price Responsiveness and Administrative Regulation—The Florida Example
Authors: Lynne Gary D.
Published: July 2016

Florida has an estimated 618 trillion gallons of fresh water in the aquifer system. In addition, there is a considerable amount of water in lakes, and annual runoff from streams (and underground aquifer seepage) has been estimated at 40 billion gallons [1, p. 9]. The annual runoff alone is seven times the withdrawal (about 14 percent) and 22 times the consumption (about 5 percent). A curious development has occurred in Florida, however, that would not have been expected by the reviewer of such aggregated figures. The general populace and, as a result, the legislators, became concerned enough with water management and use in the early 1970s to develop and implement sweeping water legislation. The nature of this legislation had not heretofore been observed in the southeast nor, for that matter, almost anywhere else in the eastern United States. The Florida Water Act of 1972 [3] was enacted to deal with localized shortages that were developing in, and have been compounded since, the late 1960s.
Diversification of Regional Marketing Cooperatives
Authors: Sporleder Thomas L. , Skinner Robert A.
Published: July 2016

Several definitions of diversification exist. Typically, the concept is dynamic and refers to the relationship among various activities or enterprises in which the firm is engaged. As new activities are acquired by a firm from some existing base of activities, complementarity of the newly acquired activity relative to the existing base is subjectively determined. Judgment is rendered on whether the result represents diversification or conglomeration.

Conventional wisdom has not succinctly differentiated between diversification and conglomeration. Some writers have considered conglomeration a special case of diversification [2, 7]. For purposes of this paper, this taxonomic argument need not be settled.
An E-V Analysis of Pricing Alternatives for Long-Term Marketing Contracts
Authors: Buccola Steven T. , French Ben C.
Published: July 2016

Increased use of marketing contracts by agricultural firms has stimulated a modest amount of literature in which the principles of decision theory are applied to the contracting problem. Much of this literature has focused on farmers' choices between cash and futures market positions. Others have modeled the influence of annual open market and fixed forward price options on farm growth objectives. Little or no attention has been paid to expressed interest, especially among processors, for suitable long-term (multi-annual) contract price formulae and for a theoretical framework through which to evaluate them. This paper attempts to provide this service in special regard to the tomato and tomato paste contracting problems of a U.S. fruit and vegetable processing cooperative.
Impact of Industrialization on Employee Income Distribution in Rural Texas Communities
Authors: Reinschmiedt Lynn , Jones Lonnie L.
Published: July 2016

A basis of concern for rural development has been lagging economic growth in rural communities. Many rural areas have long been faced with the dilemma of low income, inadequate or expensive community services, net out-migration and high dependency rates. Numerous programs have been enacted over the years to alleviate these problems. A recent program, the Rural Development Act of 1972, interprets the main objective of rural development as encouraging and speeding economic growth in rural areas providing for jobs, improving quality of rural life, and doing so on a self-earned, self-sustaining basis. One chief component of all these programs has been promoting industry location in rural communities.
Impact of the Food Stamp Program on Low Income Household Food Consumption in Rural Florida
Authors: Neenan Pamela H. , Davis Carlton G.
Published: July 2016

One objective of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) is to supplement food expenditures of low income households to enhance the household's ability to provide nutritionally adequate diets. A household may consist of any person, or group of persons, who purchase, store and prepare food. Program eligibility is based on net household income, total assets and household size. Eligible households purchase coupons which are used in retail food outlets. Households of equal size receive coupon allotments of equal purchasing value, but the cash purchase requirement varies with net income. Bonus stamps represent the difference between the purchase requirement and the coupon allotment value.
Relative Profitability of Vine-Ripe Tomatoes in North Carolina and Tennessee
Authors: Mathia Gene A. , Brooker John R.
Published: July 2016

The ability of a farmer or group of farmers in a region to produce a specific product profitably depends on the structure of costs of production and marketing and demands of all competing crops. The final decision to grow a particular product is made on the basis of its profitability relative to profitabilities of other alternatives. Relative profitability of a product changes as technological innovations affect yields, resource requirements and production efficiency. Factors affecting demand for resource inputs and products cause changes in profitabilities. Institutional factors can also necessitate adjustments in farm plans by influencing price and/or production of specific products and thereby affecting the profitability of one product relative to other product alternatives.
Technological Change and Labor's Relative Share: The Mechanization of U.S. Cotton Production
Authors: Martin Marshall A. , Havlicek Joseph
Published: July 2016

Prior to World War II, labor's share in the U.S. manufacturing and agricultural sectors was relatively constant. Keynes called this “a bit of a miracle.” Several studies have shown that labor's share in the U.S. manufacturing sector has increased in the post-war period. The opposite appears to have been the case for U.S. agriculture. Two studies indicate that labor's relative share in the U.S. agricultural sector has declined in the post-war period.

There has been a substantial substitution of capital for labor in both the manufacturing and agricultural sectors in the post-war period. The secular increase in the wage-rental ratio has encouraged substitution of capital for labor. However, while this argument alone might explain the observed decline in labor's share in the agricultural sector, it does not explain what has occurred in the manufacturing sector. Moreover, this argument excludes another important characteristic of both sectors in the post-war period: technological change.
Production of Young Bull Beef
Authors: Davison Cecil W. , Miller Ronald R.
Published: July 2016

Numerous reports citing experiment data continue to claim advantages in gain rates and feed efficiency for bulls in comparison with steers. Although most experiment data agree about such advantages, magnitudes differ considerably among the reports for good reason. Variations in the design of bull-steer experiments are almost as copious as the number of stations reporting results. Bulls and steers used in any given experiment are generally of comparable age and have been subjected to the same feeding environment, but rations tend to differ among experiments, as do breed, age, and time on feed. Though some researchers feed to a predetermined slaughter weight which may differ for steers and bulls, others feed both on equal number of days. Likewise, because some studies have been designed for carcass comparisons of steers and bulls, they fail to provide critical feedlot performance data such as feed efficiencies. Carcass data may or may not include slaughter weights, dressing percentages, or yield of retail cuts.
Impact of Substituting the Transactions Tax for the Farm Real Estate Tax
Authors: White Fred C.
Published: July 2016

The fact that the local property tax remained virtually unchanged for so many decades prior to the 1950s is remarkable, considering the myriad modifications that have emerged during the past quarter century. Perhaps the historically low tax rates shielded many of its unfavorable characteristics which have been attacked in recent years. Because of rising land values and rising tax rates per dollar of value, the property tax in a majority of the states was modified, usually to protect agricultural or residential interests. Two factors contributed to the passage of the many tax reform programs for agriculture: (1) a belief that property taxes discriminated against farmers because farmers paid a disproportionate share of their income in property taxes and (2) a desire to affect land use by preserving farmland and open space.
Integrated Cattle Feeding Hedging Strategies, 1972-1976
Authors: Shafer Carl E. , Griffin Wade L. , Johnston Larry D.
Published: July 2016

Most major crop and livestock prices became considerably more variable after 1972, resulting in increased producer price risk. Uncertainty in cattle feeding was compounded in that both input (feeder cattle and feed) and product (fed cattle) prices became quite variable after 1972. This uncertainty, accompanied by considerable losses in cattle feeding during the 1973-1975 period, has made hedging a more desirable option [1, 9]. Several studies have examined a short hedge on live cattle at the beginning of the feeding period as a means of reducing risk and increasing returns to cattle feeders. Selective hedging strategies generally reduced the variance of returns per head as well as improved returns during periods when cash feeding was unprofitable [2, 5]. Routine hedging of every pen clearly reduced profits during periods when cattle prices were rising while providing some protection during cash-feeding loss periods [6]. Feeding live cattle on a cash basis was more profitable than routine hedging prior to 1973 [6].
A Risk Programming Analysis of Cattle Procurement by Beef Packers
Authors: Raikes Ronald , Sieck Gail M. , Miller Katherine S.
Published: July 2016

Producers and processors of many agricultural commodities can choose from among several coordination arrangements including spot-market exchange, contractual arrangements, and vertical integration. Firm decisions about coordination arrangements are important because they affect the success or even the survival of the firm and also cause broader impacts. The choice of marketing arrangements will influence a firm's profitability through prices received or paid, quality premiums or discounts, marketing costs incurred, exposure to production or price risk, and perhaps capital requirements. These firm decisions may have repercussions throughout the industry. For example, decisions by processing firms to shift from spot purchases to contract purchases may effectively foreclose the opportunity for producers to make spot sales. Decisions by processors to vertically integrate into production may force specialized producers out of business by limiting their marketing alternatives. Firm decision models focusing on choices among coordination arrangements should be helpful for prescribing and predicting firm behavior, predicting trends in relative importance of alternative arrangements, and evaluating policies (e.g., laws prohibiting processor ownership of production facilities) that are designed to influence these trends.
The Economics of Carcass Beef Production: An Appraisal of Florida's Feedlot Potential
Authors: Prevatt J. Walter , Melton Bryan E. , Spreen Thomas H. , Mathis W. Kary
Published: July 2016

The production of beef cattle has historically been an important component of the Southeast's agricultural economy. In 1977 the region had 24.6 million cattle and calves, accounting for more than 28 percent of the total mature beef animals in the United States [3]. Despite this large and active cattle industry, however, the region is substantially deficient in carcass beef production.
Energy Potential From Agricultural Residues in Texas
Authors: Oursbourn Cecil , Lacewell Ronald D. , LePori Wayne , Patton William P.
Published: July 2016

Fuel shortages, along with dramatic increases in the price of energy, have placed considerable emphasis on the development of new and competitive energy supplies. In irrigated regions, the increased price and threat of curtailed supplies of natural gas have serious economic implications for the farm firm [4, 13]. Agriculture has the potential of replacing part of the energy it uses in the form of agricultural residues. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the use of residues from crop production in Texas as a feasible energy source.
A Look at Major Events Impacting Productivity and Uncertainty in Southern Agriculture During the 1970's
Authors: Rudd Robert W.
Published: July 2016

In view of the breadth of the topic, coverage is limited to identifying the events and commenting on the types of impacts on agriculture rather than stating specific empirical estimates of impacts. Numerous researchers in agricultural economics have examined the quantitative dimensions of impact from particular scenarios of future courses of some of the events identified here.

With only one or two notable exceptions, the current commodity output mix of southern agriculture is similar to that for U.S. agriculture as a whole. Ranking the top eight farm enterprises of the south in dollar value (1976) shows tobacco in the southern region replacing wheat in the national ranking; dairy, corn, and hogs are more important nationally and broilers and eggs are more important in the southern complex. Therefore, if those dimensions of agriculture associated with geographic location, such as population, climate, or transport net, are excluded, the major events affecting southern agriculture in the 1970s can be discussed in terms of U.S. agriculture.
Significant Developments in Southern Agriculture in the Decade of the 1970s And Emerging Policy Issues in the 1980s
Authors: Sullivan Gene D.
Published: July 2016

There is considerable overlap between events of lasting significance in the 1970s and policy issues of the 1980s, perhaps because of an implicit requirement (in my own mind at least) that policy implications are a prerequisite to significance. At any rate, past developments in their full dimensions seem closely interwoven with future events.

Repeated invitations to Harold Breimyer to “look ahead” are evidence of our profession's view of his ranking in the trade of seers. Because, at best, we can only “see through a glass darkly,” it may be a futile effort to forecast developments beyond a two- or three-year horizon. Yet several of the unexpected events within our individual spheres of existence might have been spotted on the more distant horizon if we had really strained a bit to peer through the fog. Even knowing that the forecasting balance is tilted heavily on the side of events that cannot be foreseen, we feel it beneficial to keep peering ahead. I believe that is why, in spite of records that do not sparkle with accuracy, Breimyer continues to prophesy and we continue to listen.
A U.S. Regional Model of Feeder Steer-Heifer Price Differentials
Authors: Buccola Steven T. , Jessee David L.
Published: July 2016

U.S. feeder cattle markets discriminate among a wide variety of animal characteristics such as weight, sex, breed, grade, and age. In recent years, concern has been expressed that price premiums paid for steers over heifers no longer reflect estimated differences in their feedlot performance or carcass value [2,8]. Another question is whether observed regional differences in steer-heifer price differentials are justified. The sources of feeder price differentials by sex are investigated and variations in these differentials across time and space dimensions are analyzed. The results provide preliminary evidence on the efficiency with which feeder markets establish price spreads.
Economic Implications of Alternative Cotton Production Practices: Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley
Authors: Collins Glenn S. , Lacewell Ronald D. , Norman John
Published: July 2016

Cotton producers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas face continuing economic pressures arising from increasing costs of productive inputs, yield-reducing infestations of insecticide-resistant pests, and often adverse climatic conditions. The input price increases in the LRGV are similar to those in other production regions of the U.S. However, insect problems arising from the LRGV climate are unique. LRGV farmers have been unable to control late-season tobacco bud-worm infestations which often reach damaging levels when beneficial insects are destroyed by insecticide treatments for boll weevils [3]. These late-season insect infestations are a result of the predominantly excessive rainfalls which occur during the harvest months of August and September. Moreover, high rainfall during harvest reduces both the quality and level of cotton yields [1].
Potential Effects of New Caribbean – Area Winter Fresh Tomato and Cucumber Supplies on the U.S. Industry
Authors: Zepp G. A.
Published: July 2016

U.S. consumption of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers during the winter season (defined herein as November through May) is typically about 1,300 million and 370 million pounds, respectively. Florida has long been the major domestic supplier, and other states, principally Texas, California, and South Carolina, provide the remaining domestic winter season production. Mexico also is a major supplier of tomatoes and cucumbers in the U.S. during the winter. Before the 1962 embargo on Cuban-U.S. trade, Cuba, too, was an important source.
Forecasting Monthly Slaughter Cow Prices with a Subset Autoregressive Model
Authors: Spreen Thomas H. , Mayer Richard E. , Simpson James R. , McClave James T.
Published: July 2016

Cow-calf operations dominate cattle production in the Southeast. The 1978 January 1 U.S. cattle inventory report shows that breeding cows make up 45 percent of the total inventory in Region 41 compared with 33.3 percent nationally [3]. Further, in 1977 cow slaughter accounted for 64.8 percent of federally inspected cattle slaughter in Region 4 compared with 23.6 percent nationally [8].
Strip-Mine Reclamation Laws and Regional Cost Implications
Authors: Catlett Lowell , Boehlje Michael
Published: July 2016

Surface mining, until recent years, concentrated on the recovery of the minerals rather than the recovery of the land. From 1870 to 1930 more than 1.3 billion tons of coal were mined and roughly 250,000 acres were disturbed. In the period 1930-1971, 3,357,000 acres of land were disturbed by surface mining. Approximately 43 percent of this total (1,436,000 acres) was partially or totally reclaimed. Since 1971 most surface-mined land has undergone at least partial reclamation, depending on the state where mining took place. If the nation's estimated 1 trillion tons of coal reserves were developed, approximately 200 million acres would be disturbed by surface mining in the three major coal producing regions (Appalachia, Midwest, and the Mountain West; Figure 1). Evaluation of the economic cost of reclamation to meet these laws, and (3) to analyze the effects of these costs on different coal producing regions.
An Economic Impact Evaluation of Government Programs: The Case of Brucellosis Control in the United States
Authors: Liu Chun-Ian
Published: July 2016

Public spending in government programs to control animal and plant diseases, parasites, and other pests that reduce agricultural production amounts to more than $150 million annually [3]. These programs and activities are administered by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent years, program costs have increased rapidly and USDA officials have been asked many questions by the Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and others about the need for certain programs. Because of steadily increasing pressure to reduce federal spending, public decision makers urgently need reliable aggregate measures of the performance of their programs.
On Evaluating Crop Response to Lime in the Tennessee Valley Region
Authors: Hall Harry H. , Free W. Joe
Published: July 2016

Excessive soil acidity has long been recognized as one reason soils become unproductive, and liming to neutralize excess acidity has been practiced at least since the second century B.C. [5, p. 125]. Although liming has become a common practice, some researchers contend that farmers use too little lime [e.g., 5, p. 125].

Although lime is sometimes used to supply calcium or magnesium, it is principally used to neutralize soil acidity [3, p. 178], commonly measured by soil pH. Many agronomists agree that most crops require some lime if pH falls below 5.0 and that most require no lime if pH is 7.0 or higher [17, pp. 221–222]. When legumes supplied nitrogen for other crops in rotation, most lime recommendations were designed to raise soil pH to 6.5 or higher to accommodate the legumes. Now, however, nitrogen requirements for most crops are supplied from fertilizer, and some lime recommendations aim for pH levels somewhat below 6.5, at least for non-legumes such as corn and cotton.
Impact of Food Stamp and Nutrition Education Programs on Food Group Expenditure And Nutrient Intake of Low Income Households
Authors: Davis C. G. , Neenan P. H.
Published: July 2016

Few researchers have attempted to assess the impact of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) on both food expenditures and nutritional status [1, 3, 6]. Even fewer have evaluated the joint impact of income supplement programs, such as the FSP, and nutrition education programs, such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), on the nutritional status of participating households [4, 10]. The purpose of this article is to (1) identify selected food group and corresponding nutrient intake responses associated with participation in the FSP and EFNEP, (2) simulate the nutritional impact of alternative policy mechanisms with joint FSP and EFNEP participation, and (3) explore policy implications for food and nutrition program planning.
The Role of Market Price-Weight Relationships in Optimal Beef Cattle Backgrounding Programs
Authors: Buccola Steven T. , Bentley Ernest , Jessee Warren B.
Published: July 2016

Approaches to the formulation of optimal beef cattle management programs have changed significantly since they were first examined in a linear programming context in the 1950s. Models were originally designed to identify feed rations which minimize the cost of providing minimum levels of energy and selected nutrients. Subsequent efforts sought to maximize overall farm or feedlot profits, including identification of optimal feeding weights, daily gains, and ration formulations (Kearl, Harris, and Fonnesbeck; Ladd and Williams). The studies varied in attention to such details as number of head fed, variety of alternative feeds, seasonality factors, animal characteristics, and the manner in which energy requirements and appetite are modeled Wilson, and others cast the California net.
Lead-Lag Relationships Between Pork Prices at the Retail, Wholesale, and Farm Levels
Authors: Miller Steven E.
Published: July 2016

Knowledge of the lead-lag relationships among the retail, wholesale, and farm level prices of a livestock commodity is of obvious importance both in econometric model building and in evaluation of packers' and retailers' margins for that commodity. Though the lead-lag relationships for beef prices have been investigated in several previous studies (Barksdale et al.; Franzmann and Walker; King; Miller; National Commission on Food Marketing), the only known previous study of the lead-lag relationships for pork is that made by the National Commission on Food Marketing (hereafter abbreviated NCFM). As that study used data for 1962-1965, changes in the pork marketing system in subsequent years may have in turn occassioned changes in the lead-lag relationships. The changes in the pork marketing system include changes in market structure at the farm, packer, and retail levels, increased use of formula pricing, and the demise of terminal markets, among others. Also, as discussed hereafter, the statistical method used in the NCFM analysis of lead-lag relationships involved certain problems which may invalidate the conclusions drawn in that study.
Implementation of Electronic Marketing of Slaughter Cattle in Virginia: Requirements and Procedures
Authors: Russell James R. , Purcell Wayne D.
Published: July 2016

Increased attention is being directed to electronic markets in the major agricultural commodities. Electronic markets are characterized by a trading arena that has been centralized via some electronic medium. The medium used may be a conference telephone, teletype, computer system, or some combination of these or other mechanisms. All make possible the sale of a commodity by description without requiring the physical proximity of buyer, seller, and product. In theory, this capability can eliminate or reduce the spatial imperfections and pricing problems now present in many “thin” markets, a topic of increasing concern throughout the food industry (Hayenga).
A Model of the Stubble Replacement Decision for Florida Sugarcane Growers
Authors: Crane Donald R. , Spreen Thomas H.
Published: July 2016

Sugarcane has been cultivated since at least 8000 B.C. (Barnes, p. 2) and today is grown throughout the world's tropical and subtropical regions. In Florida, sugarcane has been produced commercially since 1920 (Zepp). Before 1960, however, Florida sugar production was not significant; only three mills were in operation. With the ban on importation of Cuban sugar and the lifting of domestic sugarcane acreage restrictions in 1960, the industry grew rapidly.
An Analysis of Competing Agricultural Land Uses
Authors: White Fred C. , Fleming Frank N.
Published: July 2016

Several alternative government programs have been used in the past to achieve policy objectives related to the levels of crop acreage and net farm income. Important questions remain relating to the effectiveness of past programs in achieving selected policy objectives. In particular, what is the relative effectiveness of long-term versus short-term acreage diversion programs? One of the major impacts of government diversion programs is in the allocation of land among competing uses. Several studies (Brandow and Learn; Christensen and Aines; Hathaway) indicate that the use of acreage control on single crops rather than on all crops results in less than proportionate reduction in output from a given reduction in acreage. However, only limited information is available on the interrelationships among major competing uses of crop, pasture, and privately owned forest acreage. Studies of these interrelationships (e.g. Dideriksen et al. and Zeimetz et al.) did not consider the influence of government programs. In particular, how do government programs affect these competing uses?
Technological Change and the Relative Share of Labor: The Case of Tobacco Production in the U.S.
Authors: Ganguly Pradeep
Published: July 2016

Tobacco production traditionally has been a highly labor-intensive operation in this country. Although the entire crop is grown on only .3 of 1 percent of the total cropland, tobacco requires more labor than is required for all vegetable crops and about the same amount as needed for cotton and food grains combined (USDA, Agricultural Statistics). However, in recent years a growing trend toward mechanization of harvesting-curing operations has, among other effects, greatly reduced labor usage. During the time period 1949–1976, total man-hours in tobacco production in the United States declined from 747 million to only 275 million—a reduction of more than 63 percent (USDA, Agricultural Statistics). Much of this reduction has been due to the introduction of bulk curing barns and mechanical harvesters (multipass and once-over types), which have replaced tying by hand or machines, conventional barns, and walking or riding primers. Mechanization of tobacco production has been relatively slow because of the special growing, harvesting, and curing requirements. However, the present state of mechanization is not insignificant.
Fertilizer Demand Functions for Five Crops in the United States
Authors: Gunjal Kisan R. , Roberts Roland K. , Heady Earl O.
Published: July 2016

Fertilizer consumption by the U.S. agricultural sector has increased dramatically for several decades. Nitrogen fertilizer use increased 632 percent between 1952 and 1976. Phosphate and potash fertilizer use increased 138 and 229 percent, respectively, in the same period (USDA 1978). However, the upward trend in fertilizer use was temporarily interrupted during the early and mid-1970s as the real fertilizer price began to increase after many years of decline.

Higher levels of aggregate fertilizer consumption over the 1952–1976 period outweighed the decline in the real price of fertilizer as real dollar expenditures for fertilizer continued to rise. Our study includes an attempt to relate fertilizer use for different crops to relevant economic variables.
Financing Agricultural Research and Education in a Period of Tight Budgets
Authors: Flatt William P.
Published: July 2016

This article, heralding the new year, clearly indicated that 1983 would be a period of tight budgets in virtually every state. A survey of 25 state capitals revealed that state revenues have been steadily declining. Policy Reports, a new bimonthly publication, surveyed the 16 states where newly elected governors will be inaugurated in January, 1983, and found that none had advocated a tax increase.
Teaching with the Microcomputer: Adoption of a New Technology
Authors: Tinsley W. A.
Published: July 2016

In an earlier paper, Litzenberg reviewed many of the issues associated with computer use in the agricultural economics classroom. His work also included a survey of land grant university work, inventorying hardware resources and computer-related course offerings.
Impact of Federal Fiscal-Monetary Policy on Farm Structure
Authors: Tweeten Luther
Published: July 2016

This paper examines the impact of federal fiscal-monetary (FM) policy on farm structure. FM policy is multifaceted but is confined here mainly to policies influencing aggregate demand. Inflation is defined as an increase in the general price level. Farm structure refers to farm size and numbers, tenure, legal organization, investment, capital-labor ratio, productivity, and status (part-time or full-time farming).
Moral Responsibility in Agricultural Research
Authors: Ruttan Vernon W.
Published: July 2016

The productivity of modern agriculture is the result of a remarkable fusion of technology and science. In the West this fusion was built on ideological foundations that, from the early Middle Ages, have valued both the improvement of material well-being and the advancement of knowledge.
Analysis of Variations in Farm Real Estate Prices Over Homogeneous Market Areas in the Southeast
Authors: Clifton Ivery D. , Spurlock Stan B.
Published: July 2016

This article presents an analysis of factors influencing farm real eatate prices in the southeastern United States. The first step in the analysis is the use of a multivariate criterion to segment the regional market into homogeneous land resource components.
Planning Solar Heating for Poultry—A Linear Programming Approach
Authors: Hardy William E. , Clark Joy M. , White Morris
Published: July 2016

During recent years we have begun to expect increases in prices that farmers pay for inputs. Rising costs of production have adversely affected the profits of many farming operations. The greatest relative change in prices has been in interest rates, but since 1972, and particularly since 1978, energy costs have exhibited a steep climb, as shown in Figure 1 (USDA, p. 427). Energy inputs such as LP gas, which is used heavily by the poultry industry, have shown particularly larger increases. The LP gas price paid by farmers nationwide rose from 38.9 cents per gallon in 1977 to 69.7 cents per gallon in 1981, a 79 percent increase (USDA, p. 422).
A Logit Model of Farmers' Decisions About Credit
Authors: Bagi Faqir Singh
Published: July 2016

Most of the research in agricultural credit in the United States is related to large-scale commercial farming. A number of such studies have tried to estimate the demand for credit (Hesser and Schuh) and/or supply of credit (Melichar).
Irreversible Import Shares for Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice in Canada
Authors: Lee Jonq-Ying , Tilley Daniel S.
Published: July 2016

Canada is the most important U.S. export market for frozen concentrated orange juice, accounting for over 8 million gallons of exports each of the past 9 years. Brazil and the U.S. are the dominant suppliers of orange juice in Canada. Prior to 1975, the U.S. held more than 60 percent of the Canadian market.
Impacts of Household Composition on Convenience and Nonconvenience Food Expenditures in the South
Authors: Capps Oral , Tedford John R. , Havlicek Joseph
Published: July 2016

The importance of the role played by household size and the age-sex characteristics of household membership in consumer expenditure and demand studies has been discussed by Barton, Blokland, Buse and Salathe, McClements (1977), Muellbauer (1974, 1980), Prais and Houthakker, and Price.