Recent losses in the U.S. soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] market share have motivated soybean producers to seek alternative methods of increasing the demand for U.S. soybeans. Organizations funded by U.S. soybean producers are at the forefront of this issue, struggling with the dilemma of determining which options to pursue in order to generate the greatest returns for soybean producers. Options include genetically modifying the soybean to better fit the needs of end users, increasing per acre yields, and reducing the costs of production. A previous study estimated the gross values of 30 alternative modifications of the soybean. The purpose of this paper is to provide estimates of the expected net benefits accruing to U.S. soybean producers and end users from five genetic modifications. Producer and consumer surplus models were used to estimate the expected net benefits to U.S. soybean producers and end users. These results will be useful to producer organizations in allocating funds for genetic modification research. Producer welfare is found to increase with increasing demand elasticities. The most favorable scenario for producer organizations is where the elasticity of demand is high relative to the elasticity of supply, the added production costs or yield loss is zero, the shifts in total demand for U.S. soybeans are large, and the probability of research success is high. Producer organizations cannot simply compare the modifications based on their per bushel added values. Investing in the three modifications which had the highest per bushel added values resulted in expected producer net benefits $472.8 million lower than investing in research on the three modifications with the highest expected producer net benefits. Soybean modifications with moderately reduced yields will typically result in negative benefits for soybean producers. Very small or no yield reductions or very large per bushel values from the modification are needed to produce positive net values to producers. Research Question Recent losses in the U.S. soybean market share have motivated the soybean industry to seek alternative methods of increasing the demand for U.S. soybeans. Organizations funded by U.S. soybean producers are at the forefront of this issue, struggling with the dilemma of determining which alternatives to pursue in order to generate the greatest returns to soybean producers. Options being considered include genetically modifying the soybean to better fit the needs of end users, increasing per acre yields, and reducing the costs of production. This paper addresses the question; “Of the genetic modifications aimed at better fitting the needs of end users, which ones should producer organizations pursue in order to generate the greatest returns to U.S. soybean producers?” Literature Summary Most studies analyzing technological innovations have focused on supply shifting developments. Demand increasing innovations have received little attention. The main reasons for the lack of quantitative analyses of demand increasing innova...
The results of a systems estimate of the South Korean meat sector are presented. The system is well behaved in that it satisfies the theoretical restrictions. Some of the parameters of the demand system are then used to simulate the effects of trade liberalization in the South Korean beef sector. The results indicate that South Korea would reduce its trade surplus by as much as $800 million by 1999 if its beef sector was liberalized. The principal beneficiaries of this liberalization would be the United States and Australia.
This paper reviews the literature that compares the fuel efficiencies of bulk commodity transportation modes. Most studies used net-ton-miles per gallon to compare modal fuel efficiencies. Net-tonmiles per gallon have traditionally been estimated from aggregate industry data of total net-tonmiles and total fuel consumed. More recent studies have targeted specific origins, destinations, products hauled, types and sizes of equipment, backhauls, and miles traveled to estimate total fuel consumption. This paper shows that fuel efficiency estimates based only on net-ton-miles per gallon can be erroneous. The paper identifies basic variables and measurement methods that can improve the accuracy of modal fuel efficiency comparisons.
Most transportation textbooks and articles on inland waterway navigation assume a perfectly competitive Mississippi River system barge industry. One study found the 1972 and 1977 grain barge industry to be oligopolistic. A second study of the U.S. barge industry found "intra industry competition for the barge industry on a day-to-day basis with easy entry and exit." Using the concentration ratio and the Herfindahl Index, this study found the Mississippi River barge industry to be oligopolistic. These results suggest that Mississippi River navigation infrastructure studies should not use long run marginal barge costs as a proxy for barge rates.
The Staggers Rail Act of 1980 allowed contracts between railroads and shippers which have resulted in increased grain prices to some farmers while, at the same time, increasing competitive pressure on some local grain elevators. This study employs a logistic model designed for complex survey designs to identify characteristics of elevators that had railroad contracts during 1983-85. The total volume shipped from an elevator, number of railroads serving an elevator location, and affiliation with elevator firms serviced by more than one railroad company are found to contribute significantly to the probability of a grain elevator receiving a railroad contract.
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