No abstract

With significant improvements in its theoretical underpinnings, the gravity model has gained renewed interest in the agro-food trade literature. Notwithstanding, there is a dearth of literature examining the relative trade restrictiveness of tariff barriers across a broad range of agro-food sectors. This represents an important research gap, which this study sets out to fill. Furthermore, this research reconciles the application of zeroinflated models with a sectorally disaggregated analysis. More specifically, employing a fully specified gravity equation, a Poisson estimator and variants of the Poisson model (Negative Binomial, Zero-Inflated Poisson, and Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial) provide statistically significant and theoretically consistent estimates, while allowing for the inclusion of zero-trade values. A panel data model with fixed effects is also employed to improve the estimation of the parameters of interest. Estimation results reveal that in the vast majority of sectors examined, import tariffs are found to be statistically significant, whereas export refunds exhibit a statistically smaller role due to the nonsystematic nature of their application in world food markets. Model simulations of tariff barrier eliminations reveal limited trade gains, although there is encouraging evidence of "low" and "lower middle" per capita income country trade gains in wheat, red meat, dairy, sugar, and (particularly) rice markets.JEL classifications: C13, F13, F14, F17, Q17, Q18

The paper examines the retail price structure of saffron currently marketed in the Spanish market, with special emphasis on the assessment of the region of origin and its certification as tools of differentiation. The motivation lies on the search for effective marketing tools for Jiloca saffron (Aragón) that in turn may contribute to preserve this traditional agricultural sector threatened by progressive abandonment. An hedonic price regression is estimated for this purpose, where the functional form is empirically determined. The prices and product characteristics have been collected from labels of saffron references either found on the shelves of representative retail shops in the main city of Aragon (Zaragoza) or on the internet shopping services that the main Spanish distribution chains offer. Results show that higher prices are attached for saffron distributed at supermarkets and Gourmet shops, marketed in threads, packaged in glass, and which carries a brand owned by a processor specialized in the processing and marketing of saffron. Currently, the recognition of Jiloca origin does not carry a premium, contrary to what happens to La Mancha, whilst the Protected Designation of Origin reinforces the economic value of La Mancha origin.Additional key words: Box-Cox transformation, differentiation, hedonic prices, Protected Designation of Origin. ResumenDesarrollo de una estrategia de marketing para el azafrán del Jiloca: un modelo de precios hedónicos El artículo examina la contribución de una serie de características en la formación de precios del azafrán que actualmente se comercializa en España, con especial énfasis en el origen y su certificación como elementos de diferenciación y generación de valor añadido. La motivación subyacente a esta investigación es la búsqueda de herramientas de marketing que permitan mejorar la comercialización del azafrán del Valle del Jiloca en Aragón, contribuyendo con ello a frenar el abandono de este cultivo tradicional. Con este fin, se ha estimado una regresión de precios hedónicos, donde la forma funcional se ha determinado empíricamente. Los precios y características del producto se han recopilado a partir de las referencias disponibles en todas las grandes cadenas de distribución alimentaria (y tiendas Gourmet) instaladas en el mercado urbano más próximo a la zona de producción (Zaragoza), así como a través del servicio de venta on-line de las principales cadenas de distribución en España. Los mayores precios implícitos corresponden a las referencias comercializadas a través de supermercados y tiendas Gourmet, en hebras, en frascos de cristal, y con marcas de fabricantes especializados en esta especia. Actualmente, el reconocimiento explícito del origen Jiloca no conlleva un sobreprecio, al contrario de lo que ocurre con el azafrán de La Mancha. En este último caso, además, la Denominación de Origen refuerza significativamente el valor económico aportado por el origen.Palabras clave adicionales: Denominación de Origen Protegida, diferenciación, precios hedónico...

This study investigates the effect on performance, carcass and meat characteristics of increasing the forage level in the diet of fattening Tudanca young bulls using silage as the forage source as compared with a conventional ad libitum straw plus concentrate diet. Twenty two Tudanca young bulls were assigned to three different finishing diets: ad libitum grass silage plus ad libitum concentrate (GS-AC), ad libitum grass silage plus concentrate limited to a half of the intake of the ad libitum group (GS-LC), ad libitum barley straw plus ad libitum concentrate (Str-AC) and then slaughtered at around 11 months of age. GS-LC diet resulted in relation to GS-AC and Str-AC diets in lower (p≤0.05) average daily weight gain (750 vs 1,059 and 991 g/animal/day, respectively), lower (p≤0.05) carcass weight (133 vs 159 and 152 kg, respectively) and carcasses with slightly lower conformation scores. Although GS-LC diet allowed for a lower dependence on concentrate (372 vs 657 and 729 kg/animal, respectively), economic margin was similar for the two GS groups (-63.1 and -64.1 vs -91.8 €/head). The polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio was the lowest (p≤0.05) in GS-AC meat (the group showing the highest IMF levels) and the ratio n-6/n-3 was the highest (p≤0.05) in Str-AC meat. GS-LC meat showed higher collagen content and Str-AC meat presented higher cohesiveness, springiness and chewiness values. Results suggested that the substitution of straw by grass silage and the restriction of the concentrate level could be recommended for finishing young Tudanca bulls in indoors systems.