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The use of mobile processing units (MPUs) for pasture poultry is growing rapidly. This study compared the economic feasibility of MPUs to two processing alternatives, traditional stationary processing on-farm plants and off-farm processing facilities. Our study combined a survey of pasture poultry farmers in Georgia, Louisiana, and Arkansas with the published research. Our findings suggest that MPUs and traditional on-farm processing alternatives have a lower processing cost, but that they require a higher initial investment than the off-farm option. In addition, off-farm processing at the United States Department of Agriculture-inspected facility allows selling products for a higher price. We therefore expect, on average, a higher per-bird profit than with the other two options. However, the excess processing capacity of the MPU can make this option the most profitable.

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This study investigates the links between rural development funding delivered via LEADER and job creation. Analysis is carried out using application‐level data during the 2007–2013 period in Northern Ireland. A two‐step procedure is employed to estimate a negative binomial model and correct for sample selection. Results indicate that there is a positive relationship between the number of jobs created and the amount of funds awarded, and that this depends on what Measure within Axis 3 applications are submitted under. More economic‐focused Measures, such as Farm Diversification, Business Development, and Tourism show a positive relationship between the amount of public funds and the number of jobs created. No such relationship was found for the more social, or cultural Measures. This result supports the argument that in such cases “jobs created” is not an appropriate indicator for evaluation purposes, but rather non‐economic criteria should be given priority to better suit the primary objective of such Measures. Other factors that are linked to job creation include applicant characteristics, such as its business status. In general, we find a limited connection between the process to select which applications are funded and the application characteristics most strongly associated with job creation.