Three key questions regarding lamb promotion are addressed: (a) Have industry efforts to promote lamb shifted out the total demand for lamb? (b) Have any returns to producers achieved been greater than the cost of the promotion? (c) What has been the effect of lamb promotion on the lamb import share? The first question is addressed through an econometric analysis of the U.S. retail demand for lamb, which takes into account the effects of lamb advertising and promotion expenditures. The results then are used to calculate a benefit-cost ratio for lamb promotion in answer to the second question. An econometric analysis of the import share of U.S. lamb consumption provides the basis for addressing the third question. Lamb promotion is found to have increased the demand for lamb, and particularly American lamb, generating in the process a highly positive return to producers relative to the small cost of the program. [EconLit Classification: D11, D12, Q13, Q17, Q18]. r

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to develop information on the relative efficiency of Farm Credit System (FCS) lenders. Also the evolution of relative efficiency is examined as influenced by the biofuel boom, the financial crisis, and farm income increases. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -A stochastic frontier production function is used to estimate technical efficiency of FCS banks and associations. Findings -A significant difference is found in efficiency between large and small associations and banks. Larger asset bases and management compensation are found to be positively associated with efficiency. Banks are found to have higher technical efficiency than associations (66-46 percent). Association efficiency is found to be increasing indicating likely effects of recent consolidation. The financial crisis was not found to have a significant effect with the bioenergy and farm income booms being likely countervailing forces. Research limitations/implications -Further work is needed on the impact of the biofuel boom, increases in farm income, and new regulations.Practical implications -The study provides information and indications of strategies for FCS management including additional consolidation. Originality/value -This does an updated assessment of FCS efficiency taking into account changes in consolidation, lending practices, and economic conditions. Implications are developed for management actions such as more consolidation. The study also uses a more advanced methodology compared to older studies.

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PurposeThe surging entrance of new mobile payment merchants into the growing market has prompted the need for an in-depth understanding of loyalty formation to retain customers. This study examines customers' loyalty generation process in mobile payment services by exploring the serial effect of cognitive drivers (i.e. brand awareness, perceived quality, brand image, perceived value and layout) on affective response, satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA survey using self-administered questionnaires was conducted. The data was collected from 370 consumers who have experience using mobile payment services in Vietnam. The data were submitted to partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) analysis.FindingsThe results indicated that all the proposed cognitive drivers show significant impacts on affective response, which, in turn, translates into satisfaction and loyalty. The post-hoc analysis revealed enjoyment as the vital affective response in determining satisfaction. Moreover, the multigroup analysis indicated that the relationship between affective response and satisfaction is stronger for the female group. In addition, the ANN's nonlinear result revealed complementary insight into the importance of cognitive drivers.OriginalityThe current study revealed both linear and nonlinear mechanisms that explicate the roles of cognitive drivers and affective responses in fostering loyalty toward mobile payment merchants. The findings add to the existing literature that emphasizes consumers' initial mobile payment adoption.