Agriculture is one of the major sources of water quality impairment, and chemical fertilizer causes most of the surface water contamination. The purpose of this thesis is to design two fertilizer tax systems (Uniform Tax vs Differentiated Tax) embodied in a Computable General Equilibrium model,...

Numerous studies have analyzed annual crop mix decisions in light of producer risk preferences. Few studies have focused on perennial crop mix decisions. This study attempts to identify not only the optimal mix of grapefruit and oranges for various risk-aversion levels, but also optimal planting...

The United States imposed a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on lamb meat in July 1999. Early analysis suggested the possibility that lamb growers could lose welfare via the creation of packer market power. This paper considers how subsequent events modify that analysis. Observed prices suggest reduced...

This report presents a modeling framework in which epidemiological model results are integrated with an economic model of the U.S. agricultural sector to enable estimation of the economic impacts of outbreaks of foreign-source livestock diseases. To demonstrate the model, the study assessed...

Predicted crop yields and wind erosion rates from a multi-year/multi-crop growth simulation model provided input into a multi-period recursive QP model to evaluate erosion implications during the transition to dryland crop production on the Texas Southern High Plains. Three farm-program...

Vegetable production can offer a high-valued cash crop alternative. While returns may be high, vegetables are perceived to have more risk than conventional row crops. This study used stochastic dominance analysis to evaluate terminal market price risk for four vegetable crops across five market...

Linear programming and regional input-output models were applied to estimate the impacts of increased pumping costs for irrigated agriculture due to groundwater depletion principally caused by the expanding urban area of San Antonio, Texas. A biophysical simulator was use to estimate linear...

A multiyear regional risk programming model was used in evaluating the impacts of different environmental policies on cropping systems, input use, nonpoint source pollution, farm income and risk. A direct expected utility maximizing problem (DEMP) objective with a Von Neuman Morgenstern utility...

Questions have been raised regarding the economic costs of food-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the United States. This analysis examines how welfare changes are measured and argues that they must be decomposed by groups. Producers with animals quarantined and slaughtered because of FMD...

This analysis examines the economic impact of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and the consequences of regionalization. The results suggest that an outbreak would have serious economic effects. Depending on the regionalization scenario, returns to capital and management in...