University of Minnesota, Duluth
AgEcon Search: Research in Agricultural and Applied EconomicsNot a member yet
212667 research outputs found
Sort by
Agro photovoltaic: feasibility of synergistic system in the sugarcane bioenergy sector
No full textA feasibility analysis of the agro photovoltaic approach applied in the sugarcane energy sector is presented. A tailored architecture of photovoltaic implementation was designed to be installed above and on the same area of sugarcane plot without reduction of planted area, respecting agronomic requirements of the crop. Were analyzed mutual influences, necessary adjustments in crop handling, life cycle management, cross effects on agro-industrial costs and yields, potential savings, gains by additional electricity generation and improved economic results from synergies. The combined cross effects were applied in a hypothetical sugar-energy plant in São Paulo, using typical figures and parameters of the 2019/2020 harvest season, based on updated sectoral reports, and using similarly typical parameters of photovoltaic plants. The greatest operational gain was due to the optimization and cost sharing with the existing electricity generation on the thermal plant driven by biomass, and the highest relative incremental cost resulted from the photovoltaic installation, adapted conveniently to the special management and handling practices required by sugarcane crops. The approach provided economically feasible, respecting crop agronomic conditions and the optimized use of the electrical cogeneration infrastructure driven by biomass. The approach resulted in a significant increase in revenues of energy cogeneration and joint economic margin. The average return on investment period was around 12 years, and 9 years using specific promoted funding lines. The main feasibility constraints and check items are related to the minimum negotiated average price of electricity, and to adapted photovoltaic architecture installation CAPEX, strongly linked to the currency exchange ratio
Analysis of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to macroeconomic, demographic and political indicators
No full textThis study investigated how wealth, development, and policy conditions affected the performance of 168 countries regarding the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths per million inhabitants after 365 days from the first confirmed case. Supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques were used, including clustering to explore the data, principal component analysis to deepen the understanding of the data, and principal component analysis and multilevel modeling to confirm the identified relationships and patterns. The results indicated that pre-existing wealth, development, and policy conditions exerted a significant impact on the performance patterns of the analyzed countries in relation to the pandemic. It is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the complex interactions between economic, social, and public health policy variables, demonstrating that, even with access to a wide range of resources, rich and developed countries faced high numbers of cases and deaths, highlighting the need for more equitable public health policies prepared for future health emergencies
"Sell-out" as a sales planning tool in the agricultural pesticides industry.
No full textIn an increasingly competitive market, transforming data into sales opportunities is a key differentiator for companies. In this sense, having and knowing how to analyze customer consumption data for their products – and from there projecting future sales – means creating more precise plans, generating additional revenue and avoiding wasted resources, such as excess or lack of inventory in the industry and distribution network. Basing decisions on sell-out consumption data encourages the organization to focus on the customer, since this is one of the main indicators considered in the (re)purchase decision by distributors, cooperatives, and large producers. Having detailed information and frequent analysis of sell-out data helps the pesticide industry measure the performance of promotions and campaigns with sales channels. In this context, the overall objective of this work was to propose an improvement in the sales planning process based on the sell-out consumption indicator. The study methodology was quantitative, with data collection from 10 sales regions and 17 products that, combined, represent 70% of the revenue of a nationally operating agricultural pesticide company. As a result, additional sales opportunities were found corresponding to 4% of the company's annual revenue (R$ 36,308,272.00), and based on this, a massive analysis tool, a "dashboard," was suggested, which compares the sales forecast versus the historical sell-out consumption at different granularities
Irrigation of Rice in the United States
No full textIn this bulletin Mr. Bond describes the rice industry of Louisiana and Texas and gives measurements of the quantities of water used in irrigating rice. The laws relating to irrigation in the two States dealt with are also discussed. Mr. Keeney's report covers North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and is almost wholly descriptive
A Narrative Report Which Is the Result of a Survey of Conditions Among Stump Land Settlers in Flathead County, Montana
No full textTable of Contents: The Land (Location of Stump Lands – Soil Sources – Soil as Affected by Forest Cover – Kinds of Soil – Forest Soil and Climatic Effects – Lack of Irrigation) --- The People (Migrants – Origin and Occupations – Old Settler Stump Land Farmers – Location of Migrants by Classes – Maladjustment of Families to the Land – Industries, Sources of Employment and Income – Story of a Refugee Family – Methods and Costs of Land Clearing – Social Factors and Trends – Typical Old Time Stump Land Farmer) --- Economic Factors (Crop Production and Climatic Influences, Markets – Industrial Centers – Public Services and Utilities – Population Trends – Attitude of Land Selling Agencies – Farm Plans for Small Farms – On a Small Subsistence Tract) --- Problem Summary and Conclusions (Grants for Powder – Where Loans Might be Made) --- Appendix (A. Letters from Settlers – B. Compilation of Questionnaire Replies – C. Sample Questionnaire – D. Chamber of Commerce Publications – E. Forest Service (Topographical) Map)
Antibiotics Curb Diseases in Livestock, Boost Growth
No full textExcerpts: Two ears of corn, two bushels of potatoes, two pigs, two calves, two chickens, two turkeys now grow where but one grew before. This has been achieved through the concerned work of many people in all walks of science and farming. Among the several scientific discoveries which substantially contributed to the abundant yields of our meat, egg and milk production was the astonishing discovery in the early 1950's of the "antibiotic growth effect" on livestock. It was at first unexpected, illogical, and baffling, but enormously exciting for it opened new vistas of research in animal science
FALL 2025 FARM INCOME OUTLOOK FOR KANSAS
No full textIn September 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released state-level farm income estimates through calendar year 2024 and national farm income projections for calendar year 2025. The present report published by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) provides an updated outlook for Kansas farm income in calendar years 2025 and 2026. It intends to inform policymakers, industry analysts, and agricultural practitioners about the state agricultural sector’s expected profitability and its main drivers
FALL 2025 FARM INCOME OUTLOOK FOR MISSOURI
No full textIn September 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released state-level farm income estimates through calendar year 2024 and national farm income projections for calendar year 2025. The present report published by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) provides an updated outlook for Missouri farm income in calendar years 2025 and 2026. It intends to inform policymakers, industry analysts, and agricultural practitioners about the state agricultural sector’s expected profitability and its main drivers
FALL 2025 FARM INCOME OUTLOOK FOR NEBRASKA
No full textIn September 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released state-level farm income estimates through calendar year 2024 and national farm income projections for calendar year 2025. The present report published by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) provides an updated outlook for Nebraska farm income in calendar years 2025 and 2026. It intends to inform policymakers, industry analysts, and agricultural practitioners about the state agricultural sector’s expected profitability and its main drivers
Economic viability analysis of a Wagyu beef cattle herd in a complete cycle.
No full textJapanese Wagyu cattle are an alternative to increase competitiveness in a market with increasingly reduced margins. This study aimed to analyze the viability of a purebred Wagyu herd in a complete cycle between 2009 and 2013. The analysis was based on the following economic indicators: total operating cost, gross revenue, gross margin, and net margin. Revenue consisted of the sale of genetic material, animals, and meat. The final average net margin was positive at R/@, were 7.8 times higher than in other studies. These gains show that if adjustments are made to reduce costs or increase scale, future results could be very promising. The activity demonstrated economic viability during the study period, as the final average net profit margin (NPM) was positive. The pioneering role in the production and marketing of a differentiated livestock product for a niche market highlighted the diversification of businesses in Brazil as well as the strengthening of the brand in the market