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This article presents the reconstruction and analysis of the territorial work of Cooperativa La Comunitaria in the rural town of Santa Isabel (province of La Pampa), and more precisely, the opening of a balanced feed plant and the creation of an alternative corn marketing circuit. From the perspective of local development, the aim is to analyze the results of La Comunitaria's intervention in the territory at a productive level and the degree of replicability this project can have in other rural territories. To do this, we will recover the historical-political background of La Comunitaria at the local level, we will investigate the articulations that the organization establishes with other actors and its power construction strategies. On the other hand, we will study the organizational and economic features and the experiences of participation in the productive project. This is a qualitative work, which includes field records (both in-person and virtual) and a transdisciplinary theoretical approach. It is expected to make a contribution to the field of studies of public policies linked to local development, the social economy, as well as rural studies in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study analyzed the marketing of maize in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State and describes the socio-economic characteristics of maize marketers by determining the marketing margin, marketing cost, markup, operational efficiency as well as constraints faced by maize marketers in the area. Data used for the study were generated through the administration of structured questionnaire. A total of 120 respondents comprising of 40 maize wholesalers and 80 retailers, were randomly sampled from three purposively selected major maize markets. Descriptive statistics, Concentration Ratio, Gini Coefficient and Operational Efficiency Model were the analytical tools adopted for the study. The findings of the study revealed that maize marketing was efficient and profitable; N900 and N1200 per 100 kg bag for wholesalers and retailers, respectively in the study area. There also exists variation in marketing cost, marketing margin, marketing profit, and markup for both wholesale and retail maize markets. Gini Coefficients of 0.319 and 0.312 were obtained for wholesaler and retailer, respectively indicating high level of competition in the industry. Major problems facing both wholesalers and retailers are price uncertainty, high perishability of maize and seasonal nature of maize. However, insecurity and high capital requirement are considered as major constraints. It is therefore recommended that the challenges be alleviated to improve efficiency of maize market in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to measure the production efficiency, cost efficiency, profit-maximizing production level, and net income at actual, cost-minimizing, and profit-maximizing production, as well as to calculate the minimum price accepted by maize producers to supply their products, as well as to estimate the marketing efficiency of maize. A random sample of 50 maize growers from Diyala/Iraq during the agricultural season 2017 was selected. Due to its harmony with economic and statistical logic, cubic formula was used to estimate the cost function. The results showed that maize production at the lowest point of the ATC (total average production) was 124 tons, which is higher than the actual production of 51.18 tons. The greatest net return was achieved at the optimal production level. However, the actual production level which minimizes the cost has an advantage that it produces one ton with minimum costs compared with the other levels. These costs were 13122.3, 31070.7 and 70741.29 thousand ID/ton for actual, optimal and profit-maximizing production respectively. Furthermore, the study revealed a marketing efficiency of 94.4%, which is a good indicator for marketing performance. which means that the marketing costs afforded by farmers was less than the production cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the drivers of monthly changes in maize prices across 18 Tanzanian markets. Local prices respond three to four times faster to the main regional market (Nairobi) than to the international benchmark (US Gulf). More importantly, shocks from Nairobi account for only one third of the explained variation in domestic prices; the remaining two-thirds is accounted for by domestic influences (including harvest cycles, weather shocks, and trade policies). Further, we show that remoteness and the local agroecology systematically influence the behavior of food prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futures markets perform two essential functions by creating a platform for price discovery and permitting low cost hedging of risk. Some futures markets impose limits on the amount asset prices can change within a trading day to prevent the market from overreacting. While the objective of price limits may be to dampen volatility, many argue that they are instead self-fulfilling, create a ‘magnetic effect’ and amplify volatility. This magnet or gravitation effect causes trading volume and price variability to increase as market participants panic and advance the execution of their trades. This paper empirically investigates the effectiveness of price limits using daily data for 40 white maize futures contracts over the period March 2010 to December 2017. Four issues predominant in the circuit breaker literature are examined: the volatility spillover hypothesis, the delayed price discovery hypothesis, the liquidity interference hypothesis and the magnet/gravitation effect hypothesis. Most of the empirical evidence presented in the paper indicates that for white maize futures, price limits may be ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study estimates the liquidity cost of the corn future contract traded on B3 (formerly BM&FBovespa) and compare it to the CME corn future contract, through five implicit bid-ask spread measures. Originality/value: The market microstructure approach, with its focus on high frequency data, reveals characteristics of the emerging agricultural markets (also known as thin markets), which were not evident in studies with daily frequency data. Design/methodology/approach: To analyze the performance of five cost estimators, the data used in our analysis consists of intraday series of future contracts of B3 and CME from September 1, 2015, to August 30, 2016. The methodology adopted includes these estimators: Roll model (1984); Model of Thompson & Waller (1987) model of Choi, Salandro & Shastri (1988); Model of Chu, Ding & Pyun (1996) and the model of Wang, Yau & Baptiste (1997). Findings: The liquidity cost is lower in CME's future corn market than in B3, and the estimated cost of liquidity in CME's future corn market is 2 to 3 cents (in R$/60-kgbag) while at BM & F the cost is 6 to 16 cents (in R$/60-kgbag). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using daily prices from 496 corn cash markets for July 2006-February 2011, this study investigates short-run forecast performance of 31 individual and 10 composite models for each market at horizons of 5,10, and 30 days. Over the performance evaluation period September 2010-February 2011, two composite models are optimal across horizons for different markets based on the mean-squared error. For around half of the markets at the horizon of 5 days and most of them at 10 and 30 days, the mean-squared error of a market's optimal model is significantly different from those of at least other 23 models evaluated for it. Root-mean-squared error reductions through switching from non-optimal models to the optimal are generally around 0.40%, 0.55%, and 0.87% at horizons of 5,10, and 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effects of subsidised fertilizer on marketing of maize in Malawi. It uses the nationally representative two-wave Integrated Household Panel Survey (IHPS) data of 2010 and 2013. The results suggest that subsidised fertilizer on average increases farmers’ maize market participation as sellers, total quantity of maize sold, and maize commercialisation. In addition, participation in subsidised fertilizer programme is found to increase the probability of farmers to be net sellers and increases net quantity of maize sold. However, the study finds no evidence of effect on net quantity of maize bought and on household maize self-sufficiency. These results suggest that the farm input subsidy programme has contributed toward an increased level of maize market supply engagement for small farmers and in this sense, the policy has the potential to provide the wider external benefits. Furthermore, the results have implication on the sustainability of the subsidy programme, policy formulation and design of programmes for the agricultural sector and small farmers in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize sector policies in eastern and southern Africa are characterized by a large and often growing presence of the state. Yet the scope, scale, and modalities of state activities vary substantially across countries. Drawing on data from Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, and Mozambique this article compares the relative degree of state intervention in the maize sector. We show that relative preferences for output market subsidies, input market subsidies, trade restrictions, or non-interventionist approaches reflect the interplay of interest group lobbying, patronage networks, and ethnic and regional political affiliations. These relationships have deep historical roots and have often been intensified in the context of the emergence of multiparty politics. We show that interventionist orientations in output markets and trade do not translate into better performance or welfare outcomes. Input subsidy preferences produce more ambiguous welfare results, when the opportunity costs are not fully accounted for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to increasing agricultural output in developing countries is improving the productivity of farmers, which cannot be achieved without markets that would effectively bind the increasingly specialized activities of thousands of widely dispersed producers into an integrated national economy. Although, there is a high potential for rural farmers to derive livelihood from market-oriented agriculture and improve their standard of living, but what are those factors determining farmers' market participation. Thus, this study investigates the determinants of market participation among maize farmers in Ogbomoso zone of Oyo state, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used in the selection of respondents and a well-structured questionnaire was used to gather information on socio-economic attributes and market participation among maize farmers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Eighty questionnaire were administered, but 79 retrieved were subjected to analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and probit regression. The results show that majority of the farmers were male (70.9%), married (67.1%) and had a minimum of secondary education (74.7%) and above. Also, 70% had direct access and planted improved maize seed and 58% sold maize produced in the urban market. Probit model result shows that gender, age, marital status, household size, farming experience, educational level and membership of association/group are the major determinants influencing market participation in the study area. The study recommends that government should encourage formation of associations/groups, where farmers can get information about market situations and formulate policies on adult literacy programme to encourage farmers to participate more in market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the submission of application EFSA- GMO- RX-001 under Regulation ( EC) No 1829/2003 from Pioneer Overseas Corporation and Dow Agrosciences LLC, the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms of the European Food Safety Authority ( GMO Panel) was asked to deliver a scientific risk assessment on the data submitted in the frame of a renewal of authorisation application of the insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant genetically modified ( GM) maize 1507. The data package received in the frame of this renewal application contained post-market environmental monitoring reports, a systematic search and evaluation of literature, an updated bioinformatics analysis and additional documents or studies performed by or on behalf of the applicant. The GMO Panel assessed this data package for possible new hazards, modified exposure or new scientific uncertainties identified during the authorisation period and not previously assessed in the frame of the original application. Under the assumption that the DNA sequence of the event in maize 1507 considered for renewal is identical to the corrected sequence of the originally assessed event, the GMO Panel concludes that no new hazards or modified exposure and no new scientific uncertainties were identified for the application for renewal that would change the conclusions of the original risk assessment on maize 1507 (EFSA, , ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA GMO Panel) assessed the post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) report for the 2013 growing season of maize MON 810 provided by Monsanto Europe S.A. The EFSA GMO Panel concludes that the data related to insect resistance monitoring does not indicate a significant and consistent decrease in susceptibility of the target pest field populations to Cry1Ab protein in Spain over the 2013 growing season. However, considering that the methodology for insect resistance monitoring remained unchanged compared to previous PMEM reports, the EFSA GMO Panel reiterates its previous recommendations for improvement of the insect resistance management plan of maize MON 810. The EFSA GMO Panel also recommends, as part of general surveillance, the continuation of the screening and discussion of literature on possible adverse effects of maize MON 810 on rove beetles. In the absence of information on the general surveillance of maize MON 810 in 2013, the EFSA GMO Panel cannot conclude on potential unanticipated adverse effects due to the cultivation of maize MON 810 in 2013, or on possible changes to the methodology as compared to previous growing seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Small-scale assemblers are both the most vilified and least understood actors in food value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on data from Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, this article explores how maize assemblers influence the market access conditions of small-scale farmers. Assembly markets for maize are found to be highly competitive in terms of the number of traders operating and marketing margins. Farmers’ market access conditions in remote areas are particularly improved by the operation of assembly traders. Direct state operations in markets have sometimes unintentionally exacerbated market access conditions for farmers through their effects on rural assembly markets. While smallholder farmers face important marketing challenges, the brightest prospects for effectively addressing them require greater support for the development of competitive assembly markets rather than supplanting them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The transition in Mexico from a maize market once characterized by heavy state intervention along the entire maize-tortilla chain to the 'free market' of today has been a long and complex process. Over two decades, the production of maize has seen a radical transition both in the geographical location of maize agriculture and the type of farmers growing maize. In this paper, I argue that the restructuring of the domestic maize supply is due to policy decisions to support private agents in the maize market; hence the state did not withdraw its involvement but, rather, has had a key role in the construction of the 'free' maize market, with the result that domestic supply for the market is concentrated in the hands of relatively few agents and in relatively few regions. I discuss the background to these policies and analyse the programmes implemented by the state agency ASERCA (Apoyos y Servicios a la Comercialización Agropecuaria) that support the commercialization of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Highlights: [•] We use econometric analysis to investigate smallholder maize sales behavior in Africa. [•] We analyze the roles of market access, technology and resource endowments in maize sales. [•] Improvements in market access alone are likely insufficient to stimulate increases in sales. [•] Public goods that improve farm-level productivity and land access are also essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economics of Agriculture / Ekonomika Poljoprivrede is the property of Institute of Agricultural Economics (IAE) / Belgrade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Maize 98140 contains a single insert consisting of the gat4621 and the Zm-hra expression cassettes, providing herbicide tolerance. Bioinformatic analyses and genetic stability studies did not raise safety issues. The levels of the GAT and Zm-HRA protein in maize 98140 have been sufficiently analysed. The minimum standards for the design of field trials, set out in the EFSA GMO Panel guidance document, were not met. Therefore the EFSA GMO Panel was not in a position to conclude on the comparative assessment of the compositional, agronomic and phenotypic characteristics, on the basis of the data provided. In the absence of conclusions on the comparative assessment of composition, the risk assessment was restricted to the newly expressed proteins and to specific metabolites resulting from the acetylase activity of the GAT4621 protein. The EFSA GMO Panel has identified a gap in the data on the agronomic and phenotypic characterisation of GM maize 98140 and considers that uncertainty over these characteristics remains. However, considering the scope of this application, the available data and the poor survival capacity of maize outside cultivated land, the EFSA GMO Panel concluded that there is very little likelihood of environmental effects due to the accidental release into the environment of viable grains from maize 98140. Considering its intended use as food and feed, interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment were not considered to be an issue. Risks associated with an unlikely but theoretically possible horizontal gene transfer from maize 98140 to bacteria have not been identified. The monitoring plan and reporting intervals were in line with the intended uses of maize 98140. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely acknowledged that lack of market participation and limited access to agricultural services contribute to keeping semi-subsistence farmers trapped in poverty. This paper discusses the potential of an innovative business scheme to enhance smallholders' situations by providing access to an integrated service provision scheme. The authors conducted an integrated analysis of farmers' production, consumption and processing patterns using case-based evidence. While confirming that the presence of rural depots can improve smallholders' access to services, they also highlight some drawbacks of private intervention and show the importance of taking into account the diversity of economic and social factors when designing smallholder support instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to test the random walk hypothesis in Soybean, Cotton, Coffee and Corn markets by using the variance ratio tests. The data used refers to the daily quotations of price indicators, ESALQ/CEPEA for the period from 13/03/2006 to 20/10/2010.Results allowed to conclude that all commodities reject the random walk hypothesis, and hence the efficiency of market, generating arbitrage opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the risk of food supply contamination have limited the development and commercialization of certain pharmaceutical plants. This article develops an insurance pricing model that helps translate these concerns into a cost-benefit analysis. The model first estimates the physical dispersal of maize pollen subject to a number of weather parameters. This distribution is then validated with the limited amount of currently available field trial data. The physical distribution is then used to calculate the premium for a fair-valued insurance policy that would fund the destruction of possibly contaminated fields. The flexible framework can be readily adapted to other crops, management practices, and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of corn productions in Maui, Hawaii. It discusses the effort of Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society (RHAS) to cultivate corn on the island. It presents an overview of the production and market status of corn from 1851-1951 and discuses the promotion of farming for purposes of civilizing the population. It explores the decline of corn production in 1920 due to poor agricultural practices and the profitability of pineapple. It also cites the establishment and operation of Makawao Corn Mill Co. and Maui Agricultural Co.

This study investigates the impact of U.S. Department of Agriculture World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) reports on implied volatility in corn and soybean markets over 1985 to 2002. If WASDE reports resolve uncertainty, implied volatility should drop immediately after release of the reports. Results show that WASDE reports lead to a statistically significant reduction of implied volatility that averages 0.7 percentage points for corn and 0.8 percentage points for soybeans. The magnitude of the reduction is largest for the group of WASDE reports containing both domestic and international situation and outlook information. This group of reports reduces implied volatility by an average of 1.1 percentage points in corn and by almost 1.5 percentage points in soybeans. Results also reveal that the market impact of WASDE reports is strongest in the most recent 1996 to 2002 subperiod. Overall, the results indicate that WASDE reports provide valuable information to corn and soybean market participants. [JEL classifications: Q100, Q110, Q130]. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of U.S.-grown maize on Mexican markets is a subject of heated debate, and is complicated by limited substitution between white and yellow maize as well as regional price differences within Mexico. This article improves on previous analyses using a detailed data set of white maize prices reported weekly in 11 states across Mexico from 1998 through 2005. Using cointegration analysis and the error-correction model, we find that prices between the United States and Mexico do not share a common long-run relationship. Within Mexico, prices in Michoacán and Oaxaca are only weakly related with prices in neighboring states, whereas prices in Sinaloa and Jalisco exert considerable influence on prices elsewhere in Mexico. We conclude that, despite North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), white maize prices in Mexico are determined by local conditions including particularly the degree of integration to other regions within Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the impact of road rehabilitation on the spatial market efficiency of maize markets in Mozambique. We estimate a modified version of the Parity Bounds Model (PBM) that allows us to test the impact of road rehabilitation on spatial efficiency. This article seeks to contribute to the existing literature in three ways. First, a unique data set, where road rehabilitation episodes between market pairs are identified, is developed. Second, special care is devoted to estimation of transaction costs due to the sensitivity of the PBM model to the quality of transaction costs estimates. Finally, as opposed to most existing literature that focuses on relatively distant markets, the article focuses on spatially closed markets. We find that maize markets tend to be segmented due to high transport costs. Following road rehabilitation, inefficiency and average absolute price differentials tend to decrease, and market pairs have tended to shift toward autarky regimes. Overall, while the results point broadly toward a positive impact of road rehabilitation on spatial efficiency, they are not as strong or as robust as one would like. Large increases in fuel prices likely offset the positive impacts of road rehabilitation on transaction costs, contributing to the increase in the probability of being in an autarky regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Events external to agriculture have set in motion the conditions for structural change in the marketing of corn in the U.S. These included a rapid increase in the price of crude oil from $40 per barrel to over $100 caused by hurricanes, geopolitical events, an increased global demand for energy from countries like China and India, and in December 2007, the U.S. raising the renewable fuel standards. The results of this research show that there could be significant changes in the historical utilization and marketing of corn in the U.S. The change in movement patterns provides one source of visible evidence that a structural change is underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the grains futures contracts of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). The delivery process as part of the corn, soybean and wheat futures contract allows convergence of futures and the cash price. Failure to meet causes economic problems to the market. It is suggested that changes on the futures contract be made to adapt to the convergence problems.

Presents study that analyzes the maize marketing reforms in Zambia. Zambia's maize market reforms; Spatial equilibrium model in a continuous space setting to analyze the effects of three policy options; Continuous-space models; Empirical application results.

Evaluates the performance of spring corn and soybean futures prices in forecasting harvest prices and explains changes over time in forward pricing performance. Forecasting; Forward pricing; Futures.

Discusses the partnership of Edgar Corrie, John Gladstone and Jackson Bradshaw during the regional corn deficit in South Lancashire, England. Industrialisation in the last decades of the eighteenth century; Why cereal agriculture diminished; Implications of the corn problem for South Lancashire; Issue of preserving standards among dealers; Corn-trading connections; Growing market potential; Approach of Edgar Corrie, Gladstone and Bradshaw to corn marketing; Corrie's plan for a major speculation in American grain; Success of the firm.