At the direction of the Michigan Farm Bureau, ten agricultural economists responded to a five-question survey in May 2020 to explore the future of the Michigan agricultural economy. Eight agricultural economists from Michigan State University, one agricultural economist from Kansas State University, and one agricultural economist from Purdue University responded. Michigan’s economy was exceptionally impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, leading to historic increases in unemployment rates in metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties alike. In April 2019, 628,885 Michigan households participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; 1,150,697 Michigan households participated by April 2020. This 83.0% increase in participation dwarfs the average change in the United States (17.9%). The remainder of the document synthesizes responses and highlights some of the more distinctive comments. Of course, the economists interviewed all noted an important caveat: all discussions of the future are largely contingent on the outcome of COVID-19. As noted by Tonsor, “I think ‘accurate’ answers here hinge notably on if we are wrapping up the worst of COVID or not - that is a human health, speed of vaccine, and medicine question that we can’t answer.” Furthermore, Swinton notes that ongoing macroeconomic trends make the future of agriculture largely dependent on economic growth across the world, as “economic recession/depression would lead to lower demand and lower prices for agricultural products.”
Agriculture in both Canada and the U.S. is going through a time of transition. The vast grain handling and transportation sector in each country is no different. The reasons for change are somewhat different across the two countries, but there are enough similarities to motivate a better understanding of the changes in this important agricultural and transportation sector. It is the goal of this research to explain as well as update the reader about the current and evolving situation in the grain handling systems in both countries. The two national rail systems are currently not very close to being integrated, but there remain signs that this could be a possible outcome from both a regulatory as well as an operations perspective. We let the reader judge for themselves where these changes will ultimately lead in this important and mature industry.
Many previous studies of rail market power in bulk transportation either focus the analysis at a national level or apply methods to analyze railway market behavior that are not always reliable. While railroads often appear competitive over bulk movements when evaluated on a national level, we offer that any exertion of market or duopoly power by a railway—if present—would be most likely to occur in local or regional markets where there is limited to no intramodal or intermodal competition. In addition, much of the prior research on rail market behavior relies on estimated railroad (marginal) costs, which are themselves unreliable and in turn generate questionable assessments of actual railway market power. To help shed light on this issue with respect to U.S. wheat transportation, this research evaluates regional-level market structure changes in two separate, high-volume wheat transportation corridors served by a rail duopoly. These are: (1) wheat moving from North Dakota to Minnesota; and (2) wheat moving from Kansas/Oklahoma to Texas. By assessing the nature of duopoly market power in these particular rail markets, the analysis helps support and inform policies designed to improve transportation markets for more captive wheat and grain shippers.
Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS), the nation invests $87 million to support decision-making in the agriculture, food and related sectors. This capability is critically important to these sectors, which comprise 5.5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and have significant impact on 46 million rural Americans and the more than half of the country’s land and resource base that is used for agriculture. ERS is a research agency with outsized impact that serves the public goals of USDA programs and contributes to the practice of agricultural and applied economics. This report summarizes intramural and extramural research and outlines how results are used to fulfill its role as a designated statistical agency and to provide market situation and outlook information. This report also summarizes the synergies created by current programs.
Le Mali dispose d’un important potentiel agro- sylvo-pastoral et halieutique mais n’arrive pas a couvrir entierement ses besoins alimentaires et atteindre un niveau de se curite alimentaire satisfaisant et durable. Moderniser le secteur agricole en mecanisant/motorisant son agriculture est l’une des priorites poursuivies par le Gouvernement du Mali dans le cadre de sa Loi d’Orientation Agricole pour reussir le passage d’une « agriculture africaine de subsistance » a une agriculture « moderne, commerciale et productive ». La crise alimentaire de 2007 -08 a suscite un interet additionnel des decideurs politiques du Mali a investir dans le secteur agricole pour booster la production et parvenir a l’autosuffisance alimentaire. Pour l’obtention d’une augmentation significative de la production agricole les specialistes s’accordent sur le merite de la mecanisation agricole dans (1) l’accroissement des superficies et (2) l’intensification accrue de la production agricole.
