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The Effects of Breeding Stock Productivity on the U.S. Beef Cattle Cycle
Author(s) -
Marsh John M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.949
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1467-8276
pISSN - 0002-9092
DOI - 10.2307/1244585
Subject(s) - beef cattle , stock (firearms) , productivity , herd , zoology , agricultural science , agricultural economics , economics , biology , geography , archaeology , macroeconomics
The effects of breeding stock productivity on the U.S. beef cattle cycle were econometrically estimated. Growth in output per beef cow was hypothesized to impact inventory response via cattle prices and marketing alternatives. Beef productivity included carcass weights of steers, heifers, and cull cows but excluded carcass weights of dairy cattle and cattle imports. Results indicate that from ten years to an equilibrium period, the beef cow herd averaged 0.5% to 2.5% smaller compared to if zero productivity growth had occurred. In addition, productivity growth decreased the inventory elasticity of supply by 18% between 1960–74 and 1975–96.