Was the Australian Meat and Live‐stock Corporation’s advertising efficient?

A theory of the allocation of producer levies earmarked for downstream promotion is developed and applied to quarterly series (1970:2–1988:4) on red-meats advertising by the Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation. Robust inferences about program efficiency are contained in the coefficients of changes in promotion effort regressed against movements in farm price and quantity. Empirical evidence of program efficiency is inconclusive. While the deeper issue of efficient disbursement of funds remains an open question, there is evidence, at least, of efficient taxation.     

Combining results of different models: the case of a levy on the Dutch nitrogen surplus

Economic instruments, such as levies are considered by the Dutch government for reducing the harmful effects of the production and application of manure. To analyse these levies a framework which makes it possible to combine and to choose among different types of research is developed. The results are integrated along the line of the marginal abatement cost curve. The problems related to integrating different types of research are taken into account. The method developed allows every farmer to react to a levy differently. A levy turns out to be more effective to reduce the nitrogen surplus on farm level in the pig fattening sector when compared to the pig breeding sector. But even a levy of 2 guilderd/kg of nitrogen does not remove the total manure surplus in the pig sector and results in large profit losses. Further research is needed to underpin the empirical input required by the model.     

Bargaining rationale for cooperative generic advertising*

The beggar-thy-neighbour aspect of commodity advertising means that benefits to one commodity from advertising come at the expense of other commodities. The effect can be mitigated by cooperation among groups as shown by Alston, Freebairn and James (AFJ). A drawback to AFJ's analysis is that some cooperative outcomes require side payments from one producer group to another. This paper offers a bargaining solution as an alternative to cooperation in the case where cooperative side payments would be needed. We show that while bargaining without side payments is not as effective as cooperation at reducing beggar-thy-neighbour effects, it is a welfare improving alternative to non-cooperation and is likely more practical in many situations.     

Agricultural research priority setting under multiple objectives: an example from Zimbabwe

Strategic priorities are assessed tor the agricultural research system in Zimbabwe in a situation characterized by multiple objectives, farm types, and agro-ecological zones. Economic surplus analysis is used to rank research programs by commodity and research program areas in total and disaggregated by large and small larms in high and low potential regions. No funding, current funding, and 50% more funding are allowed tor each program in the analysis. An optimal research portfolio is developed, first with all weight placed on efficiency, and second with increasing weights placed on benefits going to small-holder farmers. Even with no additional weight placed on small holders. lesearch programs for both small farms and low potential areas enter into the optimal research portfolio. As more emphasis is given to small holders, the reduction in overall efficiency gained due to research is relatively modest, Maize and cotton were the highest ranked commodity research programs of the 36 commodities considered for both large and small larms. Agronomy and soils research are relatively more important for small holders, while plant breeding and crop protection are relatively more important for large-scale farmers. priority selling: Economic surplus and mathematical programming analysis.     

企业技能人才继续教育状况的调查——以山东渔业企业为例

随着商品经济和社会化大生产的发展,技能人才在企业里发挥着越来越重要的作用,随着技术日新月异的发展,要求技能人才不断补充新知识,加强继续教育。企业技能人才的继续教育对企业发展起着关键的作用。调查发现目前技能人才的继续教育状况存在政策法规执行力度不够,经费支持力度不足,缺少有效的激励与评价机制,缺少个性化安排以及对继续教育重视不足等问题。建议加强政府保障,完善企业培训制度,同时加大继续教育经费的投入,形成激励机制,为企业技能人才提供个性化的继续教育,促进人力资源的可持续发展,增强企业的技术创新能力。     

On the way out: Government revenues from fossil fuels in Australia

Australia is moving from a fossil fuel-dominated energy mix to one that is increasingly powered by solar and wind. Fossil fuel exports are also likely to decline given their poor compatibility with the net zero emission targets of key trading partners. There is the potential for a variety of new exports of zero carbon energy and products to emerge. This paper reviews implications of the ongoing energy transition for government revenues from fossil fuel extraction and use and discusses policy options in response. It concludes that the transition heightens the need for efficient government revenue-raising mechanisms across the economy. Among the possible reforms, this paper reviews the potential for Australia's corporate income tax to be reoriented towards the taxation of above-normal profits via an allowance for corporate equity approach. Other revenue-raising options that are discussed include carbon pricing, electronic road user pricing, wider use of progressive royalties, the use of industry levies as applied in Australia's agricultural sector, and the generation of revenue from government co-investments.     

美国矿业管理体制及税费政策研究

文章主要从美国的法律、土地和矿产归属等方面探讨了美国矿业管理机构的组成、职能等,对美国联邦和各州的矿产资源税费政策、税费征收情况等进行了较系统的归纳、总结和分析,并得出以下结论:美国的油气资源税费结构、水平等比较合理,值得借鉴,其暴利税征收的利弊对我国油气行业管理和税费征收有参考价值。     

基于贷款能力测算的供水项目资金筹措方案研究——以NG供水项目为例

以某大型供水项目NG为例,定量研究供水项目的资金筹措方案。首先分析非债务性资金与债务性资金比例结构,测算满足非债务一定资金收益率要求的还贷水价及分析非债务资金中政府拨款与企业资本金比例结构。分析表明对供水这种具有一定公益性质的项目,其资金筹措来源一般有政府拨款、企业资本金和银行贷款。     

Taxes and Subsidies in Vertically Related Markets

In the framework of a two–country, two–good partial equilibrium model where one of the commodities (the bulk commodity) is an intermediate input in the production of the second good (the processed good), we assume that the government wishes to transfer income to both bulk commodity and processed good producers. Our analysis is concerned with efficient redistribution. The instruments are subsidies or taxes, and there is an opportunity cost of public funds. We use the targeting principle to characterize the set of optimal subsidies or taxes applied on both the bulk commodity and the final good in this vertically related market structure. The theoretical analysis is illustrated using the example of cereals (the bulk commodity) and pork and poultry (the processed good) in the European Union.     

Technology,production environment,and household income: Assessing the regional impacts of technological change

This paper clarifies the factors determining the welfare effects of improved agricultural technologies when technology diffusion is unevenly distributed across production environments Household-level income effects are shown to depend primarily on: (a) whether the economy is open or closed with respect to world markets; (b) whether households are net consumers or net producers of the commodity for which technological change occurs; (c) whether households are adopters or non-adopters of the new technology; (d) the degree to which labor is mobile across agricultural regions; and (e) government intervention in commodity and/or factor markets. A review of recent empirical work indicates considerable variation in the relative strength of these various factors across countries, and that assumptions regarding the mechanism by which commodity prices are determined – endogenously as in a closed economy, or exogenously as in an open economy – is especially critical.     

Commodity futures markets: a survey

This review article describes the main contributions in the literature on commodity futures markets. It is argued that modern studies have focused primarily on technical questions, with insufficient economic content. More research needs to be directed towards understanding fundamental economic issues such as why so few farmers hedge, the impacts of government farm programs on commodity futures, and the market impacts of commodity pools. The literature has failed to explain the prevalence of inverted markets in grains and oilseeds, and there is unexplainable price volatility in markets such as hogs and orange juice.     

Funding ecological restoration policy in practice—patterns of short-termism and regional biases

With continuous degradation of ecosystems combined with the recognition of human dependence on functioning ecosystems, global interest in ecological restoration (ER) has intensified. From being merely a nature conservation measure, it is today advanced as a way to improve ecosystem functions, mitigate biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as renew human–nature relationships. However, ER is a contested and diversified term used in research, policy and practice. Substantive public funding is allocated towards this end worldwide, but little is known about its concrete purpose and coverage, as well as what decides its allocation. With inspiration from environmental funding literature we analyze the case of Sweden to provide the first national overview of public ER funding. The understudied political context of ER is thus addressed but also regional variation in funding allocation. A database of all national government funding programs between 1995 and 2011 that included projects and sub-programs aiming at practical ER measures was created. Results show that ER activities counted for 11% (130 million USD) of the total government nature conservation funding. Water environments were highly prioritized, which can be explained by economic and recreational motives behind ER. The ER funding was unevenly distributed geographically, not related to either environmental need or population size, but rather to regional administrative capacity. It was also found to be small scale and short term, and hence part of a general trend of “project proliferation’’ of public administration which runs contrary to ecosystem based management. As ER is not yet a long-term investment in Sweden, commonly seen as an environmental lead state, we expect even less and more short-term ER funding in other countries.     

Decoupled Agricultural Policy and the Lack of Production Alternatives

Overall, only a small proportion of geographic-specific production (for the selected commodities) are in areas that are highly specialized in that commodity. The large proportion of production in nonspecialized regions suggests that other production opportunities do exist. Thus, a “decoupled” agricultural policy would not necessarily mean that producers receiving a decoupled “government payment would be constrained by geographic factors to continue their original production pattern. We recognize, however, that others may wish to select different commodity groups when analyzing the availability of production alternatives. We suggest that census data do provide one way for determining the extent to which a decoupled” agricultural policy may in effect lock in the existing production pattern.     

A MODEL OF THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY

Several efforts have been made since 1980 to estimate the costs and benefits of the European Community's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This paper summarises the approach and method adopted in developing one such effort, which aims to provide results at country, commodity and interest group level both for the CAP as a whole, and for changes in it. Economic analysis of the effects of price changes in the CAP is carried out with the use of direct and crossprice elasticities of supply and demand for sixteen major commodities, using base levels of production, consumption, and gross trade flows in each member state, along with rest-of-world data. A number of CAP instruments, such as subsidies, levies, quotas and ‘green’ exchange rates, are built into the calculations and can be varied, along with support prices, to produce new situations in domestic markets and in world price levels. Both financial (budgetary) and welfare (economic surplus) effects of such exogenous price changes can be calculated. Certain policy changes, such as a move to ‘free’ markets, involve endogenous calculation of equilibrium prices. Trend projections subject to a priori constraints are used to produce results for years beyond the extent of data currently available. The types of model run commonly carried out are discussed, along with several strategic judgments that became necessary in carrying out the research. Finally, questions concerning the future development and use of the model are addressed.     

PROJECTION MODELS FOR U.K. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE*

Successful policy planning depends to a large extent on being able to predict the consequences of alternative measures. In the case of agriculture, it is important to know how the future pattern of supply and demand in this sector will be affected by government action on specific issues such as farm price support, and by expected trends in macro-economic variables such as national incomes and population. This paper illustrates the application of a model of U.K. agriculture to the projection of changes in the production and consumption of food and agriculture products between now and 1975. The demand projections show the effect of important levies, and of joining the E.E.C, on future expenditure on food, while the supply projections show how the output of a number of agricultural commodities will be affected by adjusting farm prices towards E.E.C. levels.     

水利风景区PPP项目政府与社会资本方利益协调行为策略研究

为促进水利风景区PPP项目中政府与社会资本方之间的利益协调,保障项目顺利建设运营,研究双方之间利益协调行为策略,并在博弈分析中同时考虑政府的宏观管理者和项目微观参与主体双重身份。采用静态博弈探寻政府和社会资本方的纳什均衡,构建演化博弈模型动态分析双方的行为策略并对该博弈过程进行仿真。仿真结果表明:在政府采取“不积极”策略所承担的风险成本大于“积极”策略所付出的项目建设运行成本、社会资本方采取“投机”策略所承担的风险成本大于“努力”策略所付出的项目建设运行成本的情况下,“积极、努力”在静态博弈和动态博弈中均为均衡策略;否则,要实现“积极、努力”的均衡策略,需满足政府获得的社会生态效益远大于支出的可行性缺口补贴,且社会资本方获得的品牌效应、社会影响力、政府奖励等附加收益和可行性缺口补贴之和远多于转投向其他经营领域所获得的收益。提出了完善水利风景区PPP项目收益分配、风险分担及政策保障机制,建立政府和社会资本方沟通机制,加强对水利风景区PPP项目的监管力度等对策。     

The Calculation of Returns to Research in Distorted Markets

Most of the empirical literature calculating rates of return to publicly sponsored research assumes that research is the only relevant government intervention. For most countries this assumption is untenable. This paper shows that improperly measuring government induced market distortions can severely bias research rate of return calculations. If the interaction between successful research and other government interventions increases the cost of the other interventions, then neglecting market distortions unambigously increases the calculated rate of return. Three examples of government induced distortions show that the magnitude of the upward bias in calculated rates of return can be extremely large - in some cases more than 100 percentage points. A normative implication is that governments should account for interactions between research and price interventions when determining research support levels. A positive implication is that existing government research funding patterns are more readily explainable as reasonable behavior by a government that accounts for these interactions.     

Managing multiple international risks simultaneously with an optimal hedging model

A risk management model based on portfolio theory which accounts jointly for price, quantity, interest rate and exchange rate risks is developed and applied to cocoa and coffee production and exports in the Ivory Coast. Utilizing commodity and financial futures markets jointly, the results show that a government export agency can reduce risks from 27% to 89% by following a multicommodity hedging program which manages several risks simultaneously. The model and technique developed are applicable to many multiproduct firm and international risk management situations.     

The impact of commodity price shocks among regional economies of a developing country

Volatile commodity prices have become commonplace in the world economy. Although is widely accepted that commodity‐rich countries are affected by this phenomenon, information about how commodity price shocks impacts their regional economies is scarce. This work analyses how shocks in copper prices impact the economies of the major copper‐producing regions in a developing country, such as Chile. To achieve this goal, a two‐step method is implemented. First, we estimate long‐term copper prices using the Wets and Rios approach (2015) and these estimates are then contrasted with those forecast by the Chilean public advisory committee. Second, a general equilibrium model is implemented to simulate the effects of both expansive and restrictive copper price cycles within major producing regions in Chile. Our results show that the proposed approach yields more homogeneous price projections than those made by the Chilean Government, which, in turn, are very close to variations in response to negative shocks. The price simulations confirm that price cycles affect the savings of government and business, which directly dampens regional production, mainly via investment, capital mobilisation and diversification of production. Because of this, fiscal revenues generated by copper sales act as a trade cycle term multiplier in regional economies. Overall, within copper‐producing regions, we suggest implementing long‐term policies to improve profit distribution efficiency.     

Levy-funded research choices by producers and society

Commodity levies are used increasingly to fund producer collective goods such as research and promotion. In the present paper we examine theoretical relationships between producer and national benefits from levy-funded research, and consider the implications for the appropriate rates of matching government grants, applied with a view to achieving a closer match between producer and national interests. In many cases the producer and national optima coincide. First, regardless of the form of the supply shift, when product demand is perfectly elastic, or all the product is exported, domestic benefits and costs of levy-funded research all go to producers and they have appropriate incentives. Second, if research causes a parallel supply shift, the producer share of research benefits is the same as their share of costs of a levy, and their incentives are compatible with national interests. In such cases, a matching grant would cause an over-investment in research from a national perspective. However, if demand is less than perfectly elastic, and research causes a pivotal supply shift, the producer share of benefits is smaller than their share of costs of the levy, and they will under-invest in research from a national point of view. A matching grant can be justified in such cases, however the magnitude of the optimal grant is sensitive to market conditions.