Identifying Strategies to Mitigate Handling Risks in the Canadian Grain Supply Chain

The introduction of new generation agricultural products has generated an increased need for efficient and accurate product segregation across a number of Canadian agricultural sectors. As a key component of wheat handling in the Canadian grain industry, grading of wheat for value‐added blending has historically been accomplished by visual identification. As of 2008 in Canada, visual identification was eliminated for all primary classes of wheat and replaced by an alternative system of wheat declaration. Given the high costs of testing each truck and railcar for quality assurance, the declaration system must rely on incentives and trust as there is now considerable potential for accidental or opportunistic misrepresentation throughout the grain supply chain. This research attempts to identify cost‐effective handling strategies and policies so as to maintain the integrity of the supply chain under the new declaration system. An agent‐based simulation model is developed to capture the effects of individual heterogeneity as well as behavioral adaption to the declaration system within the modern wheat supply chain. The simulated results are used to identify superior testing strategies for handlers, along with the relative risks and costs associated with each of the testing strategies.     

Projecting Canadian Grain Shipments

The magnitude of future grain exports will profoundly affect many segments of the Canadian economy besides agriculture. Changes in structure of the existing grain transportation system, for example, may be required because of substantial increases in grain movement from country elevators to terminal positions. Grain trade projections are reviewed and the implications discussed. Results indicate that Canadian grain exports may increase from the past five-year average of 534 million bushels to a 1980 level of 811 million bushels and with the possibility of a billion bushel export level being achieved. All segments of the economy affected by the Canadian grain industry must be prepared to adjust their future operations to efficiently accommodate the increased level of grain exports .     

加拿大谷物处理技术

加拿大仅有７％的土地可以耕种，但生产出的粮食能满足４倍于该国人口的需要。农业是加拿大重要的出口创汇产业之一。就世界谷物贸易成交量而言，加拿大的出口量仅次于美国和欧盟，排第３；小麦出口长居世界第２。加拿大不仅是高质量谷物的提供者，而且还拥有谷物储运的先进技术。１ 谷物与油料作物的储存和处理系统 加拿大谷物与油料作物的储存和处理系统由农场、谷物收纳库、铁路运输、终点转运站、湖上运输和出口转运码头组成。１．１ 农场谷物储藏 加拿大农民在自己的农场上储存谷物受到政府的鼓励，大多数农民具有足够的储存能力。平均…     

粮食购销市场化必须以保证粮食安全为前提

粮食购销市场化，似乎是大势所趋。“市场化”呼声日甚，又是因为我国粮食总量近几年进入了“丰年有余，歉年平衡”的新阶段。但我国粮食现阶段的供求平衡，丰年有余的现状究竟能够维持多久？我们是否能一直巩固和保持这种局面？粮食生产对市场风险的承受能力到底有多大？宏观调控如何把握粮食购销市场化节奏？这些都是我们应该认真思考的问题。否则，我们又会“一着不慎，满盘危局”走入“多了想少，少了想多”的怪圈子，危及国家粮食安全。因此，在加快实行粮食购销市场化的同时，必须十分关注我国的粮食安全问题。一、要十分重视粮食安全…     

适应粮食购销市场化完善粮食市场体系

市场经济是指用市场机制来调节经济运行的经济形式。没有市场何来市场机制 ,所以 ,市场体系是市场经济必不可缺少的重要因素。计划经济则是用计划机制来调节经济运行的经济形式。实行计划经济不需要市场体系 ,在允许“小自由”时 ,保留农贸市场和集市贸易就可以 ,不需要批发市场 ,更不用说期货市场。中国实行的社会主义市场经济是调控型或管理型的市场经济 ,而不是自由市场经济。如果没有市场体系 (特别是有形市场 ) ,国家就无法调节市场 ,就容易出现“一活就乱 ,一管就死”的局面。这方面的经验教训是很深刻的。那种主张粮食交易主要通过无…     

Hedging Strategies for Grain Processors

Price risk management confronting grain processors differs from that faced by conventional hedgers, especially when futures markets for outputs do not exist. Three components of this problem are addressed in this study. One is the relationship between input and output prices, which are impacted in part by the structure and conduct of an industry. In some cases, these are highly correlated and in others they are not. The second refers to the hedge horizon or how far forward a firm should cover its inherent and persistent short cash positions. This study incorporates these relationships into a utility maximizing model to evaluate hedging effectiveness relative to traditional hedging strategies for processors. Finally, stochastic dominance analysis is used to compare hedging strategies when output is sold at a fixed price for future delivery. Secondary data from the bread‐baking industry are used for empirical analysis. Results indicate that hedging decisions are impacted by these relationships and affect firm risk exposure. La gestion du risque de prix des conditionneurs de grain diffère de celle des opérateurs en couverture traditionnels, surtout lorsqu'il n'existe pas de marchés de contrats à terme pour les extrants. La présente étude traite de trois aspects du problème. Tout d'abord, il y a la relation entre le prix de l'intrant et le prix de l'extrant, prix qu'influencent en partie la structure et le comportement d'une industrie. Dans certains cas, la corrélation est très étroite et dans d'autres, elle ne l'est pas. Ensuite, il y a l'horizon de couverture ou jusqu'où dans le futur une entreprise devrait‐elle couvrir ses faibles positions de trésorerie inhérentes et soutenues. Dans la présente étude, nous avons intégré ces relations dans un modèle de maximisation de l'utilité pour évaluer l'efficacité des opérations de couverture par rapport aux stratégies de couverture traditionnelles des conditionneurs. Finalement, l'analyse de la dominance stochastique est utilisée pour comparer les stratégies de couverture lorsque l'extrant est vendu à un prix fixe pour livraison à terme. Des données secondaires issues de l'industrie de la boulangerie ont été utilisées pour l'analyse empirique. Les résultats ont indiqué que ces liens influaient sur les décisions de couverture et que ces décisions avaient des répercussions sur l'exposition au risque de l'entreprise.     

Grain Marketing in Africa Under Conditions of Structural Adjustment

Agricultural marketing privatization has been a central feature of recent structural adjustment recommendations. This paper discusses approaches to the privatization of grain marketing and examines, in particular, possible future roles for state grain marketing agencies under a liberalized system. Steps which could be taken by governments to facilitate the introduction of new marketing policies are identified.     

Canadian Hog Marketing Boards from Inception to Decline

This paper is dedicated to Mr. Harry-Jae Elder first Chairman of the Board, Saskatchewan Hog Marketing Commission whose vision was that building a marketing system which allowed independent farmers to gain long term economic power, would enable them to survive     

强化我国粮食物流现代化能力建设研究

本文研究了我国粮食流通业的现状及存在的问题,提出粮食流通企业应积极整合资源,发展现代物流配送中心。目前,我国粮食物流管理体制中尚存在许多不适应WTO和现代物流发展趋势的弊端。为此,粮食主管部门和流通企业应共同打造粮食物流信息网络技术和服务体系建设平台。     

土地营销策略探讨

营销是土地市场发展到一定阶段的产物,是促进土地及时交易、实现预期的土地经济效益和社会效益的重要手段。因此,根据土地这一特殊商品的性质,在对土地市场营销环境进行分析的基础上,有针对性地采取土地、价格、渠道和促销等策略来达到土地营销的目的。     

粮食产销平衡地区国有粮食企业购销经营状况及其发展趋势分析——以重庆市长寿区国有粮食购销企业为例

本文对重庆市长寿区国有粮食企业的收购、销售情况进行分析，得出结论：当前粮食产销平衡地区众多国有粮食企业无论是在收购还是在销售方面，其主渠道作用都在日益降低。造成这一状况的原因包括国有粮食企业历史负担重、经营成本高以及市场参与主体多元化造成的竞争加剧等，但其实质原因却是企业长期依靠财政补贴维持生存，缺乏真正的市场竞争力。因此，国家应把培育和完善多种粮食经营主体公平参与粮食市场竞争作为主要政策目标，保证粮食宏观调控的可持续性以及粮食市场稳定。     

Production and Marketing Strategies of Spanish Citrus Farmers

Farmers are constantly exhorted to be good marketers. This research explores the connection between production characteristics and producer business orientation in the Spanish citrus industry. The sector lends itself to this study because it is by far the world's largest exporter of fresh oranges and mandarins, and yet has been criticised for fundamental weaknesses not only in the structure of production systems but also in the patterns of marketing activity. Survey data from Valencia are used to test the assumption that specialised producers also possess enirepreneurial attitudes and attributes. Cluster analysis is used to identify strategic groups of producers according to production characteristics and producer business orientation. The complexity of the industry is found to defy simple polar hypotheses about “good” and “weak” structures and strategies.     

长江三角洲粮食产销合作研究

协同推进长江三角洲粮食产销合作,必须克服种粮大户的生产成本偏高、粮食贸易与物流合同履约率偏低、粮食产销的横向合作不足、纵向层次不高等问题。长三角各省市应注重借鉴泛珠三角等区域合作经验,协同促进长三角粮食产销合作的深入开展;协同支持并推广有关企业在产销合作中的创新做法,不断提升粮食产销合作的广度与深度;协同增强长三角粮食物流能力,共同应对"粮荒"威胁与产销合作挑战等。分析了长江三角洲粮食产销合作中存在的突出问题,并着重从深化合作等角度提出了相关对策建议。     

元宝枫油的市场开发策略

分析元宝枫油的研究进展、效益状况、市场预测和市场定位,提出将元宝枫油作为保健品进行市场开发的思路,指出元宝枫油在中、老年市场、青年女性和婴幼儿市场上具有相当大的竞争优势,提出在“融入日常生活的绿色环保保健油”的经营理念指导下,通过创意构思、应用市场营销策略的市场开发策略,达到将一个新型产品推向市场的目的。     

Research in the Canadian Food Marketing Supply Chain System Post-1986

Economists have taken over the world. That's been a very negative factor because we have gone completely out of balance. I would hope that another trend, one that is broader, more humanistic and open to human beings rather than simply interested in maximizing shareholder value, will redress the balance. (Mintzberg 2002)