The judiciary has relied on a firm's market share to evaluate the presence of monopoly power for a Sherman Act monopolization violation. However, an allegation that a firm's market share constitutes monopoly power may be refuted by evidence that there exists a contestable market. Contestable market theory shows that there is no monopoly power where there exists a threat of entry of other firms. This theory thereby offers agricultural cooperatives, which may have a large market share by reasons of the antitrust immunity provided by the Capper-Volstead Act, an argument to overcome allegations of a Sherman Act monopolization violation.

A whole farm Monte Carlo simulation model was used to simulate a typical rice farm on the Texas Gulf Coast for 10 years under the 1980, 1981, and 1982 income tax provisions. Results for this analysis indicate that the 1981 tax provisions clearly were more beneficial to farm operators than the 1980 or 1982 income tax provisions. While the 1981 and 1982 tax law changes clearly improved the cash flow of farm operators, they did not greatly improve the wealth positions of farm operators in the Texas Gulf Coast.

The decision to overwinter feeder cattle hinges directly on the forecast of spring cattle prices. An analysis of price forecasts from several alternative models is presented. The models are evaluated using both the traditional mean square criterion and alternative criteria. The alternative criteria evaluate the profitability of the decision implemented based upon the forecast.

This study examines grain sorghum storage decisions in the Texas Coastal Bend region. Decisions involving use and non-use of outlook information are compared using stochastic dominance criteria. Results indicate outlook information is of value to most classes of decisionmakers. The value of outlook information, however, is contingent upon producers' risk preferences. The methodology presented could be used to evaluate a more extensive set of marketing strategies for grain sorghum as well as for other crops.

The interval measurement approach was used to obtain risk preference measures for 23 Michigan farmers in 1979 and again in 1981. This paper analyzes how risk preferences of the individuals in this group of decisionmakers changed over a two year time period. Risk preferences were most stable near typically experienced personal income levels.

Agricultural economists at land-grant universities were surveyed to evaluate the use and assessment of professional journals. Faculty rankings of journals are reported along with faculty perceptions of changes in the quality of selected journals. Of 25 journals used by agricultural economics faculties, the Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics ranked first among regional agricultural economics journals in personal usefulness, subscriptions held, papers submitted, papers published, and participation in the editorial and review processes. The SJAE was also ranked as the second most improved journal among all journals evaluated.

The effects of several production/management, price and risk factors upon channel catfish profitability are analyzed with a multiperiod mixed-integer linear programming model. Factors analyzed include pond size and optimal stocking rates, alternate levels and trends in catfish prices, pond production losses and level of family consumption withdrawals. Model results indicate that channel catfish offer the potential to significantly increase farm rates of return while providing an avenue of intensive farm growth, without expanding the land base of the farm. However, the long range financial success of the firm was very sensitive to several of the management and risk factors examined.

This paper presents the capabilities and limitations of a microcomputer linear programming package. The solution algorithm is a version of the revised simplex. Rapid problem entry, user ease of operation, sensitivity analyses on objective function and right hand sides are advantages. A problem size of 150 activities and 64 constraints can be solved in present form. Due to problem size, limitations and lack of parametric and integer programming routines, this package is thought to have the most value in teaching applications and research problems in the smaller size categories.