IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/revind/v57y2020i1d10.1007_s11151-019-09725-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Spatial Density and Technological Investment on Optimal Pricing Strategies in the Grain Handling Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Anton Bekkerman

    (Montana State University)

  • Mykel Taylor

    (Kansas State University)

Abstract

Shuttle-loading elevators represent an investment that may lower marginal grain-handling costs. Some portion of those savings could be passed on to farmers in the form of higher cash prices. We model the pass-through decision and exploit a natural, historical difference in Kansas and Montana wheat markets to test several pass-through hypotheses empirically. Using cross-sectional, temporal, and spatial variation in weekly wheat prices in 2005–2013, we find that—relative to conventional grain elevators in Kansas—shuttle-loading facilities offer a $0.13 per bushel premium. In Montana—where there is less spatial competition among elevators—the pass-through is only $0.04 per bushel.

Suggested Citation

  • Anton Bekkerman & Mykel Taylor, 2020. "The Role of Spatial Density and Technological Investment on Optimal Pricing Strategies in the Grain Handling Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 57(1), pages 27-58, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:57:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11151-019-09725-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-019-09725-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11151-019-09725-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11151-019-09725-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James MacDonald, 2013. "Railroads and Price Discrimination: The Roles of Competition, Information, and Regulation," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 43(1), pages 85-101, August.
    2. Barry K. Goodwin & Matthew T. Holt, 1999. "Price Transmission and Asymmetric Adjustment in the U.S. Beef Sector," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 81(3), pages 630-637.
    3. Bekkerman, Anton, 2013. "The Changing Landscape of Northern Great Plains Wheat Markets," Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 28(2), pages 1-6.
    4. Taylor, Mykel & Tonsor, Glynn & Dhuyvetter, Kevin, 2014. "Structural Change in Forward Contracting Costs for Kansas Wheat," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 39(2), pages 1-13.
    5. David Neumark & Steven A. Sharpe, 1992. "Market Structure and the Nature of Price Rigidity: Evidence from the Market for Consumer Deposits," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 657-680.
    6. Kevin McNew & Duane Griffith, 2005. "Measuring the Impact of Ethanol Plants on Local Grain Prices," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 27(2), pages 164-180.
    7. Dykema, Amy & Klein, Nicole L. & Taylor, Gary, 2002. "The Widening Corn Basis In South Dakota: Factors Affecting And The Impact Of The Loan Deficiency Payment," 2002 Annual Meeting, July 28-31, 2002, Long Beach, California 36574, Western Agricultural Economics Association.
    8. Goodwin, Barry K. & Harper, Daniel C., 2000. "Price Transmission, Threshold Behavior, And Asymmetric Adjustment In The U.S. Pork Sector," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 32(3), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Larry Martin & John L. Groenewegen & Edward Pidgeon, 1980. "Factors Affecting Corn Basis in Southwestern Ontario," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 62(1), pages 107-112.
    10. Scott H. Irwin & Philip Garcia & Darrel L. Good & Eugene L. Kunda, 2011. "Spreads and Non-Convergence in Chicago Board of Trade Corn, Soybean, and Wheat Futures: Are Index Funds to Blame?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 33(1), pages 116-142.
    11. Kenkel, Philip L. & Henneberry, Shida Rastegari & Agustini, Haerani N., 2004. "An Economic Analysis Of Unit-Train Facility Investment," 2004 Annual Meeting, February 14-18, 2004, Tulsa, Oklahoma 34748, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    12. Donghun Kim & Ronald W. Cotterill, 2008. "Cost Pass‐Through In Differentiated Product Markets: The Case Of U.S. Processed Cheese," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 32-48, March.
    13. Jiang, Bingrong, 1997. "Corn and soybean basis behavior and forecasting: fundamental and alternative approaches," ISU General Staff Papers 1997010108000013213, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    14. Karali, Berna & McNew, Kevin & Thurman, Walter N., 2018. "Price Discovery and the Basis Effects of Failures to Converge in Soft RedWinter Wheat Futures Markets," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 43(1), January.
    15. Hayenga, Marvin L. & Jiang, Bingrong, 1997. "Corn and Soybean Basis Behavior and Forecasting: Fundamental and Alternative Approaches," Staff General Research Papers Archive 10400, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    16. Kevin McNew & Duane Griffith, 2005. "Measuring the Impact of Ethanol Plants on Local Grain Prices," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 27(2), pages 164-180.
    17. Hauser, Robert J. & Jeffrey, Beaulieu & Baumel, C. Phillip, 1984. "Implicit Values of Multiple Car Grain-Loading Facilities in Iowa and Nebraska," Staff General Research Papers Archive 11674, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    18. Fisher, Eric, 1989. "A model of exchange rate pass-through," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1-2), pages 119-137, February.
    19. Anton Bekkerman & Barry K. Goodwin & Nicholas E. Piggott, 2013. "A variable threshold band approach to measuring market linkages," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(19), pages 2705-2714, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bekkerman, Anton & Taylor, Mykel, 2015. "A Bayesian Learning Approach to Estimating Unbalanced Spatial Panel Models," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205507, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Zhige Wu & Alex Maynard & Alfons Weersink & Getu Hailu, 2018. "Asymmetric spot‐futures price adjustments in grain markets," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(12), pages 1549-1564, December.
    3. Mariano Tappata, 2009. "Rockets and feathers: Understanding asymmetric pricing," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 40(4), pages 673-687, December.
    4. Huanxing Yang & Lixin Ye, 2008. "Search with learning: understanding asymmetric price adjustments," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(2), pages 547-564, June.
    5. Bekkerman, Anton & Brester, Gary W. & Taylor, Mykel, 2016. "Forecasting a Moving Target: The Roles of Quality and Timing for Determining Northern U.S. Wheat Basis," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 41(1), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Onel, Gulcan & Karali, Berna, 2014. "Relative Performance of Semi-Parametric Nonlinear Models in Forecasting Basis," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 169795, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Brewer, Jedidiah & Nelson, David M. & Overstreet, George, 2014. "The economic significance of gasoline wholesale price volatility to retailers," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 274-283.
    8. Anton Bekkerman & Thomas Gumbley & Gary W. Brester, 2021. "The Impacts of Biofuel Policies on Spatial and Vertical Price Relationships in the US Fertilizer Industry," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(2), pages 802-822, June.
    9. Lee, Yoonsuk & Brorsen, B. Wade, 2012. "Impacts of Permanent and Transitory Shocks on Optimal Length of Moving Average to Predict Wheat Basis," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 125001, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Prilly Oktoviany & Robert Knobloch & Ralf Korn, 2021. "A machine learning-based price state prediction model for agricultural commodities using external factors," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 44(2), pages 1063-1085, December.
    11. Sanders, Dwight R. & Manfredo, Mark R., 2006. "Forecasting Basis Levels in the Soybean Complex: A Comparison of Time Series Methods," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(3), pages 513-523, December.
    12. GwanSeon Kim & Tyler Mark, 2017. "Impacts of corn price and imported beef price on domestic beef price in South Korea," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Islam Hassouneh & Teresa Serra & José M. Gil, 2010. "Price transmission in the Spanish bovine sector: the BSE effect," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(1), pages 33-42, January.
    14. Jin Guo & Tetsuji Tanaka, 2020. "The Effectiveness of Self-Sufficiency Policy: International Price Transmissions in Beef Markets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-23, July.
    15. Mônica A. Haddad & Gary Taylor & Francis Owusu, 2010. "Locational Choices of the Ethanol Industry in the Midwest Corn Belt," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 24(1), pages 74-86, February.
    16. Irz, Xavier & Mazzocchi, Mario & Réquillart, Vincent & Soler, Louis-Georges, 2015. "Research in Food Economics: past trends and new challenges," Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement, Editions NecPlus, vol. 96(01), pages 187-237, March.
    17. Fortenbery, T. Randall & Deller, Steven, 2006. "Understanding Community Impacts: A Tool for Evaluating Externalities from Local Bio-Fuels Production," Staff Paper Series 505, University of Wisconsin, Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    18. Joseph, Kishore & Garcia, Philip & Peterson, Paul E., 2016. "Does the Boxed Beef Price Inform the Live Cattle Futures Price?," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 236166, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Jean-Philippe Gervais, 2011. "Disentangling nonlinearities in the long- and short-run price relationships: an application to the US hog/pork supply chain," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(12), pages 1497-1510.
    20. Bakucs, Lajos Zoltan & Ferto, Imre & Hockmann, Heinrich & Perekhozhuk, Oleksandr, 2009. "Market power on the edge? An analysis of the German and Hungarian hog markets," German Journal of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Department for Agricultural Economics, vol. 58(08), pages 1-9, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:57:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11151-019-09725-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.