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Meat-Packer Conduct In Fed Cattle Pricing: Multiple-Market Oligopsony Power

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  • Koontz, Stephen R.
  • Garcia, Philip

Abstract

The exercise of market power across multiple geographic fed cattle markets is measured with an econometric model which links behavior of the margin between boxed beef and regional fed cattle prices to an oligopsony model of multiple-market conduct. The game theoretic economic model suggests that for market power to be exercised in a single market a discontinuous pricing strategy must be followed. Total market power is enhance if meat-packers coordinate this pricing strategy across geographic markets. Tests reject independence of pricing conduct across geographic markets which suggests multiple-market power is present. The extent of the market power also is consistent with the economic model. More market power is exercised across regions with the same meat-packing firms. However, the magnitude of the market power is small and decreased between the early and late 1980s.

Suggested Citation

  • Koontz, Stephen R. & Garcia, Philip, 1997. "Meat-Packer Conduct In Fed Cattle Pricing: Multiple-Market Oligopsony Power," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 22(1), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:jlaare:31015
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.31015
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    Cited by:

    1. Cai, Xiaowei & Stiegert, Kyle W. & Koontz, Stephen R., 2009. "Oligopsony Power: Evidence from the U.S. Beef Packing Industry," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49364, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Alan Barkema & Mark Drabenstott & Nancy Novack, 2001. "The new U.S. meat industry," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 86(Q II), pages 33-56.
    3. Coatney, Kalyn T. & Shaffer, Sherrill L. & Menkhaus, Dale J., 2012. "Auction prices, market share, and a common agent," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 61-73.
    4. Azzam, Azzeddine M., 1998. "Competition in the US meatpacking industry: is it history?," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 107-126, March.
    5. Marsh, John M., 2001. "U.S. Feeder Cattle Prices: Effects Of Finance And Risk, Cow-Calf And Feedlot Technologies, And Mexican Feeder Imports," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 26(2), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Trechter, David D. & McGregor, Murray J. & Murray-Prior, Roy B., 2003. "A Neo-Institutional Assessment of Cooperative Evolution: Comparing the Australian Wheat Board and the Fonterra Dairy Group," 2003 Annual Meeting, October 29 31801, NCERA-194 Research on Cooperatives.
    7. Rahman, Mohammad Chhiddikur, 2020. "Welfare Impact of Asymmetric Price Transmission on Bangladesh Rice Consumers," EconStor Theses, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 242248, June.
    8. Zavelberg, Yvonne & Wieck, Christine & Heckelei, Thomas, 2015. "How can differences in German raw milk prices be explained? An empirical investigation of market power asymmetries," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205489, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Love, H. Alan & Capps, Oral, Jr. & Williams, Gary W., 2010. "Concentration In Beef Packing and Slaughter Cattle Pricing," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 41(3), pages 1-17, November.
    10. Inbae Ji & Chanjin Chung & Jungmin Lee, 2017. "Measuring Oligopsony Power in the U.S. Cattle Procurement Market: Packer Concentration, Cattle Cycle, and Seasonality," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 16-29, January.
    11. Perekhozhuk Oleksandr & Hockmann Heinrich & Fertő Imre & Bakucs Lajos Zoltán, 2013. "Identification of Market Power in the Hungarian Dairy Industry: A Plant-Level Analysis," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, January.
    12. Tostao, Emilio & Chung, Chanjin & Brorsen, B. Wade, 2006. "Integrating the Structural Auction Approach and Traditional Measures of Market Power," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21244, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    13. Jebaraj Asirvatham & Sanjib Bhuyan, 2018. "Incentives and Impacts of Vertical Coordination in a Food Production-Marketing Chain: A Non-cooperative Multi-Stage, Multi-Player Analysis," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 59-95, March.
    14. Dimitrios Panagiotou & Athanassios Stavrakoudis, 2017. "A Stochastic Production Frontier Estimator of the Degree of Oligopsony Power in the U.S. Cattle Industry," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 121-133, March.
    15. Perekhozhuk, Oleksandr & Grings, Michael & Glauben, Thomas, 2009. "Oligopsony Power in the Ukrainian Milk Processing Industry: Evidence from the Regional Markets for Raw Milk," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 50965, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Pritchett, James G. & Liu, Donald J., 1998. "Estimating Backward Integration In A Primary Input Market: The Case Of U.S. Hog Industry," Conference Papers 14480, University of Minnesota, Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy.
    17. Xiaowei Cai & Kyle Stiegert & Stephen Koontz, 2011. "Regime switching and oligopsony power: the case of U.S. beef processing," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 42(1), pages 99-109, January.
    18. Rao Fu & Chenguang Li & Liming Wang, 2021. "Market Power in the Irish Beef Processing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, June.
    19. Love, H. Alan & Burton, Diana M., 1999. "A Strategic Rationale For Captive Supplies," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 24(1), pages 1-18, July.
    20. Fausti, Scott W. & Qasmi, Bashir A. & Diersen, Matthew A & Adamson, Bill, 2014. "Grid Valuation of Beef Carcass Quality: Market Power and Market Trends," Economics Staff Papers 171423, South Dakota State University, Department of Economics.
    21. Trechter, D.D. & Murray-Prior, R.B., 2003. "Collaborative Groups: Themes for Success and the Role of Universities," Papers 234164, University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Land and Environment.
    22. Marsh, John M., 2000. "U.S. Feeder Cattle Prices: Effects of Finance and Risk, Cow-Calf and Feedlot Technology, and Mexican and Canadian Feeder Imports," Research Discussion Papers 256824, Montana State University, Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics, Trade Research Center.
    23. Franz Sinabell, 2005. "Marktspannen und Erzeugeranteil an den Ausgaben für Nahrungsmittel," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 25398, January.
    24. Jared G. Carlberg & Robert J. Hogan & Clement E. Ward, 2009. "Game theory application to Fed Cattle procurement in an experimental market," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(1), pages 56-69.

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