High productivity rates, usage of nonproductive land, renewability and recovery of waste nutrients and potential for CO2 emission reduction represent some of the advantages that selected algae species might have over competing products. Many research studies have investigated potential usage of algae for different purposes, such as cosmetics or aquaculture; however most of the research studies have focused on the feasibility of algae as a source of second generation biodiesel and feed meal. Because of its high costs of production, using algae only for the purpose of biodiesel production might not be profitable. Thus, for global scale algae commercialization it is important that it be used as a feed meal along with being marketed to the biodiesel industry. One of the major problems faced by economists when attempting to analyze the feasibility of algae is the absence of a market for algae-based fuel and meal. Given that no market exists, prices for algae cannot be observed and realistic investment analysis becomes difficult to perform in this sector. The objective of this study is to estimate a potential price of algae meal using hedonic pricing techniques. For that purpose, twenty two different feed meals commonly having the same usage as Post Extracted Algae Residue (PEAR) are decomposed into their chemical constituents in order to calculate the market value of each characteristic. Calculated prices of these characteristics are then used to estimate the price of algae meal and compare it to different feed meals. Results suggest that algae prices are strictly variable to its chemical components across different algae types. Besides, PEAR represents a sustainable source of financial value and might be considered one of the cornerstones in making algae commercialization a feasible and profitable option.

Secondary markets have not historically possessed the characteristics necessary for market power to emerge, or effective product differentiation to be implemented. The potential effects of these characteristics on primary – secondary market interaction is generally not considered. The law of one price is expected to hold in secondary markets. By applying the hedonic technique to producer theory, and integrating the durability of the product directly into the profit maximizing conditions, potential differences in implicit prices between customer segments in the used bucket truck market are estimated. Applying weighted least squares to the hedonic equation, parameters were estimated to indicate whether differences in hedonic prices exist between customer segments in the secondary, utility construction equipment market. The hedonic approach accounted for differences in price due to physical characteristics, while underlying supply and demand conditions were accounted for using indicator variables for time. Estimated differences in the effects of physical characteristics on price, between industries, were identified using interaction terms. Results of the econometric estimation indicate that differences in physical product characteristics do not fully account for differences in price between customer segments in the secondary bucket truck market. If the law of one price can be violated in a secondary market, this could indicate market power. Future research on primary – secondary market interaction should consider the potential effects, if such market power does indeed exist.

This study examines the price differences of commonly consumed produce between farmers’ markets and grocery stores in Utah. Our first objective is to compare price differences of a basket of produce between farmers’ markets and grocery stores. We compare these price differences in terms of low-income consumer affordability and if an individual can afford a market basket of produce using a combination of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) dollars and Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) incentive dollars. Our second objective for this study is to establish the price premiums of individual produce items based on where the produce was sold, time of season, market channel (farmers’ market versus grocery store), as well as production method used (conventional versus organic). The findings from this research can inform policy makers of the affordability of farmers’ market produce and apply incentive programs more effectively. We can inform consumers of the price differences so they can maximize their food budgets. We can use the research to help producers make market strategies that can then maximize their profits.

Herd sires are an important investment for beef cattle producers in the Southeast United States of America (USA). For producers, bull selection decisions are critical to introduce new and compatible genetics into their cow herd. The impact of bull selection affects the cow herd and many calf crops when heifers by these herd sires are retained for breeding replacements. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships over time between bull sale prices and individual performance and measures of genetic merit for bulls sold in the state of Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina. The study was conducted using data from Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) and Beef Cattle Improvement Program (BCIP) bull sales from 1974 to 2011. All sales maintained a core set of qualifications. These were used in a hedonic pricing model to analyze their impact on the actual sale price for each bull.

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Valuation of used cars, affected by various technical attributes and information asymmetry, is the key objective of all agents operating on the automobile mar- ket. This thesis, focusing on a hedonic price analysis, aims to determine basic as well as additional attributes as determinants of a used car market price. In addition, the analysis sheds light upon novel attributes (service records, cigarette smoke pollution of a vehicle interior, selling channel factor in the e- commerce environment, and a German geographical division). The hedonic price research uses the unique data sample of the German used car market, extracted from the database of the e-commerce platform AutoScout24 com- prised of almost 51 thousand vehicles and 57 attributes. The model selection is specified by the incorporation of the Bayesian model averaging approach. The research proves the complexity of a valuation of a used vehicle in a term of a substantial number of relevant variables. The most interesting innovative conclusions are non-significant effect of selling channels and small local price differences among two German regions. Remarkable are also the significant effect of the status of previous owners, bodywork colour, and smoke pollution. The estimated vehicle lifespan of 10 years shows that cars have shorter than...