A theoretical analysis of marketing cooperatives indicates that in imperfect markets where cooperative members possess the resources to expand production to levels where their marginal costs equal their marginal returns, both producers and consumers are better off than if the producers sell smaller output quantities to investor-oriented firms at a lower market price. Although the United States government has supported the formation and operation of many small-scale marketing cooperatives in the southeast, their success has been low. This thesis describes one approach used to increase the viability of small-scale vegetable marketing cooperatives through a federated cooperative, the Horticultural Producers Federation (HPF). The HPF provides marketing and management services that address specific market failures and intra-firm inefficiencies encountered by its member cooperatives. HPF services include record keeping, market information, financial planning and management, accounting and payroll, educational and technical support. centralized marketing, and a newsletter. The development and implementation of these services is described in this thesis as is the cooperatives' evaluation of these services through the five year duration of the study. The cooperatives' final evaluation of the services and the HPF indicated that on average they were more than satisfied with the individual HPF services and the impact of the HPF on them and their members. Future challenges for the HPF include the development of more services by the HPF or other agencies to address a few remaining problems. Services which would target areas of concern include centralized computer support; public relations and promotion activities; as well as member, director, and management training. The large majority of cooperative members which are part-time farmers also poses a significant challenge. Until these farmers gain the resources and expertise to intensively manage their operations, the individual cooperatives and the HPF centralized marketing service will face problems of under production and poor quality. / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1958 T38

West Coast fruit cooperatives working together in joint-venture trading companies may well lower the prices of their fruit for export through economies of scale. However, present and future foreign demand for American fruit may constrain any economies of scale that are realized in joint-venture agreements. The major objective of this thesis is to analyze the import demand for fresh American oranges, apples, and grapes of one important buying area, Hong Kong. Two theoretical constructs are used to model the import demand for American oranges, apples, and grapes in Hong Kong. One relies on more traditional assumptions of product homogeneity. The other utilizes the Strotzian utility tree. The resulting models are estimated using Ordinary Least Squares. Four conclusions may be drawn from the estimated models. First, Hong Kong consumers have very elastic responses to changes in the prices of American oranges, apples, and grapes relative to the prices of oranges, apples, and grapes from other sources. Second, this result is especially true when below average demand conditions prevail. Hence, lower prices realized through joint-venture trading companies increase the competitiveness of American fruit at these weaker times. Third, the per capita quantity demanded of American oranges, apples, and grapes will increase as the incomes of Hong Kong's inhabitants rise. Fourth, the statistical problems encountered in the larger models preclude any definite conclusions regarding the price effects of other fruit on the demand for American oranges, apples, and grapes or the price effects which the American fruit may have on each other. / Graduation date: 1986

Photocopy of typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis--Auburn University, 2009. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.86-90).

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-110). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-113). Also available via the Internet.

Cash grain producers of Virginia’s Northern Neck region face considerable yield and price uncertainty resulting in substantial income risk. This study evaluated several alternative production and marketing strategies in a portfolio analysis using the Target MOTAD framework. The alternative risk management strategies evaluated included hedging using options and futures, cash contracting, and participation in government commodity programs and crop insurance programs. Unlike most previous studies which have treated the decision-making process as a single period process, this study formulates the problem as a recursive two-stage model. The mean forecast deviation approach was used to model activity risk. The results suggest that even though government program participation is the most risk efficient strategy, a great deal of complementarity in risk management exists between the government programs and marketing strategies using commodity futures and options. Crop insurance was found to be ineffective for the representative farm under consideration. / Master of Science

Dairy marketing cooperatives provide marketwide services, such as lobbying for higher support prices and negotiating for premiums above marketing order prices, which benefit all dairy farmers in the market. The presence of free riders, people who benefit from these marketwide services without paying any of the costs of these services, can jeopardize the existence of the cooperative. Understanding why members were attracted to the cooperative and why independents (non-members) were attracted to the investor oriented firm (IOF) allows cooperatives to target specific membership groups. Depending on the cooperative's goals, management can then use this information to focus on either retaining current members or attracting new members or both. The purpose of this study is to produce practical recommendations for dairy marketing cooperatives for recruitment and retention of members. This study begins with a background on cooperatives and a conceptual framework based on group and game theory. The data are a result of a regional survey of dairy farmers. The data are then analyzed using t-tests for continuous responses and chi-square tests for categorical responses. This analysis results in a comparison of responses from cooperative members and independents. The independents stressed immediate benefits over long-run gains. Independents also appeared to have a risk/return trade-off. They received higher prices in exchange for fewer written contracts. Economic issues were important to both groups but significantly more important to independent producers. The two groups exhibited no difference on tradition and loyalty issues. Cooperative members emphasized prices and deductions, but they also highlighted assured markets and field services offered by their cooperatives. / Master of Science

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