Author: Dennis Paul WelchPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Strawberries
Languages : en
Pages : 394
Book Description
Strawberry Production System Model to Evaluate the Economic Feasibility of Mechanical Harvesting and Processing of Solid-set Culture Strawberry Production Systems in Michigan
Author: Dennis Paul WelchPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Strawberries
Languages : en
Pages : 394
Book Description
Estimated Costs of Mechanical Strawberry Harvesting in Central Canada
Author: Randolph SeecharanPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Strawberries
Languages : en
Pages : 50
Book Description
Dissertation Abstracts International
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dissertations, Academic
Languages : en
Pages : 592
Book Description
Comprehensive Dissertation Index
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dissertations, Academic
Languages : en
Pages : 984
Book Description
Horticultural Abstracts
Author: American Doctoral Dissertations
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dissertation abstracts
Languages : en
Pages : 574
Book Description
Simulation of Strawberry Production in California to Evaluate Socio-economic Implications of Alternate Harvest Systems
Author: Robert B. FridleyPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural laborers
Languages : en
Pages : 266
Book Description
Projected Impacts on Growers, Processors, and Consumers from Mechanical Strawberry Harvesting
Author: Chong S. KimPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Strawberries
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Oregon has grown strawberries commercially since the early 1900's. More than 90 percent of strawberries produced in Oregon has traditionally been delivered to processors. The strawberry acreage has declined from a high of 18,300 acres in 1957 to the lowest level of 5,000 acres in 1978. The increasing harvest costs and the difficulties in procuring hand-pickers are hypothesized to be the main reasons for decreasing the Oregon strawberry acreage and production. In an attempt to solve these problems, since 1967 Oregon has put considerable efforts into mechanization of strawberry harvesting. The objectives of this thesis are to estimate the economic feasibility to Oregon growers of mechanically harvested strawberries, and to estimate net social benefits (or costs) that could be expected from adopting this new technology in strawberry harvesting. The structural model consisting of supply and demand for strawberries for processing are derived based upon the assumption that growers sell strawberries under perfect competition, and processors purchase strawberries under oligopsonistic imperfect competition. Cross-sectional data across eight major strawberry producing counties over the period 1962 - 1978 were pooled in the estimation of the parameters. The estimated supply and demand equations for strawberries were used for estimating net social benefits (or costs). Present values of net social benefits are estimated and compared by applying formulas used by Lindner and Jarrett, Griliches, and Peterson. The results indicated that the distribution of welfare resulting from adopting new technology in strawberry harvesting vary, depending not only on the nature of the supply shift but also on the price elasticity of demand. Since the demand for strawberries for processing was very inelastic, the shift of the supply curve to the right would result in greater benefits to processors than to growers, and growers could even be worse off if a pivotal shift in the supply curve should occur. The present values of net social benefits which would be expected from mechanization of strawberry harvesting ranged from $39 million to $918 million depending upon the nature of the supply shift and the formula used to estimate social benefits. The results also indicated that mechanization of strawberry harvesting may be more profitable to growers than hand-picking under certain assumed conditions. However, some caution is needed in interpreting the results obtained in this thesis. For instance, specific prices for some grades of mechanically harvested strawberries have not yet been officially established, which adds uncertainty to the economic comparisons between mechanical harvesting versus hand-picking.
Economics of Processing Strawberry Production in Northwestern Michigan
Author: Myron P. KelseyEconomic Feasibility of Mechanical Strawberry Harvesting in Oregon
Author: Ahmed M. HussenPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Strawberries
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
At its peak, Oregon produced 21 percent of the nation's total commercial strawberry production. However, since 1971, Oregon's share of strawberry production has been declining steadily. In fact, for the last three years strawberry production in Oregon constitutes only 8 percent of the nation's total production, which is the lowest since the end of the Korean War (Figure 1). Among other factors, the increase in harvest cost without an offsetting increase in the farm prices of strawberries, is the main cause for the continuing decline of strawberry production in Oregon. Decrease in the supply of strawberry pickers is the main cause for the upward trend of the strawberry harvest cost in Oregon. Particularly, since 1973, due to enactment of the child labor law, the shortage in the supply of strawberry pickers in Oregon has intensified, causing further escalation in harvest cost. Thus, in order to alleviate the problems associated with harvest cost, since 1967, Oregon has been actively seeking to mechanize its strawberry harvest. The principal objective of this thesis has been to evaluate the economic feasibility of mechanical strawberry harvest in Oregon. As demonstrated in Chapter V, depending on the assumptions about the quality and the average yield of the strawberry varieties that would eventually be harvested mechanically, and the efficiency of the harvester; the expected savings per acre to the strawberry growers from the use of mechanical harvester was shown to range from a net saving of $523.50 to a net loss of $186.76 (Table 9). Even though negative savings are shown to appear when extremely unfavorable conditions are assumed, in the majority of cases discussed in Chapter V, the implementation of mechanical strawberry harvesting in Oregon is found to be associated with significant positive returns to the growers. In addition, in Chapter VI, under certain conditions which are expected to prevail if mechanization of strawberry harvest become a reality in Oregon, the annual gross and net 'social rate of returns' were estimated to be 330 percent and 95.7 percent respectively. The difference between the gross and net social rate of return is the wage loss of the displaced workers. Based on the above social return figures and the estimated savings to the growers, it appears that mechanical strawberry harvesting is an economically viable alternative that could eventually solve the problem of the growing shortage of strawberry pickers in Oregon.