September 2008 Archives

Structure of the U.S. Beef Industry

By Murray Fulton and Kathy Lang on September 25, 2008 10:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Although the U.S. beef packing industry has always been concentrated, recent announcements pave the way for even higher levels of concentration. Specifically, the Brazilian beef processor, JBS, who last year purchased the third largest packer in the United States (Swift and Company), announced its intention in March of this year to purchase the fourth and fifth largest packers (National Beef and the beef packing operations of Smithfield), as well as Smithfield's shares in Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding (Reuters). Not only would these acquisitions make JBS the largest beef packer in the United States and further increase industry concentration, they also open the way for a high degree of vertical integration in the beef industry.
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Role of Economics in Public Policy - Oct 20th Symposium

By KIS Executive on September 11, 2008 10:11 AM | | Comments (0)

KIS has partnered with the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy to host a one-day symposium on October 20th that will explore the current state of economic analysis in policy formation. Questions that will be addressed at this symposium include: Are economists and economic analysis being used in the policy process? If so, how? If not, why not? Are economists being trained in the correct manner to be effective in policy decision-making? What is the best way to use economics in policy creation? The symposium will be held at TCU Place in Saskatoon, SK.

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Effective Public Policy - Rural Credit and Extension

By Murray Fulton on September 4, 2008 12:36 PM | | Comments (1)

I recently had the opportunity to consider what has made public policy on rural credit and agricultural extension in Canada effective over the years. This opportunity came when I participated in a seminar on agricultural technology extension and rural financing in Beijing and had the chance to compare policies in these two areas between Canada and China. Here are some of my observations and thoughts.

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