Murray Fulton: September 2008 Archives
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.
Continue reading Structure of the U.S. Beef Industry.
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.
Continue reading Effective Public Policy - Rural Credit and Extension.
