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Explore the relationship between farm and retail food prices, how marketing services impact price, demand equations, elasticities, and the concept of flexibility in agricultural products pricing.
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Farm and Food Prices - Derived Demand AG BM 102
Introduction • Consumers rarely buy directly from farmers • Instead farmers sell to marketing service providers, who process, store, transport, and otherwise add utility, and who sell to the consumer • Hence, retail demand is not farm demand
Eggs • Farmers sell nest run eggs to packer • The packers wash, candle, inspect, and sort the eggs • The eggs are sold to the supermarket • The consumer buys the eggs • These marketing services cost about 50 cents per dozen
Some Points about Graph • Equilibrium where DF and SF cross • This is P = $0.40/doz and Q = 21 doz./cap. • At this quantity Mc = $0.50 and PR = $0.90 • No incentive to move • Farm price = Retail price – marketing cost
Some Notes • Farm Demand is derived from retail demand • When farm market is in equilibrium it defines retail market as well • Farm demand elasticity is always less elastic than retail • Farmer is separated from consumer by marketing sector • If marketing costs rise, farm price goes down and retail price goes up
FlexibilityThe percent change in price in response to a 1 % change in quantity
Flexibility • Applies especially to the demand for agricultural products • Useful in recognizing that quantity is predetermined and prices adjust to clear market • Strawberries, tomatoes, other non-storable products
Calculate Flexibility Since the farm level flexibility is greater farm prices move more as the quantity supplied increases