Harvey Brooks

Supply chain management: the case of a UK baker preserving the identity of Canadian milling wheat

This paper examines bread wheat quality and its effect on vertical co‐ordination in the wheat supply chain. Wheat quality is defined by many different characteristics, which poses limitations on the effectiveness of industry grading schemes in meeting the quality needs of end‐users. Consequently, individual processors may have an incentive to segregate wheat based on their own quality specifications. The costs and benefits of wheat segregation are analysed using a simple economic model, and illustrated with a case study of supply chain management taken from the UK bread industry. Warburtons Ltd procures bread wheat varieties with specific intrinsic quality attributes from Canada using identity preserved supply contracts. The paper concludes that the benefits of wheat quality control will encourage millers and bakers to develop closer vertical linkages with wheat suppliers in the future.

Price discrimination in the international grain trade: The case of Canadian Wheat Board feed barley exports

This manuscript discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the involvement of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) in international trade. The ability of the CWB to price discriminate among feed barley export markets is tested for the 1980|81 to 1994|95 period. The study finds evidence of the ability of the CWB to price discriminate and shows that the magnitude and significance of price discrimination increased during the operation of the US Export Enhancement Program from 1985|86 to 1994|95. lEcon-Lit citations: F13, L12, L43r

State trading and non-price discriminatory trade: The case of Japan's wheat imports

This manuscript develops an empirical test for identifying the presence of non-price discriminatory trade in the Japanese wheat imports. The test only requires statistical comparison of the mean markups by port of import, by class of wheat, and country of origin. The non-parametric test reveals a trade preference by Japan for Australian Soft White wheat and the Canada Western Red Spring wheat relative to US Hard Red Winter wheat. This apparent trade preference may account for the intensity of the US trade policy to liberalize Japanese wheat import access under the WTO.