Terry L. Crawford

PROCAMPO, the Mexican corn market, and Mexican food security

PROCAMPO (Program for Direct Assistance in Agriculture or Programa de Apoyos Directos al Campo) is an income transfer payment to Mexican farmers that compensates them for subsidies received by foreign competitors. Corn (Zea mays) has received the largest amount of PROCAMPO payments and is the primary component of Mexico’s food and feed supply. Results of a spatial and temporal model show that without PROCAMPO, Mexican annual average corn production would have been lower and corn imports would have been 40.5% higher in 2005–2007. Increased producer and consumer surplus and savings from reduced imports reveal that the benefits of PROCAMPO were higher than the program’s costs. Greater PROCAMPO support would decrease Mexican corn imports and increase domestic corn production. It is recommended that PROCAMPO payments to corn producers be continued and increased in the interest of Mexican national food security.

Excess Supply and Price Volatility in the Mexican Potato Market: A Decision Making Framework

The objective of this research was to use a spatial and inter-temporal equilibrium model to develop a plan to assist the Mexican potato production sector in moderating extreme swings in potato prices. Results indicate that excess supplies of potatoes in some months could be eliminated with a storage policy or if changes in irrigated potato production were implemented. The storage policy and changes in production practices would reduce price volatility and increase producer incomes; however, a storage policy cannot be recommended due to the large capital investment required for storage infrastructure development. Seasonal production planning would increase producer incomes by more than 1,500 million pesos and not require extensive capital investment.ResumenEl objetivo de esta investigación fue utilizar un modelo de equilibrio espacial e inter-temporal para desarrollar un plan que ayude al sector Mexicano de producción de papa, en la moderación de fluctuaciones extremas en los precios de la papa. Los resultados indican que el exceso de oferta de papas en algunos meses pudiera eliminarse con una política de almacenamiento o si se implementaran cambios en la producción de papa de riego. La política de almacenamiento y los cambios en las prácticas de producción reducirían la volatilidad del precio y aumentarían los ingresos del productor; no obstante, la política de almacenamiento no puede recomendarse debido al requerimiento de gran capital de inversión para el desarrollo de la infraestructura de almacén. La planeación de la producción por temporada aumentaría los ingresos del productor en más de 1,500 millones de pesos y no requiere inversión extensiva de capital.

National Animal Identification and the Elephant in the Room

National animal identification and the elephant in the room DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v29i2_skaggs