Agricultural Economics Department
First Advisor
Azzeddine Azzam
Second Advisor
Kate Brooks
Date of this Version
Summer 7-30-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science
Major: Agricultural Economics
Under the supervision of Professors Azzeddine Azzam and Kate Brooks
Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2015
Abstract
Livestock production in Nebraska is a very essential part of the state’s economy with cash receipts from all livestock and products valued at $11.9 billion in 2013 (NDA 2015b). The Livestock Friendly County Program (LFCP) was instituted by the Nebraska Legislature in 2003 to further promote livestock development in the state. This thesis examines whether the program has had its intended impact for both cattle and hog farms. The analysis draws on the theory of long-run competitive equilibrium as a guide for the specification of the cattle and hog models. Three alternative specifications of the models using different sets of control variables are used as a test for the robustness of the effect of LFCP.
Results show that while LFCP was robustly statistically significant and positively associated with cattle farm numbers across the three specifications of the model, it was robustly positively associated with hog farm numbers but statistically insignificant. This may be due to counties having more stringent regulations for hog farms despite the livestock friendly designation.
Advisors: Azzeddine Azzam and Kate Brooks
Comments
Copyright 2015, Brian Mills