The Florida tomato industry produces about 90 percent of the domestic fresh tomato supplies during the November to mid-June season (Brooker and Pearson). Most of this supply is produced in an area under the authority of Federal Marketing Order 966 for fresh tomatoes. Federal marketing orders have been scrutinized in recent government studies and the USDA has been under pressure to justify the existence of these orders (USDA, AMS). Federal Marketing Order 966 uses quality restrictions to provide orderly market conditions for producers and consumers. This study measures the gains that producers could realize with quality restrictions and assesses the process for implementing these restrictions.

Stocker cattle operations are an important part of the nation's cattle industry. Many producers do not realize the profit potential in new technological advances, and some feed their cattle on uneconomic planes of nutrition. Stocker cattle producers can benefit from results of animal science and agronomic research if they are presented in a framework suited to use in decision-making. Analyses prepared by agricultural economists often ignore many of the factors determining gain because of lack of data and complexity of the relationships. Thus, a system for economic analysis that accounts for more factors and improves growth predictions would be highly useful. The purpose of this study is to develop and provide computerized analytical procedures to estimate physical and economic results of alternative stocker production systems.

Recent interest in thin markets and rapidly advancing technology has focused increased attention on electronic marketing (Henderson et al.; Russell; Schlei), with particular emphasis on computerized trading systems. Decreased costs of access and increased reliability of computer hardware, software, and communication systems are increasing the likelihood that computerized trading systems will be a viable marketing alternative.

Congress has seriously considered elimination of the tobacco program during recent congressional debates to extend and/or modify tobacco legislation. One issue in these debates has been compensation of current owners of tobacco quota for their loss of net worth should the tobacco program be eliminated.

The environment for decision-making at the farm-firm level has always been volatile, but particularly so in recent years. Product prices have seen wide fluctuations, due in part to a reduced emphasis on farm-price support programs and more reliance on world markets. Input prices, especially those that are energy related (fertilizers, chemicals, fuels), have also increased in an erratic manner in recent years.

During the past few years, considerable interest has been expressed by swine producers, pork packers, and processors concerning the potential for expanding Oklahoma's swine-pork industry, even though the state's largest hog slaughtering facility has ceased operation. The study described herein was undertaken to satisfy these interests. The general objective was to identify the conditions necessary for and the limits to the expansion of Oklahoma's swine-pork industry. Due to the national scope of the model, similar information concerning other regions is also made available. The objective was addressed through a series of sub-objectives that dealt with the determination of expansion potential under various exogenous conditions.

Domestic food programs in the United States originated in the 1930s, primarily in response to the needs of the agricultural sector. They served as a disposal mechanism for agricultural surpluses and were designed to stimulate demand. However, the nature of U.S. food programs has changed significantly during the last two decades. Out of a growing concern for the poor and the needy, their primary focus has become the improvement of the nutritional status of low-income families (Paarlberg, pp. 99-102.).