scholarly journals The role of subsidies in managing the operating risk of agricultural enterprises

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 169-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Špička ◽  
J. Boudný ◽  
B. Janotová

The paper examines the relationship between the farmers’ operating risk and current subsidies. Focused at the commodity level, the analysis is based on a sample survey of costs and yields of two crops (winter wheat and rapeseed) and two livestock commodities (cow milk and fattening cattle) carried out in 2005–2007 in the Czech Republic. The risk analysis relates to the growing conditions, crop yields and the livestock productivity. The future role of the subsidies as the risk management tool in the farming business, as well as the position of this instrument against the other risk management instruments is analysed. The break even analysis and the Monte Carlo simulation are used as analytical tools. The results indicate that the current subsidies have an impact on the stability of the farmers’ income. Partially or fully decoupled payments serve as a “financial pillow” increasing the level of the farmers’ income and extending the farmers’ decision-making possibilities. Furthermore, the current subsidies reduce the variability of the farmers’ income. The current subsidies are a suitable complement to other commonly used risk management tools primarily designed to reduce the farmers’ and farm income variability.

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying (Jessica) Cao ◽  
Alfons Weersink ◽  
Emma Ferner

Risk management tools are at the core of farm policy in many developed countries, and their effectiveness relies on the appropriate mechanism design. This study developed a gain-loss framework based on prospect theory to examine the reasons for the declining use of the main risk management tool offered to farmers despite growing volatility in returns. Using the administrative Ontario Farm Income Database (OFID) 2003 to 2013 and taking the beef sector as the example, this study found that the gain-loss framework predicts and explains the dynamic program participation pattern better than the conventional expected utility framework. Farms were found to be more likely to stay enrolled in the program when they experienced either larger gains or losses in revenue compared to previous years, suggesting that they were using the insurance programs both as an investment strategy (to seek government subsidies) and as a risk management tool (to protect against business risks), though the effects of revenue losses and hence risk management needs were stronger than gains. In addition, the program payment history and farm characteristics also shape the dynamic participation patterns. The findings increased the understanding of the drivers of withdrawal behavior associated with government-sponsored business risk management programs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jindrich Spicka ◽  
Jiri Hnilica

The paper deals with weather derivatives as the potentially effective risk management tool for agricultural enterprises seeking to mitigate their income exposure to variations in weather conditions. Design and valuation of the weather derivatives is an interdisciplinary approach covering agrometeorology, statistics, mathematical modeling, and financial and risk management. This paper first offers an overview of data sources and then methods of design and valuation of weather derivatives at the regional level. The accompanied case study focuses on cultivation of cereals (wheat and barley) in the Czech Republic. However, its generalizability is straightforward. The analysis of key growing phases of cereals is based on regression analysis using weather indices as the independent variables and crop yields as dependent variables. With the bootstrap tool, the burn analysis is considered as useful tool for estimating uncertainty about the payoff, option price, and statistics of probability distribution of revenues. The results show that the spatial and production basis risks reduce the efficiency of the weather derivatives. Finally, the potential for expansion of weather derivatives remains in the low income countries of Africa and Asia with systemic weather risk.


2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-203
Author(s):  
Brian K. Coffey ◽  
Ted C. Schroeder

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between grain farm and farmer profiles and their respective choices to use forward pricing techniques and revenue protection crop insurance to manage risk.Design/methodology/approachAn e-mail survey of Midwestern grain farmers elicited farmer demographic information, farm profile, risk attitudes and farmer use of forward pricing and revenue protection insurance. Responses regarding use of risk management tools were compiled as choices to use possible bundles of tools to account for simultaneous nature of the decision. Choices to use bundles of tools were used as the independent variable categories in a multinomial logit regression. Regressors were relevant data collected from the survey.FindingsFarm size, using a market advisory service, and being a technology adopter are the most important factors in predicting risk management tool use by grain farmers. Farmers tend to use forward pricing and revenue protection insurance in combination. Large farms are more likely to use forward pricing tools.Practical implicationsResults provide researchers, extension professionals and risk management specialists with a current understanding of how farm and farmer characteristics relate to use of risk management tools. The authors also elaborate on findings to provide guidance for future risk management research.Originality/valueThe survey covered 9 Midwestern states and 648 grain farmers. The survey results update understanding of grain farmers’ risk management practices. The empirical approach treats risk management decisions to use available tools as simultaneous, which recent literature suggests is more appropriate than earlier approaches.


1985 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Falatoonzadeh ◽  
J. Richard Conner ◽  
Rulon D. Pope

AbstractThe most useful and practical strategy available for reducing variability of net farm income is ascertained. Of the many risk management tools presently available, five of the most commonly used are simultaneously incorporated in an empirically tested model. Quadratic programming provides the basis for decisionmaking in risk management wherein expected utility is assumed to be a function of the mean and variance of net income. Results demonstrate that farmers can reduce production and price risks when a combination strategy including a diversified crop production plan and participation in the futures market and the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) is implemented.


2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. iii-iv
Author(s):  
Calum G. Turvey

The role of crop insurance and new risk management tools for agriculture is evolving at an almost dizzying pace. One needs only to examine recent postings on the Risk Management Agency's website to see how expansive this is. Moreover, throughout the world we are witness to a host of new programs available in both developed and developing countries that are largely based on the U.S. experience. It is necessary that academics first recognize the scope of issues facing production and market risks in agriculture and then respond with new and creative ways to address the problems. To these needs, the Crop Insurance and Risk Management Workshop—the provenance of the papers in this volume—was designed to bring academics with research and extension responsibilities together with industry to explore this ever-changing landscape and discuss research and outreach of mutual interest.


2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Tudor ◽  
Aslihan Spaulding ◽  
Kayla D. Roy ◽  
Randy Winter

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among choice of risk management tools, perceived effectiveness of risk management tools, self-reported risk attitude, and farm and farmer characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – A mail survey was used to collect information about utilization of risk management tools, perceived effectiveness of risk management tools, and factors that could influence choice of risk management tools by Illinois farmers. Cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, χ2 tests of independence, and multinomial logistic regression were utilized to detect possible relationships among choice of risk management tools, perceived effectiveness of risk management tools, self-reported risk attitude, and farm and farmer characteristics. Findings – Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that age and gross farm income (GFI) were the strongest predictors of the risk management tool utilization group to which an individual would be assigned. The number of risk management tools utilized decreased with age but increased with GFI. Neither self-reported risk attitude nor education was a significant independent variable in the multinomial logistic regression model, but both were strongly impacted by age. Younger farmers with higher GFI were the most likely users of hedging. Research limitations/implications – The results of this study provide support for the idea that farmers who are better able to generate revenue are better able to manage risk, but the direction of causality was not investigated. Practical implications – Risk management service providers could benefit from this study as a benchmark for understanding their current and potential farmer clients’ risk management strategies. Originality/value – This study used cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression to address the complexity of decisions regarding multiple risk management tools. The number of tools utilized by individuals was investigated.


Author(s):  
Seng Kiong Kok ◽  
Gianluigi Giorgioni ◽  
Jason Laws

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the possibility of structuring an Islamic option which includes an element of risk sharing as opposed to risk transfer. Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopted in this research involved a combination of a wa’ad (promise) and murabaha (cost plus sale) and examining if they could form a risk-sharing Islamic option. The payoffs were assumed to be dependent on bi-period outcomes. Findings – The paper attempted to create a hybrid risk-sharing option by combining elements of both wa’ad (promise) and murabaha (cost plus sale). The results yielded are dependent on the eventual direction of the market (in-the-money, at-the-money and out-the-money). While the results are not definitive, they do provide arguments for the adoption of a risk-sharing, as opposed to a risk-transfer, methodology when it comes to structuring risk management instruments. Research limitations/implications – One of the major limitations of this research is the inability to assess the Shariah compliance of the proposed instrument. Shariah compliance is determined by a Shariah Supervisory Board, and every effort has been made to ensure that Shariah financial principles are adhered to in the creation of this structure. Practical implications – The structure provides some interest arguments in the creation of risk management tools under a Shariah financial framework. The structure illustrates the benefits of having a risk-sharing mode over the conventional risk-transfer stances of most risk management tools. Originality/value – The paper offers a new way of structuring a risk management tool in Islamic finance. It explores the highly debated area of derivatives in Islamic finance and proposes a new way of creating a risk management tool that involves some elements of risk sharing.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Lezgovko ◽  
Andrej Jakovlev

AbstractIn today’s trade, the vast majority of commercial transactions in both domestic and international trade are concluded by applying trade credit terms. The aim of this article is to analyse the trade credit insurance and, according to the methodology, to evaluate it as a credit risk management tool in the context of Lithuanian business market. The authors have proposed a methodology that combines theoretical and practical research methods. First of all, with assistance of qualitative analysis, the alternative external credit risk management tools were examined. Such analysis allows not only to identify the advantages, disadvantages and benefits of researched risk management tools but also to assess the efficiency and rationality of trade credit insurance in the context of alternative methods. In order to carry out an assessment in the practical aspect, considering the lack of statistical data, it was decided additionally to perform an expert evaluation. After performing an assessment of trade credit insurance, it was concluded that in international trade, with a large buyer portfolio and high sales volume, the trade credit insurance becomes the most effective and rational way to manage credit risk, which eliminates the losses because of the debtor’s insolvency or bankruptcy, manages countries and sector’s risks and helps to discipline the debtor, what determines the decline in overdue accounts frequencies, amounts and volumes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 147-154
Author(s):  
M. N. Stepanova

The paper implements an institutional and functional approach to determining the place and role of insurance in shaping a “green” economy. The ways of integrating it as a constituent element of the financial system have been considered. The views of scientists involved in various aspects of modelling the “green” economy on the functional utility of insurance have been summarised. The use of the term “green insurance” and the meanings it implies have been analysed. The author has concluded that the relevant concept of “green insurance” is not yet so unambiguous that it can be used as a scientific concept. Another important conclusion that has been brought up for discussion is that the potential of insurance as a risk management tool within the green economy strategy is not to be confined to environmental insurance, but should be considered in expanding its scope of application to include both the fuller coverage of risk carriers and the range of potential hazards. 


Author(s):  
Rafael Queiroz Gonçalves ◽  
Elisa de Freitas Kühlkamp ◽  
Christiane Gresse von Wangenheim

Many problems in software development projects are due to risks and could be avoided or minimized if identified and treated pro-actively. In this context, software tools to support risk management could be very helpful. However, it is difficult to find a project management tool, accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that provides adequate support to risk management in conformance with best practices such as the PMBOK. Therefore, this paper has the objective to review support provided by popular project management tools with respect to risk management and to present enhancements made to the open-source tool – dotProject – in order to systematically support risk management aligned with the PMBOK. An initial evaluation identified benefits in the implementation of risk management processes in software SMEs, and, thus, contributing to their projects' success.


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