The consequences for Argentina of alternative US and Argentine trade and agricultural policies

Thumbnail Image
Date
1989
Authors
Westhoff, Patrick
Major Professor
Advisor
William H. Meyers
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Altmetrics
Authors
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Organizational Unit
Economics

The Department of Economic Science was founded in 1898 to teach economic theory as a truth of industrial life, and was very much concerned with applying economics to business and industry, particularly agriculture. Between 1910 and 1967 it showed the growing influence of other social studies, such as sociology, history, and political science. Today it encompasses the majors of Agricultural Business (preparing for agricultural finance and management), Business Economics, and Economics (for advanced studies in business or economics or for careers in financing, management, insurance, etc).

History
The Department of Economic Science was founded in 1898 under the Division of Industrial Science (later College of Liberal Arts and Sciences); it became co-directed by the Division of Agriculture in 1919. In 1910 it became the Department of Economics and Political Science. In 1913 it became the Department of Applied Economics and Social Science; in 1924 it became the Department of Economics, History, and Sociology; in 1931 it became the Department of Economics and Sociology. In 1967 it became the Department of Economics, and in 2007 it became co-directed by the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business.

Dates of Existence
1898–present

Historical Names

  • Department of Economic Science (1898–1910)
  • Department of Economics and Political Science (1910-1913)
  • Department of Applied Economics and Social Science (1913–1924)
  • Department of Economics, History and Sociology (1924–1931)
  • Department of Economics and Sociology (1931–1967)

Related Units

Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Economics
Abstract

Argentine farmers operate in a complex, unstable and generally adverse policy environment. The study develops a model that reflects the policy and world market environment faced by Argentine agricultural producers. The model is used to investigate the effects of the U.S. Food Security Act of 1985 on Argentine agriculture, as well as the consequences of possible policy responses by the Artentine government;Argentine commodity prices are linked to U.S. prices via a multi-tiered price transmission process. Export tax rates are endogenized, and are shown to be positively related to world market prices and Argentine inflation rates. Domestic marketing margins are also positively related to world commodity prices, so that the price transmission elasticity between U.S. prices and Argentine producer prices is less than one;For four major crops, total area harvested is related to real returns to crop production and the size of the cattle herd. Crop area shares are determined by relative real rates of return. Short-run own-price supply elasticities range from 0.39 to 0.71, while long-run elasticities are much larger. For the major crop commodities, the model also determines domestic use, ending stocks, and net trade. The model incorporates a simplified livestock sector, and computes a variety of sectoral aggregates;Model results indicate that the lower world prices resulting from the U.S. Food Security Act of 1985 resulted in significant reductions in crop production and reduced export revenue by more than 1.0 billion per year. Devaluing the Argentine currency and eliminating export taxes are two possible policy responses that would offset some of the effects of the U.S. legislation on the agricultural sector. However, a devaluation would likely spur domestic inflation, and eliminating export taxes would reduce government revenues.

Comments
Description
Keywords
Citation
Source
Copyright
Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 1989