 Statistical Cost Analysis of the Existing North Dakota Country Elevator IndustryCraig A. Chase, Delmer L. Helgeson and Terry L. Shaffer No 23474, Agricultural Economics Reports from North Dakota State University, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics Abstract: The grain elevator industry is an essential and integrated part of the marketing system in North Dakota. A more efficient marketing system can benefit society either in the form of increasing producer income through higher grain prices, reducing consumer expenditures through lower retail prices, or both. The grain marketing system also is currently moving through a period of change brought on by a larger supply of grain, proposed branch line abandonment and deregulated rail rates. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cost characteristics of the elevator industry and determine the relative efficiency and existence of economies of size during the 1978-79 period. A statistical costing method was used to empirically analyze the cost structure of the country elevator system as it existed during that period. Few elevators were found to be operating near the minimum average cost. Decreasing average total costs were apparent within the elevator industry indicating the existence of economies of size. Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute Report No.43 Keywords: Agribusiness (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:nddaer:23474 Access Statistics for this paper More papers in Agricultural Economics Reports from North Dakota State University, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics Contact information at EDIRC. |
Is your work missing from RePEc? Here is how to contribute.
Questions or problems? Check the EconPapers FAQ or send mail to .
EconPapers is hosted by the
School of Business at Örebro University.