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Retail Oligopoly Power, Dairy Compact, And Boston Milk Prices

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  • Chidmi, Benaissa
  • Lopez, Rigoberto A.
  • Cotterill, Ronald W.

Abstract

This paper assesses the impacts of the Northeast Dairy Compact (NEDC) and retail oligopoly power on fluid milk prices in Boston. Empirical results reveal that price increases due to oligopoly power outweighed those caused by the NEDC by nearly seven times. In fact, markups are estimated at approximately 25% of the retail milk price, translating into approximately a little less than $0.75/gallon. We also estimated that only around two-thirds of the raw milk price changes were passed forward to consumers. This helps explain why consumer prices have come down only little after elimination of the NEDC. In fact, the new milk income loss contract program, which basically provides partial price subsidies to farmers, has contributed to low raw milk prices that have generated substantial benefits to milk processors and retailers, modest benefits to farmers and consumers, all at the expense of taxpayers.

Suggested Citation

  • Chidmi, Benaissa & Lopez, Rigoberto A. & Cotterill, Ronald W., 2004. "Retail Oligopoly Power, Dairy Compact, And Boston Milk Prices," Research Reports 25212, University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:uconnr:25212
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.25212
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    Cited by:

    1. Alessandro Bonanno & Rigoberto A. Lopez, 2007. "Competition Effects of Supermarket Services," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 91(3), pages 555-568.
    2. Rosa, Franco & Vasciaveo, Michaela, 2013. "Imperfect Competition in the Italian Dairy Chain: Consequences for the Price Transmission and Welfare Distribution," 2013 International European Forum, February 18-22, 2013, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 164747, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    3. Zhuang, Yan & Dimitri, Carolyn & Jaenicke, Edward C., 2010. "Price Reactions And Organic Price Premiums For Private Label And Branded Milk," 115th Joint EAAE/AAEA Seminar, September 15-17, 2010, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany 116388, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Rebecca L. O. Cleary & Rigoberto A. Lopez, 2007. "Is Wal-Mart Good for Competition? Evidence from Milk Prices," Food Marketing Policy Center Research Reports 101, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    5. Li, Xun & Lopez, Rigoberto A., 2015. "Energy Price Transmission and Retail Milk Prices," Working Papers 38, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    6. Ronald W. Cotterill, 2006. "Annotated and Expanded Minutes of the Milk Marketing Policy Meeting," Issue Papers 51, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    7. Rebecca Cleary & Rigoberto Lopez, 2014. "Supermarket responses to Wal-Mart Supercenter expansion: a structural approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 905-925, November.
    8. Elena Lopez & Rigoberto A. Lopez, 2009. "Demand for differentiated milk products: implications for price competition," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(4), pages 453-465.
    9. Lass, Daniel A., 2005. "Asymmetric Response of Retail Milk Prices in the Northeast Revisited," Research Reports 149026, University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center.
    10. Perekhozhuk, Oleksandr & Chezhia, Giorgi & Glauben, Thomas, 2021. "Measuring Oligopsony Market Power in Kazakh Grain-Processing Industry: Converging Evidence from Two Structural Approaches," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315345, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Xun Li & Rigoberto Lopez & Shuai Yang, 2018. "Energy†milk price transmission at the product brand level," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(3), pages 289-299, May.
    12. Daniel A. Lass, 2005. "Asymmetric response of retail milk prices in the northeast revisited," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(4), pages 493-508.
    13. Byeong‐Il Ahn & Hyunok Lee, 2010. "An equilibrium displacement approach to oligopoly market analysis: an application to trade in the Korean infant formula market," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(2), pages 101-109, March.
    14. Kehar Singh & Madan M. Dey & Prasanna Surathkal, 2014. "Seasonal and Spatial Variations in Demand for and Elasticities of Fish Products in the United States: An Analysis Based on Market-Level Scanner Data," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 62(3), pages 343-363, September.
    15. Sckokai, Paolo & Soregaroli, Claudio & Moro, Daniele, 2012. "Estimating Market Power By Retailers In A Dynamic Framework: The Case Of The Italian Pdo Cheese Market," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126703, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Álvarez, Antonio & del Corral, Julio & Solís, Daniel & Pérez, José Antonio, 2007. "Does Intensification Help to Improve the Economic Efficiency of Dairy Farms?," Efficiency Series Papers 2007/04, University of Oviedo, Department of Economics, Oviedo Efficiency Group (OEG).
    17. Oral Capps & Pablo Sherwell, 2007. "Alternative approaches in detecting asymmetry in farm-retail price transmission of fluid milk," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(3), pages 313-331.
    18. Rosa, Franco & Weaver, Robert D. & Vasciaveo, Michela, 2015. "Structural Changes and Dairy Chain Efficiency in Italy," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 6(3), pages 1-21, July.
    19. Zhou, Guzhen & Tran Cong, Chinh & Poerwanto, Devie A. & Goodman, Lucas A. & Pelton, Marie E. & Vollaro, Michele & Childress, Ronald & Kaninda Tshikala, Sam & He, Xiao & Zheng, Zijuan & Maynard, Leigh , 2010. "Willingness-to-Pay for New Products in a University Foodservice Setting," 2010 Annual Meeting, July 25-27, 2010, Denver, Colorado 61332, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Chidmi, Benaissa & Lopez, Rigoberto A. & Cotterill, Ronald W., 2009. "The Retail Service, The Market Power, and the Vertical Relationships in Breakfast Cereals Industry," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51770, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    21. Jack (Xinlei) Chen & Om Narasimhan & George John & Tirtha Dhar, 2010. "An Empirical Investigation of Private Label Supply by National Label Producers," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(4), pages 738-755, 07-08.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Industrial Organization; Livestock Production/Industries;

    JEL classification:

    • L66 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Food; Beverages; Cosmetics; Tobacco
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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