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Market Power in the Corn Sector: How Does It Affect the Impacts of the Ethanol Subsidy?

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  • Saitone, Tina L.
  • Sexton, Richard J.
  • Sexton, Steven E.

Abstract

Market power is discussed in debates about subsidies for ethanol production. The structural conditions in the corn industry create a case for concerns about market power. We develop an analytical model for determining the production and price impacts and the distribution of benefits from the U.S ethanol subsidy when upstream sellers in the seed sector and downstream buyers in the processing sector may exercise market power. Results demonstrate that the impacts on prices and output are probably limited. Distribution impacts are much greater. Seed producers and corn processors with market power capture relatively large shares of subsidy benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Saitone, Tina L. & Sexton, Richard J. & Sexton, Steven E., 2008. "Market Power in the Corn Sector: How Does It Affect the Impacts of the Ethanol Subsidy?," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 33(2), pages 1-26.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:jlaare:42457
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.42457
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    1. Ciaian, Pavel & Kancs, d'Artis, 2011. "Interdependencies in the energy-bioenergy-food price systems: A cointegration analysis," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 326-348, January.
    2. Pavel Ciaian & Edoardo Baldoni & d'Artis Kancs & Dušan Drabik, 2021. "The Capitalization of Agricultural Subsidies into Land Prices," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 17-38, October.
    3. Karel Janda & Ladislav Krištoufek, 2019. "The Relationship Between Fuel and Food Prices: Methods and Outcomes," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 195-216, October.
    4. Thomas Kopp, 2022. "When switching costs cause market power: Rubber processing in Indonesia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(3), pages 481-495, May.
    5. Mélanie Jaeck & Robert Lifran & Hubert Stahn, 2012. "Emergence of Organic Farming under Imperfect Competition," AMSE Working Papers 1239, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    6. Jinho Jung & Juan Sesmero & Ralph Siebert, 2020. "Spatial Differentiation and Market Power in Input Procurement: Evidence from a Structural Model of the Corn Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 8088, CESifo.
    7. Swanson, Andrew C., 2023. "The Pass-Through of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Subsidies to Midwestern Grain and By-Product Markets," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335864, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Qiu, Cheng & Colson, Gregory & Wetzstein, Michael, 2014. "An ethanol blend wall shift is prone to increase petroleum gasoline demand," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 160-165.
    9. Çakır, Metin & Nolan, James, 2015. "Revisiting Concentration in Food and Agricultural Supply Chains: The Welfare Implications of Market Power in a Complementary Input Sector," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 40(2), pages 1-17, May.
    10. Ciaian, Pavel & Kancs, d'Artis, 2011. "Food, energy and environment: Is bioenergy the missing link?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 571-580, October.
    11. Jung, Jinho & Sesmero, Juan Pablo & Balagtas, Joseph V., 2017. "Market Power in Feedstock Procurement and Economic Effects of Corn Ethanol," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258544, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Mélanie Jaeck & Robert Lifran & Hubert Stahn, 2012. "Emergence of Organic Farming under Imperfect Competition: Economic Conditions and Incentives," Working Papers hal-02805961, HAL.
    13. Tepe, Fatma Sine, 2010. "Biofuel policy and stock price in imperfectly competitive markets," ISU General Staff Papers 201001010800002642, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    14. Saitone Tina L & Sexton Richard J., 2009. "A Flexible Oligopoly-Oligopsony Model for Classroom Simulations and Policy Analyses," Journal of Industrial Organization Education, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-16, March.
    15. Mélanie Jaeck & Robert Lifran & Hubert Stahn, 2012. "Emergence of Organic Farming under Imperfect Competition: Economic Conditions and Incentives," Working Papers hal-02805961, HAL.
    16. Karel Janda & Ladislav Kristoufek, 2019. "The relationship between fuel and food prices: Methods, outcomes, and lessons for commodity price risk management," CAMA Working Papers 2019-20, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    17. Jaeck Mélanie & Lifran Robert & Stahn Hubert, 2014. "Emergence of Organic Farming under Imperfect Competition: Economic Conditions and Policy Instruments," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, January.
    18. Poe, Abby & Coatney, Kalyn & Coble, Keith & Freeman, Matt, 2014. "Farm Subsidy Incidence in the Presence of Bertrand Competitors of Complementary Factors of Production: A Theoretical Approach," 2014 Annual Meeting, February 1-4, 2014, Dallas, Texas 162507, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    19. Zhengyi Dong, 2019. "Does the Development of Bioenergy Exacerbate the Price Increase of Maize?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-16, September.
    20. Yanbing Wang & Michael S. Delgado & Juan Sesmero & Benjamin M. Gramig, 2020. "Market Structure and the Local Effects of Ethanol Expansion on Land Allocation: A Spatially Explicit Analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(5), pages 1598-1622, October.
    21. Jinho Jung & Juan Sesmero & Ralph Siebert, 2022. "A structural estimation of spatial differentiation and market power in input procurement," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(2), pages 613-644, March.
    22. Serra, Teresa & Zilberman, David, 2013. "Biofuel-related price transmission literature: A review," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 141-151.
    23. Abby Kelly & Kalyn T. Coatney & Xiaofei Li & Keith H. Coble, 2020. "Subsidy Incidence in the Presence of Bertrand Suppliers of Complementary Inputs: A U.S. Agricultural Example," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 479-501, September.
    24. Swanson, Andrew C., 2022. "Corn, Carbon, and Competition: The Low Carbon Fuel Standard's Effects on Imperfectly Competitive Corn Markets," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322442, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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