Agricultural prices

By Henry A. Wallace

Why does a farmer's return depend on forces far beyond the farm gate? From the corn-hog economy to speculation, transport, government policy and market psychology, this economic analysis examines the pressures that shape agricultural prices. Written from the farmer's point of view, it confronts the instability of farm-product pricing and asks how producers can interpret markets governed by both physical supply and shifting expectations. Ratios provide the book's distinctive analytical lens. Long-term and seasonal relationships between corn and hogs are used to estimate production costs, evaluate packer margins and illuminate connections among livestock, crops, milk and retail goods. Centred on Chicago's futures, cash and hog markets, the discussion links everyday agricultural decisions to wider questions of supply and demand, foreign exchange, postwar export conditions and publicity. Rather than treating prices as isolated figures, it reveals an interconnected market in which one movement can alter the meaning of another. Statistical methods turn that inquiry towards agricultural price forecasting. Index numbers, correlation coefficients, regression and seasonal adjustment are applied to the modelling of hog prices, while soil fertility, land values and producer and consumer education broaden the economic frame. The argument favours sustained research and informed price analysis over rigid price fixing, presenting agricultural economics as a practical discipline for judging uncertainty rather than pretending it can be abolished. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9378413978
• ISBN13: 9789378413971
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 446 Pages
• Weight: 2.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.5" x 11.0"