Incidence estimates for well spaced tubes

We prove analogues of the Szemer\'edi-Trotter theorem and other incidence theorems using $\delta$-tubes in place of straight lines, assuming that the $\delta$-tubes are well-spaced in a strong sense.Comment: 17 page

Group Behavior and Development: A Comparison of Farmers' Organisations in South Korea and Taiwan

This study presents a comparative analysis of farmers' organisations in Korea and Taiwan during 1950-80 in order to help us understand the role of group behavior in affecting development outcomes. It highlights the linkages between group behavior, parastatal organisational structures and economic performance. The paper examines the historical and political economy contexts that led to the creation of both countries' farmers' organisations and highlights the institutional characteristics that impacted their operational effectiveness. The study discusses elements in internal and external policies that affected group motivation and traces the implications of such differences in group behavior for bottom line performance. Though there existed many similarities in both organisational structure and operations, it is argued that differential intra-group behavioral dynamics led to differences in agricultural performance. Although, with the declining importance of agriculture, the relative importance of such organisations has declined in recent years, the study is relevant for developing countries at every stage of development.Farmers' Organizations, Korea, Taiwan, Group Behavior

THE CROWDING OUT EFFECTS OF THE 2002 FARM BILL ON HEDGING: EVIDENCE FROM PACIFIC NORTHWEST GRAIN FARMS

The 2002 Food Security and Rural Investment (FSRI) Act introduced a price protection program called Counter Cyclical Payments (CCP) to major grain producers in the US. The CCP program is an addition to the Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) and Direct Payment (DP) programs from the previous 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act. At the same time, US federally subsidized crop revenue insurance programs also protect farmers from market and production risks. These government policy programs may crowd out the traditional price risk management role of hedging in commodity futures markets.Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

EVALUATING RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR NON-IRRIGATED SMALL GRAIN PRODUCERS

Risk management strategies (market and insurance based) are evaluated for selected small grain producers in the Pacific Northwest using expected utility maximization. Equivalent variation (EV) compares alternative risk management portfolios to cash sales under specified restrictions and conditions. Resulting EV's are strongly influenced by government payments, and hedging-based strategies are not used when counter cyclical payments are included in government programs. Optimum risk management portfolios include extensive coverage by insurance-based products only when such products have premiums that are heavily subsidized, or have premiums with no significant expense load.Risk and Uncertainty,