AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEMAND FOR WHOLESALE PORK PRIMALS: SEASONALITY AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE

A set of inverse wholesale pork primal demand models are estimated to determine the own-quantity flexibility, to ascertain seasonal price fluctuations, and to examine whether the flexibilities change in absolute magnitude over time. Results indicate that the own-quantity flexibility varied within the year. Also, it is determined that the own-quantity flexibility increased in magnitude (absolute value) over time for some of the primal cuts evaluated. However, for Hams the price flexibility became positive after early 1998. An increase in cold storage stocks of Hams may have led to the positive own-quantity flexibility and cold storage stocks may have been used to offset the potential Ham price decline of 1998.