Meat Processors Purchasing and Sale Practices: Lessons Learned from the Gipsa Livestock and Meat Marketing Study

This report presents the results of analyses of the effects of alternative marketing arrangements (AMAs) on the distribution and sales of meat products downstream from the packer. It focuses on determining the extent of use of AMAs, describing the linkages between the stages of meat production, and describing the relationship between the use of AMAs and meat quality.The analyses include both beef and pork products, are descriptive, and focus on the relationships among industry participants involved in distributing meat products beyond the packing plant. The information used for this volume includes the results of the industry interviews, data from the industry surveys (described in Volume 2), and transactions data from meat processors. Analyses conducted for the Livestock and Meat Marketing Study are limited to economic factors associated with spot market and AMAs and do not analyze policy options or make policy recommendations.