Non-Stationary Markov Process Analysis of the Size Distribution of Shrimp Processing Firms in Southeast United States
By Hamady Diop , Wes R. Harrison & Walter, R. Keithly, Jr.
ABSTRACT
The shrimp harvesting sector is the largest component of the southeastern fishing industry, accounting for 57% of the total value of landings in the region in 1996. U.S. shrimp imports were valued at $2.6 billion in the same year. Together, domestic production and imports of the raw product support a large shrimp processing sector, which provides several thousand jobs either directly or indirectly. Between 1973 and 1996, shrimp processor margins narrowed because of the increase in shrimp imports. The objective of this paper is to quantify the effects of narrowing processor margins on firm size distribution using a nonstationary Markov process analysis.
KEYWORDS: Shrimp, Markov, firm size distribution, processor margins
 View Market Structure, Conduct, and Performance Session
View Full Paper (PDF file)
|
