Search results

This paper investigates the efficiency of the futures market for Brazilian live cattle to predict prices in the spot market of Argentinian steers. The lack of derivatives related to the beef market in the futures exchange in Argentina was the main factor behind the decision to analyse the efficiency of the Brazilian live cattle futures as a predictor of spot prices of Argentinian steers.

We opted to employ the efficient markets hypothesis to approach the question. The hypothesis that futures prices are non‐biased predictors of spot prices is considered to be a true proposition only if the efficient markets hypothesis is not rejected. In methodological terms, the efficiency of the futures market for Brazilian live cattle relative to the spot market of Argentinian steers was verified using the Johansen co‐integration test. A vector error correction model – which enables verification of the question of bias in the prediction of prices, was used to estimate the long‐term equilibrium between spot and futures prices.

The results provided no evidence of bias in the prediction of prices and found the predictive efficiency of the Brazilian live cattle futures market relative to the spot market of Argentinians steers to be approximately 80 per cent. Thus, the future prices of Brazilian live cattle can expressly assist participants in the Argentinian beef production chain to predict the spot prices of steers.

Esse trabalho verifica a eficiência do mercado futuro do boi gordo brasileiro em relação ao mercado a vista dos novilhos argentinos. A ausência de derivativos relacionados ao mercado da carne bovina em bolsa de futuros na Argentina foi o principal aspecto motivador da análise da eficiência do mercado futuro do boi gordo brasileiro como preditordos preços a vista dos novilhos argentinos.

Assim sendo, optou‐se por uma abordagem à luz da teoria da hipótese dos mercados eficientes. A hipótese de que os preços futuros são preditores não viesados dos preços a vista é tida como uma proposição verdadeira somente se a hipótese de eficiência de mercado não for rejeitada. No contexto metodológico, a eficiência do mercado futuro do boi gordo brasileiro em relação ao mercado a vista dos novilhos argentinos foi verificada a partir do teste de cointegração de Johansen, enquanto que o equilíbrio no longo prazo entre os preços a vista e futuros, que possibilita a verificação da questão do viés na predição dos preços, foi estimado por um modelo vetorial de correção de erro.

Os resultados evidenciaram o não viés na predição dos preços e a eficiência do mercado futuro do boi gordo brasileiro em relação ao mercado a vista dos novilhos argentinos de aproximadamente 80%. Logo, os preços futuros do boi gordo brasileiro podem auxiliar de maneira expressiva os agentes da cadeia produtiva da carne bovina argentina na predição dos preços a vista dos novilhos.

Studies on competitiveness in agri‐food systems have been challenged by non‐standard approaches. Traditional studies are defined as the ones based on comparative costs and market participation of countries or industries. Since comparative costs and market shares are distorted by subsidies, especially for agricultural products, traditional approaches show inconsistent results. Discusses competitiveness in a dynamic way, based on comparative capacity of agribusiness chain co‐ordination. In order to study the competitive structure of the meat system in Brazil, this study followed the methodology adopted by Farina and Zylbersztajn, applied to different food systems. The traditional studies are based on methodologies that do not make clear the specific aspects of coordination as a source of competitive advantages. Aims at reinforcing the relation between coordination and competitiveness. The main conclusion is the need to create coordination devices to attend the demands in terms of quality, traceability, standardization and certification which are key elements to building dynamic capabilities to the insertion of the region on the global beef market.