Satsuma mandarins (Citrus unshiu) have been produced intermittently along the Gulf Coast for over a century. However, very little is known about the market potential for this citrus fruit in today's consumer markets. This study evaluated consumer preferences for seven external attributes over a range of levels: price ($1.07, $2.18, or $4.39/kg), color (green-yellow, yellow-orange, or orange), size (5.08, 6.35, or 7.62 cm in diameter), seediness (0, 3, or 7 seeds), blemishes (0, 1.91, or 3 cm in diameter), production region label (Alabama or U.S.A.), and organic production (yes or no). Consumers from grocery stores in nine cities in Alabama and Georgia were asked to evaluate 20 photographs of various combinations of these attribute levels using a seven-point intention-to-buy scale. 605 useable surveys were collected and a conjoint analysis was conducted to determine the strength of preference for the attribute levels and the relative importance for attributes. Three consumer segments were identified by cluster analysis of strengths of preferences: the no-blemish segment (37% of sample), the price-sensitive segment (23% of sample), and the no-seeds segment (41% of sample). A multinomial logit analysis identified several demographic, socioeconomic, and usage variables as significant determinants of segment membership.

The impacts of socioeconomic characteristics of the household and its constituents on consumption of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin A, calcium, iron, thiamine, and vitamin C were estimated. Data from 6,950 households located in the contiguous states were utilized to specify consumption relationships. Socioeconomic factors considered were: income, degree of urbanization, race, educational attainment of the homemaker, stage of the household in the family life cycle, family size, meal adjustment, and employment status of the homemaker. Income had a positive impact on the consumption of all nutrients except carbohydrate. However, nutrient consumption responsiveness to income was relatively small.

T h r typical technique used to ronstruct c:rc.dit scwing modrls is discriminant analFsis. This paper presents a descriptivc. example arid empirical analysis to illlistrate how linear progtamming rnight hr used to solve di .iminant type problems. Results of indic,ated that the linear Ixogr;irnmiiip proredurr performs w e l l in sol\ ing the examplc credit scoring problrm. In addition, the s~ruc,ture of thc linear progralnming inotlel was such that changes cwnld he readily initde to reflect c.it1it.r cwriwrvative or liberal lending policies.

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A mixed integer linear programming model was developed to simulate the decision environment faced by an entry-level vegetable producer contemplating production for the whole-sale market. The model included activities which permitted consideration of 13 vegetable crops within a spring, summer, and fall rotational system. Rotations were permitted within given bounds established by marketing, rotational, and price risk constraints. Rotations were generally stable with respect to markets and relative to crop mixes as target income and acceptable negative deviation levels were varied. Spring and fall broccoli and turnip greens and late spring-summer yellow and zucchini squash were dominant crops in the triple crop rotations in the Atlanta and Cincinnati markets.

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Demand and consumption relationships for sod at the consumer level of the market were estimated. The price of sod, lot size and property value had significant impact on sod purchases. Consumers were responsive to sod price changes with a 1% change in price resulting in a 1.83% change in quantity demanded, other factors being held constant at mean levels. An evaluation of data for purchasers and nonpurchasers of sod indicated that income, house age, interest in landscaping and occupation had significant impact on purchases. Income elasticities for households having an annual income in excess of $31,000 were found to be elastic; that is, these households respond to income increases with larger purchases of sod. The market participation (entry-exit) phenomenon was credited with at least 70% of the total market adjustment by purchasers. These relationships emphasize the need for careful examination of advertising and pricing efforts of sod producing and marketing firms and also the potential growth of the industry as incomes and the general standard of living increase.

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