This paper examines the value-at-risk (VaR) implications of mean-variance hedging. We derive an equivalence between the VaR-based hedge and the mean-variance hedging. This method transfers the investor's subjective risk-aversion coefficient into the estimated VaR measure. As a result, we characterize the collapse probability bounds under which the VaR-based hedge could be insignificantly different from the minimum-variance hedge in the presence of estimation risk. The results indicate that the squared information ratio of futures returns is the primary factor determining the difference between the minimum-variance and VaR-based hedges.

Income variability and means for managing risk continue to receive much attention in farm management research. In this paper, irrigation is presented as a risk-management strategy that offers potential diversification benefits. Potential diversification opportunities largely result from a wider range of enterprise production activities. A portfolio analysis of dryland and irrigated farm scenarios indicates that income stabilizing and diversification effects of irrigation substantially modify the risk-return position of a typical farm in northeast Louisiana. Safety-first considerations along with Target MOT AD programming procedures also are used to evaluate the impact of irrigation on the farm's financial performance.

The paper discusses the linkages between the “globalization” of agricultural markets over recent decades and the decisions being made by individual farmers and ranchers in the United States. It is noted that technological advances lead to globalization of agricultural commodity markets and profit pressures. The continuing profit squeeze in agricultural production is having a significant effect on the cropping choices of America's farmers. When possible, acreage is being shifted out of low-revenue-generating crops and into higher-revenue-generating crops. This shift makes crop portfolios more risky over time, thus encouraging farmers to consider diversifying out of agriculture.