TABLE OF CONTENTS 

ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................i 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................ii 

TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................................iii

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................iv

LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................................v

Chapter 1

: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ....................................................... 1 

1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................1 

1.2 Background to the study ...................................................................................................2 

1.3 Problem statement ............................................................................................................5 

1.4 Objectives of the study .....................................................................................................7 

1.5 Research question .............................................................................................................7 

1.6 Justification of the study...................................................................................................7 

1.7 Organization of the study .................................................................................................8 

Chapter 2

: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 10 

2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................10

2.2 Overview of Saskatchewan agriculture ..........................................................................10 

2.2.1 Crop production .......................................................................................................10 

2.2.2 Animal husbandry....................................................................................................11 

2.3 Background of Market Prospects ...................................................................................12 

2.4 Review of relevant literature ..........................................................................................13 

Chapter 3

: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYTICAL METHODS USED................. 21 

3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................21 

3.2 Theoretical framework ...................................................................................................21 

3.3 Sampling and data collection methodology....................................................................22 

3.4 Data analysis...................................................................................................................23 

3.5 Variable specification and expected relationship ...........................................................23 

3.6 The econometric model ..................................................................................................26 

3.7 Conceptual framework of the probit model....................................................................27 

3.8 Model estimation ............................................................................................................28 

3.8.1 Maximum likelihood estimation ..............................................................................28 

3.8.2 Marginal probability effects.....................................................................................29 

3.9 Summary.........................................................................................................................30 

4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................31 

4.2 Descriptive statistics of relevant variables .....................................................................31 

4.2.1 Farmer/operator age .................................................................................................31 

4.2.2 Gender......................................................................................................................31 

4.2.3 Educational attainment.............................................................................................32 

4.2.4 Farm ownership .......................................................................................................33 

4.2.5 Gross sales for the previous year .............................................................................33 

4.2.6 Farm experience.......................................................................................................34 

4.3 Analysis of Market Prospects.........................................................................................35 

4.3.1 Number and frequency of view................................................................................35 

4.3.2 Evaluation of Market Prospects...............................................................................38

 4.3.3 Test of independence between gross sales, education level and information sources ...........................................................................................................................................40 

4.3.4 Ranking of market information sources...................................................................42

 4.4 Empirical modeling ........................................................................................................43

 4.4.1 Human sources of information.................................................................................45 

4.4.2 Traditional sources of information...........................................................................48 

4.4.3 New media sources of information ..........................................................................49

Chapter 5

: SUMMARY, CONCLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................... 52 

5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................52 

5.2 Summary.........................................................................................................................52 

5.3 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................53

 5.4 Recommendations ..........................................................................................................54 

5.5 Limitations of the study..................................................................................................54 

5.6 Suggestions for future research ......................................................................................55 

REFERENCES......................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix A: Descriptive statistics of farmers evaluations of market prospects information ..............................................................................................................................................60 Appendix B: Test of independence between farm size (gross sales) and information sources ..............................................................................................................................................64 

Appendix C: Test of independence between education and information sources................67 

Appendix D: Results of logit model estimation ...................................................................72 

Appendix E : Survey questionnaire ......................................................................................75