Download or read book New Evidence on the Value of Public Information in Commodity Markets written by Philip Garcia and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The informational value of USDA corn and soybean production forecasts is investigated for the period 1971-1992. Three tests of informational content are considered: i) a relative forecast accuracy test, ii) a price reaction test, and iii) a willingness-to-pay test. Overall, the results suggest USDA corn and soybean forecasts provide valuable information to commodity markets. This value, however, does appear to have declined, especially since the mid-1980s. This is consistent with large declines in the cost of information due to technological improvements in computers, communications equipment, remote-sensing satellites, etc.