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Abstract
This paper evaluates stabilization policies by applying methods of stochastic control and dynamic analysis to an econometric model of the U.S. grain market. Its main results are: (1) the aggregate consumer and producer surplus generated by the model is insensitive to the choice of the market regime; (2) policies directed to stabilize prices at levels compatible with nondecreasing farm revenue require the management of both grain inventories and domestic supply; (3) price fluctuations are significantly less under optimal stabilization than in the unregulated version of the model; and (4) historical policies have destabilizing effects on the market model.