Systems Specialist,Professor, and Assistant Professors, respectively

The authors make cost comparisons among alternative computerizedmarketing sys-tems. The systems described could en-compass any number of commodities and stages of distribution involving cash and/or futures transactions. Statement of Problem Concern about efficiency in the marketing and distribution of food and fiber has stimulated research in electronic marketing as a means of ex-change (Eppersonand Moon; Helmreich et al.) Electronic devices used in marketing primary commoditiesmay in-clude telephones, teletypes, computer systems and video equipment. Various commodities, such as cattle, hogs, eggs, sheep, meat, cotton and fresh produce, have been identified as ones which, because of thin markets and unbalanced information, are likely candidates for electronic exchanges (Helmreichet al.; Epperson and Moon). Objective The overall purpose of this paper is to provide essential cost informa-tion for the decision-makingprocess of organizationsor groups of market participantswho might now or in the near future contemplate the adoption of an electronic marketing system. Methodology The pilot study area encompasses southwesternGeorgia which is an area of about 6 million acres of intensive and diversified agriculture. Commod-ities common to this area which were selected for study in a multiple com-modity framework include: corn, soy-beans, peanuts, pecans, feeder cattle and slaughter hogs. The basis for cost comparisons among alternative electronicmarketing configurationsis quite involved and thus is leftto a much longer report by Helmreich et al. tobe published elsewhere. Suffice it to say here that the foundation of the cost esti-mates encompass the following factors: 1) designed trading rules; 2) quantities of commoditiesmarketed in the study area; 3) number of pro-ducers (potentialsellers) in the study area; 4) number of buyer