The Food Processing Industry Involves the Canning of Fruit Products

question 1

Essay

The food processing industry involves the canning of fruit products, among other things, and the canning process produces canned goods and waste products. The manufacturer of one kind of fruit product produces an external cost for third parties. This external cost is expressed as:
MEC = 0.00005Q,
where MEC represents marginal external cost (dollars/unit), and Q represents cases produced per week. The marginal cost of production (supply), ignoring MEC, at the industry level is:
MC = 2 + 0.000175Q.
The industry demand for the product is:
P = 10 - 0.00025Q,
where price P is in dollars per unit.
a. Determine the output rate and price that would be established by profit maximizing firms.
b. Determine the efficient output rate and price.
c. Determine the cost to society of firms producing at the profit maximizing rate rather than at the efficient output rate.

---

Definitions:

Self-Service Merchandising

A retail strategy where customers select products by themselves without direct assistance from staff, typically in grocery or department stores.

Goods

Tangible personal property, as opposed to intangible assets or real property.

Agreement To Agree

A preliminary agreement indicating the intention of parties to enter into a future contract without binding themselves to specific terms.

Binding Contract

An agreement between two or more parties that is legally enforceable and has all the essential elements of a contract.