Wholesale Price Contract or Mixed Wholesale-Option-Contract? Procurement Strategy for a Contract Farming Supply Chain under Flexible Supply
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors1. Topic:
The topic is complicated and difficult to understand. It is suggested that the author comb the full text and modify the title of the manuscript to make it easy to understand.
Abstract:
(1) The abstract should indicate the research background, research methods, research content, research results and research significance. Obviously, the manuscript lacks the description of the research purpose.
(2) It is suggested that the author list the research results in the abstract by points to make it more logical.
3. Keywords:
Mature and widely used words should be used as keywords. However, some key words such as "Whole price and option mixed contracts" and "Reserve and production quantities decision" are rarely used. Please revise the key words of the manuscript.
4. Introduction:
(1) "Many government documents……" Many of the documents here refer to? Please add relevant literature.
(2) "Compared to wholesale price contracts, option contracts have significant advantages in responding to demands and price fluctuations, and can provide buyers with opportunities for delayed selection and flexible ordering." The advantages of option contracts are mentioned in the introduction, but the advantages of option contracts have not been demonstrated in the introduction. In other words, the literature review on options contracts lacks logic and criticality.
(3) The introduction does not indicate the research question and purpose of the manuscript, and it is suggested that the author supplement the relevant content.
5. Assumptions and parameters:
It is suggested that the author add a game model diagram so that readers can understand the game model of the manuscript more clearly.
6. Figures and tables:
Some of the lines in the figure are different, but still similar. It is suggested that the author adjust the lines to make the difference more obvious.
7.Conclusions:
(1) Two "thirdly" appear in the seventh paragraph of the conclusion, which is likely to generate ambiguity, and the author is advised to replace the second "thirdly" as "finally".
(2) The conclusion is a complete retelling of the research results. It is suggested that the author rewrite this part of the content with more concise language to improve the conclusion of the manuscript.
8.References:
(1) Obviously, the number of references is insufficient. Authors are advised to increase the number of references.
(2) The references in the past five years should account for half of the total references.
Author Response
Regarding Topic, the new topic is: Wholesale price contract or mixed wholesale-option-contract ? procurement strategy and flexible supply for Contract-Farming supply chain.
Regarding Abstract, we have described the research purpose and displayed the research results by points.
Regarding Keywords, Referencing most literature, the Keywords"Whole price and option mixed contracts" and "Reserve and production quantities decision" were replaced by “a mixed wholesale-option-contract” and “order and production quantities decision”.
Regarding Introduction,revisions are as follows:
(1)Many of the documents here refer to? Please add relevant literature. We have cited the highest level government document, that is the ‘No.1 Document which is published by the State Council and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China at the beginning of 2022’.
(2) The literature review on options contracts lacks logic and criticality. We have added over 10 latest literature on option contracts related to this manuscript and provided a review of them.
(3)The introduction does not indicate the research question and purpose of the manuscript, and it is suggested that the author supplement the relevant content. We have supplemented the relevant content in the page2(line 62-74).
Regarding Assumptions and parameters, we added a game model diagram.
Regarding Figures and tables, due to the abundance of lines, it is difficult to adjust them again, so we have decided not to modify the lines after careful consideration.
Regarding Conclusions:
(1) Two "thirdly" appear in the seventh paragraph of the conclusion, which is likely to generate ambiguity, and the author is advised to replace the second "thirdly" as "finally". The explanation for the above situation is as follows:the The "thirdly" in front is the big point while the back "third" is the small point, so the "thirdly" contains “first”, “second” and so on.
(2)It is suggested that the author rewrite this part of the content with more concise language to improve the conclusion of the manuscript. We have made modifications and improvements to the conclusion.
Regarding References, we have added 14 literature related to this manuscript from 2021 to 2024, and the total number of literature is now 41.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors1. Authors could use more recent literature to show case the ambivalence previously
2. Recent Literature between 2020 -2023 should be included
3. Limitation of the Model used should be included and dirextion of future studies indicated
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe language is acceptable with minor editing required.
Author Response
Regarding literature, we have added 14 literature related to this manuscript from 2021 to 2024, and the total number of literature is now 41.
Limitation of the Model used should be included and direction of future studies indicated, we have already stated the Limitation of the Model and the direction of future studies in the last paragraph.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe research conducted by the authors is of a high substantive level. However, it is proposed to include several suggestions in the final version of the manuscript:
1. In the abstract, on lines 23-24, specify what conditions should be met in the context of the option contract prices?
2. What policies and suggestions were put forward to improve the accuracy of supply and demand forecasting...? (lines 26-27).
3. In the Introduction, please describe in detail the subject of the research, the purpose and scope of the research, the research tools, methods and techniques used, and the verified hypotheses.
4. Please include a separate chapter titled: Literature Review and add more references to the latest research findings related to the main topic.
I have no objections to the model's assumptions, parameters, propositions 1, 2 and 3. Moreover, the numerical analysis was comprehensively and convincingly presented.
5. Please expand the Introduction with additional, most important, synthetic conclusions mentioned in the summary (p. 18-22).
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageIt is recommended to construct shorter sentences.
Sentences that are too long make it difficult to clearly understand the main idea.
Please avoid editorial errors, e.g. double space (line 72).
Author Response
1.In the abstract, on lines 23-24, specify what conditions should be met in the context of the option contract prices? We have specified the conditions in the abstract.
2.What policies and suggestions were put forward to improve the accuracy of supply and demand forecasting...? (lines 26-27). We have put forward the policies and suggestions in the abstract.
3.In the Introduction, please describe in detail the subject of the research, the purpose and scope of the research, the research tools, methods and techniques used, and the verified hypotheses. The Introduction has been modified and improved.
4.Please include a separate chapter titled: Literature Review and add more references to the latest research findings related to the main topic. We have listed a new chapter about Literature Review and added 14 references references related to the main topic.
5.Please expand the Introduction with additional, most important, synthetic conclusions mentioned in the summary. We have modified the introduction.
6.It is recommended to construct shorter sentences. We have checked and revised some sentences.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI uploaded my comments for Authors.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
In response to the comments of Reviewer 4, the revisions instructions are as below:
Regarding the version of template, we have changed ‘2021’ to ‘2024’.
Regarding the types or minor notational errors, we have carefully reviewed the entire text and made modifications to all visible details.
Between lines 187 and 192, we have changed ‘Chapter’ to ‘Section’.
Regarding the formatting of the text which contains mathematical equations, After consulting with the editor, the editor replied that she will handle all format issues raised by the reviewers after we submit the revised paper.
Regarding the sizes of Figures 2(a) and 2(b), we have made adjustments to them and they look consistent. We also hope that the editor can handle the formatting issues of all the tables and figures well.
Regarding the defining of some symbols used in equations, we define the symbols in some equations in section 3.2, they are displayed as below:
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors- Although the authors revised the manuscript, this did not substantially enhance the scholarly value of the manuscript.
Author Response
In response to the comments of Reviewer 1, the revisions instructions are as below:
In the first round of revisions, we have revised the Topic, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Literature review, Conclusions and so on according to the suggestions of the expert. Regarding the scholarly value of the manuscript, as the model assumptions and theoretical derivations remain unchanged, we have explained the theoretical significance and practical values of the paper at the last part of the introduction, the specific content is as follows: Based on the research on the above issues, the theoretical significance of the paper is as follows: in response to the highly uncertain world economy, when the supply of the upstream organization is flexible, it first proposes a mixed wholesale-option-contract for the downstream distributor when he can trade with more than two suppliers, and theoretical derivation and numerical analysis are carried out to examine the mixed contracts’ advantages in supply chain coordination and benefit allocation. This work can enrich the theory of supply chain management and contract coordination. The practical values of this paper is as follows: for the Contract-Farming supply chain in China with uncertain supply and demand, optimization measures and policy recommendations are proposed in terms of business collaboration, supply mode, transaction contracts, supplier management and supervision, interests coordination, price decision-making and structural reform of agricultural products supply side, which can promote high-quality development of China's agricultural products industry, and meet the specific requirements of rural revitalization and lofty goal of achieving the Chinese path to modernization that proposed by China today.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 3
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsOK, this manuscript could be accepted after language check.
Author Response
Thanks for the reviewer 1's comments. After checking the language of the manuscript, we will submit it.
