farm transactions
DESCRIPTION
Farm Transactions. AG BM 102. Coffee Market. Article in NY Times Farm price – 24 cents per pound Retail price - $3.60 per pound Processors – Kraft, Sara Lee, Proctor & Gamble, Nestle – have half of market Annual exports have fallen $4 bil. since 1997, since end of coffee agreements. Coffee. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Farm Transactions
AG BM 102
Coffee Market
• Article in NY Times
• Farm price – 24 cents per pound
• Retail price - $3.60 per pound
• Processors – Kraft, Sara Lee, Proctor & Gamble, Nestle – have half of market
• Annual exports have fallen $4 bil. since 1997, since end of coffee agreements
Coffee
• 660 mil. lbs of low quality beans in storage
• Estimated destroying these would increase farm revenues by $750 million
• Big firms not interested & don’t want International Coffee Organization (exporting group) to interfere
Farm Inputs
Introduction
• Modern agriculture involves lots of purchased inputs
• Machinery, equipment, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, seed, semen, feed, credit
• The input industry is part of the system
• Often a very integrated part
Wenger Feeds
• Sells feed for broilers, eggs, and hogs
• Thousands of formulations
• Works with producer to solve problems – shell strength
• Big customer base – lots of deliveries – 24 hours per day
• Can’t let anyone run out of feed
Wenger Feeds
• Limited storage space – need to schedule corn and other raw material deliveries well – a couple days of corn
• Rail or truck?
• New sites
Livestock (7.90%)
Fuel (3.30%)
Feed (14.00%)
Rent (10.20%)
Supplies, Repairs, & Construction (10.20%)
Labor (10.10%)
Machinery, Vehicles (6.80%)
Chemicals, Fertilizer, & Seeds (14.60%)
Farm Services (13.40%)
Interest, Taxes (9.50%)
Farm Production Expenditures1997
In General, Input supplier
• Works with farmer to help farmer succeed
• Provides advice
• Lots of service
• Not like supermarket – choose, buy, & leave
• Tries to have flow of business
Employs PSU Grads
• Fertilizer
• Pesticides
• Feed
• Pharmaceutical products
• Credit
• Lots more
Need College Grads
• Technical issues
• Integration of lots of factors
• Need to be able to understand company’s research
• Work within system
Integration
• Contracts tie inputs to outputs
• Chickens, hogs, vegetables
• Food safety requirements for drugs, sprays, etc.
Coops in Farm Supply
• Long history• Spatial monopoly• Some have done well• Others struggled• Agway, Farmland• Very competitive – success requires good
management & efficient operation• Usually ease of entry
Other Comments About Input Markets
• Quality of output related to use of inputs
• Quality, timing, appropriateness
• Advice can be a big factor here
• Farm services – milk testing, feed testing
• No farmer stands alone!
• Also, without farmers no input industry – can’t pursue strategy of getting rich at farmer’s expense
Other Comments About Input Markets
• Small farmers at a disadvantage here
• However, most farmers small compared to seller
• Higher input costs make it harder to compete
• Doing a good job here can really help profitability
Farm Outputs
Introduction
• You have produced the product – now what?
• How much is it worth?
• How can you get the most for it?
• What are your choices?
• I hope you have thought about this before
How much is it worth?
• How do you get the price?
• Lancaster Farming
• Internet
• Calling known markets
• Talk to your neighbors
• Futures markets
Ayrshire Auction
What is your quality?
• All corn, milk, cattle, and apples are not alike
• Some get premiums, some get discounts
• How much are the premiums and discounts?
• How can you move up a step?
• What will it cost you?
• Is it worth it? Premium vs. costs
How can you get the most for it?
• Consider several alternatives
• Work out math – hauling fees, charges & commissions, time
• Is a bit more worth souring a relationship?
What are your choices?
• Locally
• In general area
• Neighboring states
Plan Ahead
• Should have a market in mind when decision to produce is made – and have talked to them
• Can change mind
• Is a contract possible? Worthwhile? Essential?
• Market identification essential for unusual things – Agriculture Alternatives
Marketing for small farms
• Market access a particular problem
• Also costs per unit are higher – less than truckload lots
• Often need to go through auctions – prices may be lower
• Pool with neighbors if others raise the same thing
Leola Produce Auction
Direct Marketing
Tuscarora Organic Growers
• Jim Crawford – southern Huntingdon County – Organic vegetables
• Sold at site in Baltimore – marketing was taking a lot of time – limit to what market could absorb
• Joined forces with other growers
• Formed cooperative
TOG
• Plan production – deliver to staging point
• Cooperative sells in Washington – develops market
• Members keep traditional clients & markets
• Cooperative broadens customer base
Market Access in Serbia
Farmer Transactions
• Often few choices
• Usually no market power
• Direct sales to consumer rarely feasible
• Information essential
• Planning ahead important
• Understand your alternatives