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MARKETING: PLANNING FOR PROFIT. Agriculture is becoming more market driven and less production driven. SELLING VS MARKETING. Selling - the physical act of moving goods off the farm/ranch to the buyer
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MARKETING: PLANNINGFOR PROFIT Agriculture is becoming more market driven and less production driven
SELLING VS MARKETING • Selling - the physical act of moving goods off the farm/ranch to the buyer • Marketing - involves producing what is demanded and pricing that production in terms advantageous to the producer • Market defined: whenever buyers and sellers are able to agree on terms under what the sale or trade of products and services can be completed
HISTORYOF THE FOOD CHAIN • 100 years ago people canned, dried slaughtered and milled their own products • Producers helped each other and shared equipment, labor and even a cup of sugar • Specialization and decentralization took over • Now we may have to centralize our system to be competitive - cooperative effort in local community is a must
TYPICAL STEPS IN MARKETING A BEEF CALF • Rancher sells to backgrounder • Backgrounder sells to feedlot • Feedlot sells to packer • Packer may sell to wholesaler or retailer • Wholesaler sells to the food stores • Retail store sells to consumer
UTILITY: adds usefulness • Form Utility - slaughter, slice, dice, chill, freeze, dehydrate, pickle, can, grade, and prepare foods (to name a few) • Time Utility - transportation • Place Utility - storage Ex. - C A storage
DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCTS • Branded products - Sterling Beef, Certified Angus, Heinz, Generic • Organic and or Natural • Prepared Foods: - Fully or partially baked or cooked - Uncooked but marinated, seasoned and packaged with vegetables and cooking directions
CASH MARKETS Grain and Hay • Sell at harvest to: feedlot, dairy, elevator or another producer • Store and sell at a future date • Forward price: sell at harvest or sell at a future date • Commodity could be delivered at harvest for pricing and payment at a later date
CASH MARKETSLivestock • Sell at auction barn • Sell direct to feedlot/backgrounder • Sell via video to feedlot /backgrounder • Sell direct to the consumer
CASH MARKETFruit, Honey, Vegetables etc. • Roadside stand • You pick (except honey) • Packing shed/processor • Retail store • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) • House to house
OTHER CASH MARKETS • Internet sales • Direct mail • Catalog • Telephone • T.V. shopping channels * Direct sales are the fastest growth sector in production agriculture marketing's
FUTURES AND OPTIONS CME CBOT
HEDGING WITH FUTURES • Hedge a sale or purchase using futures contracts • Establishes a price (assuming basis remains constant) • Requires a margin (performance bond) deposit • If you sell, you are short the market • If you buy, you are long the market
HEDGING WITH OPTIONS • Provides price protection like the futures but lets you benefit from and up market if selling or a down market if buying • Put - the right to sell an underlying futures • Call - the right to buy an underlying futures • Premium is paid for the above rights
OTHER OPTION STRATEGIES • Sell puts or calls - used when you want to re-own your commodity and you expect the prices to track sideways • Fifteen other option strategies such as strangles, straddles, butterflies, spreads etc.
OTHER MARKETING OPTIONS • Cooperatives are designed so you buy inputs at or near cost and sell commodities at higher prices (any profits are returned as patronage dividends) • Closed Cooperatives have limited participants which give the members more control and permit quicker changes
MARKETING GRAIN AND HAYnear market price highs • Research the market - keep current on marketing alternatives - know potential yields and acres - what is the projected demand and usage - know seasonal highs and lows - know exports and imports - watch influence of weather - keep abreast of government programs Reports
MARKETING LIVESTOCKnear price highs • Know seasonal patterns - cattle prices often highest in late spring and summer • Back ground feeders for several months • Retain ownership - put feeders into a feedlot • Use USDA production reports • Make decisions based on as many factors as possible
MARKET INFORMATION • Newspaper, radio and T.V. • Internet for USDA reports and delayed futures and options quotes • Cash auction barn prices
PLANNING FOR PROFITS • Develop new niche markets • Partial or complete processing, transporting or storing • Build customer loyalty • Utilize university marketing programs • Setup incubator programs - commercial kitchen
continued • Make a market plan or use an advisory service • Make market decisions - strike a balance between risks and potential price gains. Risk varies by producer • Don’t get caught having to sell during the “John Deere/New Holland” bounce!!!
PREM IUMS PAID FOR NICHECORN PRODUCTS IN IOWA • Food grade - 7 to 12 cents • High oil - 5 to 6 cents • High starch - 7 to 12 cents • Waxy - 10 to 12 cents • White - 20 to 47 cents • Non-GMO - 3 to 12 cents
CONSUMER AS KING OF THE FOOD SYSTEM • Right or wrong, sciences savvy or not consumers dictate what farmers raise • In the past manufacturers ended up with product that had to be sold on promotions • Now manufacturers know immediately what consumers are purchasing. The bar code at the counter gives manufacturers instant information and they adjust production accordingly
continued • Farmers and ranchers need to establish relationships with manufacturers and adjust or change production accordingly. Many producers will grow commodities under contract. We should GROW what the consumer buys. • Producers need to know buying habits of the consumer - ethnic foods, geriatric peoples needs, single servings etc.
continued • Later in 2000 the Universal Code Council (UCC) will launch a net site called “UCC.net” The UCC manages the black and white bar code. This net address will provide agricultural producers with information on new products, promotional opportunities and an avenue to buy and sell products electronically
CONSUMERS COMMENTS ABOUT FOOD PRODUCTS • I want less fat • I want lots of choices • It must be fresh • I’m bored, give me something new • I am too busy to cook • I want to shop on-line • I want organic and or natural foods
CONSUMERS SURVEY - 1998 • Purchased food free of pesticides 19.5% • Purchased natural food 35.7% • Purchased organic food 23.0% • Refused to buy food thought unsafe 33.1% • Shopped at health/natural food store 18.5% • Refused substandard quality food 53.1% • None of the above 26.5%
ORGANIC FOODS • Demand increasing domestically & abroad • New standards announced March 2000 • Organic Farming - is it for me?
ORGANIC STANDARDS • Standards added week of March 1, 2000 -no irradiation - no sewage sludge - no genetically modified products - limited additives - regulate use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers
ORGANIC CROPS by Acre • Idaho - 107,955 • California - 96,851 • North Dakota - 88,581 • Montana - 59,362 • Minnesota - 56,275 • Wisconsin - 41,245 • Colorado - 35,127 • Iowa - 34, 276 • Florida - 32,104 • Nebraska - 28,104 April 2000
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE • Members buy shares in early spring to meet the farmer’s operating expenses • Producer distributes produce to members during the growing season • If crop failure, all share in the loss • In some cases the consumer may barter for produce in change for his labor • Often natural or organic - definitely locally grown CSA
Direct marketing of meat - beef, deer, elk Self cut Christmas tree Farmer’s market Goat milk & meat Green house tomatoes Mushrooms On-farm bakery Wild flowers Gourmet foods Fee hunting Bread and breakfast Dairy products - whole milk - cream - ice cream - cheese curds - seasonal - egg nog ALTERNATIVE MARKETING IDEAS
continued • Ethnic cuisine • Senior foods - functional and healthy • Ethanol - MTBE to be outlawed in Colorado • Produce and grocery delivery • Alfalfa pellets for livestock • Hogs raised on pasture • Agricultural tourism
SUMMARY Maybe we don’t have to be part of the 66% who market their commodities in the lower third of the price range!!!