Grand Rapids, MI | Ron (Cen. IL.) - 4/12/2009 17:04
Maybe your competition is not as aggressive as these guys seem to be. How do you make a decision on a new (or different) combine or tractor when it's possible that your land base may shrink to a point that you may not be farming in a couple years. Have you ever looked out the window and said "I may not be farming next year" ? If you havn't, how can you critisize those who have? If you don't have the scale of operation to get the discount for inputs or machinery, how can you afford to pay the same cash rent they offer?
I work with producers in many states, and I can very safely say that there is competition everywhere. Ron you ask some very good questions here. This was my point in not understanding why some would cancel their susbscription. IMHO everyone in crop agriculture today needs to be asking themself these questions. The situation is not hopeless, some have mentioned buying land. Or perhaps find an investor that is willing to buy and lease to you on a longer term deal. Perhaps your landlords would give a longer term lease, or give you a first right of refusal, etc. The piont is crop production is changing...it really always has been...not wanting to hear about how is probably not the answer.
I don't know if the "400,000 bushel of spoiled corn" story is true, but several years ago a farmer told me a story about hauling corn for one of the area BTO's. He said the corn quit running from the bin and he knew it couldn't be empty. Inspection found corn sprouted (several inches long) in the top. When he finally got the truck loaded and delivered, the scale ticket showed no dock for damage. (I don't know bad the load looked.) I don't know who he questioned about the lack of dock, but the response was something along the line of "they do so much business here, we don't dock them". How do you compete with that?
I have not idea if the ILFF spoiled corn story is true either, but I will assume that the other story you tell is. If the producers on here cannot figure out how to compete with someone who delivers crap quality grain, I will have lost faith in their ability to compete. |
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