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Managing Strategic Risks Series - Thumbnail feature image_youtube

Capturing the Upside & Buffering the Downside

November 30, 2015

Recorded November 30, 2015 | Key management strategies farmers can use to successfully manage their farms during the economic downturn in agriculture.

Hog Prices Drop to 6 Year Lows

November 13, 2015

Live hog prices fell below $40 per hundredweight last week. This means hog prices are at their lowest level since November of 2009 when the U.S. was just beginning to pull off the bottom of the great recession.

International Benchmarks for Corn Production (2015)

November 12, 2015

This paper examines the competitiveness of corn production for important international corn regions using 2012 to 2014 data from the agribenchmark network. This network collects data on beef, cash crops, dairy, pigs and poultry, horticulture, and organic products for 32 countries.

Long-Term Outlook for U.S. Ag. Economy

October 30, 2015

Recorded October 30, 2015 | Discussion focuses on the macroeconomic outlook and expected impacts on exchange rates and interest rates, a review of factors driving change in the crop sector including shifts in supplies taking place, and a review of expected returns for corn and soybeans and prospects for farmland prices in the the Midwest.

Beef: High Prices Cure High Prices

October 13, 2015

The adage that the cure for high prices is “High Prices” is evident this year in beef markets. Finished cattle prices reached record highs around $170 in late 2014 and early spring of 2015.

Feeding Cost of Gain and Net Returns for Cattle Finishing

October 1, 2015

Fed cattle prices have declined sharply since early September. This article discusses trends in feeding cost of gain and net returns for cattle finished in Kansas, with emphasis on the extremely large losses currently facing the industry.

Benchmarking Machinery Investment and Cost

September 16, 2015

The continued increase in size of tractors, combines, and other machinery has enabled farms to operate more acres and reduce labor use per acre. However, this increase in machinery size also makes it increasingly important to evaluate the efficient use of machinery.

Crop Outlook for 2015-2016

September 14, 2015

Recorded September 14, 2015 | Outlook for corn and soybeans following USDA’s Sept. 2015 Crop Production & Supply/Demand Reports. Features review of factors influencing prices and provides marketing & management recommendations. Program features Purdue Economists Chris Hurt, Corinne Alexander & James Mintert.

Limited Pork Expansion

September 13, 2015

The pork industry has largely overcome the impacts of the 2014 PED virus. Pork producers have been disciplined in limiting expansion after record 2014 profits.