Top Farmer Conference: January 10, 2025

As one of the most successful and longest-running management programs specifically crafted for farmers, the Purdue Top Farmer Conference is a one-day event for agricultural producers and agribusiness professionals looking to navigate the complexities of today's agricultural landscape. Participants will have the opportunity to network with peers and hear from farm management experts and agricultural economists from Purdue, Farm Credit Services of America, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Acres, a land value data analytics company.

Search our entire resource library

You're viewing a specific archive. Looking for something and want to search by keyword or just take a general look at ALL our resources? Click Search below!

Livestock

Impact of Corn and Soybean Prices on Swine Finishing Feed Cost

This article discussed recent trends in feed costs for a swine finishing enterprise. Feed costs have dropped dramatically since the first quarter of 2014. Feed cost is expected to be slightly below 2015 levels in 2016 and 2017.

Read More

Modest Pork Expansion, But Brexit Casts Shadow

The longer-term economic implications of Brexit may be the most important and could reduce the rate of world economic growth. If Brexit does slow world income growth, that could be negative for global sales of pork and other U.S. agricultural products.​​

Read More

Hog Profits – Battle Between Higher Hog Prices and Higher Feed Prices

Two important factors determining margins this year are the potential for higher pork exports and thus higher hog prices and the potential for higher feed prices. These are tugging at margins in opposite directions.

Read More

Falling Cattle Prices, Where is the Bottom?

Cattle prices have had a rough spring. After peaking in late 2014 and early 2015, prices have been adjusting downward from very lofty peaks. High prices and profits at that time provided the incentives to expand beef production.

Read More

Feed Cost Indices for a Dairy Cow Enterprise

This article discusses recent trends in feed costs for a dairy cow enterprise. A ration consisting of alfalfa, corn silage, corn, soybean meal, and supplements was used to create the feed cost indices.

Read More

Fewer Hogs and Higher Prices

The nation’s pork producers have indicated to USDA that they are not expanding the breeding herd and, in fact, intend to reduce farrowings this spring and summer. This means pork supplies will be somewhat less than had been anticipated and that hog prices will be somewhat higher.

Read More

Robust Beef Expansion Will Slow

Nothing like record cattle prices and profitability to get an industry excited about expansion. The latest USDA Cattle report shows a rapid expansion is underway with cattle and calf numbers up three percent and beef cow numbers up four percent in the past year.

Read More

Pork Industry – A Little Profit for 2016

The outlook for the pork industry has turned somewhat more optimistic in recent weeks. The sources of that optimism include a $2 to $4 increase in spring and summer lean hog futures prices since the first of the year and slightly lower new-crop soybean meal prices. A bit higher hog prices and a little lower cost add to the potential for a profitable year.

Read More

Pork Industry Faces Tight Margin Year

Pork producers in 2016 are expected to experience another year of tight margins similar to the year just completed. Pork production is expected to rise by about one percent, but beef production will rise by four percent and poultry by about three percent.

Read More

Hog Prices Drop to 6 Year Lows

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.

Read More