Staff writer
Tampa State Bank sponsored an agriculture seminar for farmers Thursday at Pilsen Community Center.
Greg Lohoefener of Market Data, Inc., Oberlin, was the presenter. He gave an overview of the crop and livestock outlook for 2010 and showed farmers how they can set realistic target prices and work to achieve realistic profit goals for their individual operations.
He noted the various factors that enter into the market price, such as production levels in other countries, exports, and weather for planting, growing, and harvesting a crop.
“You’ve got to have disciplined marketing,” he said. “It’s important to get price protection if the opportunity arises.”
He encouraged farmers to do pre-harvest marketing on a percentage of their crops to ensure their costs are covered and a profit is realized.