News

Don’t swing for the fences marketing grain this year

An extension economist is coaching crop farmers to simply get on base and not swing for the fences with their marketing strategies this year.

Dr. Jason Johnson with Texas A&M University says a good game plan starts with a break-even in mind.

“We’re looking at some prices now that may very well require a leap of faith because the prices are above break-evens.  If that’s the case, then you either have to take that leap of faith or start looking at some alternative crops and options.”

Like scouting an opponent, Johnson tells Brownfield producers need to look for seasonal trends and tendencies.

“Those will give you a good idea of windows of time that historically have given us some kind of marketing opportunity.”

Johnson expects those opportunities to be few and far between in 2018.

“When we have this much supply overhanging us, we’re going to have to look for opportunities when there’s a weather scare either here or abroad.”

And typically, he says, those events happen during critical points of the U.S. growing season.