Group Tracker Record-Keeping System
Mark Storlie, swine field specialist
Situation
Producers continue to struggle with keeping accurate financial and production
records in their swine businesses. Many bankers would like to see more actual
production figures than what producers are showing them. Most swine producers
tend to be very production and task oriented but fail to have a good handle
on how their business is performing financially and where improvements can be
made.
Response
The Group Tracker record-keeping system was developed and written by Mark Storlie,
Iowa State University Extension swine field specialist in northeast Iowa. The
program is designed for group-by-group close-out data, which better fits most
swine production flow than other available systems. The Iowa Pork Industry Center
(IPIC) has marketed the program and documentation to producers in Iowa and nationwide.
Cost of the program is $30 for Iowa producers if they share data back with IPIC,
and $100 if they choose not to share data.
Group Tracker is marketed at each swine meeting in this area, always trying
to make producers aware of a good, easy to use swine grow-finish program which
can increase their net profit and provide their lender with economic data.
Impact
Twelve producers have signed up to participate in Group Tracker over the last
year. ISUE field specialists have consulted with most participants to properly
set up their diets and building sites, allowing them to feel more comfortable
in using the program. This past December a meeting was held with Mark Storlie
in attendance to allow producers to ask questions and better understand alternative
ways to input data into the program. Producer feedback has been very positive.
Page last updated:
July 9, 2006
Page maintained by Linda Schultz, lschultz@iastate.edu
