Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
5/1/00
Contacts:
Jerry Weiss, Pocahontas County Extension, (712) 335-3103,
x1weiss@exnet.iastate.edu
Sherry Hoyer, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-4496,
shoyer@iastate.edu
Pork Producer Group Learns Marketing Skills
SAC CITY, Iowa -- Participants in a recent swine marketing information series have a better understanding of record keeping systems and how to use marketing tools to improve their profitability. Iowa State University Extension livestock field specialist Jerry Weiss said 19 operations in northwest and west central Iowa that annually market 50,000 hogs were represented in the late winter program. The project was funded by the Iowa Pork Industry Center at ISU.
Weiss said there were two goals for the series, which drew an average of more than thirty people from six counties.
"First, we wanted the producers to walk out of there with a marketing plan," he said. "This could be one started either on paper or just in their head so they have things to aim for during the year. And second, we hoped to put together a group after this program that would eventually evolve into a marketing or trading group."
Weiss said he was pleased with the interest in this program. Each session began with a pork meal, and included a guest speaker, simulated marketing exercise and individual market plan development. Weiss and other ISU Extension staff members who led the sessions used the newly revised Hog Marketing Study Course from ISU and educational material from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
"Participants enjoyed the opportunity to hear marketing and investment commentary from David Kruse of Commstock Investments in Spencer and Roger Sarchet of Farmers Options in Newell," Weiss said. Also, Sac City area grain farmer Jack Sander provided a unique perspective on using the Chicago Board of Trade in developing a marketing plan. "The crop may be different, but a lot of the concepts are the same."
At the close of the third session, participants completed an evaluation about their experiences. Nine of them indicated a willingness to be part of a marketing group, and an initial meeting toward this was held last month. Weiss said these producers would begin holding regular meetings after the planting season.
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