Should the Supply Chain Play Fair?

From AgriMarketing Magazine - Technological changes over the past century have caused increased interest among many consumers about how their food is produced. Some consumers now question whether everyone in the agricultural supply chain has benefited equally from these changes, which in turn has spurred the development of several alternative production systems that are increasing in popularity among consumers. Examples of these alternative systems include organics, fair-trade, local- and regional-origin, farmers’ markets, non-genetically modified ingredients, and no growth hormones, among others.

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Non-traditional Lenders in the Ag Credit Markets

Commercial banks and the Farm Credit System have been the dominant lenders to farmers for the past century, but new participants have entered the ag credit markets in recent years. This group includes ag input suppliers, and in more recent times, specialized collateral-based lenders that use land or other assets as the collateral for their farm loans. These “non-traditional lenders” have been consistently capturing market share in the agricultural credit markets since the 1980s financial crisis in agriculture. In 2019, they held almost 13% of the total farm sector debt (USDA) and accounted for 30% of the active loans based on data from the Kansas Farm Management Association. We know little about these non-traditional lenders because they do not face the same public reporting requirements as traditional lenders. The purpose of our study — Strategic Behavior of Non-traditional Lenders in the Agricultural Credit Markets — was to examine the credit products, operational performance and business models of these new players in the ag credit markets.

Farmers’ Purchasing Behavior and Implications for Suppliers’ Go-To-Market Strategies

Every four years, the Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business conducts the Large Commercial Producer (LCP) survey, which collects data from approximately 2,000 farmers across the U.S. This survey has consistently shown that farmers behave differently when buying different inputs, meaning suppliers should be cognizant of these factors when designing their go-to-market strategies.