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Web Poll Archives
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April 9, 2008 - April 22, 2008
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Why did you, as an ag retailer employee or owner, get into the business?
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A) Option to be in agriculture other than as a farmer (29) 49%
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| B) Entered into a family-owned business (6) 10% |
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| C) Jumped into a good income or business opportunity (7) 12% |
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| D) Planned professional path from an early age (6) 10% |
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| E) Saw it as the best option after college (11) 19% |
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| Total of votes : 59
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Readers' Comments:
“I had an excellent role model in a crop consultant/salesman who called on our small family farm. ”
“I am the oldest in a family of three boys, so I knew I couldn't be the farmer. So I did the next best thing. ”
“I quit farming and needed a job. I did not want to be in ag retail, but they hired me and here I am.”
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March 26, 2008 - April 9, 2008
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How many agricultural trade shows did you attend in the last 12 months?
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A) Zero (20) 19%
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| B) 1-3 (73) 70% |
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| C) 4-6 (10) 10% |
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| D) 6-9 (2) 2% |
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| E) 10 or more (0) 0% |
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| Total of votes : 105
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March 12, 2008 - March 26, 2008
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How many new or replacement crop protection chemicals/brands are you inventorying and/or strongly selling for your customers’ crop production in 2008?
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A) 0 (5) 12%
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| B) 2-3 (23) 53% |
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| C) 4-6 (10) 23% |
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| D) 7-10 (1) 2% |
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| D) More than 10 (4) 9% |
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| Total of votes : 43
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Feb 27, 2008 - March 12, 2008
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How would you describe the soybean seed supply for farmers in your area still wanting soybean seed for 2008?
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A) Good supply of most varieties (9) 15%
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| B) Best varieties unavailable but others still available (16) 27% |
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| C) Limited supply of least popular varieties available (17) 28% |
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| D) Seed suppliers are basically sold out of all seed beans (18) 30% |
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| Total of votes : 60
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Readers' Comments:
“The seed supply is getting less each day as germ and accelerated aging tests become available. State seed agencies are also limiting supply by stop sale orders being issued.”
“There is a small percentage of seed companies that still have soybeans of some kind to sell. The germination on most of what is available is below 85%”
“Some of our competators have germination problems as well.”
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Feb. 13, 2008 - Feb. 27, 2008
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Do you anticipate problems with compliance to new Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards?
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A) It’ll cost us a lot in manpower and expense to be in compliance. (1) 8%
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| B) We will have to adjust operations considerably, but it will not be extremely expensive. (5) 42% |
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| C) Only a few changes to operations will be necessary. (2) 17% |
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| D) We’re ready without many changes at all. (1) 8% |
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| E) The regulations are not pertinent to our operation (3) 25% |
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| Total of votes : 12
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Jan. 30, 2008 - Feb. 13, 2008
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What percentage of farmers in your area are not fully following specific refuge requirements when planting biotech crops?
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A) 0% (10) 11%
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| B) 1% to 10% (17) 19% |
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| C) 11% to 25% (17) 19% |
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| D) 26% to 50% (12) 14% |
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| E) 51% or more (17) 19% |
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| Total of votes : 88
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Readers' Comments:
“No one wants to take the 10-15 bushel/acre yield drop of planting a refuge area. Therefore, they depend on a distant neighbour field to be their refuge area.”
“As a seed dealer, I'm seeing nearly every customer honoring the refuge pecentage. There are very few corn growers in northwest Minnesota that I'm suspicious of not using refuge properly.”
“The seed dealers are allowing them to do this and do not seem to care.”
“This could be potentially higher when certain seed companies are marketing so-called triple stacked corn for less than straight Roundup Ready corn. How do you suppose that's affecting the refuge acres? ”
“Most are planting all their refuge in one field. With the high commodity prices and input costs they feel they need to maximize yield on every acre, so many are planting way under the 20% required. On triple-stack type hybrids, I know of none who plant a refuge in the same field. ”
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Jan. 16, 2008 - Jan. 30, 2008
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As an ag retailer or crop consultant, how concerned are you that passage of a new farm bill might negatively impact your income potential or profit potential?
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A) Unconcerned (9) 31%
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| B) Somewhat concerned (11) 38% |
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| C) Very concerned (9) 31% |
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| Total of votes : 29
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Readers' Comments:
“Farmers are making more money than they know what to do with. The American farmer is a spoiled brat. Why should part of my paycheck go into his pocket when his pocket is already full of money and I am stuggling just to make ends meet?”
“Crep programs, equip programs and CSP Programs offer the grower the options for precision ag. If these programs are cut, then farmers will look at production costs and may not do these things.”
“With the lack of agriculture support in Washington, the choices our lawmakers are making generally has a negative effect on all profitability in agriculture not only to us retailers but also to the producers we are serving.”
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Jan. 3, 2008 - Jan. 16, 2008
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Was your net business income (net profit) higher for the 2007 calendar year?
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A) Yes (34) 72%
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| B) No (13) 28% |
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| Total of votes : 47
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What percentage increase over 2006?
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A) 0% to 5% (7) 21%
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| B) 6% to 15% (9) 26% |
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| C) 16% to 25% (6) 18% |
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| D) 26% to 35% (2) 6% |
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| E) More than 35% (10) 29% |
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| Total of votes : 34
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Dec. 19, 2007 - Jan. 2, 2008
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What best explains your opinion about Agrium’s acquisition of UAP?
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A. There will be minor impact on U.S. ag retailing as a whole. (3) 6%
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| B. It will spur more business changes/consolidation in the industry. (20) 38% |
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| C. The merger produces unfair competition. (15) 29% |
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| D. It will cause us to re-evaluate our wholesale purchase options. (11) 21% |
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| E. Other (3) 6% |
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| Total of votes : 52
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Readers' Comments:
“I will let you know if this is a good thing in about 10 years.”
“It tightens the field and may start a rush to 'go big or get out.' It will be hardest on the smaller independants.”
“I have major concerns over the advantage an integrated suuply chain can create!”
“As far as Potash buying goes, it was already unfair competition.”
“All of the U.S. manufacturing and retail continue to consolidate, as well as existing plants becoming fewer but larger and more efficient. This is going to continue. In the long run, economics always wins. So we can either embrace it and determine what we need to change to put it to our advantage, or we can fight it and eventually lose.”
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Nov. 28, 2007 - Dec. 3, 2008
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What is the main reason customers have left your business?
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A. Prices are too expensive (16) 73%
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| B. Inferior product (2) 9% |
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| C. Poor service (3) 14% |
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| D. Don't know (1) 5% |
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| Total of votes : 22
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Readers' Comments:
“The co-ops we compete with bundle their discounts and payment terms on agronomy, our only business, with their feed, fuel, seed and grain departments. We beat them product for product, but can't offer a discount on diesel for buying your fertilizer from us.”
“Service has declined sharply because the increase in the number of managers has dictated that we can no longer afford to pay labor.”
“As a small retailer, we have had our suppliers go directly to the customers and are actually charging us more now to buy then what they are selling to the farmers — a kick in the teeth for helping them get started. service is not an issue and products are good.”
“Indifference is always the main reason.”
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Nov. 14, 2007 - Nov. 28, 2007
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What percentage of your customers are planning to reduce their corn acreage in 2008 from the acreage they planted in 2007?
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A. More than 75% (15) 13%
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| B. 50% to 74% (24) 21% |
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| C. 25% to 49% (20) 17% |
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| D. 0% to 24% (58) 50% |
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| Total of votes : 117
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Readers' Comments:
“There was not a big switch in acres in southwest Iowa last year. We can raise outstanding soybeans, but corn/corn is tougher due to weather patterns, soil types and disease issues. $10 soybeans make much more sense than the risks of corn — even with the insurance guarantees.”
“Even with input costs being higher, corn still returns more gross dollars and gross margin/acre than soys.”
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Oct. 31, 2007 - Nov. 13, 2007
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What is the most noticeable effect of globalization on your company?
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A. Foreign-owned companies are main suppliers of goods (1) 5%
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| B. Need to hire non-U.S. born citizens (0) 0% |
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| C. Competition from other countries determining price for products (6) 32% |
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| D. Shortages of products due to other countries buying supply (12) 63% |
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| Total of votes : 19
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Oct. 17, 2007 - Oct. 29, 2007
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What marketing approach do you emphasize the most to generate business and profits?
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A. Direct response communications tools (ie direct mail, e-mails, bill stuffers) (4) 16%
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| B. Branding of your operation (ie signage, community involvement, mission statement) (2) 8% |
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| C. Word of mouth (5) 20% |
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| D. One-on-one discussions (14) 56% |
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| Total of votes : 25
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Oct. 3, 2007 - Oct. 16, 2007
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As a manager or owner, in a year what percentage of your time do you spend on strategy/planning for doing business compared to doing hands-on work of the business?
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A. 10% or less (9) 15%
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| B. 10% to 25% (26) 44% |
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| C. 25% to 40% (13) 22% |
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| D. More than 40% | | | | | |
