Survey Offers Insight On Issues Farmers Say Impact Business

Case IH recently surveyed a group of farmer guests attending this year’s AG CONNECT Expo, as well as to farmers visiting CaseIH.com. Jim Walker, VP of North America for Case IH said the survey results, “not only help define the challenges facing farmers today, but also identify future opportunities.”

The main issues identified in the survey include:

• Supplying the growing global demand for commodities arising from developing economies & world population growth
• Availability & price of land for expansion
• New government mandates & regulations
• Stability, development & fluctuations in global financial markets
• Impact of global trade policies on food security & the supply/demand for commodities
• Development & use of bio-based fuels

Farmers were asked to rank the top issues that would impact their business, both in the next year and five years out. The number one issue is new government mandates and regulations, with nearly 30% of the AG CONNECT farmer group ranking it as having the most impact on their business within the next year. Availability and price of land for expansion, and stability, development and fluctuations in global financial markets are tied, with 24% of respondents ranking them as the second most influential issue.

For the AG CONNECT farmers’ five-year impact projections, new government mandates and regulations top the list again, with 33% ranking it as the most influential. Nearly 24% of respondents rank availability and price of land for expansion as the second most impactful.

Other key findings from the company’s AG CONNECT survey:

• Nearly 25% of respondents indicate that equipment dealers/experts will be one of the top advisors to influence their decision making, along with their financial advisor and agronomist advisors
• 89% anticipate operation growth in the next five years
• Online farm audience shares similar, but not identical concerns

While their AG CONNECT survey attracted primarily large farmers — 65% report farming more than 5,000 acres, and all have a minimum of 1,000 tillable acres — the online survey attracted more mid-size and smaller-acreage farmers. More than 70% of online survey respondents identify themselves as “predominantly cash grain producers” — of which nearly 54% farm 1,000 acres or less, and more than 41% farm between 1,000 and 5,000 acres.

About 25% of the online survey respondents rank availability and price of land for expansion as having the most impact on their business within the next year, followed by stability, development and fluctuations in global financial markets (21%). Online respondents rank availability and price of land for expansion (26%) and new government mandates and regulations (21%) as the top issues impacting their business in the next five years. ◆