英语翻译
GoodMarketingincludesforwardpricing
ByKevinHursh
Canadiangrainproducerswhoforwardpricedaportionoftheir2007cropmayberegrettingthedecision.Mostgrainpricesmovedsteadilyhigherin2007,eclipsingthepricesavailablebeforeharvest.Ontheotherhand,hogproducerswhoforwardpriced2007productionlimitedthefinancialdamagefromasoaringCanadianloonieanddroppinghogprices.Noteverydecisiontoforwardcontractwillbeamoneymaker,butpricingcommoditiesbeforethey'reproducedcanbeanessentialcomponentofanoverallmarketingplan.
Whocanforwardcontract?
Forwardcontractingisnotaviableoptionforallcommodities,andtherearedifferencesfromonepartofthecountrytoanother.
AcrossCanada,variousmarketingandpricingtoolsareavailableinthegrainsector.Whilegrainproducersforwardcontractsales,livestockproducerscanforwardcontractthepurchasingoffeedgrains.
Inthebeefcattlesector,somefeedlotshedgethevalueoftheCanadiandollaranduseAmericanfuturescontractsforfinishedcattle.However,HerbLockofFarmSenseMarketingoutofEdmontonsaysit'smorecommonforfeedlotstodealdirectlywithpackingplants,includingU.S.plants.
“Feedlotsoftenhaveunwrittencontractswithpackers,”Locknotes.“Oftenthesearelong-heldrelationships.”
Cow-calfproducerscancreatemarketingoptionsifthey'reabletoconsideralternativesotherthansellingtheircalvesinthefall,buttherearevirtuallynoforwardpricingtoolsavailable.
Partoftheproblem,Lockexplains,isthatthesaleitemisnotreadilydefinable.Onelotof600-poundcalvescanbedramaticallydifferentfromanother.
Forhogproducers,forwardpricingiseasilyaccomplishedinsomepartsofthecountry,butnotinothers.InAlberta,theWesternHogExchangemarketsabouttwomillionofthe3.1millionhogsproducedintheprovince.RonLandry,assistantgeneralmanageroftheWHE,saysformanyyearstheexchangetradedinAmericanhogfuturesandU.S.dollarstoprovideaservicetoitsproducers.Thatwasdroppedin2006.
“Thereweremanytimeswhenproducersshouldhaveactedtolockinpricesandthedirectorsagonizedoverdroppin