Date post: | 22-Dec-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
View: | 217 times |
Download: | 0 times |
National TAA Technical Assistance Website
• A one-stop site for Extension’s Technical Assistance effort
• Host for all training materials and presentations for each commodity
• 120 page printed version provided to growers
http://www.agrisk.umn.edu/taa
Blueberry Production North America
93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 030
50
100
150
200
250
Million pounds Maine Canadian Cultivated
Wild Blueberry Production and Price
Maine Process Market
93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 030
20
40
60
80
100
120
Million pounds Maine Field Price
The Future of Wild Blueberries
Competition from Cultivated blueberries and Canada will continue
Prices will be similar or less for the processed berries
Increases in production to reduce production costs per poundwill be necessary to stay competitive
Investment in improved production and eliminating practices that give poor returns will be necessary
Alternatives such as fresh market, value added or organic production need to be considered
Evaluating Financial Viability
Three Major Financial Objectives
• Solvency to track changes in net worth
• Profitability to monitor earnings
• Liquidity to estimate cash flow
Evaluating Financial Viability
Adding up the Evidence• Financial analysis may reveal problems but
may not point to specific solutions• Understanding your financial position is key
to evaluating what specific adjustment will work for you
• Remainder of the TAA Technical Assistance materials will help you dig deeper into those options
Inventory of Resources and Talents
Factors Affecting the Future Directionof Your Business
• What you want to do (your goals)• What is happening within the industry• Your skills, resources, interests, and talents
This presentation help ask a number of questions tohelp you evaluate your skills, resources and talents.
Inventory of Resources and Talents
Summary
• Are your skills, resources, interests, and talents well matched with your prospective business plan? If not:
–Look for educational opportunities to improve your skills, or
–Consider alternative business plans.
Options to Improve Profitability
There are four general options available
to increase profits:
• Improve the profit margin
• Expand the business
• Create innovative alternatives
• Exit/transition to new business or job
Goals
Summary
• Goal setting is especially important for family farms and small businesses because of family and business interrelationships
• Goals give structure to the management and decision-making process
• Reviewing and revising goals as a family should be an annual part of the business management routine
Blueberry Enterprise Budget Fact Sheet No. 260
UMCE No. 2016
On web at http://www.wildblueberries.maine.edu in fact sheet section or paper copy at your County Cooperative Extension Office
Budgets list the costs and returns of production to help you make wise management decisions
Reducing pruning costs By mowing and Harvest cost by Mechanical harvesting Reduced cost of productionFrom $0.39 to $0.26 per pound
Increasing fertilizer, herbicides,Pollination and fungicides improved the yield from 2197 to 4123 lb/a
Grower reduced land from 500 to 400 acres to improve efficiency
Uses for the Enterprise Budget
Identifying the costs and returns in your operation will help you direct your resources where they will provide the best return.
Identifying fields that lose money and removing them from production will improve the return for your operation.
It is not only the cost but what return you get for it that is important.
The Production Efficiency segment will focus on identifying the best production practices to improve the efficiency of your wild blueberry operation.
Improving Production Efficiency
Reducing the costs of inputs only part of the process Identifying and investing in the inputs that give you the best return
Preventing loss of insect or disease protects your investment
Maine production vs acres, hives and irrigated acres
1980 1990 20000
20
40
60
80Acres Harvest(5 yr average) x million
Hives x 1000 Irrigated acres X 1000
Improving Production Efficiency
Five Factors You Can Control to improve quality
There are five factors you can control.
1. Raking 2. Winnowing 3. Tote Color and Filling 4. Holding time 5. Holding Temperature
Market Alternatives- Introduction
99% of Maine blueberries sold to processors
Increased return from:
CooperativesFresh marketDirect Market Pick your ownValue AddedOrganic productionDiversify Products
Market Alternatives
Develop alternative markets or enterprises
Need to consider marketing alternatives to processor sales or diversify in order to increase income for your wild blueberry enterprise.
Program Results
Survey was sent following the blueberry harvest in late summer of 2004 to 91 producers
Of the 91 surveys sent, 50 were returned for a 55% response rate
91
50
0
20
40
60
80
100
Surveys Sent Surveys Returned
Percentage of Surveys Returned
Program Results
Of the 50 respondents, 33 received their Technical Assistance Training in group meetings or counties were group meetings were held and 16 in smaller sessions or one-on-one.
33
10 7
0
10
20
30
40
Workshop Individual Meeting Other
Type of Assistance
Program Results
Asked to rate the usefulness of the information they received (1 being low and 5 being excellent), only three producers said the information was of little or no value. The remainder, 43 producers, rated the TA information average or above in terms of its usefulness with thirteen rating it at 5, the highest rating.
30
11
19
13
0
5
10
15
20
1's 2's 3's 4's 5's
Usefulness of Assistance