Roadshow to address ag outlook, management decisions

The 2016 Market Journal Roadshow will focus on ag outlook and management decisions for Nebraska farmers and ranchers at four locations across the state from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. The roadshow is in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics’ Cornhusker Outlook Series. There is no cost to attend.

The roadshow will provide an opportunity to gather information on the current agricultural outlook and apply it to management decisions for 2017 and beyond, according to Brad Lubben, Nebraska Extension policy specialist and series organizer.

“With lower commodity price prospects and profit potential right now, producers are looking closely at production, marketing and financial decisions to manage successfully in this challenging environment,” Lubben said. “Our annual outlook series, combined with the focus and attention of the Market Journal television show, provides the right information at the right time to help producers analyze and make management decisions today to prepare and position operations for the year ahead.”

Meeting locations are:

• Kearney, Nov. 28, 1 to 4 p.m., Holiday Inn, 110 Second Ave.

• Sidney, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to noon MST, Country Inn and Suites, 664 Chase Blvd.

• Norfolk, Dec. 1, 1 to 4 p.m., Lifelong Learning Center, 701 E. Benjamin Ave.

• Lincoln, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. to noon, Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive.

The roadshow is structured for a concise, fast‑paced discussion of crop, livestock, policy, financial, weather and climate outlook with attention to production, management and marketing decisions for 2017. Presenters include:

• Jay Parsons, Nebraska Extension economist, will draw on his expertise in risk management to incorporate the marketing, production, policy and financial discussion into risk-management decisions.

• Tina Barrett, director of Nebraska Farm Business, Inc., will be the keynote speaker and discuss farm financial outlook and financial management decisions ahead for producers.

• The Nebraska Department of Agriculture will present results and implications from a recent survey on farm finance conducted in partnership with the university’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

• Jeff Wilkerson, host of Market Journal, will convene an ag outlook panel featuring Cory Walters, Nebraska Extension crop economist; Lubben; and a livestock economist to be named. The panel will discuss the current price environment and market outlook for Nebraska crop and livestock producers as well as the policy outlook, with implications for production, marketing and risk management decisions in the year ahead.

• Al Dutcher, Market Journal weatherman and Nebraska Extension agricultural climatologist, will discuss the weather and climate outlook.

Pre-registration for the roadshow is requested. For more information and to register, click here http://marketjournal.unl.edu/roadshow.