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2004 Evaluation
CropLife earns top marks for its industry insights - again.
FRESH off last December's success, the CropLife® staff again has agreed to put its January cover proclaiming "Coming Out Of The Dark," early predictions, and year-long observations for 2004 on the line.
We polled several industry insiders, asking them to weigh in on our visionary prowess in key market sectors. Here's what they had to say:
CROP PROTECTIOM
CropLife: The crop protection industry expects to enjoy a strong year in 2004, and manufacturers see the retailer as one of the key drivers. Industry leaders say dealerships should be prepared to benefit from a renewed focus on their role in the distribution chain. One manufacturer marketing manager says growers want total programs. The increase in generic crop protection products coming into the market will affect retailers, too.
Duane Mol, Crop Production Services' (CPS) manager of chemical purchasing: On the chemical side, it was a soft year for us, number one because the average price of Roundup was down. Also, because chemicals work pretty well with moisture, our resprays were down and in some cases we didn't get the second application over the top of crops.
Manufacturers are saying we have a strong role in the distribution chain. It's pretty much up to retailers to be strong enough in the market, but our concern is with some subdistributors trying to whittle away at some of our business. That's up to us to deal with, and we've got our hands full. Generics are definitely affecting retailers, and it's up to retailors to handle them right so they're a profitable opportunity.
Kurt Biggs, Growmark Crops Division manager: CropLife did a good job of predicting 2004. We feel it was better than expected. There is still pressure on the supply chain to maintain sales and earnings. The overall market size continues to decline, but retailers that add value will have an advantage in the marketplace. This trend will continue in 2005. Continuing weed shifts, corn rootworm issues, and the threat of soybean rust require more expertise from the retailers.
FERTILIZER
CropLife: Commodity prices are on the rise, theoretically giving growers more money - and incentive - to plant more acres. Years of "standing pat" on...