Managing Livestock Production (Farm Business Management (Textbooks))

Now for the first time, raising livestock is examined not just from the production side, but from the management side. This books strong point is its integration of the major aspects of livestock management under one cover: production, finance, economics, and marketing in one clear and thorough book. Agriculture is the foundation upon which society survives, because it satisfies peoples needs for food, clothing, and shelter. Agriculture touches upon many subjects, including crop and animal production, economics, farm management and international trade. The American agricultural system has been the crowning success and envy of the world. At the same time, U.S. farmers are faced with shrinking markets, greater global competition, and a host of other economic factors over which they have no control. Marketing, risk management, cost reduction, and finance are becoming dominant factors in successful agribusinesses. Within the American agricultural system livestock production is significant in terms of consumer demand and economic activity. However, livestock producers no longer can afford to focus only on production. Producers who manage livestock operations must also be concerned with credit, finance, economics, and marketing. This book addresses the beef, hog, and sheep components of the livestock industry. Not only are production methods described, but also processing and distribution, marketing, risk management, and cost reduction issues are examined. These issues introduce the pricing mechanism and the affect on profits of many diverse factors. Our goal is to help you succeed in a highly competitive, highly volatile marketplace.