The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Marketing Division is offering risk-management workshops to discuss tools to help farmers market grain crops and cotton. The classes are being held January through March in different locations in Eastern NC. Find out more on dates, locations and times at https://www.ncagr.gov
- Many people think farmers don’t have much to do in the winter after the harvest is done. The truth is the wintertime has always been a very busy time for growers.
- There are meetings to attend, equipment to repair, planting decisions to make and classes and trainings to complete.
- Farming is a year-round job, especially staying up to date on the latest trends and projections, economic factors, prices and crop prospects.
- For example, January through March the department’s Marketing Division is offering risk-management workshops designed to help farmers understand options and tools they can use in marketing their grain crops and cotton.
- “Managing Price Volatility and Identifying Macro Indicators” will focus on the principles of options, spreading strategies and using options to manage agricultural price risk.
- The topics covered will be introduction to grain hedging, basis trading, cost of carry, ICE cotton futures, option trading on futures, energy derivatives and macro forces impacting the market.
- That is a mouthful of information, but these classes will offer helpful tips to farmers on selling their grains and cotton. The workshops are free.
- The following are dates and locations of upcoming workshops:
- Jan. 18 from 1-3 p.m. at the Beaufort County Extension Office in Washington
- Jan. 19 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Wayne County Extension Office in Goldsboro
- Feb. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Person County Extension Office in Roxboro
- Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Northampton Cooperative Extension Center in Jackson
- Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Pasquotank County Extension Office in Elizabeth City
- And March 6 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Stanly County Extension Office in Albemarle.
- I hope farmers will take advantage of these workshops that could help improve your bottom line.