Optimism and livestock production go together like cheese and burgers. Caring for animals, watching them grow, feeding the world — what’s not to be optimistic about? With a positive outlook for 2015, there is good reason to prepare for a productive year.
The livestock industry — especially the beef-cattle sector — remains historically positive. Many experts foresee 2015 as the cattle industry’s most profitable year ever. Other livestock sectors will benefit, too, from lower feed prices, rebounding hay supplies and the growing demand for food. This convergence of market factors has many producers evaluating expansion opportunities.
If you are among those producers considering expansion, devoting extra time during the coming weeks to year-end planning can help you be ready — and likely save you some money:
- Repair, update or expand facilities to efficiently handle more animals.
- Purchase or prepay supplies to capture the tax benefit.
- Postpone purchases if you anticipate a greater tax advantage in 2015.
- Evaluate hay-making and handling equipment; repair, replace or add if needed.
- Do you have the right size tractors to run your equipment?
- Monitor grain, hay and supplement prices; lock in lows or contract ceilings as protection.
Feed is the livestock producer’s greatest expense. For cattlemen and dairy producers, hay and forages eat up a large portion of that bill. Even during profitable times, it makes good sense to focus on holding down expenses. Putting up high-quality forages and then properly storing them — as well as handling and feeding them efficiently — will help you maximize your crops feed value.
A critical first step toward quality forage production is having the right equipment and ensuring it is in good repair and field-ready. As you plan and work toward capitalizing on today’s market opportunities, take a look at our 2015 lineup of Farmall, Maxxum and Puma tractors as well as our new lineup of hay and forage products. From cutting to conditioning, from baling to operator comfort, plus product support, Case IH continues its focus on meeting the needs of livestock and hay producers. Our innovative designs can help you achieve a successful harvest that yields the highest–quality hay.
We’ve added several new products to our livestock, hay and forage product lines to better meet your unique needs and operations. Please contact your local Case IH dealer to learn about our new products and how Case IH can help you maximize your efficiency and productivity.
