Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Jason Bergtold / In the grain industry, producers have sold grain for a long time over the telephone. This
thesis suggests significant changes in grain marketing strategies and why other methods of
selling grain may help both producers and grain merchandisers be more effective with cash
grain transactions. Specifically, the use of web-based applications that allow growers to
make, manage and monitor grain offers and use mobile technology for grain marketing
solutions.
This thesis evaluates two key technology options for agricultural producers. First, the
research evaluates factors that impact traded bushels on Farms Technology’s private
internet technology trading platform, the Dynamic Pricing Platform (DPP). The second
element of the research defines a model which examines likelihood of growers adopting
mobile trading technology to increase grain marketing opportunities. A thorough
understanding of these two marketing platforms will allow Farms Technology to increase
the number of growers opting to use technology to execute cash grain sales, which is
financially beneficial to the company.
Results indicate that a number of online variables significantly impact online grain trade, in
addition to factors that specifically influence the potential adoption of mobile technology
by agricultural producers. Results help quantify many insights which Farms Technology
has developed in relation to online grade trading and uncovered future possibilities in the
online grade trading industry. Statically significant factors that impact grain traded on the
DPP include: acres (farm size), on-farm storage, percent of grain sold over the phone, offered bushels, and whether or not farmers received text messages. With respect to
mobile application adoption, results identified factors that significantly and positively
impact the likelihood of mobile adoption, including: farmers with no cell phone, farmers
that are currently receiving text messages, farmers owning a smart phone, and customer
service rating for Farms Technology by the farmer. Variables that significantly and
negatively impacted mobile adoption included: farmers currently selling on the DPP and
farmers who believe the online DPP application is too difficult to use.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:KSU/oai:krex.k-state.edu:2097/11971 |
| Date | January 1900 |
| Creators | Heikes, Kevin |
| Publisher | Kansas State University |
| Source Sets | K-State Research Exchange |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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