How many are still loyal?

How many of you are still loyal to one seed dealer like we used to be? I?ve used the same folks since I started farming. I got a call from the Coop yesterday about seed for next year. I?ve used them for alfalfa seed and stuff, but they are wanting to have my soybean business. They quoted me a price 7.50 lower a unit for Roundup/Liberty/24D tolerant beans for next year than my dealer will do. I?ve always thought that loyalty paid off, but I?m not sure it?s worth that much to me anymore. It?s not like anyone from the original family is still there to talk to anymore so it?s not like anyone even knew my name when I called for pricing the other day.

It seems like the modern day seed business and it's pricing structure for farmers is really complicated. We used to deal exclusively with small local dealers, but as they faded away, we went more to co-ops and larger private dealers. Each company has various incentives to lure in new customers- discounts well below what loyal clients get with the same company. And there are co-ops that will change prices depending how much they need to meet a sales target. Seed sales is like any other sales position- it takes some people skills to be successful at it.

One large national seed company offers all sorts of things if you commit to buying so much seed over so many years- things like machinery, pickups, trips, etc. Obviously, someone somewhere is paying for all that whether they know it or not. But then there are places that still sell seed in plain brown bags with local breeding lines- and these can yield just as well as the seed that comes out of fancy glossy sacks.

But I think loyalty in seed is like most anything these days- people shop around a lot more than they used to. However, they are not necessarily buying just on price. Service from a reliable dealer goes a long way during the long days of planting season.

Lon

Business is business. If you can lower your input cost, and achieve the same yield, it should improve your profit margins. To thy self be true/or loyal.

I buy most corn from a small regional seed grower, dad bought from their dad and they have good stuff, lower prices. The fella that owns half the company helps me load the pickup, I like that.

I buy a few bags from other places, like to compare and see that I?m keeping up.

This past year I was given some free year old seed from a retiring friend, it was conventional corn. I concentrated hard on weed control because that scared me, and had better weed control there than my traited corn..... makes me rethink what I?m doing and spending...... weed control in corn with conventional seed isn?t that hard I guess.

Beans I really liked the E3 beans I tried last year, locally controlling broadleaves in beans is very tough, having use of three different herbicides is nice can pick 2 anyhow that match the weed load. Roundup still does the grasses and perannuals, either Liberty or the new 24D gets the broadleaves well and you aren?t risking damaging your neighbors crop so much.

Paul

I had the same insurance company for home and / auto for 25 plus years
kept going up and up, shopped around savings of over 40% my loyalty is
now my back pocket.

I been thinking about the same thing. I raise fresh market potatoes, and although I store some of the seed myself, I buy some too. I try to remain loyal, and support a local Exchange, but every year it is some excuse for a price increase. I can buy the same blue tag certified seed an hour north of me for 7.4 cents per pound cheaper for next year! That starts to add up when buying several pounds of cwt. I have already contacted them for next year, and cut my order locally....sorry, but business is business.

Sometimes, I stress sometimes, you can ask if your old dealer will match the other
guy's price. Worst they can do is say no.

As long as the dealer has what I want, yes.

I move around seems like ever 5 to 10 years a lot for me has to do with switching sprays chemicals and tolerant crops as weed control was a big reason. and some years I will run a bag of someone else seed in a planter box to see side by side. my seed guy now is a lot of help with any question I have and been doing a lot or soil testing on grids.

im not sure who you used to buy seed from, but my rep has given me the best price for my orders across the board. coop and another place wanted me back and was willing to get to a level price on contract, but they werent offering me that price prior to me leaving, so now why all the sudden can they do that?? so my loyalty will be with my current dealer of the last 4 years.....i can give you a name or number if your interested