What to Expect from a Grain Broker

Five things you shouldn’t expect from a grain broker:

1) To have a crystal ball and be able to provide perfect forecasts.

2) To know your cost of production.

3) To make all your grain selling decisions for you.

4) To know when the market will move against you.

5) To break rules/laws to take care of you.

Five things you should expect from a grain broker:

1) Good communication skills.

2) Timeliness.

3) Good reputation.

4) Marketing knowledge.

5) Experience.

For more on selecting and working with a broker, see the fact sheet online: http://mastermarketer.tamu.edu/factsheets/rm2-8.pdf by Mark Waller and Dean McCorkle of Texas A&M and William Tierney, Kansas State University.  A list of grain consultants can be found online at www.smallgrains.org under “useful information and links.” It is not comprehensive, and does not include the many experts at country elevators in the region who assist their farm customers with marketing. Nevertheless, this list does provide additional professional contacts to consider in making marketing decisions.