Sequential cropping of vegetables for market windows

With the decline in profitability of several Southern commodities, farmers in Tennessee and other surrounding areas have been forced to reevaluate the crops they are producing. This study provides information that is beneficial to these farmers on alternative crops they can use in their decision making processes.

How good an alternative crop is at producing income on average can be determined by using simple statistical procedures and price data for different crops. Price risk, which is one of the most important risks to be considered when growing vegetables, can be observed by finding the standard deviation that goes with the average price. A coefficient of variation can be found using the average price and the standard deviation for a product. The coefficient of variation provides a relative risk rating for comparison of the vegetables in this study. Production risk can also be looked at using temperature data in the same manner as price data.

Data needed for the study came from several different sources. The price data for the vegetables came from wholesale market reports at different locations in the region. The temperature data used came from the state of Tennessee. Other budgets and expenses came from different publications and businesses around the area.

Vegetable production in Tennessee appears to be profitable under the conditions of this study. Depending on the actual size of his farm and his current financial condition, a farmer can produce for market windows by targeting his harvest dates and increase his income. Other farmers with fewer resources who prefer lower risk can sequence crops and make the most effective use of their land and other limiting resources.