| The agriculture industry continues to adopt business practices based on strategic alliances. Generally these alliances emphasize vertical coordination wherein producers enter into long-term agreements with suppliers, processors, and businesses in other sectors of the food and fiber industry. Alternatively, producers should explore initiating horizontal linkages; that is, strategic alliances among producers. Sharing ownership of seasonal equipment, multi-year land rotations among specialized farm operations, and sharing ownership of several farm businesses are strategies that can offer production and marketing efficiencies, as well as risk management opportunities. |
