A good harvest can still leave a farmer with little profit if producing and delivering it costs too much. Kentucky State University students took on that challenge by developing business proposals aimed at helping producers control expenses and keep more of what they earn.
Their assignment in the Global Agribusiness Case Study Competition was “Keeping Agriculture Profitable: Strategic Solutions to Rising Input Costs.” Two Kentucky State teams examined how farmers could share resources, change production practices, and take greater ownership of the businesses that serve their operations.
The competition brought students’ learning before an audience beyond the classroom. They applied agricultural and business knowledge to decisions producers face, then presented their recommendations at the 84th Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, held Oct. 25–27 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Fifteen Kentucky State undergraduate and graduate students attended the conference, which brought together researchers, agricultural professionals, and representatives of land-grant universities under the theme “Deep Roots, Rich Yields: Leadership, Legacy, and the Land-Grant Mission.” Alongside the case study competition, students shared research and made professional connections that could help shape their careers.
Undergraduates Aiden Burrows, Zora Cheatham, and Tadan Ferguson developed the “RoundTrip Agri-Logistics Model,” a proposed farmer-owned transportation business. Their presentation outlined a starting operation of 30 Kentucky farms sharing one truck.
Source : kysu.edu