Afrikaans 
We all know those famous word by Benjamin Franklin, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” Oté understands that success drives sustainability. But, in order to remain sustainable, one must embrace change. South African farmers are under pressure to farm profitably. That is, high input costs, low prices for produce and the ongoing drought leave farmers counting their losses. However, although we cannot do anything about the drought or market prices, we can do something about what we pay for agricultural inputs.
Changing the value chain
To pay less for inputs, we are shortening the value chain so that you can farm more profitably. That is, Oté is lowering its overheads by embracing technology and rethinking traditional approaches to marketing.
Oté has, for example, taken commoditised inputs such as fertiliser to the internet. By doing this, we have saved on high print and traditional media marketing costs, the cost of representatives commission and other fees, and risk. Yes, even the cost of risk when purchasing inputs is traditionally transferred to the client. When you purchase from Oté, you buy direct and save on handling, blending and bagging costs. What is more, you buy when the time is right.
Change the time you buy and farm more profitably
Fertiliser prices are fairly high per tonnage at certain times of the year. As far back as 2011 it was reported that US and Western Canadian farmers were taking advantage of buying times by pre-buying fertiliser in the fall rather than the spring to save on costs. According to Donna Fleury (2011), a study from Indiana showed that since 2011 “only twice in … 38 years, 1976 and 2009, were there considerable losses due to purchasing in the fall, irrespective of fertiliser type.” With numbers like these, it is time South African farmers took notice of the advantage of preferable buying times to farm more profitably.
It is not easy to embrace change. But, with expert guidance and a model that was developed with the challenges of South African farmers in mind, you are at the right place. But, don’t take our word for it. Register on our world-class website and see positive change. See the change Oté can bring to your pocket.
Sources
Fleury, D. 2011. Best time to buy fertiliser? Top Crop Manager. Accessed 07 December 2019. Available: https://www.topcropmanager.com/best-time-to-buy-fertiliser-5984/