Using the web?

[ianben]

Just wondering what others use web for?

Here we have bought everything from CDs to canola seed.

Searched for and found secondhand machinery, spare parts, agronomic info, market reports and up to the minute weather forcasts.

All very useful but could/should I be useing it to sell too?

Any farmers managed to sell using web?

[ianben]

No replies yet.

I am realy intersted to know how others use the internet.

Charlie Lee Tom do shop on line?

Has anyone ever used EBay?

[ianben]

No replies yet.

I am realy intersted to know how others use the internet.

Charlie Lee Tom do you shop on line?

Has anyone ever used EBay?

[melvill]

ianben, I don't use e-bay - too worried about getting stuck with bad or no product. My mother-in-law bought a clock there and got taken.

I do buy other things directly from on-line retailers and I haven't been taken yet. Mostly I use it for information access.

I don't know if you have cattle but an interesting site for selling livestock is TEAM Livestock Auction at

http://www.teamauctionsales.com/web/home.jsp

Of course, it won't work outside of Western Canada but have a look. You can "watch" cattle being auctioned there.

[charliep]

My use has been on the spend money side of the world versus selling.

Internet is a good tool but limited in rural communities because it still relies on telephone connection. What takes me a few seconds to download takes minutes in the country. You can check the cows and still have time for a coffee when downloading many things.

Do UK rural areas have access to high speed internet technology? This is becoming part of the rural development strategy in many farm communities.

[ianben]

Thanks guys

We to have limited acesss to broadband too.

Babysitting tonight at my dauhters so I have a full conection.At home just a mile down road and ,hardly rural, until now we have been unable to be connected.
Limited connnection is now available 6x faster and does not tie up phone line so we have signed up but are not yet connected. Tomorrow hopfully.

Apart from tieing up phone line dial-up has been more than adaquate for purchasing fights books CDs.

Somethings I find lend themselves better to internet selling than others, dont you agree?

Cars and machinery I find it very useful as a locate and pricing tool but like a real time look before I buy.

Is a tonne of wheat or peas like a CD are cattle more like cars?
Could we use a new form of selling like the low cost no-frills airlines.

Other industries are useing this medium very successfully both selling advertising.
I can buy a CD or book with a couple of clicks
I can search for a car, make, model, min and max price, distance from my home and have results within couple of minutes even with phoneline connection.
I have bought from people I have never met or would never have met without them listing on line.

Here most car dealers have their stock lists online today.

Are we missing an low cost oppertunity to let buyers know what we have for sale?

The airline flight sales are the most exciting as an oppertunity in my view especially for the CD book type product.

A real chain shortening sucess with benifits to both parties

An opertunity to deal direct with the end user while incorporating supply and payment protection.

Surely there must be some way farmers can use this medium to our advantage and our customers too!

[JD4ME]

A couple of the line compnaies stared to head in that direction and they couldn't even get it so that they could keep the basis levels current so they've got a long way to go, as well the numbers while growing of producers who use the net to do business is still below"critical mass" I believe. It may come albeit slowly, Team is a decent start and theres no reason why it won't work for grain but it just isn't there yet.

[charliep]

As an interesting note, there are currently and have been a couple of on line trading sites for grain. People are able to post their bids and offers including specifications. Negotiation process was displayed including the final sale price. All information aside from the price and a regional idea of location is not visible to anyone except those involved in the transaction and then only after the sale has been completed. There were bonding requirements to ensure both parties met their commitments in the sale as well as dispute resolution processes in case of disagreement.

Has not been that successfull. People not used to marketing this way. Fear of the internet. Bonding requirments. Etc. Lots of lookers though. Allowed people to watch the price discovery process in an open forum.

[sw2-5-27]

There is a site that has started up in the last month where you can auction grain, hay, and or equipment online. It helps get buyers and sellers together and agree on a price. The sale is then finalized outside of the auction once all conditions are met. The format is similar to ebay, but just for farmers in western Canada. You can check it out at www.directagsales.com