TRANSPARENCY AG CHEMICAL PRICE FBN SM SPECIAL REPORT. Second Edition - Winter 2016

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1 FBN SM SPECIAL REPORT AG CHEMICAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY Second Edition - Winter (844) 200-FARM support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd #200, San Carlos, CA

2 FARMERS BUSINESS NETWORK SM INTRODUCTION Farmers across the US pay radically different prices for the exact same chemicals. And this fact has been especially challenging for farmers in 2016, given that net farm income is forecasted to be down 56% since and many farmers will struggle to make a profit this season. In challenging years, farmers seek every opportunity to reduce operational costs, particularly with expenses; land, seed, fertilizer, and chemicals. Herbicides and insecticides can account for as much as 15% of a farmer s variable cost of production. 2 With historically low commodity prices, even small differences in chemical prices can make or break a season. Based on our research and the experience of many FBN SM members, one of the biggest barriers to controlling costs is the variability and lack of transparency around ag chemical prices. Though the USDA does regular surveys on the amount that farmers spend on chemicals on average, very little is known about the real prices individual farmers pay. When it comes to ag chemicals, farmers are often exposed to extreme price differences on the same products, within the same brands, and even within limited geographies. Nationally, we found as much as an 300% difference in available prices for the exact same chemical. By shedding light on these real prices and creating a better understanding of how prices vary from region to region, farmers will be able to make better decisions on where to find the best prices for their ag chemical purchases. We believe that farmers should have access to fair and competitive input markets, and that increasing price transparency is a vital step towards that goal. METHODOLOGY To provide clarity on national pricing information to our members, FBN aggregated actual invoices and price quotes from members for the chemicals they purchased in the 2016 crop seasons. FBN received over 4,000 unique pricing data points across 18 states for over 200 insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and adjuvants. This report outlines the pricing variances on a subset of this pricing data for common ag chemicals. These prices do not include rebates. 1 United States Department of Agriculture - Economic Research Service. Dips in Farm Sector Profitability Expected into 2016 ( 2 Iowa State University: Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa ( 1 (844) 200-FARM support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd, #200, San Carlos, CA

3 THE 100% CLUB 12 chemicals with more than 100% reported price variances. FBN SM members reported prices on twelve popular chemicals in All of these chemicals had more than 100% difference between the highest and lowest prices. Members reported price differences up to 183% for Widematch, 252% for Verdict, and 300% for Gramoxone SL. All prices are per gallon unless otherwise labeled. PAID HIGHEST PRICE PAID % DIFFERENCE ATRAZINE 4L $10 $20 100% SURESTART $39 $80 105% HALEX GT $34 $73 115% HEADLINE $225 $ % VALOR SX $50/lbs $112/lbs 124% FLEXSTAR $29 $68 134% PRIAXOR $326 $ % SILENCER $31 $75 142% POWERMAX $14 $39 179% WIDEMATCH $52 $ % VERDICT $69 $ % GRAMOXONE SL $15 $60 300% NATIONAL PRICE DIFFERENCE FOR POPULAR AG CHEMICALS These are the lowest and highest prices paid nationally for six common ag chemicals in FBN members reported price differences up to 90% for BalanceFlexx and 91% for Flexstar. All prices are per gallon unless otherwise labeled. PAID HIGHEST PRICE PAID % DIFFERENCE SHARPEN STATUS PROWL H20 $590 $3/oz $32 $964 $5/oz $56 IMPACT $12/oz $22/oz BALANCE FLEXX $398 $758 63% 66% 75% 83% 90% LAUDIS $400 $766 91% Gramaxone, Flexstar, and Halex are registered trademarks of the Syngenta Group Company. Roundup PowerMax is a registered trademark of the Monsanto Company. Prowl, Status, Verdict, Priaxor, Headline, and Sharpen are registered trademarks of the BASF Corporation. Laudis and BalanceFlexx are registered trademarks of Bayer CropScience Global. Valor is a registered trademark of Valent BioSciences Corporation. Silencer is a registered trademark of Adama Agricultural Solutions Canada Ltd. SureStart is a registered trademark of the Dow Chemical Company. Impact is a registered trademark of AMVAC Chemical Corporation. WideMatch is a registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences. 1 (844) 200-FARM support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd #200, San Carlos, CA

4 REGIONAL PRICE DIFFERENCES FOR ROUNDUP POWERMAX These are the lowest and highest prices paid within regions for Roundup PowerMax in FBN members reported price differences up to 129% in the West. All prices are per gallon. PAID HIGHEST PRICE PAID % DIFFERENCE CENTRAL PLAINS $16 $23 44% $21 SOUTH $15 48% NORTHERN PLAINS $14 $21 50% MIDWEST $15 $25 67% WEST $17 $39 129% STATE-LEVEL PRICE VARIATIONS FOR AG CHEMICALS These tables relate the difference between the prices two farmers paid and the distance between their farms, showing where farmers located near each other paid significantly different prices for the same ag chemicals. IOWA Five FBN farmers located in Iowa have reported prices for Priaxor in One farmer paid $309 more per gallon than the farmer with the lowest price, despite being located only 87 miles from the lowest paying farmer. All prices are per gallon. $ ABOVE % ABOVE DISTANCE (IN MILES) FROM IA FARMER 1 $161 49% 72 IA FARMER 2 $232 71% 105 IA FARMER 3 $269 83% 248 IA FARMER 4 $278 85% 91 IA FARMER 5 $309 95% 87 Roundup PowerMax is a registered trademark of the Monsanto Company. Priaxor is a registered trademarks of the BASF Corporation. 1 (844) 200-FARM support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd #200, San Carlos, CA

5 CALIFORNIA Five FBN farmers located in California have reported prices for Goal 2XL in One farmer paid $45 more per gallon than the farmer with the lowest price, despite being located only 96 miles from the lowest paying farmer. All prices are per gallon. $ ABOVE % ABOVE DISTANCE (IN MILES) FROM CA FARMER 1 NEBRASKA Five FBN farmers located in Nebraska have reported prices for RoundUp PowerMax in One farmer paid $9 more than the farmer with the lowest price, despite being located only 46 miles from the lowest paying farmer. All prices are per gallon. 24% CA FARMER 2 $17 38% 163 CA FARMER 3 $20 44% CA FARMER 4 $11 $23 51% CA FARMER 5 $45 100% NE FARMER 1 $4 33% NE FARMER 2 NE FARMER 3 $ ABOVE $5 $6 % ABOVE 42% 50% DISTANCE (IN MILES) FROM NE FARMER 4 $8 67% 329 NE FARMER 5 $9 75% 46 MINNESOTA Five FBN farmers located in Minnesota have reported prices for Roundup PowerMax in One farmer paid $5 more than the farmer with the lowest price, despite being located only 46 miles from the lowest paying farmer. All prices are per gallon. MN FARMER 1 $1 7% MN FARMER 2 MN FARMER 3 $ ABOVE $2 $5 % ABOVE 14% 36% DISTANCE (IN MILES) FROM MN FARMER 4 $6 43% 338 MN FARMER 5 $7 50% 369 Roundup PowerMax is a registered trademark of the Monsanto Company. Goal is a registered trademark of the Dow Chemical Company. 1 (844) 200-FARM support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd #200, San Carlos, CA All Rights Reserved. FBN and Farmers Business Network are registered service marks of Farmer s Business Network, Inc.

6 CONCLUSIONS Regardless of state, region, or chemical purchased, farmers contend with significant differences in ag chemical prices. Price differences exist across the ag chemical industry, both for broadly applied chemicals like Roundup PowerMax and for more targeted products like Gramoxone SL. Price differences exist across the country for identical ag chemicals, with farmers in some states having access to identical products as farmers in neighboring states for less than half the cost. Price differences exist within states and limited geographical areas. For example, for two farmers within 46 miles of each other in Nebraska, one paid 75% more than the other for RoundUp PowerMax. THE FUTURE Farmers deserve transparent ag chemical pricing that s consistent across geographies, and access to more competitive markets for crop inputs. With more competition for their business and more price transparency, farmers will be able to make more informed decisions about how to best manage their input purchases. FBN will continue to offer information and insight on ag chemical prices. If you would like to contribute price data to these projects, you can do so directly by uploading a picture of your invoices to your FBN account or by sending it to data@farmersbusinessnetwork.com. As with all data submitted to FBN, we ll keep it confidential, anonymous, and secure. Gramaxone is a registered trademark of the Syngenta Group Company. Roundup PowerMax is a registered trademark of the Monsanto Company. 1 (844) 200-FARM accounting@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 100 E Kimberly Road, Suite 605, Davenport, IA

FARMERS BUSINESS NETWORK SM INCREASE YOUR FARM S PROFITS WITH THE COMBINED INTELLIGENCE AND BUYING POWER OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICA S MOST

Created by farmers for farmers, FBN SM is an independent farmer-to-farmer network of thousands of American farmers.

power. MEMBER BENEFITS FBN Seed Finder: Real-world yield, price, and nitrogen results on +2,400 varieties.

FBN Direct: Manufacturer-direct prices on seed, chem, fertilizer, equipment, and more.

Yield Potential: Independent seed-soil matching for each of your fields.

Unlimited Data: Secure data cleaning, storage, and processing. Field-Level Weather: See complete weather histories for every field.

7 FARMERS BUSINESS NETWORK SM INCREASE YOUR FARM S PROFITS WITH THE COMBINED INTELLIGENCE AND BUYING POWER OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICA S MOST ELITE FARMERS. FARMERS HELPING FARMERS Farmers Business Network is proudly Farmers First SM. Created by farmers for farmers, FBN SM is an independent farmer-to-farmer network of thousands of American farmers. The FBN network helps level the playing field for farmers with unbiased information, profit-enhancing farm analysis, and network buying power. MEMBER BENEFITS FBN Seed Finder: Real-world yield, price, and nitrogen results on +2,400 varieties. Price Transparency on ag chemicals and seed: See what farmers really pay. FBN Direct: Manufacturer-direct prices on seed, chem, fertilizer, equipment, and more. Yield Benchmarking: Compare your farm, fields, input prices, and practices. Yield Potential: Independent seed-soil matching for each of your fields. Mapping: Soil, yield, planting, application, terrain, and prescription accuracy mapping. Unlimited Data: Secure data cleaning, storage, and processing. Field-Level Weather: See complete weather histories for every field. Exclusive Events: Like Farmer2Farmer, local and regional meetups, and more. FBN Finance: Members only rates on farmland and operating loans. FBN Apps: Including FBN Ops, FBN Prices, and FBN Seed Finder. support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd #200, San Carlos, CA (844) 200-FARM 2016 All Rights Reserved. FBN, "Farmers First", and Farmers Business Network are registered service marks of Farmer s Business Network, Inc. Pioneer is a registered trademark of Dupont, Pioneer or their respective owners.

8 SAVE UP TO 50% ON CROP PROTECTION WITH TRANSPARENT, MANUFACTURER-DIRECT PRICES AND DIRECT-TO-FARM DELIVERY. HERBICIDES FUNGICIDES INSECTICIDES ADJUVANTS SEED TREATMENTS OUR PROMISE TO FBN MEMBERS One national delivered price Access the single, national, delivered price we offer on hundreds of products online or on the FBN Prices app. Price Transparency See what other farmers in the network are paying for their inputs We keep it simple No bundling, product rebates, or negotiation necessary. The price online is your price. FBN Direct CHEMICAL HOW IT WORKS Understand your potential savings Compare our prices to your latest invoice prices on the FBN Prices app or on the web. See what you could save See what other farmers are paying for your products or potential replacements. Hassle-free ordering Complete your order over the phone in a matter of minutes. Fast Products are delivered straight to your farm gate or pick up at one of our warehouses All Rights Reserved. FBN, "Farmers First", and Farmers Business Network are registered service marks of Farmer s Business Network, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. FBN Direct are offered by FBN Inputs, LLC and are available only where FBN Inputs, LLC is licensed.

market prices and the best possible prices on chemicals, seeds, fertilizers, equipment, and farm services.

MANUFACTURER-DIRECT PRICES + FARM-DIRECT DELIVERY SEED HERBICIDES FUNGICIDES INSECTICIDES ADJUVANTS TREATMENTS NPK STARTERS

CUSTOM APPLICATION CUSTOM CUTTING CROP CONSULTING CALL 1 (844) 200-FARM TO ORDER TODAY or LEARN MORE AT

9 Don't overpay. Farmers Business Network SM is bringing the power of data analytics and our large network of farmers to help members reveal market prices and the best possible prices on chemicals, seeds, fertilizers, equipment, and farm services. FBN Direct works directly with manufacturers and other suppliers to bring incredible savings to FBN members. MANUFACTURER-DIRECT PRICES + FARM-DIRECT DELIVERY SEED HERBICIDES FUNGICIDES INSECTICIDES ADJUVANTS TREATMENTS NPK STARTERS MICRO- NUTRIENTS CORN SOYBEANS ALFALFA TRACTORS, COMBINES, & MORE UAVs SEED TREATERS WEATHER STATIONS MARKETING ADVISORY CUSTOM APPLICATION CUSTOM CUTTING CROP CONSULTING CALL 1 (844) 200-FARM TO ORDER TODAY or LEARN MORE AT FARMERSBUSINESSNETWORK.COM support@farmersbusinessnetwork.com 1123 Industrial Rd #200, San Carlos, CA (844) 200-FARM 2016 All Rights Reserved. FBN, "Farmers First", and Farmers Business Network are registered service marks of Farmer s Business Network, Inc.

AG CHEMICAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY

FBN SM SPECIAL REPORT AG CHEMICAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY Farmers Business Network SM July 2016 FARMERS BUSINESS NETWORK INTRODUCTION 2016 has been a challenging year for farmers. With net farm income forecasted