Keep an Eye on Your Cash Flow

Jun 06, 2016

"Now that cattle are being put out to pasture and old crop inventory is known, it’s important to review your cash flow projections and your marketing plans,” says Rick Dehod, farm financial specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF), Edmonton.

“Cash flow projections are critical, especially in the summer months. There isn’t much revenue coming in until harvest, but the farm’s operating expenses continue to accumulate and the bills have to be paid. A properly developed cash flow projection can help a business to both foresee and prepare for potential shortages, and to maintain a good relationship with suppliers and creditors.”

Cash is the lifeblood of a business, but with so much emphasis usually put on profitability, this can be easily overlooked, says Dehod. “Of course, the bottom line is important, but poor cash flow management can drive a growing and/or profitable company out of business.”

With profitability margins tightening due to decreasing commodity prices and increasing costs, the risk to the farm’s viability and its ability to meet all of its commitments as they come due has increased. “The risk is especially great for those expanding farms and those individuals in the beginning of their careers who levered their equity to grow.”

Cash flow management can also help:

maintain adequate cash reserves to pay bills and payments on time or invest in expanding the business should an opportunity arise
reduce interest costs through managed borrowing
increase interest income by transferring surplus funds into interest-bearing accounts temporarily, if appropriate
control costs by having the cash available to take advantage of buying inputs at favorable prices
improve relations with the bank manager and trade creditors
with planning for the next crop year

“Businesses that prepare cash flow projections often learn something about their systems, and the dynamics of their business,” says Dehod. “The process often has other positive outcomes as well. For example, you might discover that you need to pay more attention to markets to obtain the right price. Or, you might get a better understanding of your costs of production to help determine what a profitable price may be, and can then develop your 2016/2017 marketing plan. For livestock producers, knowing your costs can help you access livestock price insurance to help protect your profit.”

Source : Agriculture and Forestry

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