Management Strategies for Small Agribusiness Firms

Most agribusiness firms are small. Regardless of the measurements or standards employed, this assertion remains valid. It is perhaps, the natural end product of our free enterprise economy, where entrepreneurial spirit remains more pervasive than the economies of size. Or perhaps this characterization of the agribusiness industry is linked inseparably to the very atomistic nature of our total agricultural economy. This is not to suggest that large corporate conglomerates fulfill a minor role. In fact, their presence and influence may be more apparent now than was the case a decade or more ago. However, as one travels regularly through rural areas of this country, one can’t help but realize that relatively small agribusiness entities retain a dominant foothold in the economy and continue to outnumber their corporate competitors in almost every market or rural community.