Leading economists believe foreign competition is going to be a factor for another two to three years. The American midwest farmer has very little alternative but to start looking for ways to make a dollar stretch further. Reagan says TCIS will be one way farmers can increase their profit margin. If utilized by farmers, the database program could help them accomplish even more - it could turn things around for the ailing farm industry. As with any tool, the better it is used, the better the user will benefit by it.
Some farmers are resistant to new ideas.
To illustrate this point, Reagan described a recent meeting with area farmers where he spoke about TCIS and the opportunities it could create for them. At a meeting recently, one farmer out of ten called it a 'pipe dream'. But five of those ten signed up for the service, so what was a pipe dream for one was a great opportunity for five. One of the main benefits of the service is that farmers will be able to deal directly with other farmers. With this system, a single farmer raising beef should be able to find cattle at a lower cost and be able to sell the animals for a higher profit.