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"In addition to providing comparisons, the data in the study can
be used as benchmarks in financial analysis," said Dale Lattz, U
of I Extension farm management specialist and one of the study's
authors. Other authors include Paul N. Ellinger, an associate
professor of agricultural finance; Dwight Raab, an Extension
specialist in farm business management and analysis; and Travis
Farley, a research specialist and Extension educator. The
report, "Financial Characteristics of Illinois Farms:
2003-2004," is available at
http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/finance/index.html.
"The study includes two tools that provide historical data
for financial analysis," said Lattz. "The Financial Benchmark
tool provides peer-group financial ratios for farms by different
farm characteristic classifications for each two-year period
from 1991 to 2004.
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"The second tool provides interactive graphical and tabular
historical benchmarks. The Benchmark Ratio Analysis spreadsheet
provides key ratio calculations, historical trends, and benchmarks
for Illinois farms based on sales, age, farm type, tenure and all
farms."
These tools are located at
http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/finance/
benchmarks.asp.
Lattz noted that the study and tools allow an individual to
compare his farms to others, and lenders and other parties can use
the data as benchmarks in credit evaluations and other financial
analyses.
[News release from the
University of Illinois College
of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences]
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