South Dakota Farm Commodity Prices 1910-1953

The purpose of this publication is to present the trend of prices over time for the principal farm products in South Dakota. Every individual engaged in the business of farming is interested directly in the trend of prices for the products which he produces. He may wish to base his next years production on his estimate of what the prices will be after he has harvested his crop or fattened his livestock. He faces the question whether he would gain by feeding the grain to livestock or by selling it as cash grain. The only basis on which he can estimate future prices is the historical trend of the last few years, together with an estimate of what supply and demand and other factors will do. Whether conscious of it or not, he is making some kind of a forecast of future conditions, basing his judgment on mental observations of past trends in relation to future markets. The graphs and tables presented hero may help to eliminate the errors that arise because of lack of information or limitations of individual memories