An inventory control model for fertilizer retailers

Introduction and literature review: The demand for fertilizer is highly seasonal in nature with peak demand periods in the spring and again in the fall. In contrast, fertilizer is manufactured year-round in order to take advantage of production economics. As a result, the fertilizer industry is constantly facing a storage problem. The products must be stored during the off-season at the manufacturing plant, at the distribution warehouse, or at the retail outlet. This study deals exclusively with the inventory problems facing the fertilizer retailer. The retailer has limited storage capacity and capital. Since he is dealing with a bulky product, transportation, storage, and handling are expensive. These factors impose upper limits upon the amount of inventory that the retailer can carry. Some minimum level of inventory is needed if the dealer is to avoid stockouts. Demand is, unfortunately, very often difficult to estimate. Seasonal demand patterns are complicated by unpredictable weather conditions. Excessive precipitation may delay spring plantings. When planting does begin work must be completed within a short time period. There is some combination of storage capacity, goods in inventory, and customer service which will minimize dealer’s inventory cost while serving the area farmers efficiently. It is the job of management to identify this combination.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural economics (MU)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Columbia

Year dc:date.issued

1975

Author dc:creator

• Dever, Lloyd Allen, Jr.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Devino, Gary

Statement dc:rights

• OpenAccess.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/98349

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/98349