Ag Industry Trends & Outlooks

Discover insights, trends, ag market outlooks and other topical information as it relates to the Northeast's diverse agricultural industries. Brought to you by Knowledge Exchange from Farm Credit East.
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Knowledge Exchange Partner

Knowledge Exchange Partner

Dairy Markets Show Both Upside and Concern

This month's Knowledge Exchange Partner article contributors Corey A. Geiger and Abbigail C. Prins of CoBank, outline a mixed outlook for U.S. dairy in 2025, noting strong retail sales and export potential but weak restaurant demand and rising costs. They highlight a historic drop in cow culling, surging butterfat production, and global herd challenges, suggesting cautious optimism for the industry’s future.

June 9, 2025

Milk bottles on the supermarket shelf

Latest From Today's Harvest Blog

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Business Tips and Tools
Proactive Strategies for Business Success: Preparing your business for the long term

If retirement is on the horizon, the sooner you can start thinking about succession planning, the better. Whether your plan is to transition your business to the next generation or a non-family successor, you should be speaking to a consultant or advisor on how to make it a smooth transition. 

 

June 11, 2025

Featured Webinar

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Ag Economy
2025 Grain and Oilseed Industry Outlook

In the recent webinar, Farm Credit East, Horizon Farm Credit and CoBank Lead Economists, Tanner Ehmke and Jacqui Fatka, explore the latest insights on U.S. grain and biofuel markets. With record soybean and corn harvests, profitable storage options and recovering export demand, the landscape is shifting.

January 6, 2025

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Crop Insurance
Crop Insurance Provides Certainty Against Unpredictable Weather

Crop insurance can protect against financial losses from weather-related crop damage and quality reductions. Its purpose is to ensure farmers can continue operating after a difficult season. In a year like 2023, being insured against these types of weather events can make or break a business.

 

February 22, 2024

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Crop Insurance
Another Wet One – How Crop Growers Can Help Northeast Tobacco Growers

In 2023, the Northeast experienced another wet tobacco growing season. Given the high cost of tobacco cultivation (over $1,000 per acre), risk management plans are crucial for producers. Connecticut insured more than 3,000 acres of this valuable crop. The purpose of crop insurance, like any other insurance, is not to bring profits but to make the producer whole again so they can continue to farm the following year.

February 13, 2024

Soybean field at sunset
Crop Insurance
Reminder: Spring Crop Sales Closing

The deadline to insure spring crops in the northeast for the 2024 crop year is March 15, 2024. Insurable spring crops include field and vegetable crops such as corn, soybeans, barley, oats, fresh market sweet corn, cabbage, processing beans, processing sweet corn, dry beans, green peas, fresh market beans, tomatoes, tobacco and potatoes.

February 06, 2024

Agricultural potato harvest with harvester
Crop Insurance
3 Special Crop Insurance Options for Northeast Potato Growers

2023 was a wet growing season in the Northeast. As a result, the more than 240 Northeast potato producers growing 63,000 acres of potatoes endured a tough growing season loss. Many Northeast potato farmers use crop insurance to help manage this risk. Below are three endorsements that tailor the USDA RMA potato crop insurance policy for potato operations.

January 30, 2024

Northeast Economic Engine

Download Farm Credit East’s Northeast Economic Engine report, which analyzes the economic impact of the Northeast agriculture, forest products, commercial fishing and food manufacturing industries. This report was released in October 2024. 

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Cover of the 2024 Economic Impact report