Ag Industry Trends & Outlooks

The dairy industry is inherently unpredictable. Market fluctuations, weather conditions and production variables all contribute to an unstable income landscape for dairy farmers. Dairy Revenue Protection, commonly referred to as DRP, is a federally subsidized program designed to help dairy producers manage revenue risk. This program offers dairy farmers a way to protect against unexpected declines in quarterly revenue from milk sales.

As field work and spring planting kicks off across the Northeast, many farmers are making significant investment in equipment, crop inputs and labor. These expenditures present opportunities for proactive tax planning and sound record keeping. By aligning your spring activities with tax efficient strategies, you can optimize deductions, manage cash flow effectively and set the stage for a smoother year-end process. 

This month's Knowledge Exchange Partner highlights a series of Industry Snapshots, compiled by Farm Credit East's Director of Knowledge Exchange, Chris Laughton. In addition to a summary of the national economy, northeast farm economy sectors such as dairy, timber and forest products, cash field crops, livestock, fruit, vegetables, greenhouse and fishing are included.

Farm Credit East recently hosted a webinar with US Apple’s Chris Gerlach, providing an overview of the apple industry, specifically covering what’s ahead for apple trade. Following are the key takeaways from this webinar.