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

Two farmers in a crop field looking at a tablet
Tax Talks
Tax Considerations for Crop Insurance Indemnities

Many parts of the Northeast have faced a challenging planting season with wet weather and cool temperatures; now as summer kicks off, many are seeing significant stretches of above average temperatures. Given these recent extremes in weather conditions, a review of the tax implications of various crop insurance programs is warranted. 

July 2, 2025

Featured Webinar

Soybean field at sunset
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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Tag: risk management 
Hail Caught in Netting in Apple Orchard with damaged yellow apple and green tree leaves.
Crop Insurance
Crop-Hail Coverage: Providing Peace of Mind in the Middle of the Storm

The Northeast U.S. frequently experiences severe weather, including hail, which can severely damage crops and lead to major financial losses for farmers. Due to the unpredictable nature of hailstorms, crop-hail insurance is a crucial safeguard for agricultural businesses. This type of insurance helps cover losses from reduced crop quality and yield caused by hail damage.

May 23, 2025

 herd of cows eating hay and man in barn on dairy farm
Crop Insurance
Managing Dairy Revenue Risk

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.

May 06, 2025

Crop Insurance
USDA Emergency Commodity Assistance Program: Applications Open

The USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) opened applications on March 19, 2025, providing $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers. This initiative is part of a broader $31 billion package approved by Congress in December 2024, aimed at supporting farmers affected by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. The USDA plans to release initial payments, covering 85% of the total, with supplemental payments expected in the summer. 

April 03, 2025

Crop Insurance
Two Powerful Safety Nets for Dairy Producers – Are You Covered?

As dairy producers know all too well, the dairy industry is prone to significant volatility and risk. Fluctuations in milk prices, feed costs and other factors can wreak havoc on profit margins. Fortunately, there are two important risk management tools available to dairy operations.

February 25, 2025

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