Ag Is Headed Toward Recession, Economists Fear

Agricultural economists are growing even more pessimistic as the latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows the majority are concerned President Trump’s tough stance on trade could push agriculture deeper into a recession while also giving Brazil more of a competitive edge.

As one economist stated, "the stakes are high, and the key is whether Trump’s policies push ag deeper into a recession, and if U.S. agriculture can survive without China."

This month, 72% of those surveyed say the row crop side of agriculture is in a recession, up from 62% last month. Meanwhile 82% of economists also think this could force more consolidation in agriculture. In the survey, 42% of economists said the current state of the ag economy is “somewhat worse” than a month ago, while 26% said it’s unchanged. But when you compare outlooks to a year ago, 58% of economists responded the ag economy is somewhat worse.

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