Idaho Ag Economy

Idaho's farms are hitting new highs, with agricultural exports climbing steadily to $2.84 billion in 2024.

June is National Dairy Month, a time to highlight the industry’s impact on communities across the country.   “Agriculture is still the backbone of Idaho's economy, especially in rural communities," noted Rick Naerebout is CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.  "You get outside the Trea...

Tuesday is National Ag Day, and the day will be extra special in Idaho.   “The governor has proclaimed the 18th as Idaho agriculture day," noted the Idaho State Department of Agriculture's Sydney Kennedy.  "And really, the event is all about giving opportunity to the public to learn more about Idaho agriculture and the significance it has in our state.”   Kenne...

This year has been a challenging one for the Idaho agriculture community for a variety of reasons.  Bryan Serale, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, said weather and wildfires hurt many producers this year.  But a bigger challenge for commodities of all shapes and sizes, the lack of trade deals, allowing Idaho’s goods to go out on the open market.   "We have perfect...

New USDA data show a University of Idaho Extension agricultural economics report released early this year significantly underestimated Idaho food producers’ 2022 profits while overstating increases to their production costs.

Many in the farming community are trying to sound the alarm of the rapid disappearance of viable farmland across the country and the Pacific Northwest.  American Farmland Trust recently released report that says between 2016 and 2040, an estimated 18.4 mi...

While 2021 may be remembered for the many struggles the farming community had to overcome, the year also presented opportunities for growth and expansion. Bryan Searle, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation said despite the challenges brought on by Mother Nature, the port bottlenecks and the ongoing pandemic, farm country across the Gem state enjoyed a good 2021 ...

Cautious optimism is the predominant attitude among a majority of cattle producers six weeks into the New Year. “Cautiously in the sense that we’ve got a new administration coming in that we’re fully anticipating a lot of new regulatory ideas, a lot of new challenges that are going to be very difficult for us to maneuver and we’re going to have to be very vigilant as we move forward in that sense,

Agriculture, like most industries, has struggled during the coronavirus pandemic in one way or another. And while some commodities, have fared worse than others, the same can be said for states, with some states reporting noticeable drops in Ag profits in 2020, and an increase in farm bankruptcies ...