2026 Agricultural Economic Outlook

Want to know more about current and expected market conditions affecting agricultural co-ops? In this 60-minute zoom, Tanner Ehmke, Lead Economist with CoBank, will discuss the issues impacting the macroeconomy, agricultural commodity markets, and the agricultural economy with particular focus on inflation. Get an outlook on the agricultural commodity markets, including corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, cotton, hay, cattle, hogs, and dairy, and the impact of rising production costs.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Tanner Ehmke, Lead Economist, CoBank, ACB

Tanner Ehmke is Lead Economist for grains and oilseeds at CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange research team that provides market and industry outlooks on sectors affecting the rural economy. Prior to joining CoBank in 2015, Tanner farmed and marketed seed for his family’s seed company in western Kansas where his family homesteaded in 1885. He previously was a commodities analyst at AgResource Company in Chicago, a markets reporter for Dow Jones at the Chicago Board of Trade, and an agricultural journalist covering crop production and farm business management. Tanner holds a bachelor’s in Agricultural Economics and a master’s in Agricultural Business, both from Kansas State University.

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Education Director, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives

After retiring as Tax Director of a regional supply cooperative on the East Coast, Wayne Sine was asked to serve as Education Director for NSAC. As an active and long-term member of NSAC, Wayne previously served as Chair of NSAC’s Tax Committee, President of the Atlantic Chapter, and was a recipient of NSAC’s Silver Bowl Award. In addition to his work with NSAC, Wayne has also served on the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Chaired the Tax Committees for both the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association, served on the Tax Policy Committee of the Virginia Society of CPAs, and served as Region Vice President for Tax Executives Institute.