By Jennifer Elwell
As farmers across the South face tightening margins, elevated production costs and uncertain markets, agricultural economists from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) are contributing practical guidance to help producers navigate the downturn.
Six of the 36 agricultural economists who contributed to the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC) publication, titled “Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn: 2026 Update," are based at Martin-Gatton CAFE.
“Our specialists covered topics from cattle markets and row-crop profitability to lender communication, bankruptcy, alternative crops, value-added marketing and long-term farm resilience,” said Jennifer Hunter, associate dean for Extension and director of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. “Their contributions reflect the breadth of economic expertise available through the UK Extension.”
According to Jordan Shockley, Ph.D., an Extension professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, the update builds on an earlier version that was developed 10 years ago, when
Southern Extension economists saw a need for a coordinated regional resource. With another downturn emerging over the past two to three years, the group decided to update the publication for current conditions and add chapters reflecting new challenges facing producers.
Source : uky.edu