What are Alberta farmers, retailers and lenders talking about when they gather around the coffee shop table? In the latest Alberta Seed Guide Podcast, ATB Financial’s Jon Neutens shares what he’s hearing across the province — from fertilizer costs and commodity prices to trade uncertainty and why optimism still runs deep in agriculture.
For Alberta producers, uncertainty has become part of the business.
Commodity prices remain under pressure, fertilizer markets have been rattled by global conflict, and trade negotiations continue to create more questions than answers. Yet despite the challenges, the mood across rural Alberta isn’t one of panic.
It’s one of cautious optimism.
That’s one of the key takeaways from the latest episode of the Alberta Seed Guide Podcast, where host Marc Zienkiewicz sits down with Jon Neutens, head of agriculture at ATB Financial, to discuss what producers, retailers, agribusinesses and lenders are talking about as the 2026 growing season unfolds.
Neutens, who regularly meets with farmers and agricultural businesses across the province, says the concerns vary by sector, but they all point toward the same underlying theme: managing uncertainty.
In the beef industry, conversations continue to revolve around historically strong cattle prices and how long the current cycle can last.
“We’re talking about where beef prices are, where the supply of cattle is relative to demand, prices being at the top of a cycle, and how long the top of the cycle is going to last,” Neutens says.
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