Seminar to highlight ag in 2026, coming year

By John O’Connell

University of Idaho

BOISE – University of Idaho Extension will help farmers, policymakers, industry leaders and others assess Idaho agriculture’s financial performance in 2026 and prepare for the year ahead during the 2026 Idaho Ag Market Outlook Seminar.  

The seminar will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Riverside Hotel in Garden City. The $50 in-person registration fee covers lunch. Registration for the seminar is open through Dec. 9 at go.uidaho.edu/ag-outlook.  

Online participation is also available for $10.  

Event organizer Brett Wilder, an area Extension educator specializing in agricultural economics, has assembled a lineup of experts to provide outlooks on Idaho’s major agricultural commodities, national and global trends, input costs and how agriculture may fare in the state legislature.

“It’s always good to take a look at where we’ve been and where we’re going in terms of what agricultural markets look like so we can build marketing plans with some knowledge of what we can expect from markets in the year to come,” Wilder said.  

Among the seminar’s highlights is Wilder’s presentation of the U of I’s annual Financial Condition of Idaho Agriculture report. The report estimates Idaho agriculture’s cash receipts — revenue from agricultural sales — and net farm income from 2026, along with earnings estimates for each of the state’s major commodities.  

Commodity prices have generally increased compared with the prior year, but yields declined as many farmers had too little irrigation water. Wilder expects gross agricultural income to be relatively flat or slightly lower compared with records highs in 2025. Rising input costs have eroded profits and significantly reduced net farm income.  

“It continues to be a year where the headline numbers are going to look very strong, but in reality, on-farm net incomes are going to be much weaker,” Wilder said. “I think we’re going to see some very large numbers in the expense column.” 

The livestock sector remains the strength of Idaho’s agricultural economy. Beef cattle prices have reached record highs, though production has declined, making it unlikely ranchers will earn record revenue in 2026. Milk prices have been somewhat low, but dairies have benefited from strong demand for milk components used in high-protein products, as well as high prices for cull cows and calves sold into the beef market.   

Wilder expects the data will show wide differences in profitability in 2026, depending on production methods and marketing decisions.  

“If you are an irrigated operator who had to run a diesel irrigation pump to get water to your fields this year, you did not have a fun experience,” Wilder said. “If you are a dry-land producer who happened to hit the rains just right, who happened to buy enough fuel in advance, and you marketed your grain during the highs, you might have had a fantastic year. There are going to be a small percentage of producers who had one of their best years ever, but it’s going to be based on planning and a little bit of luck.” 

In addition to Wilder’s report on Idaho farm earnings, Extension and industry experts will present outlooks on potatoes, dairy, grains, hay and forage, beef cattle, water supplies, input costs, state policy and U.S. and global agricultural trends. 

Seminar attendees will also receive Extension publications on several agricultural topics, including a new report on land rental rates.  

The seminar drew a record crowd of 90 people last year, and Wilder hopes to further grow attendance this year.