There’s always a lot going on in the world of U.S. agriculture, and 2026 is no exception. Dr. Megan Roberts is an economist with Compeer Financial and talked about some of the top things she’ll be watching for the rest of this year and into 2027.
“The review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was something that had already been in process before July one, but July one was the trigger date, where the United States did announce that instead of going through with a full review and renewal, they’re going to move to annual reviews. I know for dairy producers, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has had some challenges to it. There are some items that I do know for the dairy industry they’re looking to have resolved, particularly with Canada.”
On the Dairy Stream podcast, Roberts said despite the need for improvement, the USMCA has been very good for agriculture.
“As a whole, that is an agreement that has ushered in some really great export opportunities. When you’re looking at 17-plus percent of our dairy production in the United States being exported, it’s so important to have good access to our nearest neighbors, who are our number one and number two importers of dairy products and milk.”
Trade is something she’ll be closely watching into 2027.
“That is something that I’m keeping an eye on. Hopefully, the annual review is something positive because I want to stay optimistic on it, but trade is really key for proteins in the U.S. So, I really am hopeful that that resolves in a positive way.”