Late last year LICA reached out to give its members a chance to briefly share their thoughts on the economy and some general policy issues. It was a small sample survey but shows that nearly 75% of the respondents had a good business year and have a positive market outlook for 2021. A majority are looking for increased investment in infrastructure and more state/local technical assistance from USDA while raising significant concerns that farmers are experiencing delays in getting assistance for conservation programs. Increased regulations – specifically around climate change policies – is overwhelmingly viewed as a threat to business. Overall, a positive outlook despite the hangover from many of the challenges industry faced in 2020.
