Navigating Economic Volatility in Agriculture | Matt Erickson

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About the Guest

Matt Erickson is currently the Agriculture Economic and Policy Advisor for AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit where he provides perspective, insights, and commentary that help connect conditions in the agricultural economy to individual producer impact and resulting impacts to the organization.

Before his role at Farm Credit, Matt accumulated approximately fifteen years of policy and agricultural economic experience in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served as Chief Economist at the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry under the leadership of former Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS).

As Chief Economist, Matt was responsible for the management of the Committee’s work regarding budget, economic, and policy analysis. Matt advised the Chairman and other Committee members on the status of the agricultural economy, commodity markets, and economic impacts pertaining to the Committee’s legislative priorities. He also led the Chairman’s policy priorities pertaining to commodities, crop insurance, dairy, and grain standards. He helped craft numerous pieces of legislation that included the 2018 Farm Bill, the United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020, and legislation relating to COVID-19 relief. Prior to the Senate Agriculture Committee, Matt worked as an Economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation and at the United States Department of Agriculture under President George W. Bush.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. He maintains an active role on the family farm in Brookston, Indiana.

Matt Erickson

What can you expect to learn from this episode of Popular Pig?

  • How interest rates and inflation trends impact agricultural producers and what to anticipate in 2025.
  • Why working capital is a critical safety net for farmers facing market volatility.
  • How the U.S. pork export landscape is shifting, with Mexico becoming a key trading partner.
  • The importance of understanding economic data to navigate political and market changes.
  • Matt’s “Golden Nugget.”