Agricultural Economics Resources
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AP 130-4-04
2026 Cotton Outlook and Market Situation
The key points for the 2026 season are: Cotton remains financially strained by high input costs, elevated interest rates, and weak prices, which have left U.S. cotton producers with ongoing negative profit margins, continuing a long-term trend of economic losses. Rising Brazilian production, China’s diversification away from U.S. cotton, and global stocks exceeding demand have intensified market competition and kept cotton prices suppressed. With cotton futures in the mid-60s, limited demand recovery, and production costs still high, growers must carefully manage expenses and adopt strong marketing strategies to reduce financial risk.
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AP 130-4-07
2026 Beef Outlook
The key points for 2026 are: Tight supplies will support prices at very high levels in 2026; cattle inventories appear to be stabilizing this year, but a major expansion appears to be further in the future; and weakness in consumer demand—either from softening ability or willingness to pay for high-priced beef—is a significant risk to the outlook.
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AP 130-4-08
2026 Dairy Outlook
The key points for 2026 are: The outlook faces headwinds on increasing production that appears to be outpacing demand; potential improvements on the supply and demand balance may occur later in the year; and opportunities from new local processing could support Georgia producers this year.
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AP 130-4-09
2026 Georgia Broiler Industry Forecast
The key points for 2026 are: The year ahead is likely to become one of stable, incremental growth; after a strong start to 2025, significant production growth weighed on prices in the latter half; and in 2026, supply and demand will likely find a better balance with indications of relatively stable prices.
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AP 130-4-10
2026 Fruits and Tree Nuts Outlook
The key points for 2026 are: Blueberries will continue to lead the Georgia fruits and tree nuts industry in 2026 and subsequent years; it will be challenging for the Georgia pecan industry to regain its leadership position in the fruits and nuts category, but the industry will remain strong in 2026; consumer and grower price indexes will remain strong in 2026.
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AP 130-4-11
2026 Vegetables and Pulses Outlook
The key points for 2026 are: Total vegetable harvested area will continue to decrease in 2026, but the value will continue to grow because of the increase in yields caused by good agricultural practices, research, and extension support to growers; vegetable prices will continue to be noisy, but the consumer price index will remain strong in 2026; and although per capita consumption of vegetables took a hit, probably the lowest in the past decade, consumption is expected to bounce back in 2026.
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AP 130-4-12
2026 Green Industry Outlook
The key points for 2026 are: 2025 was a good year for many green industry firms as there was strong demand in many parts of the state; there are many unknowns going into 2026 that will impact green industry sales: mixed signals within the economy, increased input costs, and in particular the varying strength of the housing market in Georgia will play a major role; green industry demand is expected to slow, with prices expected to decrease to offset the decreased demand, which will result in decreased sales in 2026 compared to 2025.
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AP 130-4-13
Timber Situation and 2026 Outlook
The 2025 market situation: in South Georgia, recent pine sawtimber and pine chip-n-saw prices increased compared to a year ago, while pulpwood prices declined for both pine and hardwood. In North Georgia, stumpage prices for timber products declined compared to a year earlier. The 2026 outlook will be affected by: Demand-side factors expected to shape Georgia’s timber markets in 2026 include a weakened housing market, reduced lumber mill utilization rates, mill closures and conversions, tariffs on import, labor shortages, and overall economic growth; on the supply side, factors include tighter sawtimber inventory in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, increased timber availability and greater supplies from mill closures in adjacent areas, and ongoing logging capacity constraints. Overall, sawtimber prices in 2026 are expected to remain stable across most of the Georgia, although some areas of South Georgia may experience modest sawtimber price increases.
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Looking forward to 2026, agritourism continues to grow across Georgia, providing economic and cultural benefits to rural communities. In 2024, visitor spending reached $36.8 billion, a 3.8% increase that signals a steady recovery. Rural lodging grew by 1.1% in 2024, while urban demand softened by 0.7%, reflecting shifting traveler preferences. Coastal Georgia led the state with occupancy above 63% and ADR exceeding $155, while South Georgia lagged. Modest growth is expected in 2026— the FIFA World Cup will boost travel and rural tourism is expected to remain strong.
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