CAREERS Sign In Specialty Crops Research Reports | CoBank - CoBank Site Specialty Crops Reports Reports from CoBank Knowledge Exchange focusing on specialty crops. Fragrant Rice: Opportunity or Threat for the U.S. Rice Industry? September 2021 California Tree Nut Outlook: Record Exports Expand Global Demand Base April 2021 Dollar Divergence: US Dollar Index Does Not Reflect True Dollar Impact on U.S. Ag Exports February 2021 Stay ahead of the game in your field. Subscribe today. Get CoBank's industry-leading Knowledge Exchange research reports delivered straight to your inbox as soon as they're released. Subscribe to Reports Have a comment or question about these reports? Contact CoBank's Knowledge Exchange team to ask questions, engage with analysts or receive additional information. Contact Us All Reports Fragrant Rice: Opportunity or Threat for the U.S. Rice Industry? Since 1980, U.S. rice imports have grown from nearly zero to over 1.1 MMTs,while U.S. rice consumption has grown from 2.0 MMTs to nearly 5.0 MMTs. Nearly one-third of the gain in U.S. consumption has been satisfied by imported rice. California Tree Nut Outlook: Record Exports Expand Global Demand Base Lower tree nut prices and the weaker dollar have lifted tree nut exports to record highs as demand surged around the world, especially to China and the EU. Dollar Divergence: US Dollar Index Does Not Reflect True Dollar Impact on US Ag Exports The U.S. Dollar Index saw rapid deflation in 2020 and has coincided with a rally in commodity prices. Sugar Outlook: Sweeter Times Ahead for Sugarbeet Growers and Processors The U.S. sugarbeet industry has experienced multiple financial stressors from production losses in some regions of the U.S. stemming from reduced sugarbeet harvested acreage, lower quality sugarbeets, and an abbreviated processing season that has hurt both growers and the cooperatives that process the sugarbeets into refined sugar. Almond Outlook: Risk of Oversupply? The almond industry has enjoyed over 20 years of robust demand growth, acreage growth, and generally favorable economic returns. Industrial Hemp: Overview of Opportunities and Risks Since the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, the agriculture industry has been inundated with interest in and information about industrial hemp. India’s Tariffs Set to Impact U.S. Fruit, Nut Producers While the trade war with China claims headlines, India’s tariffs on U.S. exports will soon be felt by producers of apples, chickpeas, lentils, almonds and walnuts. Tomato Markets Brace for U.S. Withdrawal of Fresh Tomato Suspension Agreement On February 7th 2019, the US Department of Commerce announced plans to withdraw on May 7th from the 2013 Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico. Managing Rising Food Recall and Advisory Risks The financial implications of a food recall or advisory can be enormous, and if a company is found to be the source of the contamination, reputational damage on top of the other costs can be game-ending for some. Food Safety Trends and Regulations — The Stakes are Rising for Food Suppliers Media coverage and social media would lead one to believe that the frequency of food safety incidences has been increasing across the board. However, there has not been an increase in food related outbreaks in recent years or in the frequency or severity of non-meat recalls. Challenges Ahead for California Pima Cotton American Pima cotton is an extra-long staple cotton grown primarily in California. It is used as an input in premium textiles that are often manufactured abroad and ultimately shipped back to the U.S. in the form of high-end clothing and bedding. Gene Editing: A Potential Game Changer for Crop Agriculture Interest, innovation, and investment in gene editing tools like CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and TALEN® (transcription activator-like effector nucleases) have heated up in recent years, and will only intensify in 2019. Domestic Orange Juice is Squeezed and Imports are Filling the Void Domestic orange production has been declining steadily over the last two decades, driven largely by dwindling crops in Florida. Controlled Environment Agriculture: Farming for the Future? Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) has expanded rapidly since the late 1990s as growers use strategically located grow houses to extend production seasons and achieve transportation efficiencies Cotton's Northern Expansion U.S. cotton acreage will be up in 2018, but nowhere is that increase more transformative than in the Southwest. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas are projected to increase planted area by 40 percent, 16 percent, and 6 percent, respectively. Mind the (Supply) Gap: Meeting the Growing Demand for Organic Produce Sales of organic produce (fruits, vegetables and nuts) have increased dramatically in recent years; so much so that nearly 15 percent of all retail produce sales in the U.S. are now organic. In 2016, sales of organic produce accounted for 40 percent of all organic food sales, totaling $15.6 billion – an increase of 8.4 percent over 2015. Cranberry Industry: Multilayered and Multi-tiered At present, the cranberry market is oversupplied; and the industry is facing major headwinds at all levels of the supply chain, marring the anniversary of its 200th year of commercial production. Florida’s Beleaguered Citrus Industry: At a Crossroads Florida’s citrus industry is in a fight for survival. For the past decade, this industry has been under attack by a disease known to scientists as Huanglongbing (HLB), but more commonly known as citrus greening. Is the US Tree Nut Industry Nearing the End of its Golden Run? The U.S. tree nut industry will face several headwinds, including the strong U.S. dollar, a huge increase in supply, water difficulties, a tepid global economy, and increased global competition – all of which point to reduced profitability. Key Issues Facing the U.S. Timber Industry: A Farm Credit Lenders’ Perspective The near-term outlook for timber prices is mixed across regions, but stable. No one is envisioning a major swing in sawlog prices, up or down, over the next 12 to 18 months. However, pulpwood prices in the South have climbed to record-high levels and are expected to remain strong. ABOUT COBANK CoBank is one of the largest private providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy. The bank delivers loans, leases and other financial services to agribusiness, rural infrastructure and Farm Credit customers in all 50 states. KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE Animal Protein Communications Dairy Grain & Farm Supply Power, Energy & Water Specialty Crops The Quarterly Report General Topics RESOURCES CoLink® Association Portal Fraud Prevention Leasing Portal LIBOR Transition Vendor Management CONTACT US CoBank National Office 6340 S. Fiddlers Green Circle Greenwood Village, CO 80111 800-542-8072 More Contact Information ©2011-2021 CoBank. All Rights Reserved. Farm Credit is an Equal Housing Lender, and an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. 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