With the theme of “Growing Locally, Selling Globally,” the USDA will hold its 95th Agricultural Outlook Forum at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA, Feb. 21 and 22.
The early bird registration rates have been extended until Feb. 6, according to a press release from the USDA Office of Communications.
The forum is the largest annual meeting of USDA, with nearly1,600 stakeholders attending in 2018. According to USDA Chief Economist Rob Johansson, the Ag Outlook this year is “very strong.” That report can be viewed at Ag Outlook program, and Johansson noted, “We are planning important additions, which will be announced soon.”
In addition to highlighting current issues and trends that affect this country’s agricultural production and global markets, sessions planned for the forum will look at global trade trends, ad innovations, animal and crop biotechnology developments, news in conservation and commodity market and food outlooks. An exhibit hall will showcase resources both from the USDA’s various agencies as well as private organizations.
For easy registration, go to Register for the 2019 Agricultural Outlook Forum. You can also follow the conversation at #AgOutlook on USDA’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The forum will kick off Thursday, Feb. 21, with a welcome from Deputy Secretary Steve Censky at 8 a.m., followed by the 2019 Ag Economic and Foreign Trade Outlook from Johansson.
The keynote address at 8:45 a.m. will be delivered by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, and the exhibit hall will open after Secretary Perdue’s speech.
A 9:45 a.m. Plenary Panel will look at “Evolving Regulatory Landscape and Adoption of Precious Biotechnology,” with a networking luncheon immediately after at 12:15 p.m.
Afternoon concurrent sessions include U.S. Food Markets: Trends and Outlook; Ag in the Current U.S. Trade Agenda; Biotechnology and the Regulatory Landscape; Ag Trends through the Lens of the 2017 Ag Census; and Infrastructure for a Growing Rural Community. The second set of concurrent sessions are the State of the Farm Economy; Driving Forces in Global Trade; Conservation Practices and Policies; Food Labeling Trends and Policy; Farm Labor Challenges and Solutions.
The evening events include a reception and Forum Dinner.
Friday’s schedule begins with the Exhibit Hall Opening at 7:30 a.m., with a morning session on Trade Mitigation at 8 a.m.
Concurrent sessions on Friday include School Lunch and Breakfast; Outlook for Ag Risk Mitigation; Cellular Ag; Grains and Oilseeds Outlook; and Sugar Outlook. The second set of concurrent sessions are Ag Transportation, Linking Producers to Consumers; Farm Policy Here and Abroad; Blockchain Traceability; Cotton Outlook; and Livestock and Poultry Outlook.
The third set of concurrent sessions are Cotton and Fibers; Sugar and Sweeteners; State Ag Issues; Grains and Oilseeds; and Livestock and Poultry. The fourth set of concurrent sessions are Forest Management/Wildfires; Ag Trade; Information and Data/The Value of Economic Information; Commodity Outlooks/Dairy Outlook; and Commodity Outlooks/Organic Outlook.
View and Download the forum agenda HERE
