MegaTrends for Ag

GRAY: The ag industry is always changing and a recent report outlines 10 megatrends the industry needs to keep an eye on.

MARTIN: The Milwaukee, Wisconsin based Brock Report, a commodity marketing service recently identified the trends in agriculture that ag producers need to be aware of and in some cases embrace to remain competitive.

GRAY: One trend is the shifting of the farm structure to younger farmers as well as the trend of larger farms seems to be slowing down. Technology is picking up pace as companies realize that the ag industry is an open market with lots of possibilities for things like data collection.

MARTIN: Agriculture is becoming more specialized with things like organic and non-gm production. At the same time producers are starting to see scarcity of resources like water which in some cases is driving another trend to changing commodities where crops like oil seed are gaining ground.

GRAY: Other trends include environmental influence. Litigation over environmental issues may have far-reaching ramifications for agriculture and of course that leads into shifts in governmental issues.

MARTIN: And finally there are trends regarding livestock including the move away from meat consumption that's tied into changes in health attitudes as well as the trend of the publics scrutiny of the livestock industry as a whole. All these issues will need to remain top of mind for all ag producers as we go forward into the future.

And that's Colorado Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.