OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE KANSAS BANKERS ASSOCIATION

Pub. 12 2023 Issue 2

2023 Kansas Ag Bankers Conference

This year’s 2023 Kansas Ag Bankers Conference had an exceptional line-up of presenters, 290 attendees, and 19 tradeshow sponsors in attendance.

Dr. David Kohl kicked off the conference with the Business and Economic Outlook, a discussion of how 2023 could be best described as a transitional year as we move from the black swan pandemic with adaptive business and personal life strategies to position ourselves to navigate the world of uncertainty and chaos.

Next up, Ed Elfmann, SVP of Agriculture and Rural Policy at the American Bankers Association, shared the Federal Ag Policy update along with President & CEO Doug Wareham. Elfmann provided a preview of the 2023 Farm Bill debate and highlighted other federal issues that could impact Kansas bankers in the coming year. Elfmann shared that two of ABA’s top legislative priorities are the Access to Credit for our Rural Economies (ACRE) Act, which is designed to trigger more competitive interest rates for ag real estate and rural housing loans, and the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act, which would enable banks to provide banking services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses.

Jason Henderson, Purdue University, presented “Easy to Print Money, Hard to Undo: What’s the Impact on US Agriculture?” Jason Henderson believes the value of the dollar vs. other currencies might make U.S. ag assets like farmland even more attractive to foreign buyers. Keep an eye on this one as these trends unfold.

“Putin, Russia and Ukraine” was presented by James Olson, Former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence and Faculty of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. James Olson talked about life as a spy, espionage threats and the potential fallout of the war in Ukraine. He had a 31-year career with the CIA, including a tour in Moscow.

Randy Blach from CattleFax, presented “Livestock and Protein Situation and Outlook” which shared that prices and profitability will again favor cattle producers in 2023. The cattle industry is entering 2023 with the smallest cattle supply since 2015 as drought caused the industry to dig deeper into the supply of feeder cattle and calves.

“Ag Market Update, What Gear to Use in 2023?” was presented by Paul Mussman, AgWest Commodities, who gave an ag market update on Thursday morning. Paul stated that ag marketing is becoming more and more difficult for producers as the world evolves. Higher volatility and large annual swings can make even the best decisions feel wrong.

The 2023 Pioneer Award was given to Leonard Wolfe, United Bank & Trust in Marysville. KAB Division President David White praised Wolfe for his leadership and dedication to advancing policies that have strengthened the ability of community banks to thrive and better serve their ag and rural customers. Congratulations, Leonard!

Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, closed out the conference with “High Impact Weather”. He covered how disasters and their effects are impacting the agricultural industry. Droughts, floods, freezes, severe storms, wildfires and winter storms all play a role in the ag market.

Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech, AgriVisions Solutions, LLC, presented a Business and Economic Outlook.
Ed Elfmann, SVP of Agriculture and Rural Policy at the American Bankers Association, and Doug Wareham, President & CEO of KBA discuss banking priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Based upon surveys of farmers, many of them see trouble ahead in 2023, with most predicting crop input prices will be up and crop prices will be flat to down according to Dr. Jason Henderson, Purdue University.
According to James Olson, former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence, Putin had reportedly expected to conquer Ukraine in three days’ time in February 2022.
Congratulations to Leonard Wolfe, United Bank & Trust, Marysville, for winning the 2023 Pioneer Award!
Randy Blach, CattleFax, discussed that in prime cattle feeding areas there’s concerns about the corn basis, and he questions whether or not these high prices will ever go away.
Paul Mussman, AgWest Commodities, feels given strong levels of farm income in 2022, the sector, as a whole is expected to see above average levels of farm income in 2023 and is well positioned to handle some turbulence though the year.
Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien Ag Solutions shared for many people, weather is the ultimate small-talk topic. But for the farmers who feed the world, weather is huge – it can be the difference between a bumper crop and a total loss – so weather talk is anything but small.

Kansas Ag Bankers Conference Tradeshow Pictures