Ag Retailers ‘Enthusiastic’ for 2021
December 2, 2020 By all accounts, Thanksgiving 2020 was just as odd as much of the rest of the year has been. For the most part, many families kept their gatherings small to lessen the chance of spreading COVID-19.
My family gathering was no different, with only three people at the Thanksgiving table. But one tradition we maintained was asking each person at the dinner what they were thankful for in 2020. My son, Cole, made this simple statement: “I’m glad 2020 is almost over!” – a point most people living through this unusual year would probably echo.
After chuckling at this bit of wisdom from a 12-year-old, I started wondering a little: Okay, 2020 was a crappy year, but what about 2021? I know in a broader sense, with news of many possible vaccines in development, the general public is hoping the world can finally put the coronavirus pandemic behind them.
But how might 2021 play out for agriculture? When I looked at the data from our annual CropLife 100 survey of the nation’s top ag retailers, the outlook for next year seems surprisingly positive.
On the survey, we asked respondents to tell us how they would rank their business optimism for the upcoming growing season. This is done by assigning a number to their level of confidence in the year ahead – one being the lowest and 10 being the highest. In most years, the majority of ag retailers generally fall somewhere in the middle range, rating the upcoming year between a four and six on a scale of one to 10.
This doesn’t seem to be the case going into 2021, however. According to the 2020 CropLife 100 survey, 68% of respondents rate their level of business optimism for next year between a seven and a 10. The middle range, four to six, was chosen by only 28% of respondents. The remaining 4% thought next year would rate between a one and three.
Loading ...So going back to my son’s comment, I, too, am thankful that 2020 is almost over. But I’m also thankful that most folks in agriculture believe 2021 will be much, much better!
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