The new administration in 2025 could bring significant changes to the federal government’s approach to everything from international trade and immigration to energy exploration and rural economic development. According to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, at the top of that list for rural industries are tariffs and collateral damage, immigration reform and farm bill renewal.

“The environment we enter in 2025 hasn’t fully defined itself yet, but many of the policies proposed by the incoming administration would likely have a negative impact on U.S. agriculture,” said Rob Fox, director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “Open access to export markets and labor availability are critically important for agricultural producers and processors. Depending on how policy plays out, those two areas could be big challenges in 2025 and beyond.”

The CoBank 2025 outlook report examines several key factors that will shape agriculture and market sectors that serve rural communities throughout the U.S.