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Commissioner Holt briefs committee on Tennessee agriculture: prices, exports and farmland preservation
Summary
Tennessee Department of Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt and Deputy Commissioner Ryan King presented an overview of the state's agricultural economy, noting record cattle prices, challenges in forest-product markets, and efforts to expand export opportunities and preserve farmland.
Commissioner Andy Holt and Deputy Commissioner Ryan King briefed the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on the state of Tennessee agriculture, touching on livestock, forestry, row crops and export strategy. Holt said cattle prices are at record levels and projected to remain strong through 2026–2028; he highlighted poultry and pork as significant state agricultural sectors.
Holt and King also discussed forest-product market changes stemming from trade dynamics and mill closures, noting that Tennessee forest-product producers exported more than "$182,000,000" in 2024. The presentation included a 2025 agriculture-trade figure the department presented as roughly "$171,400,000,000" (AG-only) in the slides discussed; deputies encouraged members to obtain the slide set for further detail. The department emphasized efforts to expand export markets and implement farmland-preservation programs.
