By Nathan Kauffman
Vice President and Omaha Branch Executive
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Despite a prolonged slump in the price of many agricultural commodities globally, long-term economic prospects in the agricultural sector often have been viewed as positive. Optimism about agriculture’s long-term future and growth is based on expectations of steady growth in global populations and incomes. However, agricultural production in recent years has increased significantly, even as commodity prices have remained suppressed…