“We know this: People are going to eat,” Jay Debertin, president and CEO of CHS, told Neel Kashkari, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis president, during the Regional Economic Conditions Conference held Jan. 15, 2025. During the fireside chat, Debertin and Kashkari spoke about economic issues and opportunities impacting agriculture.
The annual event focuses on economic and monetary policy issues impacting the Ninth Federal Reserve District, which includes Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“CHS is vital to our everyday lives,” said Kashkari. “CHS has a big footprint in ag markets and energy sector, two key inputs to the global economy.”
Debertin was asked about the current state of ag markets. “The row-crop areas, which is a lot of the business in the ninth district, is more challenged than in the past few years, but that’s the nature of the business we’re in. These cycles are not easy, but they’re a fact of life,” said Debertin, who joined the Minneapolis Fed board of directors in 2024.
The conversation touched on many economic issues that impact the ag sector, including supply chains, energy markets, sustainability, inflation, labor and trade policies. The entire conference can be viewed on the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis website; Debertin’s remarks are at the beginning of the recording.
