Challenges continue for small businesses following a rise in rural COVID cases. However, essential ag industries are now finding new ways to survive and in some cases, thrive.
CoBank’s Tanner Ehmke says there was some progress in the overall U.S. economy over the summer. He sighted a 7.9 percent unemployment as a positive sign, but now his concern is about the pace of recovery as COVID-19 cases surge in rural America.
“That’s not going to bode well for the quarter ahead and how our economy is going to perform. The economic progress that we saw last quarter is going to slow and is challenging as long as the COVID-19 cases remain high,” he said. “There are some bright spots, but this quarter ahead is going to be concerning because of the spike of COVID-19 cases.”