An in-depth look at the agricultural and economic outlook for 2026 will highlight Texas Tech’s 52nd Annual Bankers Agricultural Credit Conference, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 7, at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock.
Running from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the conference will bring together economists, industry leaders and banking professionals to examine trends shaping the future of the region’s agricultural economy — from cotton and cattle to grain markets and regulatory issues.
“The program represents an important engagement with rural and agricultural banks that form the backbone of our regional agricultural productivity,” said Darren Hudson, associate dean for strategic initiatives and assessment in Texas Tech’s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. “It’s about connecting economic insight with practical decision-making.”
Morning sessions will include a regional and national economic outlook from Stephen Kiser, senior business economist with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in Dallas, followed by a legislative and regulatory update from Wendy Foster, director of government relations with the Texas Bankers Association in Austin.
The conversation then shifts to agriculture’s core commodities. Shawn Wade, assistant director of Texas Tech’s International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness, will present the 2026 cotton outlook, while Ben Weinheimer, president and chief executive of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association in Amarillo, will provide an analysis of the cattle sector.
In the afternoon, Lowell Randel, executive director of Davis College’s new Agricultural Policy Advocacy Program, will discuss current policy developments shaping U.S. farm and trade legislation. The conference will conclude with a 2026 grain outlook presented by Mark Welch, professor and extension economist for grain marketing with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in College Station.
Organizers say the conference offers timely and practical information for community banks as they prepare for the coming year. It’s an opportunity to provide local institutions with the tools and insight they need to navigate the economic realities of agriculture in 2026, said Krishna Paudel, professor and chair of Texas Tech's Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics said.
The event is sponsored by the Texas Bankers Association, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, Excellence in Banking Program (Rawls College of Business), Texas Tech School of Banking, Thornton Agricultural Finance Institute, International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness, and Ag Resource Management (ARM).
Conference directors include Robert de la Cruz, executive vice president of First Financial Bank in Hereford; Bryan Studer, senior vice president of Peoples Bank in Lubbock; and Mike Mauldin, director of the Excellence in Banking Program at Texas Tech’s Rawls College of Business.
CONTACT: Phil Johnson, Professor and Charles Thompson Chair, Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-0474 or phil.johnson@ttu.edu
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