Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tennessee’s Agriculture and Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Tennessee’s agricultural and forest-based industrial complex and its economy in a variety of ways. The range of these impacts include downward pressure on commodity prices that have reduced farm incomes, reduced demand for building materials, reduced household food sufficiency and changes in food shopping habits, loss of food and fiber processing and retailing sales, reduction in restaurant and agri-tourism business sales, and disruptions to transportation and trade. In short, the pandemic has impacted Tennessee’s agricultural sector from farm to fork. The COVID-19 Agricultural Economic Analysis Team is working to provide economic analysis of how the pandemic may impact farm incomes, household food sufficiency, business sales, and the overall economy. Please keep in mind, though, that the effects of the pandemic are evolving as individuals, businesses, and governments adapt to a changing set of circumstances.

We hope the suite of documents below will help inform decision making during the uncertain times precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check this page as we will be updating data and adding new and/or revised documents.


Agriculture and Farming

Projected Crop Market and Tennessee Farm Income Impacts from the COVID-19 Pandemic
S. Aaron Smith, Burton C. English, R. Jamey Menard, David W. Hughes, and Kimberly L. Jensen

Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Virus on Tennessee Producers of Major Program Crops
Burton C. English, Jamey Menard, Aaron Smith, David Hughes, and Kim Jensen

Economic Impact Methods Employed to Estimate Regional Impacts
R. Jamey Menard, Burton C. English, David W. Hughes, and Kimberly L. Jensen

Tennessee Cattle Marketing Influenced by COVID-19
Charley Martinez and Andrew Griffith

Tennessee Feeder Cattle Prices Influenced by COVID-19
Andrew Griffith and Charley Martinez

Tennessee Slaughter Cow Market During COVID-19
Andrew Griffith and Charley Martinez

Estimated Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Virus on Tennessee Beef Cattle Producers
Burton C. English, R. Jamey Menard, S. Aaron Smith, Andrew P. Griffith, Charles Martinez and Kimberly Jensen

Updates on the H-2A Program in the Midst of COVID-19
Margarita Velandia, Annette Wszelaki, Amy Fulcher, Ty Petty, Mannie Bedwell, William A. Bailey, Renea Jones

Updates on the H-2A Program and COVID-19: Expansion of the Categories of H-2 Visa Applicants Whose Applications Can Be Decided On Without an In-person Interview
Margarita Velandia, Annette Wszelaki, and Andy Bailey
Spanish version

A Fact Sheet of Title II of the CARES Act: “Assistance for American Workers, Families and Businesses”
Charley Martinez

Information to Protect Farmworkers and Their Employers in the Midst of COVID-19
Margarita Velandia, Annette Wszelaki, Amy Fulcher, William A. Bailey, and Jane Howell Chadwell

International Trade

Implications of COVID-19 on Tennessee Exports of Forest Products
Andrew Muhammad and Adam Taylor, Professor, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries

Small Businesses

Covid-19 Impact on Activity for Smaller Agricultural Processing and Marketing Firms During May 17-23, 2020
David W. Hughes

Paycheck Protection Program Participation in Tennessee’s Green Industry April 3-June 30, 2020
Alicia Rihn and Kimberly L. Jensen

Preliminary Changes in COVID-19 Purchasing Habits of Southeastern US Green Industry Consumers
Ben Campbell, Alicia Rihn and Julie Campbell

Paycheck Protection Program Participation by Tennessee’s Food and Beverage Industry, April 3 – June 30, 2020
Sreedhar Upendram, Kimberly L. Jensen, Alicia Rihn, Jackie Yenerall and Ethan Loveday

Paycheck Protection Program Loans in Tennessee’s Landscape Services Industry April 3-August 8, 2020
Alicia Rihn, Sreedhar Upendram and Kimberly L. Jensen

Paycheck Protection Program
Sreedhar Upendram, Charley Martinez and S. Aaron Smith

Paycheck Protection Program: Round II
Sreedhar Upendram, Charley Martinez and S. Aaron Smith

Paycheck Protection Program: Round III
Sreedhar Upendram, Charley Martinez, Alicia Rihn, Kimberly L. Jensen and S. Aaron Smith

Households and Food Sufficiency

Covid-19 Impact on Tennessee Household Food Sufficiency
Kimberly L. Jensen, R. Jamey Menard, Jackie Yenerall, and David W. Hughes

COVID-19 State Level Overview in Infographics

Covid-19 Infographic

Additional Resources