AFBF Economist: Farmer Losses Mounting Despite Federal Assistance

AFBF Economist Faith Parum discusses the financial challenges currently facing farmers and the Farm Bureau’s 2026 outlook for the farm economy.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — Despite recent federal assistance, many farmers continue to face financial pressure. Rising operating expenses are pushing break-even prices higher, while commodity prices remain too low for many producers to fully offset those costs.

Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report to break down what recent data show about farm income and losses over the past several years, including the role of federal assistance payments.

In her interview with RFD NEWS, Parum discussed the factors influencing farm profitability today, from production costs to current market conditions, and outlined policy options available to Congress to support the farm economy. The conversation also touched on discussions from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention last week and the overall sentiment among producers in attendance.

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FarmHER to premiere on Tuesday, March 19th at 9 p.m. ET with 6 New Episodes; and RanchHER to premiere on Tuesday, April 30th at 9 p.m. ET with 6 New Episodes
Mon, 3/4/24 – 8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
What can these facilities do to protect themselves? I wrote about this issue last spring, and since that time, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has issued a significant opinion. That makes an update in order.