Current conditions are sending ripples through the ag economy.
MSN found when harvest is complete this year, nearly 150,000 farms will close. Looking back to the 1950s, more than 60 percent of all U.S. farms have stopped producing, with the number of acres dropping by more than 320 million.
Leaders at American Farmers and Ranchers say everytime the ag economy hits one of these cycles, more family farms begin to disappear.
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The total value of the U.S. potato crop was $4.60 billion in 2024, representing an 8% decrease from the previous year.
Crop-specific shifts and strong prices highlight the variability of this year’s fruit and tree nut harvest, according to USDA data.
The decline in production marks the second consecutive year of contraction in the U.S. turkey industry.
The USDA noted that peanut edible utilization season-to-date is down 3% on the year, despite overall stocks increasing.
“Those could’ve easily been our beans going over there. It goes to show that if that opportunity is there, China would be willing to buy.”
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn joined us Monday to share highlights from Secretary Brooke Rollins’ visit and her perspective on USDA’s new initiatives.