Cloud of Uncertainty: Farmers are feeling nervous and patient for the upcoming planting season

Planting season is upon us with some crops already in the ground, but Nebraska farmers say there is a cloud of uncertainty overhead.

“I think farmers are a little nervous. We’re going to have to continue to see where it is, where everything is, and we’re going to be paying very close attention as to everything that happens. Whether we’re talking about this economic program, the weather-related disaster assistance, the conversation on taxes which will be heating up, or trade and tariffs as well,” said Jordan Dux, Senior Director of National Affairs with the Nebraska Farm Bureau.

Dux says the $10 billion in economic assistance announced by USDA last week will be helpful but other groups say it is just a band-aid.

Related Stories
Low farmer shares reflect deep consolidation across the food chain, keeping producer returns thin even as retail food prices remain high.
Corn exports remain strong, while soybeans and wheat shift week to week on river conditions and global demand.
The National Milk Producers Federation will launch a new advocacy campaign to secure a final vote, urging House lawmakers to approve the bill as soon as they return from the Thanksgiving recess.
AFBF Vice President of Public Policy and Economic Analysis, Dr. John Newton, explains the factors contributing to the growing financial strain in the ag sector and the urgent need for swift economic support.
Olivia Bury, AgriSafe Network Behavioral Health Coordinator, shares about AgriSafe Network’s resources created to support farmers and rural Americans.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Jael Cruikshank, the newly elected Western Region Vice President, shares her story on this week’s FFA Today.
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.
Leslee Oden, president of the National Turkey Federation, and Jay Jandrain, CEO of Butterball, joined us in the studio on Monday to discuss the history, significance, and expectations surrounding this year’s presidential turkey pardon.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.