Economists at the Kansas City Fed say that weaker crop prices over the past year have reduced farm income. That has led to lower loan repayment rates and more renewals and extensions. Last year, farm banks issued more than $115 billion in agricultural loans.
Meanwhile, farm bankruptcies are also on the rise. A University of Arkansas study shows more U.S. farms filed in the first three months of 2025 than in all of 2024.
Extension economist Ryan Loy says the 259 filings signal financial stress, similar to that seen in 2018 and 2019. He points to low commodity prices and higher costs for seed, fertilizer, and diesel.
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Farmers display a unique optimism — planting with the expectation that weather, basis, and prices will improve by harvest — asserting that the profession is an identity, not just a job.
Imported lean beef continues to play a critical role in U.S. hamburger and ground-beef production, with any added volume from Argentina serving as a supplement — not a market overhaul.
Margin Protection and the new MCO add county-level margin tools — with earlier price discovery, input cost triggers, and high subsidy rates — to complement on-farm risk plans for 2026.
For aging operators and their rural neighbors, staying socially engaged is a practical strategy to preserve decision-making capacity and farm vitality.
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard joins Market Day Report for his insight on the USDA’s plan to strengthen the U.S. beef industry.
RFD-TV Markets Expert Tony St. James breaks down the USDA’s newly unveiled plan to rebuild the US beef herd and the industry’s spectrum of responses to it.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer discusses the status of USDA disaster aid, including delays to Stage 2 of the SDRP program, and what farmers should watch for as lawmakers negotiate an end to the government shutdown.
Sen. Roger Marshall: ‘I’m Begging Everyone to Take a Breath’ on High Beef Prices, New Import Markets
Sen. Roger Marshall explains which types of beef are imported into the United States, how there’s room for new imports, and logical reasons for current high prices.
