The farm economy has several challenges ahead. Economists with Ag Economic Insights say tight margins are likely to continue and warn it will take some cost cutting to find profitability again.
“At this point, it’s a little unclear how much of the cost cutting is going to come out of the variable cost, the things that e get price sheets for, how much of it’s going to come out of the things that we do around the home, homesteading our family living, or machinery, or cash rents in our farmland values,” said David Widmar.
While there is likely a rocky road ahead, farmer sentiment is up. Economists with Purdue University say the Ag Economy Barometer rose 11 points last month. However, the report showed little change in how producers feel about the future prospects.
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Jarrod Hardke with the University of Arkansas break down extreme drought conditions, shifting planting decisions, and the impact of rising input costs on Arkansas agriculture this season.
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