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.
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.
October 24, 2025 01:44 PM
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For aging operators and their rural neighbors, staying socially engaged is a practical strategy to preserve decision-making capacity and farm vitality.
October 24, 2025 01:37 PM
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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.
October 23, 2025 12:10 PM
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U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) discusses the USDA’s new cattle plan, ethanol policy, and the broader challenges ahead for rural America.
October 23, 2025 11:24 AM
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Expanding bioethanol use strengthens rural economies, supports farm markets, and positions U.S. agriculture at the center of global low-carbon trade.
October 23, 2025 10:10 AM
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“President Trump Undercuts America’s Cattle Producers,” says NCBA
October 22, 2025 04:42 PM
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