LAKELAND, FLORIDA (RFD NEWS) — Farmers entering 2026 will face tighter lending standards and thinner margins, meaning financial planning will be as important as production decisions, according to AgAmerica Lending analysis.
Lenders are already adjusting underwriting and loan terms as operating stress builds across agriculture. Operations with stronger liquidity management are expected to be better positioned until commodity markets stabilize and trade conditions improve.
One major strategy involves restructuring debt. Refinancing loans, extending amortization schedules, or aligning payments with revenue cycles can preserve working capital for inputs and repairs. Producers are also reassessing equipment purchases — especially combines — through shared ownership, custom harvesting, or coordinated fieldwork to reduce capital costs.
Farmland equity remains a key stabilizer. Rising land values allow producers to access longer-term credit and strengthen succession plans, an increasingly urgent issue as lenders expect more retirements in the coming year.
Many farms are also cutting risk through precision technology, improved nutrient management, labor-saving automation, and diversifying revenue streams beyond a single commodity.
In part three of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen covers the Corps of Engineers’ mismanagement of Missouri River water levels.
January 30, 2024 02:29 PM
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Two more key developments in ag law and taxation from 2023, a crackdown on biodiesel fraud and developments in self-employment taxation (#7 and #6), are the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post, the second in a series by RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger McEowen.
January 18, 2024 12:44 PM
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The start of the review of the most important ag law and tax developments of 2023—that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger A. McEowen
January 04, 2024 12:20 PM
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Recent developments in ag law and tax — that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV-Agri-Legal Expert Roger McEowen.
December 19, 2023 02:45 PM
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If you are thinking about making substantial gifts and/or doing so in a complicated fashion, make sure to get good professional advice beforehand. In his latest Firm to Farm blog post, RFD-TV Agri-Legal Expert Roger McEowen tackles the complex rules surrounding financial gifts, charitable donations and estate transfer.
December 15, 2023 03:12 PM
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But, what does “detached and disinterested” mean? When is a transfer of funds a gift — at least in the eyes of the IRS? That is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s Agri-Legal Expert Roger A.McEowen.
December 13, 2023 11:07 AM
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