Government programs are only a “band-aid” when it comes to the farm economy, according to an economist

Other policy shifts are likely to impact ag exports. One economist warns products could start to build up and says government programs only go so far.

“Yes, government programs help, but that’s sort of a band-aid. And in the long term, there’s not a lot of risk management tools either. And so you think about crop insurance, it’s a year over year change, that it helps with working capital, can only last us so long. So these trade implosions is just an issue where we don’t have a lot of risk management. We don’t have a lot of policy programs to help fix that. And that’s why we’re thinking about that. I just, I think that the, the long tail on that could be really, really challenging,” said David Widmar.

Widmar also warns margins are likely to feel squeezed for some time. He tells aginfo.net more cuts will likely need to come before there is any kind of noticeable relief.

Related Stories
Dr. Mark Svoboda with the National Drought Mitigation Center discusses a new global drought report and resources to help operations increase drought resilience.
Treat financial stress as a health risk—know the warning signs, normalize conversations, and connect farm families to local and national support early.
Congress has just over a month of working days left for the year. Plan for uneven USDA service until funding is restored, and closely monitor Farm Bill talks, as avoiding Permanent Law before January 1 is the single biggest risk to markets and milk prices.
Mexico’s tougher, two-step treatment and added checkpoints are catching cases before they can spread—good news for producers near the border.
Jack Daniel’s will end its Cow Feeder Program, which served around 100 livestock operations near the distillery, and redirect spent grains to its anaerobic digester.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Taryn Fischels, Product Marketing Manager for Precision Upgrades at John Deere, joins us to share a sneak peek of her chat with FarmHER’s Kirbe Schnoor on the Dirt Diaries podcast.
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.
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) discusses the USDA’s new cattle plan, ethanol policy, and the broader challenges ahead for rural America.
Jacob Wheeler and Dustin Connell of Team O’Reilly Auto Parts took an early lead and never let go, finishing atop SCORETRACKER® with 64 pounds, 8 ounces on 42 scorable bass.
“President Trump Undercuts America’s Cattle Producers,” says NCBA