Illinois farmers can expect lower cash rents by around $25 next year

Many farmers are preparing for next year, and that includes figuring out rent prices.

A new survey shows cash rents in Illinois are set to fall next year.

“We did a survey of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. We did that in August, and they were saying that their 2025 leases would be down $25 per acre from this year. So, just to give you a feel, we are projecting for Illinois FBFM farms something below $30,000 of net income for 2024. Cash rents went up from 2020 to 2025 by an average of about $40 in the state. So we’re beginning to see a retrenchment. A $25 reduction will help. It won’t get us back to the profitability levels, but it’s a start in that direction,” said Gary Schnitkey.

Analysts recommend farmers work to lower cash rent obligations for next year, while also paying close attention to inputs needs and costs.

Related Stories
Policy clarity will determine the trajectory of soybean crush demand, but producers in Kansas have shown that expanding local crush capacity strengthens basis and marketing options.
Corn and soybean shipments continue to move at a steady pace as spring trade flows develop.
Growing milk supply may pressure prices ahead.
Bigger flocks are rebuilding egg and poultry supply.
Tight supplies are driving stronger early-year cattle prices.
Reported results include stronger in-season nitrogen response, average yield gains of more than seven bushels per acre and more than $18 per acre in net return.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

We caught up with John Deere’s Hay & Forage Got-To Market Manager Kaylene Ballesteros to learn how tech is evolving how producers make hay, from baling efficiency to operator confidence.
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas discusses expected changes to the 45Z tax credit and what they could mean for agriculture and rural America.
Purdue University Professor of Agricultural Economics Dr. Jim Mintert shares a closer look at farmer sentiment and the key issues shaping the agricultural economy in January.
Securing Critical Water Resources for South Texas Agriculture
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney says farmers there are already sounding the alarm about what this could mean for the future of ag research.
Global pork production is expected to rise in the first half of 2026, despite trade volatility stemming from shifting import policies and swine disease pressures.