NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Producers across the country spent the week balancing spring planning with tight margins and uneven moisture outlooks. Input purchasing stayed cautious, while marketing and cash-flow decisions remained front and center for many operations.
Here is a regional and state-by-state recap of U.S. crop and livestock production activity by RFD NEWS Markets Specialist Tony St. James for the week of Monday, Feb. 9, 2026:
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Delta & South
- Alabama: Row-crop planning is advancing, with cost discipline guiding input purchases. Producers remain attentive to market direction and financing needs.
- Arkansas: Planning for cotton, rice, and soybeans continues, with a sharp focus on profitability and financing. Producers are weighing acreage choices against expected returns.
- Georgia: Spring planning continues for cotton and peanuts, with an emphasis on managing expenses. Producers are watching moisture outlooks and early planting windows.
- Louisiana: Field prep planning is underway where conditions permit, with close attention to moisture and cost constraints. Marketing decisions remain cautious amid tight margins.
- Mississippi: Producers are evaluating cotton and soybean strategies while managing equipment and input budgets. Moisture variability continues to shape early-season expectations.
- North Carolina: Planting plans are developing across crops, with attention to input availability and expense control. Livestock and poultry operators remain focused on cost management.
- South Carolina: Producers continue to plan spring operations while monitoring moisture and market conditions. Budgets remain tight, shaping acreage and input decisions.
- Tennessee: Producers are preparing for spring fieldwork while reviewing marketing plans and cost structures. Margin pressure continues to influence purchasing decisions.
Great Plains
- Kansas: Wheat management remains a priority as producers assess yield potential and spring weather risk. Livestock operators continue monitoring feed costs and pasture readiness.
- Nebraska: Corn and soybean planning is underway with careful attention to fertilizer and seed budgeting. Cattle producers remain focused on managing feed inventories and margins.
- North Dakota: Producers are monitoring soil moisture and winter precipitation for spring fieldwork implications. Acreage and input decisions remain conservative under margin pressure.
- Oklahoma: Wheat stands and pasture outlooks continue to depend on rainfall timing. Marketing plans are being weighed against operating credit and cash needs.
- South Dakota: Grain and livestock operations are in planning mode, watching moisture and late-winter weather swings. Operators are prioritizing cost control ahead of spring.
- Texas: Winter wheat and grazing decisions remain tied to local moisture and forage availability. Producers are watching costs closely while lining up spring work where conditions allow.
Midwest
- Illinois: Planting plans and preseason maintenance continue, with a close watch on costs and basis opportunities. Moisture conditions vary by area, shaping early expectations.
- Indiana: Producers are finalizing seed and fertilizer decisions while watching early-season weather risk. Cash-flow management remains a key focus as we head into spring.
- Iowa: Producers continue to weigh marketing and storage decisions as they prepare for spring planting. Input buying remains measured as budgets tighten.
- Minnesota: Grain and dairy producers remain attentive to feed costs, input budgets, and market volatility. Planning continues with moisture and field conditions in mind.
- Missouri: Crop planning is advancing, with attention on fertilizer costs and spring field readiness. Livestock operations are monitoring forage supplies and feed demand.
- Ohio: Producers are preparing for spring fieldwork while evaluating marketing timing and operating expenses. Moisture and temperature swings are influencing early planning.
- Wisconsin: Dairy margins remain a central concern alongside feed and labor costs. Crop plans are taking shape with conservative spending and risk management.
- Michigan: Producers are planning spring operations while tracking input costs and market signals. Some areas are monitoring moisture levels to determine early fieldwork timing.
Northeast
- Connecticut: Farm planning continues with attention to costs, labor, and early-season timing. Producers are preparing equipment and lining up spring needs.
- Delaware: Producers are preparing for spring planting with conservative input decisions. Marketing and cash-flow planning remain central as the season approaches
- Maine: Planning continues for spring operations, with cost discipline shaping decisions. Producers are monitoring winter conditions that affect timing and logistics.
- Maryland: Crop and livestock planning continues with a focus on managing expenses. Producers are weighing marketing timing and operational risk.
- Massachusetts: Producers are in planning mode, balancing input costs with expected returns. Operational decisions remain conservative under margin pressure.
- New Hampshire: Producers are focused on planning and cost control as spring approaches. Livestock operators are monitoring feed supplies and operating expenses.
- New Jersey: Producers are preparing for spring work while monitoring costs and market direction. Moisture and weather variability remain watch points.
- New York: Dairy operations continue focusing on feed costs and margin management. Crop planning is underway with conservative purchasing decisions.
- Pennsylvania: Dairy and crop producers are managing tight margins as they prepare for spring. Input costs and cash-flow planning remain key concerns.
- Rhode Island: Producers remain focused on expense control and spring preparation. Planning continues to focus on labor needs and seasonal market conditions.
- Vermont: Dairy producers remain attentive to feed and labor pressures as they plan ahead. Field planning continues as winter conditions persist.
Northwest & Northern Rockies
- Idaho: Producers are watching water conditions and costs while finalizing crop and input plans. Risk management remains a priority heading into spring.
- Montana: Wheat and cattle producers continue planning around moisture expectations and input budgets. Marketing decisions remain measured under tight margins.
- Oregon: Planning continues for spring operations with attention to moisture outlooks and input costs. Livestock operators are monitoring forage supplies and feed needs.
- Washington: Producers are tracking moisture and winter conditions that influence spring fieldwork and irrigation. Marketing decisions remain cautious amid margin uncertainty.
- Wyoming: Ranchers are monitoring feed, water, and pasture readiness while managing costs. Planning remains conservative as producers prepare for the coming season.
West & Southwest
- Arizona: Producers are monitoring water availability and input costs as they set spring plans. Marketing and risk management remain key considerations for the season ahead.
- California: Water planning remains central as producers assess irrigation needs and operating costs. Acreage decisions continue to reflect margin pressure and resource constraints.
- Colorado: Producers are watching moisture and snowpack signals that affect irrigation and pasture outlooks. Crop planning remains cautious with close attention to expenses.
- New Mexico: Ranchers and crop producers continue monitoring forage, water, and cost conditions. Planning is focused on limiting downside risk under tight margins.
- Nevada: Ranchers remain focused on forage conditions and cost control while preparing for the next grazing season. Water planning continues to shape operational decisions.
- Utah: Livestock operations are monitoring feed supplies and pasture readiness as planning continues. Producers are keeping spending conservative ahead of spring.
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