NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Rural broadband growth is reshaping how farms across the South connect and compete. A new USDA survey released in August 2025 shows sharp increases in online input purchases and marketing activity, even as some producers scale back precision agriculture tools amid tighter margins.
The biennial Farm Computer Usage and Ownership survey — conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service since 1997 — tracks how producers access and use internet-based technologies in their operations.
Between 2023 and 2025, every southern state reported higher rates of farmers buying agricultural inputs online, with Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas each recording more than 100 percent growth. About half of U.S. farms now report purchasing inputs over the internet. Roughly 25 percent of southern farms conduct agricultural marketing activities online — slightly below the 29 percent national average — though participation fell in Georgia and Missouri.
Precision agriculture adoption moved in the opposite direction, explains Devon Mills, Assistant Professor with Mississippi State Extension. Seven southern states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama, saw declines in use between 2023 and 2025, mirroring a 19 percent national drop. Analysts suggest producers may be pausing high-cost technologies to reduce expenses, even as internet-based tools become central to daily operations.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Southern farms are deepening online engagement for cost savings and market access, while higher-cost precision technologies face renewed scrutiny amid tight budgets.
Freight volatility increasingly determines export margins, making logistics costs as important as price in marketing decisions.
January 14, 2026 06:00 AM
·
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today unveiled a bold plan to protect the nation’s prime farm and ranchland from the rapid spread of data centers.
January 13, 2026 03:36 PM
Brent Graves, auctioneer and mentor, shares his journey supporting youth in agriculture, livestock competitions, and how he is turning junior livestock auctions into a classroom for youth in agriculture.
January 13, 2026 02:43 PM
·
USDA flash corn sales, Cattle on Feed and Inventory reports, and beef packer antitrust concerns dominate January agricultural market news.
January 13, 2026 01:53 PM
·
Larger grain stocks increase supply pressure, but strong fall disappearance — especially for corn and sorghum — suggests demand remains an important offset.
January 13, 2026 01:02 PM
·
Record corn and sorghum crops boost feed grain supplies, while reduced soybean and cotton production tighten outlooks for oilseeds and fiber markets.
January 13, 2026 12:53 PM
·
Food prices increased in December, but not as much as expected, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
January 13, 2026 12:46 PM
·
Lewis Williamson with HTS Commodities joined us to provide analysis on the January WASDE report and expectations for grain markets going forward.
January 13, 2026 12:34 PM
·
Structural efficiency supports cattle prices and resilience — breaking it risks higher costs and greater volatility.
January 13, 2026 08:00 AM
·
