NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Low prices and high costs do not make idling a real option for most farm and ranch operations, argues Dr. Joe Outlaw of Texas A&M’s Agricultural & Food Policy Center in an interview with Southern Ag Today.
So, “If Crop Returns are so Bad, Why Do Farmers Keep Planting?”
Shutting down guarantees zero cash flow to service debt, payroll, and family living, while ceding global market share to competitors who would quickly ramp up output.
Switching crops is not a simple fix either: many crops now pencil similarly thin or negative, multiyear rotations protect soil health and weed control, and equipment and storage are often crop-specific.
Outlaw adds that farmers are uniquely optimistic—planting with the expectation that weather, basis, and prices can improve by harvest—and that the profession is an identity, not just a job.
The upshot: producers keep planting to preserve business continuity, agronomic systems, and future market position, even when spreadsheets look grim. That’s also why Congress and administrations have long supported agriculture when risks beyond farmers’ control overwhelm margins.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Planting sustains cash flow, rotations, and market share—even in lean years.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Expert
Strong Farm Credit finances help cushion producers, but prolonged low crop margins could strain renewals in 2026.
December 12, 2025 11:42 AM
·
USDA data confirms that U.S. agriculture remains overwhelmingly family-run despite structural shifts in scale and production, according to a new analystis by Farm Flavor.
December 11, 2025 06:00 PM
·
The specific provision in the CO₂ storage law allowed the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) to authorize carbon storage projects to proceed even if they lacked unanimous consent from all affected landowners.
December 11, 2025 04:15 PM
·
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Danny Munch joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report to break down the scope of the U.S. Christmas Tree industry and what growers are up against.
December 11, 2025 01:53 PM
·
Canadian tariffs would raise costs for potash, ammonia, and UAN, increasing spring fertilizer risk.
December 11, 2025 01:16 PM
·
Lewis Williamson with HTS Commodities breaks down the outlook on grain storage and domestic supply chain strength as producers weigh planting decisions with forthcoming federal aid.
December 11, 2025 01:11 PM
·
