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
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council published a joint press release regarding the advancement of legislation to delist the Mexican Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species Act.
January 23, 2026 05:05 PM
Placements and marketings beat expectations, but declining on-feed totals and feeder constraints keep the supply story supportive for cattle prices into 2026. Dr. Derrell Peel, with Oklahoma State University, joined us to break down cattle-on-feed numbers and provide his broader market outlook.
January 23, 2026 04:40 PM
·
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
·
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the recent Fifth Circuit Court decision overturning a prior Tax Court decision on self-employment tax for limited partners, the ruling’s impact on farmers, and potential next steps in Congress.
January 23, 2026 02:00 PM
·
Americans for Prosperity Arkansas Director Ryan Norris talks energy infrastructure, regulatory reform, and the role of critical minerals in supporting rural America.
January 23, 2026 01:54 PM
·
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition discusses supply chain challenges facing agriculture as snow, sleet and ice threaten most of the Eastern U.S.
January 23, 2026 01:36 PM
·
