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
Ag Committee Chairman Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson has referred to the proposal as “Farm Bill 2.0.”
February 13, 2026 10:25 AM
·
Nitrogen and phosphate markets are tightening ahead of spring, keeping fertilizer costs elevated while crop prices lag.
February 13, 2026 08:00 AM
·
AFBF Economist Samantha Ayoub discusses the latest data on Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings and what the troubling trend signals for the farm economy. At the same time, bigger loans and higher rates are squeezing working capital and increasing financial risk.
February 12, 2026 04:26 PM
·
Farm numbers still favor small operations, but production, resilience, and risk management are increasingly concentrated among fewer, larger farms.
February 12, 2026 12:16 PM
·
The USDA opened a new sterile fly-dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas to prevent a potential outbreak of New World screwworm and protect the small U.S. cattle herd.
February 12, 2026 10:47 AM
·
Agriculture remains a key drag on regional growth amid weak prices and policy uncertainty.
February 12, 2026 08:00 AM
·
