Finances are still tight, and new data shows it has become dire for some operations.
Numbers from the Farm Bureau show 216 farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy last year, which is a 55 percent increase from 2023. Despite the jump, that is still down from the nearly 600 filings back in 2019.
All regions saw a rise, but areas outside the contiguous U.S. saw their bankruptcies triple last year.
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Payment totals alone do not show financial stress — production costs and net losses complete the picture.
Year-round E15 remains on the table, but procedural caution and competing regional interests pushed action into a slower, negotiated path.
A mid-January winter storm delivered snow, ice, and extreme cold to a broad swath of the U.S., disrupting transportation, stressing livestock systems, and adding cost and complexity to winter farm operations as producers look toward spring.
Heavier weights and strong late-year slaughter supported December production, but lower annual totals highlight ongoing supply tightness heading into 2026.
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