The last two years have been difficult for most of the farm country. Ag economists are crunching the numbers and say it is anyone’s guess what this year will bring.
“Well, I think the economy in 2025 is going to be pretty good in terms of growth and how it’s improving. I don’t think there’s going to be a recession unless something crazy happens in the world, but certainly people are still feeling the effects of all the inflation and having to work extra hard to sort of keep up with that,” said Dr. Jeff Dorfman, an economist at NC State University.
Dorfman says it will be important to pay close attention to the markets this year. He also says you should aim for value, not necessarily volume.
“The idea for any business owner is not to do as much business as possible, but to make as much money as possible. So if you can do some value-added processing, if you can cut out some middlemen, whatever you can do to improve the profitability of your operation is more important than trying just to get more acres or more yield. It’s not about how much you produce, it’s how much you make.”
Farmer sentiment has been drifting lower recently. The latest Ag Economy Barometer fell 9 points after a brief rebound.
China’s beef policy risk stems from domestic volatility, making export demand inherently unstable. Jake Charleston with Specialty Risk Insurance offers his perspective on cattle markets, risk management, and producer sentiment.
January 13, 2026 02:13 PM
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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
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Structural efficiency supports cattle prices and resilience — breaking it risks higher costs and greater volatility.
January 13, 2026 08:00 AM
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This simple but powerful tool from Nutrien enables farmers to keep track of highly personalized input costs and expenses involved in running their operation.
January 12, 2026 09:00 AM
AFBF Economist Faith Parum provides analysis and perspective on the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program—what commodity growers should know and potential remedies for producers facing crop losses where that aid falls short.
January 08, 2026 02:45 PM
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Farmer Bridge payments are being used primarily to reduce debt and protect cash flow, not drive new spending. Curt Blades with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers joined us to provide insight into the ag equipment market and the factors influencing sales.
January 08, 2026 08:00 AM
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