Higher Dairy Prices Likely by the End of the Year
No doubt, the past four years have been challenging for dairy producers, and 2018 was likely the most difficult of…
Wait for Hemp Production Plans Before You Begin Planting
The 2018 Farm Bill removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and enables states and tribal governments to develop hemp…
Anticipating USDA’s 2019 Net Farm Income Forecast
The USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) first forecast of 2019 net farm income was initially scheduled for a February 6…
What if Trade Talks Succeed?
One day after a winter storm closed U.S. government offices in Washington, D.C., USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington,…
Rural Mainstreet Index Falls for February
The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index for February fell, but remained above growth neutral, according to the monthly survey of…
What’s Ahead for Midwest Farmland Values?
Farmland values across the Midwest are showing varying results in 2019. Many recent sales have maintained surprisingly strong price levels,…
Crop Insurance Program Integrity Continues to Improve
Crop insurance’s already-low improper payment rate — a closely-watched standardized measure of waste and efficiency – improved again in 2018.…
2018 Farm Bill Reference Price Escalator for 2019 Market Year
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill) has an escalator option for the reference price used to calculate ARC and…
Higher Corn Demand in 2019-20
USDA sees higher corn acres, production, exports and prices for the 2019-20 crop as well as lower ending stocks at…
Metal Tariffs Still Dog USMCA
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue talked about trade and the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts at the…