Higher milk prices coupled with lower feed costs still resulted in positive cash returns but continued negative economic returns for Illinois dairy producers in 2024, according to figures summarized by…

This article examines crop machinery investment and net annual investment per acre for various crop farm sizes. Larger farms tend to have lower benchmarks with regard to crop investment per acre and spend less on a per acre basis on machinery and equipment. The large differences in crop machinery investment and net investment per acre between small and large crop farms suggest that there are substantial economies of size regarding machinery and equipment costs.

Starting with crops harvested in 2026, premium subsidy for ECO and SCO area add-up insurance will be 80%. Coverage options are 90% or 95% for ECO and 90% for SCO. STAX area add-up insurance has offered 90% coverage – 80% subsidy for cotton since 2015. Ratio of indemnities net of farmer paid premiums to farmer paid premiums has been notably higher for STAX than individual farm insurance, especially when insurance price declined double digits. Performance should be similar for ECO and SCO.

The $12 billion in Farmer Bridge Assistance is intended to provide more immediate support between now and when ARC/PLC payments for 2025 would be received in October 2026. While payment rates have not yet been released, info provided about FBA was used to compute estimates which suggest around $35-40 per acre in support, on average, could be received by grain farms in Illinois. These FBA payments improve farmer return prospects compared with previous budget estimates released in August.

The U.S. agricultural export scenario has experienced a transformation in 2025, with diversification of export destinations emerging as an important factor for both the corn and soybean markets. While these two major commodities have followed different trajectories, with corn exports expanding and soybean exports contracting, both demonstrate the strategic value of diversified market portfolios rather than keeping a high dependence on a single market.

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut the federal funds target range by another 25 basis points to 3.50–3.75 percent, marking the third reduction this year and extending…

Agriculture leaders in the United States House of Representatives are looking to provide at least an additional $10 billion in farmer aid to supplement the recently announced Farmer Bridge Assistance…

China has secured at least 7 million tons of US soybeans after heavy buying in the past two weeks, passing the halfway mark toward meeting its 12-million ton purchase agreement…

The Agriculture Department received overwhelmingly negative feedback on its plan to relocate thousands of staff and consolidate dozens of offices, as employees, lawmakers and stakeholders said it could lead to…

U.S. farmers facing steep losses this year welcomed President Donald Trump’s $12 billion aid package announced on Monday, but said they would need more than that to fully offset low…