Farm Economy

The government shutdown halts USDA marketing loans, cutting off a vital tool for farmers and adding financial strain during harvest season. Experts warn the impact could deepen.

Iowa farmland values remain strong despite lower grain prices and rising financial stress. Tight supply, local farmer demand and low debt keep land prices surprisingly resilient.

Various programs and reports are on hold. Among them are EQIP and SDRP. Also in jeopardy of being delayed or cancelled is the October WASDE, due this Thursday.

Third-generation farmer Amy France and team at NSP are on a mission to improve buyer demand for the crop domestically and abroad.

The Farm Journal September Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor makes it clear: Working capital is thinning, export markets are shaky and long-term crop margins could get ugly. But for now, one thing is still keeping its strength: Americans’ appetite for beef.

Farm Journal’s September Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found nearly half of the ag economists surveyed say the U.S. ag economy is worse off than a month ago and will remain depressed or even worsen over the next 12 months.

Fifty-three percent of agricultural economists surveyed in the July Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor say the row crops side of agriculture is currently in a recession, which is down from the 72% who responded that way in May.

NCGA’s Krista Swanson says it would take about 226 bu. of corn to buy a ton of ammonium phosphate, which is up from the 180 bu. it took at the beginning of this year. As fertilizer costs are on the rise, corn prices are now at or below $4, and it’s creating a grim outlook for 2026.