Last week’s Department of Agriculture crop reports sent stocks of farm machinery companies lower. USDA on Thursday reported higher than expected crop yields in the August round of crop reports, which includes key yield speculations. Following the report stocks of Agco and Deere dropped roughly 2.5 percent each. CNH Industrial, the manufacture of Case and New Holland, dropped 1.5 percent …
Farmers Still Support Trump but Worry Over Farm Bill
While some polls say President Trump’s support base has begun to slip, a new Farm Futures survey shows a majority of farmers (55 percent) would give Trump an A or B if they were to assign a grade to him on domestic issues. 26 percent would give him a C. The survey found that farmers seem to be mostly okay …
Farm Economy May Be Starting to Stabilize
The prolonged downturn in the farm economy continued in the second quarter of 2017. However, data from the Kansas City Fed’s Survey on Agricultural Credit Conditions shows the farm economy may finally be starting to stabilize. While economic conditions did continue to weaken in the second quarter, the pace of that deterioration has slowed. While the farm loan repayment rate …
Farmers Indicate Higher Outlook on Farm Economy
Farmers surveyed as part of the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer indicated more optimism in July because of better commodity prices expectations this fall. The monthly survey for July reached 139, its highest level since January 2017, and its second-highest level since data collection began in October 2015. The increase continues a trend seen over the summer of more optimism …
New Survey of Farm Lenders
A new survey of farm lenders gives us a look at how they view the financial situations of their farmer borrowers. Gary Crawford has the details. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application …
Current Farm Downturn Not Likely to Reach 1980’s Crisis
A report by a Farm Credit Administration economist told the Administration’s board members last week that the current downturn in the farm economy is not likely to reach a 1980s-style crisis. Farm Credit chief economist Stephen Gabriel said the “likelihood of this is very low,” adding that a confluence of adverse factors led to the crisis that occurred in the …
Agri View: Growing Population Challenges
Everett Griner talks about farmers not concerned about challenges ahead with the growing population in today’s Agri View. Feeding the world population of 9 billion people is still a challenge to agriculture. The farmers who grow the crops don’t seem to be worried. Looking at their efforts in the last half century one can understand why. You see, …
House Subcommittee Limits USDA Cuts to 5 Percent
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee advanced the fiscal year 2018 spending bill for discretionary programs at USDA and other agencies at just over $20 billion. That’s a $1.1 billion cut from last year’s funding bill and 5.2 percent less than current funding levels. If those numbers hold, USDA would get roughly $876 million less in funding levels compared to the …
Secretary Perdue Hosts Inaugural Rural Prosperity Task Force Meeting
Task Force showcases broad interagency support for promoting economic growth and spurring innovation in rural America U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue hosted the inaugural meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. Joined by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Director of the White House Office of Management and …
Rancher Discusses Death Tax
One of the top issues being discussed in our nation’s capital right now is tax reform, and that, of course, includes the estate tax, or death tax, as many know it. It is something the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, among other groups in agriculture, would like to see repealed. Ed Frank talks with NCBA President-elect and fifth-generation California rancher Kevin …