Agricultural loan demand increased in 2023, and agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks grew 6.7 percent to $110 billion. The American Bankers Association’s (ABA) annual Farm Bank Performance Report credits elevated production costs, commodity price volatility, and a return to pre-COVID levels of direct government payments. The ABA says farm banks continued to enjoy solid performance in 2023, with robust …
Grain Traders Tracking Issues Abroad
Many agricultural traders continue to keep an eye on various issues in other countries that affect the markets. Mark Oppold has more details.
December Milk Production Drops Slightly
The 24 states that produce the most milk totaled 18.1 billion pounds in December, down 0.1 percent from December 2022. November’s revised production, at 17.3 billion pounds, was 0.6 percent below November 2022. The November revision represented a decrease of 14 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from November’s preliminary production estimate. The USDA says production per cow in …
Florida Landowners Encouraged to Apply for Financial Assistance Programs
Florida landowners interested in aligning their land uses with conservation values and practices have an opportunity to apply for U.S. Held or Entity Held Conservation Easements and/or Land Management opportunities. This is all in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida (NRCS-FL) and the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT). Landowners that applied for the recent Florida Department …
Sign Up Continues for NRCS Programs
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to accept applications for two of their flagship programs. This includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). NRCS Chief Terry Cosby talks about climate smart conservation practices and the partnership between landowners and NRCS technical staff to put these practices into action. (audio) Learn more about …
Small Family Farms at Highest Financial Risk
Small family farms were more likely to have greater financial vulnerability than other farms, according to data from USDA’s Economic Research Service. Researchers calculated the operating profit margin by taking the ratio of profit to gross farm income to find that in 2022, between 52 and 79 percent of small family farms, depending on the farm type, were at the …
Fed’s January 2024 Beige Book on Ag Economy
The Federal Reserve Board released its January 2024 Beige Book, a summary of its commentary on the current economic conditions in each Federal Reserve District. In the sixth district around Atlanta, low cattle supply led to higher cattle prices, but consumers are substituting less expensive proteins and preventing full pass-through of prices. In the eighth district near St. Louis, ongoing …
Tracking Lows in the Corn and Soybean Markets
Many continue to track lows in both the corn and soybean markets after last week’s trading. Mark Oppold has more on that, along with the latest information from Wall Street.
NCBA Keeps Pushing for Death Tax Relief
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) strongly supports the Death Tax Repeal Act introduced in both the House and Senate. NCBA says it’s unconscionable for cattle producers to face a tax that forces them to sell all or part of their family’s farm or ranch due to the death of a family member. “With the cost of farmland rising rapidly, …
Bipartisan Bill Would Support Organic Dairy Farmers
Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House that would support organic dairy farmers. The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act would enhance data collection at USDA to better understand the costs associated with producing organic milk. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), a longtime organic farmer and House Ag Committee member, and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) sponsor the bill. “International trade challenges, adverse …
- Page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2