Rice

Will Land Values Remain Resilient in 2026 in The Face of a Farm Crisis?

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:59:10 GMT

While we may not see as many record eye-popping land sales in 2026, experts say they still anticipate the land market to remain resilient. After years of steady growth, the agricultural land market is shifting and stabilizing. That’s according to analysis from Farmers National Company.

“When we look to 2026, we look for the market to remain stable. We don’t see anything on the horizon that would indicate large fluctuations in land values,” says Colton Lacina, senior vice president of real estate operations. “There are some macro influential factors we are watching — whether that’s grain prices, the 2026 crop and also interest rates.”

He says this isn’t a sign of collapse, but a recalibration that reflects current commodity prices, input costs and regional production conditions.

“We aren’t anticipating the market to fall out, but we are with prolonged compressed margins in the commodity sector. We are anticipating the growth to slow down,” Lacina points out.

Land Market Still Resilient

Still, the resilience of land values has been a welcome surprise to Lacina and his company.

“I think it comes down to, fundamentally, supply and demand. Our supply has continued to be, throughout the last 18 months, historically low, and demand has remained stable. So, that really props up the resiliency of the market,” he adds.

That’s good news with four-year lows in grain prices, and particularly for farmers who own their land outright. That value is what’s keeping many of them in business with negative profits.

Regional Differences Emerge

Although land values are still high historically, current signs indicate a more complex market — driven by local and regional factors rather than nationwide trends. Of the eight regions Farmers National Company serves, Lacina says some are faring better than others.

“The core Midwest, the I-states and eastern Nebraska have remained much more stable than say the Southern regions where different commodity types or crop types, being cotton or rice, are seeing a little more weakness there. We’ve also seen marginal land slide,” Lacina says.

Farmers Still Main Buyers, But More Conservative

Lacina says active farmers remain the largest group of buyers, yet many are more cautious — weighing profitability concerns against long-term ownership goals. They focus on high-quality land within their established areas.

“In areas that we saw good yields in 2025, we’re seeing that translate into higher land values in areas that were impacted on yield. Producers being our largest buying sector, they are being more conservative and really analyzing those purchases,” he explains.

One bright spot has been increased value for range and pasture land with high cattle prices. Additionally, Lacina says they only expect land rental rates to cool by about 1.5% in 2026.

At a Breaking Point, More Cotton Farmers Could Be Forced to Walk Away

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:59:59 GMT

It’s a grim reality that isn’t improving in the South. Cotton and rice producers say their balance sheets are bleeding red. After multiple years of losses, debt continues to mount, and recently announced government payments are not expected to come close to covering the financial hole farmers face again this year.

For many, the question is no longer how to make a profit, it’s whether they can stay in farming at all.

Farmers, industry leaders and economists warn the U.S. could be approaching a breaking point for cotton and rice production, with 2026 shaping up to be another year that pushes more growers out of the business. And with more farmers potentially walking away, the fear is the U.S. could be on the verge of losing those industries altogether.

“An Average Crop Doesn’t Pay the Bills”

For Charles Williams, a farmer in Crawfordsville, Ark., he’s seen what multiple years of losses can do to an industry.

“In terms of how the year ended up, it’s pretty average to mediocre,” Williams says. “But an average crop really doesn’t pay the bills, unfortunately.”

Looking back at 2025, Williams says he feels fortunate his operation was able to plant at all. Heavy flooding across the mid-South last spring forced many acres to go unplanted, compounding losses in a region heavily dependent on rice and cotton.

The flooding came at a time when acreage was already under pressure.

“I’m on the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board, and I’ve seen some projections on acres,” Williams says. “In 2024, I think we had 1.4 million acres of rice here in the state. In 2025, USDA shows 1.25 million got planted. I’m kind of surprised by that number, but it’s probably some late-planted rice. We’re projecting under 900,000 acres. I think that’s the lowest acreage since 1983.”

Arkansas is the nation’s largest rice-producing state, growing roughly half of all U.S. rice. Cotton is the other cornerstone crop,but it comes with specialized, expensive equipment that leaves farmers with few alternatives.

Because these farmers have cotton equipment to pay for, equipment that can only do one thing, which is pick cotton, walking away isn’t an easy choice. Williams also is an owner of a gin.

“We’ll continue to plant some cotton, at least as much as we did last year,” he says. “Our production last year is half of what it historically is, so we’ll be 50% to 60%, maybe 65% of what we historically plant with cotton. Rice, I don’t know. There may not be a whole lot of rice grown, quite frankly.”

The Piece Not Many Are Saying Out Loud: “We’re on the Cusp of Offshoring Production”

Williams says many farmers are planting crops in 2026 knowing full well they won’t make money on them. That reality has him worried about the long-term future of U.S. production.

“I hate to think about the possibility of offshoring cotton production and rice production,” Williams says. “I think we’re on the cusp of that right now.”

That concern is echoed across the Cotton Belt.

When Gary Adams, president and CEO of the National Cotton Council, spoke to “U.S. Farm Report” last spring, he warned the industry had gone from just losing money to losing farms . Nearly a year later, he says little has changed.

“If you just look at the economics of where the market is, it’s been generally trading sideways over the last half of 2025,” Adams says. “For a lot of growers, the situation is kind of the same as it had been. You just put another year of losses on top of what had been a couple of years before that.”

Adams says conversations with farmers reveal a level of stress he hasn’t seen before. Average cotton losses in 2025 are estimated at more than $300 per acre.

“That’s the kind of numbers we’re seeing for the 2025 crop,” Adams says. “We compare that to 2024, even a little worse than what we saw in 2024, and 2023 had a loss as well, just not as large. That’s the magnitude we’re looking at when we stack up market returns versus cost of production.”

Government Aid Helps, But Doesn’t Close the Gap

Last week, USDA announced payment rates for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program , with rice payments set at nearly $133 per acre and cotton payments just over $117 per acre.

Those payments drew criticism from soybean farmers who argue soybeans were hit harder by last year’s trade dispute with China.

Seth Meyer, who served as USDA chief economist for five years before taking a job with the University of Missouri to start 2026, was on the front lines of crafting the calculations for the Farmer Bridge Program payments. He says it’s key to understand the program is designed as economic aid, not trade mitigation.

“We started off this discussion about trade mitigation and simply tight margins and tough economic conditions to bridge us to ARC and PLC support,” says Seth Meyer, director of Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri and former USDA chief economist. “The safety net kicks in in October of this year. When folks look at some of the commodity payments, this is an economic impact. They were calculating these very similarly to ECAP, looking at shortfalls in cost of production, not trade impacts.”

Meyer says the administration was pursuing multiple strategies simultaneously while being strategic with how the program was rolled out.

“There’s been kind of two efforts,” he says. “One is putting a program out there so the Chinese can’t hold that trade impact over our head during negotiation. At the same time, we’re pursuing other trade opportunities. When we look at ongoing trade negotiations with China and the president’s supposed visit in the spring, there’s been some progress, even though the friction lasted longer than last time.”

But the Farmer Bridge payments are capped at $155,000 per individual, a limit Adams says will constrain many cotton operations.

“I do think it’s helping offset a portion of their shortfall,” Adams says. “It gives them a chance to stay in business, not a chance at a profit, a chance to stay in business, when you combine it with the higher reference prices in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that will take effect later this year.”

He says in the OBBB, cotton’s seed cotton reference price increased about 14%, but those funds won’t arrive until October.

“There’s still a lot of weight between now and then,” Adams says. “Things can happen with the market. This serves as a bridge, but does it fill the entire hole they’re facing? No, it doesn’t.”

What it does provide, Adams says, is some reassurance to lenders.

“It gives lenders some assurance to go with them for another year,” he says. “That’s the situation a lot of growers are in.”

More Farmers Walking Away? Those Decisions Are Being Made Right Now

Even with the assistance that USDA says should hit bank accounts by the end of February, Adams says some farmers won’t make it, either by choice or because their lender won’t finance them for the upcoming year.

“Some growers will look at the markets, look at cost of production, look at what equity they still have and make the decision that that’s enough,” Adams says. “They’ll decide to get out of farming and do something else. We know those decisions are being made right now.”

When asked whether the industry expects an uptick in farmers exiting, particularly in the mid-South, Adams doesn’t hesitate.

“I think there’s a really good chance that will happen,” he says. “Whether it’s by choice or dictated by their lender, they’re taking a hard look at what equity they still have and whether they want to continue taking on that level of risk.”

Ag Lender Says Farmers Are Seeing the Most Financial Stress Since the 1980s

Greg Cole is president and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, which serves roughly 6,700 members across 24 counties in Arkansas. Cole started in ag lending in 1984, and he told U.S. Farm Report last year that Arkansas farmers were staring at a loss on every crop they grow . He says it’s not an exact repeat of the 1980s, but it’s eerily similar.

“I can tell you this, this is the most stress I’ve seen since the ‘80s when you come to farm profitability, i.e. farmers losing money,” Cole says. “One positive we have now compared to the ‘80s is land values. Our land values are still positive, which gives some lendable equity —unlike in the 80s, when I started my career, when U.S. farmland prices plummeted in some areas up to 60%.”

With a drastic drop in commodity prices, but input prices still record or near-record high, Cole says farmers in Arkansas, specifically, have been eroding balance sheets for four straight years.

“We started seeing losses in ’22 when 40% of our producers lost money,” Cole says. “In ’23, about 50% lost money. And then last year, in ’24, 70% lost money, with the average loss of about $150 an acre. And that’s after they received about a $50 per acre ECAP payments. Today, we’re looking at where we stand now. We could have a similar level of losses in ‘25 that we had in ‘24. Even though in ’24, we had very strong yields. But now we have weaker yields.”

As mounting debt shows up on the balance sheets, Cole says there are two types of farmers seeing the most severe financial strain.

“The ones who rent most of the land, especially if they pay on the higher end of rent. And here in the Mississippi Delta, most farmers who have a lot of acres rent most of their ground,” Cole says. “And then young, beginning farmers who didn’t have the opportunity to build up a lot of equity. Those are the ones that have occurred these multiple year losses where their balance sheet debt has swollen to a level that’s hard to service a debt when you add the interest rate cost on top of it.”

What Will It Take to Turn Cotton Prices Around?

With prices still below breakeven again this year, Adams says the industry is focused on the demand side of the equation.

“Commodity markets are always cyclical,” he says. “There will be some unanticipated shock, but when we look forward. We’re really focused on demand; global cotton demand has been relatively stagnant for the last decade.”

Global consumption currently sits between 115 million and 118 million bales, down from highs of 123 million to 124 million bales. That’s why the industry is leaning into campaigns like Plant Not Plastic , highlighting cotton’s environmental and health benefits.

“We’re really focusing on cotton as a natural fiber and a healthy alternative to synthetics,” Adams says. “Microplastic microfiber pollution is in the environment, in our bodies and in our food. We want brands, retailers and consumers to be aware of that.”

Adams also points to untapped domestic demand. Of the roughly 40 million bales of fiber consumed in the U.S. retail market each year, only about 4 million bales, roughly 10%, are U.S. cotton.

Legislation known as the Buying American Cotton Act , introduced by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, aims to change that by offering transferable tax credits for products made with U.S.-grown cotton.

“We hope in the next two to three weeks to have a companion bill introduced in the House,” Adams says. “This would provide tax incentives to brands and retailers that document the use of U.S. cotton. We believe that translates into additional demand and better prices for producers.”

Williams says domestic consumption is critical.

“I think we need to find ways to incentivize production as much as we can,” he says. “Beyond that, domestic consumption is something we need to be looking at. The Buying American Cotton Act is an America-first approach that could reshore finished goods. That’s what we need.”

“It’s Hang On and Hold On”

Until something changes, farmers say the pressure will continue into 2026. For Williams, the stakes are deeply personal.

“It’s hang on and hold on,” he says. “I’m going on 52 years old. I’ve got four kids, two in college and two in high school, and I need to see them through.”

For many cotton and rice farmers across the mid-South, the coming year could determine whether holding on is still possible.

Southern Farmers Face ‘Brutal’ Losses as Rice and Cotton Lead Commodity Collapse

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:08:38 GMT

Arkansas farmer Nathan Reed says the financial pressure facing farmers in the South this year is unlike anything he has seen in his career — and it is hitting rice and cotton producers especially hard.

After several years of elevated input costs combined with an extended stretch of weak commodity prices, Reed says many Southern operations are now reaching a breaking point. While farmers across the country are feeling margin pressure, he says producers in the Delta face a uniquely severe financial squeeze that leaves little room for error.

“We are in a very difficult situation in the South, in Arkansas,” Reed says. “I grow five crops: cotton, corn, soybeans and rice, with wheat and milo every once in a while. My corn and soybeans don’t pencil out, but the losses are nowhere near what the rice and cotton losses are. It is just brutal, the losses that we’re sustaining.”

Reed says the scale of the losses is hard to overstate, particularly for rice and cotton.

“Rice and cotton right now are by far the biggest losers in commodities,” he says. “It’s just staggering losses per acre.”

Southern Farms Face Unique Financial Exposure

Reed says the financial stress facing Southern farmers goes beyond commodity prices alone. Structural differences in how farms operate in the region create a very different risk profile than what many Midwest producers face.

“Being in the South, we farm improved land, and we’re mostly irrigated,” Reed explains. “Compared to the Midwest, I would say we [have] farm larger operations, but we’ve been forced toward that just to maintain the same standard of living.”

That expansion, he says, has not necessarily improved profitability — and in many cases, it has increased exposure.

“We’ve been forced to expand quite a bit, but we don’t have as workable of an insurance program,” Reed says. “Because we’re always going to make 80% of a crop through irrigation and land improvements, we can’t really rely on insurance. We’re always going to make the crop.”

That reality, Reed says, leaves Southern producers vulnerable when prices collapse.

“We can have some pretty severe losses without any real way to recoup those losses,” he says. “That’s the risk we live with.”

Rice and Cotton Losses Deepen

USDA was expected to roll out the exact Farmer Bridge Program payment rates this week, but the agency says that will now happen before the end of next week with payments expected to roll out early next year. Ahead of USDA’s official release, early estimates point to cotton and rice seeing the biggest payment rates , and that’s understandably so considering cotton and rice are experiencing the steepest losses this year.

As price pressure intensifies, Reed says earlier loss projections are quickly becoming outdated, particularly for rice.

According to University of Arkansas projections released earlier this fall, losses were estimated at roughly $85 per acre for soybeans, nearly $353 per acre for cotton and about $259 per acre for rice.

Reed says rice losses are now significantly worse.

“The rice price is over 50¢ less than when that projection was made,” he says. “Rice losses are closer to over $300 an acre now, and yes, that’s very close to reality.”

He says those figures already include equipment payments, land rent and operating expenses — and that makes the situation even more precarious for producers carrying heavier debt loads.

“They take every number into account, equipment payments, land, rent, all of that,” Reed says. “If you’ve got a heavy debt load on equipment, rent and land at 20% to 25% market share, that’s absolutely the kind of loss you’re looking at.”

Watch the full “Unscripted” episode here:

‘You Can’t Just Walk Away From Cotton’

Despite those losses, Reed says cotton isn’t a crop farmers can simply abandon. Years of investment and infrastructure lock producers into the crop, even during downturns.

“The problem with cotton is you kind of have everything else we farm, and then you have cotton,” Reed says. “It takes a lot of specialized equipment. I’ve got three cotton pickers. I don’t have enough combine capacity to harvest all my land if I walked away from cotton.”

Beyond the equipment, Reed says entire regional systems depend on cotton production.

“You’ve got gins, warehouses, seed crushing facilities — this whole infrastructure that’s built just for cotton,” he says. “If you’re not careful, you can lose that in two to three years.”

Reed says most cotton farmers understand what’s at stake.

“I think most cotton farmers recognize that and are willing to try to stay in the cotton business as long as we can,” he says. “I’ve severely curtailed my acres, not because I wanted to, but out of economic necessity. I had to cut back to a level I can afford to lose.”

Global Competition and a ‘Non-Level Playing Field’

Reed says the financial strain is compounded by what he sees as unfair global competition. While U.S. farmers operate under strict regulations and higher costs, competitors abroad do not face the same constraints.

“I used to feel like the American farmer could compete against anybody in the world,” Reed says. “Now, I feel like we can produce the highest-quality crops under the best environmental and worker safety standards, but we are having difficulty competing on price.”

He points to cotton as a clear example.

“When you have South America making money on cotton in the low 60¢ range and the American cotton farmer hemorrhaging money, something’s not right,” Reed says. “How do you rebalance that? I don’t know.”

Higher labor costs and equipment expenses only widen the gap, he adds.

“I pay more for my labor per hour than most of our competition pays per day,” Reed says. “They’re buying the same tractors we are, but for 20% less because they don’t have to deal with emissions systems and the problems that go with them.”

Financing Pressure Builds Heading Into 2026

As producers look ahead to 2026, Reed says decision-making has shifted from profitability to survival.

“Right now, what we’re really looking at is what we can lose the least on,” he says. “That’s what my decision-making is.”

Even with expected USDA bridge payments, Reed says financing pressure is mounting and many producers may not make it through another year.

“Oh absolutely, there will be farmers who can’t get financed,” Reed says. “It’s been quiet because people were waiting to see what would happen. But my banker is getting calls every day from people trying to refinance or who’ve been cut off.”

He says once temporary relief measures are accounted for, the true impact will surface.

“I think that’s when the pain really comes,” Reed says.

The Stakes for Rural America

Reed says the consequences of sustained losses extend far beyond individual farms, especially in rural Southern communities where agriculture is the primary economic driver.

“In our little community, it’s just ag,” he says. “We don’t have factories. The whole middle class works for ag-related businesses.”

If farming isn’t viable, Reed says the ripple effects are devastating.

“If agriculture is not sustainable, I can’t stay,” he says. “And it drains out the tax base, the schools, everything. If ag is not viable, we might as well shut the door on every small town across the South.”

Reed says American farmers have upheld their end of the bargain.

“The American farmer has done their job,” he says. “We’ve provided the cheapest food per capita anywhere else in the world.”

But without change, he warns, the system will continue to erode.

“Twenty years ago, you could farm 2,000 acres, raise a family and be solidly middle class,” Reed says. “Now you’ve got to farm five times that just to maintain the same lifestyle. That tells you how bad this has gotten.”

FarmDoc Releases Farmer Bridge Assistance Payment Estimates

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:04:38 GMT

USDA is scheduled to release the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program payment rates next week. In anticipation of the official numbers, University of Illinois’s farmdoc Daily rolled out its estimates with payments ranging from $21 per acre for barley to a high of $134 per acre for rice.

The FBA program will provide $12 billion in support to offset losses associated with unfair trade practices. The majority of those dollars, $11 billion, will be used for payments to eligible row crop producers while the remaining $1 billion will go toward specialty crops. Payments will be made to farmers by the end of February 2026.

The formula for figuring payments will be similar to ECAP, says CPA Paul Neiffer. He calculated payments using the mid-year average price. For example, the soybean price last year was $10.20, and this year it’s $10.50. Soybeans might see a reduced rate, but all the other crops, especially wheat and rice, are seeing a 10% to 15% increase, he adds.

“Then I took that difference in the price. So I took the old ECAP number, multiplied it by 110% because we have an extra 10% and then multiplied it by that difference in price,” Neiffer says. “If the price went down, that payment went up a little bit, and if the price went up like it did for soybeans, that price went down.”

Corn farmers will receive the largest share of payments at more than $4.5 billion as farmdoc estimates bridge payments for corn at $46 an acre. However, that still won’t make up for four-year lows in prices and near-record-high input prices, says Matt Frostic, vice president of the National Corn Growers Association.

“We’re looking at $170 [per acre] negative margins in corn this year, which is pretty dramatic. When you couple that with some of the peripheral states where they’ve had disaster the last couple of years due to drought, the grower is in pretty tough shape right now to endure some of this.”

For soybeans, farmdoc shows losses of $83 per acre and an estimated bridge payment of $25 per acre. All told, soybean farmers will receive over $2 billion of the $11 billion allocated to row crop farmers in the program.

Caleb Ragland , president, American Soybean Association, says these payments can’t make up for losing their top export customer, China, due to tariffs and the trade war. He says China accounted for 25% of all soybeans grown in the U.S. in 2024, so these payments leave a gap.

“It would help some, but I think the losses and the pain is much deeper than that, quite frankly,” he says. “We’re in a pretty tough spot on many of our operations.”

(FarmDoc)

Highest Payment Per Acre Goes to Rice Farmers
farmdoc estimates the highest bridge payment for rice farmers at $134 per acre based on losses of $446 per acre. That exceeds estimated losses for rice calculated by the University of Arkansas at $259 an acre. Arkansas farmer Nathan Reed said on a recent episode of “Unscripted” the reason for the discrepancy is because that projection was made in October and rice prices have dropped since then.

“The rice price is over 50¢ less than when that projection was made. The rice price is closer to $300 an acre, and yes, that’s very close, especially when they take every number into account, equipment payments, things such as that, land rent, etc.,” Reed says.

While the assistance is welcome, it can’t stop the systematic bleeding from three or four years of accumulated losses on the farm, he adds.

“As things kind of settle and these bridge payments come in, I think that’s when the pain is going to come. For some people that’s when the banks will look at it and say, well, we can get most of our money back, we might need to just cut them off,” Reed explains.

Big losses continue in the South with cotton at a negative $383 per acre, with a bridge payment of $115. Payments for other crops include peanuts at an estimated $64 per acre, wheat at $39, sorghum at $48 per acre and oats at $92.

Moment of Truth: The Louisiana Farmer Who Captured Trump's Ear, Put Human Face on Ag Crisis

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:29:01 GMT

Rice country is hurting, badly.

Prices have collapsed to levels not seen in four decades, while production costs climb beyond $1,000 an acre. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, rice farmers are projected to lose more than $360 per acre this year. For many operations, that kind of math pushes losses deeper into the red and pushes tough decisions closer to reality.

That financial pressure was front and center at the White House last week as President Donald Trump unveiled his Farmer Bridge Payments, but what captured national attention wasn’t just policy — it was a farmer.

Her words, delivered candidly and unscripted on live television, put a human face on the crisis gripping America’s rice farms and mills.

That producer is Meryl Kennedy.

A Family Business Rooted in Rice

Kennedy is the youngest of four daughters, carrying forward a family operation that stretches back nearly six decades. Her father began farming rice in the late 1960s, and over time the family expanded beyond production into milling and value-added markets. That vertical integration gives Kennedy a front-row view of how price volatility affects not just growers, but entire supply chains.

“So I’m actually second generation,” Kennedy says. “My father started as a farmer back in the late 1960s, and we continue to take rice from the farm to a finished product today.”

After returning home from college, Kennedy helped oversee the startup of the family’s rice mill in 2012. The mill steadily grew, sourcing rice from roughly 60 farm families who relied on the operation as a stable market outlet. For those growers, the health of the mill is closely tied to the health of the farm economy.

“We actually mill rice, distribute it to many large companies throughout the U.S. and internationally,” Kennedy says. “But then my sisters and I have our own brand called Four Sisters that we launch about five years ago.”

As president and CEO of Kennedy Rice Mill and co-founder of Four Sisters Rice, Kennedy balances brand development, export logistics and farmer relationships. That role places her at the intersection of domestic agriculture and global trade, a perspective that proved pivotal when she was invited to Washington.

An Unexpected Moment in the Spotlight

Kennedy was one of eight farmers invited to participate in the White House roundtable on Dec. 8. Like many producers attending policy discussions, she expected a private conversation focused on data and feedback. What she did not know until moments before entering the room is that the discussion will be broadcast live.

“And my sisters and I, because there are four of us — I’m the youngest of four daughters — started our own rice brand a few years ago to just tell the story of American agriculture that hadn’t really been told before,” Kennedy told Trump and the White House Cabinet members who attended the farmer roundtable that day. “But I wish I was here under better terms.”

As the conversation turned to the financial outlook for rice, Kennedy did not sugarcoat the situation. Her remarks reflect what growers have been telling lenders and suppliers for months: Margins are gone, and losses are mounting.

“I know that prices right now are the lowest they’ve been in over 40 years, so we’re going to struggle,” she continued. “We’re going to max out on our payments probably, so that’s something that I know those in Congress can potentially help us with to change.”

Kennedy says the magnitude of the moment did not fully register until after the cameras are rolling. Sitting beside the president, she realized she was speaking not just for her own operation, but for growers across the country.

“In fact, it still seems like it is a dream, I’m going to be honest with you,” she says. “At the beginning of this year, I had a feeling that it was going to be a very difficult year. But it really wasn’t until midway through the year that we just saw a drastic drop in prices that has continued month after month.”

Farmers Asked Her to Speak Up

Kennedy says her decision to engage directly with the administration was driven by the growers who supply her mill. As conditions worsen, those farmers began urging her to use her industry position to push for action.

“And so it really is my farmers urging me a month ago to write a letter to the president,” she says. “To explain the situation to him, to urge him to help our farmers.”

That outreach, Kennedy says, marked a turning point. What began as a letter quickly became a national conversation.

“We wrote that letter, and look what the president does,” she says. “He responded.”

Kennedy explains the collapse in rice prices cannot be understood without looking beyond U.S. borders. Rice, she notes, is not just another commodity; it is a staple food for much of the world, making global market dynamics especially complex.

“Rice is a global commodity. It is the means of survival for most of the planet on a daily basis,” she says. “I truly mean it that rice is more of a currency than it is a commodity.”

While the U.S. ranks fifth in the world for rice exports, Kennedy says heavy subsidization and overproduction by major exporting nations distort markets and undermine U.S. competitiveness.

“And what has been happening is that really since COVID, there’s been truly an overproduction,” she says. “Then we over-subsidize in these nations and then dump rice globally across the world.”

A Candid Exchange With a Call to Action

That backdrop set the stage for one of the most striking moments of the roundtable, as Kennedy directly addressed concerns about dumping and unfair trade practices. The exchange unfolded live, capturing the attention of producers watching from home.

“And we do believe that countries are dumping rice into this country today,” Kennedy said during the roundtable at the White House. “We’ve never seen imports this great.”

When pressed for specifics, she named the countries she believes are contributing to the problem.

“India, Thailand, even China into Puerto Rico,” she said. “Puerto Rico used to be one of the largest markets for U.S. rice. We haven’t shipped rice into Puerto Rico in years.”

As Kennedy listed off the countries, Trump turned to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and asked him to write the countries down. Kennedy said the moment was monumental.

“None of it is scripted,” she says. “He really called me to action, and I responded.”

“When he turns to Secretary Bessent and asks him to write these countries down, it really is a powerful moment,” she adds. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

Aid Helps — But It’s Not Enough

The roundtable featuring farmers on Dec. 8 was intended to announce Farmer Bridge Assistance Payment Program, for which USDA is expected to release payment rates next week. Ahead of that official announcement, University of Arkansas economists estimate rice payments could approach $115 per acre, though statutory payment caps will limit the amount many farmers actually receive.

“You know, I’ve seen some other figures kind of siding more like $50, considering that $155,000 payment cap,” says Mollie Buckler, CEO of U.S. Rice Producers. “While I think it will help some farmers, this is not putting huge profits in their pockets.”

Buckler says the assistance might keep some producers afloat short-term, but it does not address the underlying market imbalance. Without structural changes, she warns, the industry will continue to contract.

“Absolutely,” Buckler says when asked if farmers could be forced out of business. “Possibly even up to a quarter of farmers having to make tough decisions.”

Pressing Trump to Love Rice

Despite the seriousness of the discussion, Kennedy’s exchange with Trump also included a lighter moment that resonated with viewers. The humor underscores a broader effort to build demand for U.S.-grown rice.

“And you love rice, right?” the president asked.

“I love rice,” Kennedy replied. “I’m going to get you to love rice too. The next time, you’re not going to have a button for a Coke, you’re going to have a button for rice.”

It was another moment that stole the spotlight, as Kennedy’s quick-witted response garnered laughs. Kennedy says she even surprised herself in that moment.

“It just came out,” she says. “I encourage everyone that doesn’t eat rice on a daily basis to think about making rice part of your diet.”

A Voice for Farmers

For Kennedy, the experience reinforces the importance of connecting consumers with the people behind their food. She says telling that story is now more crucial than ever as farm families navigate financial uncertainty.

“This has given me a voice to encourage people to think about where their food comes from,” she says. “To think about supporting American farmers.”

As rice producers confront one of the toughest years in decades, Kennedy’s message reflects a broader industry plea for fair trade, market transparency and a future where family farms can continue growing a crop that feeds the world.

Christmas Comes Early: Trump Administration Announces $12 Billion in Bridge Payments for Farmers

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:35:23 GMT

Help is on the way for farmers impacted by the Trump administration’s trade policies. The White House released some details of its long-anticipated trade aid package, totaling $12 billion .

Up to $11 billion will go toward a newly designed “Farmer Bridge Assistance” program targeted toward row crop farmers hit hardest by trade disruptions. Those payments will be sent by the end of February, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. The remaining $1 billion will be set aside and is designated for other crops affected by the ongoing disputes.

President Donald Trump announced the package Monday, joined by Rollins, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several growers. Trump said during the roundtable that tariffs will be used to fund the payments, while a release from USDA says the bulk of the funding will run through a new Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and funded under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

Rollins framed the package as near-term help while trade and farm-safety-net updates ramp up. She made comments during the roundtable on Monday, surrounded by farmers.

“President Trump will not let our farmers be left behind, so he directed our team to build a bridge program to see quick relief while the president’s dozens of new trade deals and new market access take effect,” Rollins says. “The plan we are announcing today ensures American farmers can continue to plan for the next crop year … it will allow farmers to leverage strengthened price protection risk management tools and the reliability of fair trade deals so they do not have to depend on large ad hoc assistance packages from the government.”

FARMER VERY GRATEFUL TO @POTUS: "YOU BROUGHT CHRISTMAS TO FARMERS"

Cordt Holub, Corn and Soybean Farmer from Iowa: What you're doing here in D.C. is working... I'll be able to potentially pass on a farm to my children because of you. pic.twitter.com/E3vq6jsTMM
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) December 8, 2025

When Are Farmer Assistance Payments Expected?

Based on information released from USDA on Monday, the timing of the payments are as follows:

Dec. 19, 2025 (5 p.m. ET): Deadline for producers to make sure 2025 acreage reporting is accurate.
End of December 2025: USDA expects to release commodity-specific payment rates.
By Feb. 28, 2026: USDA says eligible FBA payments should be released.
Oct. 1, 2026: USDA points to farm bill-related improvements in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), including higher statutory reference prices for major commodities, reaching eligible farmers starting on this date.

What Farmers Need to Know

Here’s how the new tariff-funded aid package breaks down and what producers can expect it to mean for their operations.

$12 billion total in one-time assistance tied to 2025 conditions, framed as a short-term bridge while new trade access and longer-term safety net changes take effect.
Up to $11 billion is slated for the FBA Program focused on row crops, using a “simple, proportional” national formula intended to cover a portion of modeled 2025 crop-year losses.
$1 billion is reserved for commodities not covered by FBA, including items such as specialty crops and sugar, but USDA says details and timelines are still being developed.
No crop insurance link required to receive FBA payments, though USDA is urging producers to use OBBBA risk management tools going forward.

Which Crops Are Covered Under the New FBA?

USDA says FBA applies to producers of a broad list of row crops and oilseeds, including:

Barley
Corn
Cotton
Peanuts
Oats
Rice
Sorghum
Soybeans
Wheat
Plus crops such as canola, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame and sunflower, among others.

Is $12 Billion Enough?

The administration had been expected to roll out as much as $15 billion in aid back in October, but Rollins said the 43-day federal government shutdown pushed back the timeline.

During his first term, Trump directed about $23 billion in aid to farmers. Reuters reports producers this year were already on track to receive nearly $40 billion in ad-hoc disaster and economic assistance.

The new trade aid package is widely welcomed, but many U.S. farmers say the damage from the trade war, and China’s boycott of U.S. soybeans through harvest, has already taken its toll. Billions of dollars in lost soybean sales pushed China toward South American suppliers, creating long-term financial and market consequences.

While USDA finally unveiled its long-needed trade aid package, delayed by the 43-day government shutdown, many question whether it’s sufficient. Ed Elfman, senior vice president of agriculture and rural banking policy at the American Bankers Association, says the support will help but won’t fix structural issues.

“Any aid will help,” Elfman says. “It’ll help make cash flow work a little better. It’ll make the margins look a little better. Profitability will go up, but at the end of the day, it’s just a Band-Aid. It’s not a long-term solution.”

For some farmers already in financial distress, the relief comes too late.

“A financial bridge is vital for keeping many of our farmers in business going into 2026,” says Caleb Ragland, president, American Soybean Association. “There are some deep losses that have been incurred, and it’s been piling up over a two- or three-year period.”

Northwest Corn Belt Saw Wide Basis

In the northwest Corn Belt, the trade truce and renewed Chinese soybean purchases were too late to prevent wide basis levels and a storage crunch during harvest.

“A lot of producers were forced to sell that crop early, maybe earlier than what they wanted to,” says Kevin Deinert, president, South Dakota Soybean Association. “Given that we had some very depressed prices at that beginning October time frame before any trade deals were announced, some farmers are still reeling from that.”

Elfman says the financial strain is uneven across the country.

“One thing we’re learning from bankers, it’s creeping into the upper Midwest. The ‘I states’ are starting to feel it more and more, but really the mid-South to the South has been feeling it for three or four years now,” Elfman notes.

And while the aid helps slow the losses, he warns it doesn’t erase them.

“We are seeing with our surveys when we talk to bankers right now that they believe 50% of their producers will not be profitable next year,” Elfman says.

Ragland adds that soybean producers appreciate the lifeline but ultimately want reliable markets.

“We do not want to be dependent on the next aid program or financial bridge to stay in business,” he notes. “We need opportunities within the market.”

Meanwhile, trade negotiations with China continue. China’s Vice Premier held a video call Friday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Reports say both sides engaged in an in-depth and constructive exchange on implementing the consensus reached in an October meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi.

Under that agreement, the U.S. committed to trimming tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing cracking down on illicit fentanyl trafficking, resuming U.S. soybean purchases and maintaining rare earth exports.

Senators React, Thank Trump For Having Farmers’ Backs

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., praised the White House’s newly announced farm assistance package, calling it a bridge to help producers until the benefits of recent trade deals and the “One Big Beautiful Bill” show up in farm country.

In a statement, Boozman said farm families share Trump’s goal of expanding market access and that delivering the assistance will bridge the gap until farmers see gains from the new trade agreements and added certainty from the legislation. He added the announcement provides “much needed relief to rural America” and said the Senate Agriculture Committee is prepared to pursue additional steps to support farm families.

Boozman attended the White House roundtable for the announcement alongside Trump, Rollins, Bessent and farmers from across the country.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, was also in attendance on Monday. She praised the USDA farm assistance package announced by Trump during a White House agriculture roundtable on Monday.

“Today’s farm assistance package is welcome news as we work to get the farm economy back on track,” Fischer said. She credited Trump and Rollins for stepping up to support producers and said she looks forward to working with the administration to expand trade opportunities and strengthen markets for Nebraska agricultural products.

From Harvest to Hardship: Farmers Struggle With Cash-Flow Crunch

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 22:14:34 GMT

Across America’s heartland, most corn and soybean crops are harvested, combines have been put away, and farmers will gather with their families to enjoy the holidays ahead. But as farmers gather around dinner tables and give thanks for what they have, many are concerned about what they don’t have this fall – adequate cash flow.

That lack is the No. 1 issue facing farmers now, according to southeast Illinois farmer Sherman Newlin, who’s based in Crawford County.

“I think these low prices are starting to take a toll on guys trying to meet their cash-flow needs,” he says.

For many farmers, Newlin believes the issue isn’t just about surviving until next spring — it’s about paying land rents, covering input bills coming due, and staying afloat right now.

“Unless you’re in a good area that had really good yields, cash flow is probably going to be tight,” Newlin says.

Northeast Iowa Brent Judisch doesn’t sugarcoat the numbers he penciled out last Wednesday. “Our cash corn today is at $4.10 — that’s not going to cut it with an average yield. Our cash beans today are $10.60. With a good bean crop, that probably cash flows, but it doesn’t make any money,” he says.

Farmers Took Grain To Town At Harvest
Selling grain is about the only option many row-crop growers have had this fall to meet expenses, even if the market timing isn’t ideal, Newlin says.

“Prices for corn and soybeans have come up some. At harvest, things were quite a bit lower than where they are right now,” Newlin says. “But it’s kind of hard to take advantage of a rally if you sold across the scale and didn’t come back in and reown [the crop] on paper.”

Judisch says there are some “better bids out there” for farmers who can wait to market corn in late winter, February and March.

“But for the short term, [buyers] are not having to bid up that much to get it because guys are just having to turn some stuff into cash to pay the December rents,” he says.

(Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor)

The November Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor survey reflects farmers’ current cash-flow pressure as well as their mindset in how they are approaching marketing decisions now. The survey, administered by Farm Journal, shows:

53% of ag economists say farmers are marketing defensively, prioritizing liquidity and risk reduction.
41% of ag economists say farmers are reactive, delaying decisions due to uncertainty.

Where Is The Financial Stress Most Severe?
Jackson Takach, chief economist for Farmer Mac, tells Farm Journal his reports indicate farmers’ top concern is liquidity (working capital) and their second-highest concern is farm income.

“We know cash flows are top of mind,” he says. “As prices have come down, people are talking about it more and digging into working capital, and that’s causing a little bit of distress, particularly in the grain side of the ag economy.”

Takach says the economic stress is highest in parts of the country where soybeans are farmers’ No. 1 crop.

“You look at the Delta, that’s where we’re seeing a lot of stress popping up in bankruptcies as well as late payments, because of some of that additional stress coming through with lower commodity prices specific to soybeans.”

That sentiment is similar to what was shared in the November Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor survey, though the Monitor paints a broader picture. When asked in which region farmers face the most severe financial pressure, economists reported that “cotton and rice country is suffering from especially poor profitability and weak sentiment.”

Without action, long-term farmer viability is at risk, according to John Newton, American Farm Bureau Federation economist. “Additional financial support is critical to offset trade losses and provide a bridge until farm bill enhancements from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act go into effect,” he says in a release. “This will stabilize the farm economy, sustain rural economies and maintain affordable food prices.”

Will China Come Through On Soybean Purchases?
The fate of soybean exports is on nearly everyone’s radar, especially as China’s purchases for 2025 still hang in the balance.

Reuters’ Karl Plume reports that China is starting to make good on its promises, noting that “two cargo vessels were headed for grain port terminals near New Orleans on Monday to load with the first U.S. soybean shipments to China since May, according to a shipping schedule seen by Reuters.”

But Judisch warns the window for 2025 U.S. soybean sales to China is closing fast.

“We’re going to have to see some immediate results from this agreement [with China], because if this drags into January and February and Brazil comes online, I’m not very optimistic that we’re going to make the goals that were set between the U.S. and China.”

Farmers Press On And Start Planning For Next Season
With 2026 around the corner, cautious optimism about the new year mingles with the current hard reality of farmers’ cash-flow drought.

Judisch notes that successful negotiations by the Trump administration to drop tariffs on some items, such as fertilizer, aren’t helping financially strapped farmers. He says that was a scenario of a little help that arrived too late.

“Stopping the tariffs on fertilizer this late in the game does no good for the 2026 crop because you’ve either got it on fields already or your buildings are already full of high-priced fertilizer,” Judisch contends.

“It’s kind of a bugaboo for us,” he adds. “Our costs are staying high even with the tariffs being dropped on fertilizer, but our income is just not going to be there until probably next summer.”

Cash rents for 2026 is one important aspect of the financial equation for the year ahead that 100% of ag economists surveyed this month recommend farmers dig into now. Notes one ag economist: “Cash rent could use more attention as a majority of land is rented… it would be nice if landlords knew that they may need to lower cash rent.”

(Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor)

Newlin says he and other farmers he knows in his area are sorting through crop rotations for next season – whether to plant more corn and
fewer soybeans or less corn and more soybeans.

“We’ll probably be heavier corn next year just because of our rotation, but a lot of guys are going to be heavier in corn in our area,” Newlin says.

Judisch is sticking with his 60-40 ratio of corn to beans next season. Like Newlin, he believes other farmers could lean toward more corn in the year ahead, given the financial opportunity many believe corn offers.

“We’ve seen some very good export sales on corn, so there are some good things happening,” Judisch says. “We need to keep them going in the future. That’s the biggest thing.”

Your next read: USDA Signals Possible Trade Aid Soon, Economists Warn It Could Keep Input Prices High

Corn, Soybeans Thrive While Drought Hits Other Crops Harder

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 18:47:32 GMT

For a summer that many meteorologists predicted would be characterized by dryness over much of the Midwest, that scenario has not materialized for the most part in corn-soybean growing areas.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released August 21 reports only 5% of corn and 9% of soybean acres are experiencing some level of drought currently.

Just last week Pro Farmer released estimates from its annual Crop Tour for both crops, predicting 182.7 bu. per acre average for corn and a 53 bu. per acre projection for soybeans.

Furthermore, temperatures across much of the Midwest for the week ahead are expected to drop into a cooler-than-usual range for late August, according to the NOAA.

(NOAA)

But not all crops are in a garden spot this summer. Some are in double digit drought conditions. That includes 52% of barley, 22% of cotton, 49% of rice, 32% of sugarbeet and 31% of wheat acres.

Areas Where Dry Conditions Are Settling In
Meteorologist Jack Van Meter called out parts of the rice-growing region on Monday where dry conditions have increased in recent weeks.

“The big dis-improvement in the country, if you will, is down in the Mississippi River Valley,” he reported on AgDay TV. “We’re talking over by Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. We can see moderate drought starting to spread throughout [that area].”

The No. 1 rice producting state, Arkansas, is enduring dry conditions. California, Missouri, Texas and Louisiana are other top rice producing states that are experiencing varying degrees of dryness or drought currently.

(U.S. Drought Monitor)

USDA data shows Arkansas ranks first among rice-producing states, accounting for more than 40 percent of the country’s rice production.

One of the concerns Van Meter says he is watching is what the lack of rainfall in those states will mean to water levels on the Mississippi River.

“If water levels drop, that will mean it’s harder for shipping to get through and start to transport goods out of the country and, actually, into the country for that matter, as well,” he adds.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports it has been performing maintenance dredging throughout August to keep navigation channels open on the upper Mississippi. Navigation on the lower Mississippi continues to be affected by persistently low water levels, despite recent rainfall.

Rain In The Forecast This Week
Van Meter says a good slug of moisture will come in from the Rocky Mountains this week and across Oklahoma. That rain pattern will then move lower into the Southeast.

This week's precip forecast by @NOAA's @NWSWPC.

Large parts of the West finally see needed monsoon precip. The S. Plains into the Lower Miss River Basin are expected to see inches of rain. FL too.

Little to no rain for the Midwest (except MO) and Mid-Atlantic. #drought @NWS pic.twitter.com/2gt1vrEsjF
— NIDIS Drought.gov (@NOAADrought) August 25, 2025

“We’re going to be watching the Southeast for some impressive rainfall over by northern Florida and also by Georgia and South Carolina,” he says. “We could be seeing some impressive moisture moving in from the Gulf – obviously, something we’ll be keeping a rather close eye on.”

As the end of August plays out, Van Meter says it appears a dry pattern will set up for the Great Lakes area in the Midwest, just as the country heads into Labor Day weekend and the final, unofficial weekend of summer.

Parts of the western U.S., where farmers are dealing with severe (D2) and extreme (D3) drought this summer, are expected to see rain by the end of the week.

“We are going to be seeing some abnormally wet conditions, or at least wetter than normal conditions to end the month, out there in Oklahoma. That is actually going to continue through much of the Rocky Mountains and head over to the West Coast,” he says.

Your next read: How Pro Farmer 2025 Crop Estimates Compare and Contrast With USDA Expectations

Yamaha Ag Q&A: When Can Growers Buy Farm Robots? North America Rollout Explained

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:59:00 GMT

Yamaha is a Japanese legacy automotive and motor sports giant known the world over, but many aren’t aware that the company also has a long and storied history in ag tech.

Yamaha’s R-Max gas-powered spray helicopter launched in Japan in the 1990s, making it one of the first unmanned aerial application vehicles on the market for applying crop protection products to growing crops. FAZER-R was its next iteration of spray drones, and the company says it has over 2,800 units of both R-MAX and FAZER remote controlled spray helicopters deployed today with farmers around the world.

In late January, the manufacturer announced the launch of Yamaha Agriculture , a new U.S.-based company that will focus on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions. The company came together as a single business unit as a result of strategic acquisitions of robotics and AI focused startups Robotics Plus and The Yield.

We recently connected with Nolan Paul, who was named CEO of the relatively-new ag tech division, to learn more about the venture as it gets a footing established on the West Coast. Previously Paul was Head of R&D Strategy and Emerging Technology for Driscoll’s, the global market leader in production of fresh berries.

Farm Journal (FJ): How long of a timeline do you anticipate until commercialized robotics solutions are available for growers to purchase?

Nolan Paul (NP): Robotics Plus’ Prospr vehicles are already deployed with customers and distributors in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

FJ: What type of specific use cases do you envision bringing to market that will leverage advanced data analytics and AI?

NP: A multitude of use cases with time to market based on the degree of technical difficulty. We already offer weather-driven predictions to customers in the form of yield forecasts and harvest and spray timing. The next set of use cases will be variable rate spray applications based on real-time sensing on the vehicle (e.g., spray volumes based on canopy density).

(Yamaha Agriculture)

FJ: How do you envision Yamaha’s robotic solutions being marketed/sold to growers?

NP: Robotics Plus already has distributor partners in the U.S. and Australia/New Zealand. However, it’s important for Yamaha to maintain direct relationships with growers, especially our larger customers, to optimize customer success and develop our product roadmap. Regarding our monetization approach, we believe growers should purchase our hardware solutions the same way they prefer to purchase the rest of their machinery. Some prefer to buy outright. Others prefer a financing or lease option. We remain open to alternative monetization options if it makes life easier for the grower.

FJ: Where will the new division Yamaha Agriculture be based? How many employees will make up the division?

NP: Yamaha Agriculture is a U.S.-incorporated business with subsidiaries in Australia and New Zealand. Our headquarters is in the Bay Area as it provides easy access to Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland. We also have local offices in Napa, Calif., and Wenatchee, Wash., along with team members based up and down the West Coast. Currently, Yamaha Agriculture has approximately 175 employees.

FJ: Ag technologies that solve a specific problem for the farmer seem to be the solutions that are adopted by American farmers. Are there any specific issues that your technology will be able to solve for growers?

NP: Currently spraying and weed control with our Prospr vehicle. However, it’s a modular platform, so the product roadmap includes several implements such as mowing and under-row cultivation. Our goal isn’t to develop implements from scratch. We are partnering with implement companies to integrate their tools on Prospr.

Separately, we also offer yield predictions and crop recommendations through our acquisition of The Yield. These two capabilities lay the foundation for increased closed-loop opportunities (actionable insights) with a focus on reducing block-level variability.

FJ: Do you have any concerns with the new U.S. administration’s trade policies considering Yamaha Agriculture is targeting the U.S. as a primary market for your technology?

NP: Yamaha sells a lot of products in the United States, ranging from motorcycles to outboard motors, ATVs and golf cars. As a result, we will take guidance from our broader organization and implement a strategy that is most effective for Yamaha Agriculture and our customers.

Your Next Read: What Technologies Are Farms Using and Why?

John Deere Details Model Year 2026 Updates, New Machine Capabilities and Technology Features

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:42:29 GMT

John Deere announces a suite of equipment and technology upgrades and new features across its portfolio of machines. Some of the updates are exclusive to model year 2026 machines, and some are available as retrofit options or upgrades for new and/or older John Deere machines.

Next Generation Perception System For Autonomous Tillage
John Deere is releasing its autonomy Precision Upgrades kit for select tractor models that brings autonomy to tillage work. The system is available as a Precision Upgrades kit for model year 2022 and newer 9R and 9RX tractors and model year 2020.5 and newer 8R and 8RX tractors. Select model year 2025 John Deere tractors are autonomy ready from the factory.

RELATED: John Deere Introducing Next Generation Perception Autonomy Kits

To add autonomy to the tillage tool, retrofit kits are available for 2017 and newer John Deere tillage implements with additional lighting and the StarFire receiver mast and harnessing. The autonomy ready solutions are factory installed in base models for select MY25 tillage tools.

Combine Improvements
For model year 2026, the additions include a new three-piece CAM hinge draper reel with dense pack fingers and a new CF 18 30 corn head, which John Deere says is the industry’s first folding corn head with 18" rows and 30" spacing.

John Deere is also announcing several enhancements to its model year 2026 combines:

The Harvest Settings Automation feature will now include an out-of-crop settings adjustment that engages when the combine is passing through previously harvested areas of the field. Now the feature supports wheat, barely, canola, soybean, corn and rice crops.

Predictive Ground Speed Automation is being updated with a new feature that helps operators manage unique field terrains such as waterways, ditches or terraces. Weed detection sensing is also being added. There will be new functionality incorporated into John Deere Operations Center that will use crop-type data from planting and satellite imagery to ensure all eligible combines have the essential harvest automation files necessary to increase productivity. Predictive Ground Speed Automation supports wheat, barley, canola, soybean, corn, peas, edible beans and lentils.

AutoTrac Turn Automation is being updated to automate the raising and lowering of the combine head for hands-free turning, and a new auto-unload camera with supporting hardware and software is available to help consistently fill grain carts and possibly reduce in-field spills.

(Dan Videtich/John Deere)

John Deere also announced a handful of harvest settings updates available in Operations Center, including grain harvest weight sharing and Grain Sensing with HarvestLab 3000 available now for all model year 2025 and newer X9, S7 and T6 combines.

And physical updates to model year 2026 machines include a new instructor seat in all models and a dual USB-C fast charging module in the cab. And the JD Link Boost satellite connectivity module is available for install on eligible combine models to maintain connectivity during harvest.

Sprayer Updates
John Deere says these updates were developed to give farmers cleaner fields that have less weed competition, leading to more yield potential.

See & Spray has new variable rate capabilities that can unlock precise applications and significant product savings in later-season fungicide and desiccant applications, preharvest passes and more, according to John Deere. Farmers can also now see the percentage of biomass each perception camera detects throughout the field. See & Spray Variable Rate capabilities will require a G5 or G5Plus CommandCenter display.

See & Spray Select is now available from the factory on model year 2026 John Deere 400 and 600 series sprayers with 90', 100' or 120' steel booms. See & Spray Select also will be available as a Precision Upgrades kit for model year 2018 and newer John Deere sprayers with ExactApply and a 120' steel boom.

See & Spray Premium is adding new boom sizes and is now available on Hagie STS20 sprayers. See & Spray Premium is compatible with 90', 100' or 120' booms.

(Mel Koltai/John Deere)

Beyond the See & Spray updates, John Deere also has two new AutoTrac options for sprayers:

AutoTrac Turn Automation (ATTA) is now compatible with John Deere 400 and 600 series self-propelled sprayers, 800R floaters, and Hagie STS12, STS16 and STS20 sprayers, model year 2022 and newer. The new feature is also included with Automation 4.0 on Gen4 displays and the G5 Advanced license for machines that have a G5 display.

AutoTrac Vision 2.0 is a new technology that ensures sprayer wheels remain centered within each crop row, and it boasts a maximum speed of 22 mph, slope performance of up to 6 degrees, and the ability to navigate curves with a radius of just 50 meters. AutoTrac Vision 2.0 is available on model year 2026 John Deere sprayers as a factory option.

John Deere is also introducing ExactApply Variable Rate capabilities – including multi-rate across the boom with AutoSelect Pulsing (and A+B pulse width modulation nozzle switching). Sprayer operators can now vary multiple application rates across the entire boom, up to 11 unique sections, leading to more precise product placement. Operators also can use increased rate ranges for variable rate prescriptions and curve compensation. This technology is available as a software update for model year 2023 to 2025 sprayers, and model year 2026 will come factory installed with updated software features and functionalities.

Planter Updates
John Deere announced four new planter updates:

A new rate controller, the John Deere Rate Controller 3, with the option to control and apply two liquid and/or anhydrous ammonia (NH3) products simultaneously across up to 16 sections. This can help farmers decrease the number of trips through the field while getting the same application work completed. John Deere says the new rate controller is suitable for a variety of row crops, ranches, high-value crops and even on golf courses.

Rate Controller 3 also features a new rate controller app that is available within the John Deere display menu. The rate controller app is fully compatible with Gen 4 v2 and G5 displays.

(Michael J Newell/John Deere)

John Deere says the new app will give farmers a similar experience as operating a self-propelled sprayer with a controller with a built-in base from the factory. This means farmers can now monitor their planter and rate controller functions on one screen on the display and execute easy adjustments, according to John Deere.

The new rate controller module also has a new harness and 48-pin connector, which expands the compatibility with third-party equipment.

Seed-Level Sensing provides farmers with a more accurate look at the level of seed remaining in the tank. It places a sensor in the tank that can measure the volume of seed left in the tank, which is then provided to the operator in the cab and the John Deere Operations Center. This feature is available on model year 2026 planters or as a Precision Upgrades kit for certain models back to model year 2022.

Fertilizer-Level Sensing is also new and it is similar to seed-level sensing, providing the operator with better information on the fertilizer level remaining in the tank. It is an external manifold that includes two pressure sensors, which are used to calculate both the liquid density as well as the volume remaining in the tank. This update is available on model year 2026 planters and is also a Precision Upgrades kit that can be added to machines that are model year 2022 and newer.

Active Vacuum Automation is available on model year 2026 planters with electric drives and the SeedStar 5 Monitoring System. This feature looks in real time at singulation and automatically adjusts the vacuum, helping to prevent skips and doubles.

To determine which new features and updates are available for existing machines or only on model year 2026 new machines, contact your local John Deere dealer.

Your Next Read: A Perfect Storm Is Driving Up New and Used Tractor Prices

When is USDA Going to Release the Nearly $10 Billion of American Relief Act Payments for Farmers?

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:29:09 GMT

It’s been just over two months since Congress passed the American Relief Act , which contains $9.8 billion in market relief payments. Congress gave USDA 90 days to issue the payments, and with less than 30 days left before the deadline, farmers are asking one question: when will those payments be released?

That’s exactly what AgriTalk’s Chip Flory asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in an exclusive interview during Top Producer Summit last week. Rollins told Flory it’s her second top priority, right after addressing the avian flu outbreak.

“It’s got to move quickly. And now that I’m there, other than avian flu, that’s probably when I walk out of here, I’ll jump on the phone and we’ll start figuring out again why that isn’t moving more quickly and what we need to do,” Rollins told Flory. “But as you can imagine, I just got confirmed a couple of days ago. We have eight undersecretaries at USDA, and one that manages this portfolio. He hasn’t even had his hearing yet. So, we’re doing a little bit of band-aiding and duct-taping and bubble-gumming this thing together. But please know, and all of your listeners and those watching on TV should know, that this is of the highest priority. We have the best team in place, and we are going to move as quickly as humanly possible.”

Possible Payments to Producers
The economic aid for farmers was passed by Congress as part of the continuing resolution in December 2024, keeping the government funded through March 14, 2025. The “Economic Loss Assistance Program” earmarked $10 billion in direct payments for farmers.

USDA will make the final calculations, meaning the following, current calculations will likely change. But based off Farm CPA Paul Neiffer ‘s early estimates, per-acre producer payments will be the following:

Corn: $43.80
Soybeans: $30.61
Wheat: $31.80
Cotton: $84.70
Rice: $71.37

While USDA will determine the finalized per acre payments, these are the estimated American Relief Act payments for farmers.

(Lindsey Pound )

According to analysis by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), the top 10 states based on estimated total payments for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sorghum, rice, barely, oats and peanuts are:

Texas: $963 million, primarily because of its status as the largest cotton producer
Iowa: $846 million, with strong support for corn and soybean farmers
Illinois: $790 million
Kansas: $787 million
Nebraska: $625 million
Minnesota: $616 million
North Dakota: $597 million
South Dakota: $497 million
Indiana: $400 million
Missouri: $391 million

Approximately $9.7 billion will be paid out for the major nine crops.

(FAPRI/RaFF)

Corn, soybeans and wheat are expected to make up 80% of the total estimated payments, or about $7.9 billion. That number increases to 98%, or about $9.7 billion, when including cotton, rice, sorghum, barley, oats and peanuts.

Earlier in February, USDA issued its first look at 2025 net farm income, showing a surge in net farm income for this year. That’s not because of a dramatic change in the markets. The surge is from an expected staggering 345% increase in government payments — from $9.3 billion in 2024 to $42.4 billion in 2025. That not only includes the nearly $10 billion from the American Relief Act, but the also $21 billion in disaster aid, which USDA still needs to disperse.

What’s at Stake for Farmers?
Ben Brown, an agricultural economist with the University of Missouri, says some producers are banking on those payments, even making business decisions based on the projected payment calculations released so far.

“It’s been interesting to go around and talk to producers about it. I think, broadly, there are questions about when it’s coming, making sure that it is coming. People have made decisions, business decisions, both at the farm gate level and then at the agribusiness sector, depending on these payments. So, if they had any challenges in implementing those or if they were strongly delayed, I think we would see some ripple effects.”

Brown also points out in conversations he’s having with farmers and ag lenders across the country, the reactions are mixed about the payments and the impact they could have on costs in 2025.

“The other challenge is that you look at the $40-plus per acre on corn and, the common phrase I’m hearing from producers is that there’s six different people out there asking for $10. And you’re sitting there saying, ‘well, that’s $60,’ and I’m really getting $43 or $42 an acre for my corn production. So, how does that compute? I think, as we sit here today, this might increase input prices or keep them a little higher than where we maybe would have anticipated them. That’s one of the challenges. But certainly, there’s a lot to learn as this gets implemented across the countryside.”

Anticipated Payments Fuel Improved Net Farm Income Picture
In an exclusive interview with USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer, we asked Meyer to explain USDA’s updated net farm income forecast, which some argue paints the ag economy more positively than it actually is.

“We use the policy in place, and we look at what the administration has said and their desire to get these payments out,” says Meyer. “So, while we don’t know exactly what the payments will look like, if you dig into some of the geographic maps within what we produce, you will see we are having to make assumptions about where all those dollars will go. But we’ve made our best guess and we’ve asserted that they’re determined to get these dollars out the door. And so we put them into the farm income number.”

Meyer says as he talks to farmers across the country, he understands farmers don’t want to get their income from government payments; they prefer to get it from the markets. But he also points out the crops net farm income scenario and the picture for livestock are drastically different, but there are some exceptions.

“When you look at the net farm income numbers, and you take those government payments away, and you say, ‘What’s coming from the market?’ And then you take livestock and you separate out crops ... with crops today, we have increased competition around the world. We’ve got tighter margins, input prices that are sticky, challenges in exports because we sell bulk commodities and there’s where we’re facing competition. On the livestock side, you say, ‘Well, you know, the livestock side must be doing well.’ But at the same time, we’re short on dairy heifers to expand. We continue to be in a contraction phase of the cattle cycle. And yes, we’ve got record-high feeder and fed cattle prices, but we haven’t turned yet. Folks are not making the decision yet that this is something that they want to invest in in the long run.”

Meyer also points out the egg side of the equation is presenting another layer of challenges. He says if a producer hasn’t been hit by avian flu, they are making money. But for the producers who’s had their flocks infected by HPAI, that’s creating a financial strain.

“So, on the crops side, we are seeing narrow margins,” says Meyer. “The livestock side is better, but some constraints are continuing to expand there.”

Ag Economists Weigh In On Impact of Projected Payments
The January Monthly Monitor asked economists if those payments are needed in agriculture. Sixty-four percent said yes, and 36% said no.

In the survey, of the economists who said the payments are needed, some of the reasons why include:

Land values continue to climb
Input costs will remain elevated, and inefficient farmers that over-leveraged themselves the past couple years will remain in business
Delays producers cutting fixed costs, especially cash rents

But not all economists agree the payments are needed, warning of some unintended consequences, including prolonging what some economists argue are adjustments needed in the industry. In the survey, economists said:

“I think there could be some pushback when the longer-term farm bill comes up for authorization with budget hawks pointing to the $10 billion as a down payment of sorts.”
“This will slow some adjustments that arguably are needed. For example, land rents are generally higher than can be justified by current market returns. Getting approval for another round of payments in 2025 is far from certain, so unless markets improve considerably, there could be a renewed financial squeeze in 2026.”

Ahead of Congress passing the Continuing Resolution (CR) in late December, AgWeb asked farmers in a poll whether Congress should pass economic aid for farmers before year-end, as well as if Congress should raise reference prices in a farm bill extension. The poll garnered more than 2,500 responses:

71% of respondents said Congress should approve emergency economic aid
29% responded no
81% of farmers said Congress should raise reference prices when extending the 2018 farm bill.
19% said no.

Your Next Read:
30 Minutes With Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins In Her First Week On the Job

Dalton Dilldine: Next-Generation Producer Follows in His Father's Footsteps

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:38:25 GMT

Fourth-generation Arkansas farmer Dalton Dilldine always dreamed of farming and following in his father’s footsteps.

“I knew I wanted to farm and really couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” he says.

But Dilldine’s dad unexpectedly passed away when he was a senior in high school with a limited succession plan in place — leaving him with the choice to take over the operation, start his own farm or go to college.

He chose all three.

“I would go to school and come home every weekend. After I graduated, I started taking over the whole operation and really tried to do things that my father would be proud of - and that I could be proud for myself. I just tried to do my best every day.”

Expanding With Innovation
Located in the Delta of Arkansas, he co-managed Half Moon Farm with his mother until 2010 when he went on his own, creating Mezza Luna Farms. Now, Dilldine grows 6,000 acres of cotton, soybeans, wheat, corn and rice. Of those acres, 2,700 are owned and the rest rented. The farm also has four full-time employees and several H-2A workers.

His strategy for the operation is continuous improvement with a focus on profitability.

“One of my big goals is to just try to be efficient, whatever can be done. We use technology and buy bigger equipment to be able to do more with less,” he says. “Just finding people who want to work on our farm and want to help and understand how a farm works has been a big help for us.”

He also pushes his yields, working with NRCS on conservation programs and quickly adapting to new technology.

“We have moisture sensors in our fields that will tell me the optimal time to start and turn off irrigation. There’s automation in most of our wells, too. I can start them with my phone and turn them off. They’ll tell me if something’s going on,” he explains. “Our equipment with GPUs are an asset to see what’s going on in the field from my office. That’s been a huge blessing.”

Dilldine also purchased a commercial grain entity during the 2022 harvest season amid a drought that was leading to significant decreases in basis due to low river levels.

“It’s about 750,000 bushel storage. Right now, we can use about 600,000 of that capability,” he says. “I can dump trucks in about six minutes, and I can load them out in about 12 - which is pretty fast for a private grain facility.”

Adversity Strikes Twice
On top of losing his father, the beginning of Dilldine’s farming career was made even more challenging when he suffered a major injury that crushed two vertebrae in his back.

“I had a long road of recovery right in the beginning of farming,” he remembers. “I had to do a whole lot of talking on the phone and teaching somebody else how to run that sprayer. It was a lot to deal with.”

But he learned a valuable lesson that has served him well on the farm.

“I taught myself to be a whole lot more patient and to not be wide open all the time,” he says.

Dilldine’s wife, Skiver, who also assists on the farm when she’s not busy as a nurse practitioner, says she couldn’t be prouder of his progress.

“He didn’t have a mentor in his younger years to kind of guide him through some of the hard farming lessons, and he’s learned those on his own with the help of others. He’s just really put in a lot of legwork, a lot of tears and blood, and just really powered through all the adversities to come out on top,” she says.

Despite these challenges, Dilldine says he’s reached many of his farming goals - and others can too.

“I want young farmers to be aware that you can do it. It’s not impossible as often as it feels like,” he adds.

New Chemistry Promises To Give Barnyardgrass The Boot In Rice

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 18:45:44 GMT

As rice growers know only too well, barnyardgrass doesn’t stay in the barn yard. It likes wet and moist areas and thrives in road ditches, irrigated crop fields, pastures and – much to farmers’ dismay – in their rice fields.

Yield losses of 30% or more are common in many rice growing regions. Losses have been amplified with the increase of herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass, which can often withstand applications of products with glyphosate, propanil and ALS chemistries.

“In terms of the spectrum of control, barnyardgrass is our number-one weed, and we need help,” says Connor Webster, assistant professor and rice Extension weed specialist at Louisiana State University (LSU), in an industry press release.

New Technology On The Way
Webster and several other weed scientists have conducted research on a promising chemistry, tetflupyrolimet, designed to help farmers manage herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass biotypes, sprangletop (Amazon and bearded) and other grass species.

Earlier this week, FMC U.S. announced it plans to introduce two new herbicides based on tetflupyrolimet, which FMC has branded as Dodhylex active. The products have been named Keenali Complete and Keenali GR.

The company anticipates introducing Keenali Complete herbicide in 2027 for the Mid-South rice growing region and Keenali GR herbicide in 2028 for the California rice growing region, reports Darren Dillenbeck, vice president and president of FMC North America.

The Dodhylex (tetflupyrolimet) technology has been classified by the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee and the Weed Science Society of America as a Group 28 herbicide, making it the first new herbicide mode of action globally in nearly 40 years.

“We have spent more than a decade at our Stine Research Center and in fields across the world researching, developing and testing these herbicides,” Dillenbeck says in the release.
Dillenbeck anticipates Keenali Complete herbicide will be a co-pack offering, combining Dodhylex active with Command3ME microencapsulated herbicide, to harness their complementary spectrum while providing built-in herbicide resistance stewardship for both active ingredients. This use of multiple modes of action in a co-pack is a proactive step by FMC to protect the new Dodhylex active and provide technology better able to withstand resistance development.

Residual Control With Crop Safety
Keenali Complete herbicide will give rice growers two modes of action to use at the preemergence application stage. This solution will be commercialized and marketed to the Mid-South rice growing region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Rigorously tested in all rice herbicide platforms, Keenali Complete herbicide will provide additional residual grass control and demonstrated crop safety, as well as fit with a variety of cultural practices, including direct- and water-seeded rice production, FMC reports.

Webster says research at LSU shows tetflupyrolimet tends to have a little longer residual. “Now, when paired with Command herbicide, the two together show synergistic interaction to control barnyardgrass, which we’ve seen consistently over the past four years of research. That’s a big positive. Having the two together is better than either one of them separate, plus you get that little bit longer window of residual control. That can potentially buy you some time when you have to make a postemergent application, and being able to buy time is critical,” he says in the release.

Jason Norsworthy, distinguished professor and weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, says he is excited by the extended residual control of barnyardgrass and sprangletops the new chemistry offers.
“Also, based on carryover and drift research with Dodhylex active, I think rice growers will be pleasantly surprised to see how well it can be applied without fear of injuring nearby crops,” Norsworthy adds.

Flexible Use Options For California Growers
Work at the University of California-Davis has shown the herbicide can address a wide range of herbicide-resistant grass weeds. Some species of grass weeds there are resistant to all currently registered herbicides in the state, according to Kassim Al-Khatib, the Melvin D. Androus endowed professor for weed science at the university.

“We have tested tetflupyrolimet (Dodhylex active) on more than 50 grass populations of resistant grass weeds and we controlled all of them. This herbicide is also effective on bearded sprangletop where we do not have many alternatives,” Al-Khatib says. “Also, this herbicide fits in many programs — tank mixed or sequential application — to control weeds.”

Your next read: Proof of Concept: Regenerative Technology Reduces Methane Emission in Rice Production

Breaking Down the 2025 American Relief Act: What It Means for You

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 19:52:58 GMT

In addition to a farm bill extension through Sept. 30, 2025, the American Relief Act of 2025 recently passed by Congress contains $9.8 billion in market relief payments for 20 covered crops. According to analysis by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), the top 10 states based on estimated total payments for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sorghum, rice, barely, oats and peanuts are:

Texas: $963 million, primarily because of its status as the largest cotton producer
Iowa: $846 million, with strong support for corn and soybean farmers
Illinois: $790 million
Kansas: $787 million
Nebraska: $625 million
Minnesota: $616 million
North Dakota: $597 million
South Dakota: $497 million
Indiana: $400 million
Missouri: $391 million

Corn, soybeans and wheat are expected to make up 80% of the total estimated payments, or about $7.9 billion. That number increases to 98% of, or about $9.7 billion, when including cotton, rice, sorghum, barley, oats and peanuts.

National crop distribution is projected to be the following:

Corn: $3.829 billion
Soybeans: $2.553 billion
Wheat: $1.532 billion
Cotton: $975 million
Sorghum: $248 million
Rice: $216 million

Total Projected Economic Assistance by County for Top 9 Crops

Approximately $9.7 billion will be paid out for the major nine crops.

(FAPRI and RaFF)

Per-acre payment rates by crop:

Cotton: $87.26 (highest rate)
Corn: $42.51
Soybeans: $29.50
Wheat: $30.69
Sorghum: $42.58
Oats: $77.66
Peanuts: $76.30
Rice: $69.52
Barley: $21.76

To help farmers estimate potential payments, FAPRI and the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center developed two excel-based tools. You can find the calculators on page 3 of this document.

Recent legislation also provides support measures for the following:

$21 billion for natural disaster recovery, covering losses from droughts, wildfires, hurricanes and floods in 2023–2024.
$2 billion for livestock producers affected by adverse weather.

USDA must distribute the funds within 90 days of the bill becoming law to provide timely relief.

Hear more on the economic aid and what it means for farmers from farm CPA Paul Neiffer.

What Farmers Need to Know About Economic Loss Assistance Program Payments Just Passed by Congress

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:04:19 GMT

Congress included economic aid for farmers in the continuing resolution (CR) , which keeps the government funded through March 14, 2025. The “Economic Loss Assistance Program” earmarks $10 billion in direct payments for farmers.

While USDA will make the final calculations, Farm CPA Paul Neiffer estimates per acre producer payments will be the following:

Corn: $43.80
Soybeans: $30.61
Wheat: $31.80
Cotton: $84.70
Rice: $71.37

Payment formula: Payments are calculated based on the difference between expected gross returns and production costs, with a 26% adjustment factor to stay within budget. For certain crops like barley, rice, and peanuts, a minimum payout ensures better support.

The House Ag Committee also released a chart outlining the estimated payment rates on a per acre basis for all crops, along with a fact sheet regarding details of the program .

Economic Relief Program Estimated Payment Rates

(House Ag Committee )

When and How Farmers Will Receive Their Payments

Economic aid will come 90 days after passage, which was Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.

“USDA will come out with their program and since they have all of the data, the farmer will likely not have to do anything other than sign up. I would expect the payment to go out in February or perhaps early March, since they have to issue those payments within 90 days,” Neiffer said.

Payment Limits and Eligibility

According to Farm Journal Washington Correspondent Jim Wiesemeyer:

Payments cover eligible commodities, excluding wool, mohair, and honey.
Limits: $125,000 for non-farming majority AGI and $250,000 for farming-majority AGI. The “average” gross income method aims to improve fairness compared to previous systems.

Neiffer says whether a farm qualifies for the increased payment limit, that will be based on the numbers reported on your tax return for 2020, 2021 and 2022. You ignore 2023.

There is a payment limit of $125,000, which is down from the $175,000 originally proposed in the FARM Act. It’s also key to note, if 75% of your total gross income comes from farming, Neiffer says you qualify for the double payment limit. Farming also includes wages and dividends from a farm corporation.

To clear up some misconceptions, he is quick to point out there is no double payment, but there is a double payment limit.

“Your payment calculation is always the same,” Neiffer explains. “If your calculated payment is over $125,000, then the doubling of the payment limit is important.”

$21 Billion in Disaster Aid for Ag

Congress also passed $21 billion in agriculture disaster aid. That’s in addition to the $10 billion of economic aid. $2 billion of the $21 billion is for livestock.

From all the information available, Neiffer thinks it will be similar to the 2020/21 Emergency Relief Program (ERP) . He says when it comes to Phase I, it will be strictly based on crop insurance and they will get a bump up on coverage. For example, they will redo it at the 95% level if you elected 80% or higher and make a payment based on that.

He says Phase 2 will be based on tax returns which farmers have for 2023 but not necessarily 2024; however, USDA will need to release the final details on exactly how the payments will be dispersed.

Additional Details on Payments and Disaster Aid

Neiffer conducted a webinar to help hash out all the details included in the CR and what farmers can expect.

You can watch that webinar here.

Your Next Read:

Congress Clears Continuing Resolution, Includes $31 Billion in Farmer, Disaster Aid and Farm Bill Extension

Poll Results: 71% of Farmers Say Congress Should Approve Economic Aid Before Year-End

Congress Approves CR, Includes $31 Billion in Farmer, Disaster Aid and Farm Bill Extension

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:48:15 GMT

With little if any drama like the House, the Senate easily cleared the 118-page continuing resolution (CR) early Saturday morning with a vote of 85-11 (four members did not vote). The measure funds the government through March 14. The CR includes nearly $110 billion in disaster and farmer aid ($21 billion ag disaster and $10 billion in farmer aid), and a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Senate vote came hours after the House passed the measure on a 366-34 vote, well above the two-thirds majority threshold required under that chamber’s suspension of the rules procedure, with no Democrats voting no along with 34 Republicans. Texas Dem Rep. Jasmine Crockett voted “present”.

Debt Ceiling

GOP leaders dropped a two-year suspension of the statutory debt ceiling that was in a previous CR version and that helped push the bill through both chambers. Democrats opposed inclusion of the debt limit provision, arguing it would make it easier on Republicans next year to cut taxes and ram through other partisan priorities. Cutting the debt limit language was enough to convince Democrats to go along with the stripped-down bill, even though it excluded their priorities contained in an i nitial 1,547-page bipartisan measure .

One ag sector lobbyist said, “Ag groups need to start playing the game… those who always vote no on everything… why not actively oppose them… they don’t support farm bills anyhow.”

Breaking Down the Votes

Here is the list of House Republicans who voted no on the CR that contained $31 billion in ag sector assistance:

House no votes on CR

(House of Representatives)

Some notable representatives who voted against the CR include Nancy Mace (South Carolina), Thomas Massie (Kentucky), and Chip Roy (Texas). The reasons for voting against the CR varied among representatives, with some citing concerns about high levels of spending, lack of reforms, or opposition to giving the current administration additional funding.

Here is the list of Senate Democrats who voted no:

Senate no votes on CR

(U.S. Senate)

Farmer Aid in the CR

This is a breakdown of the $31 billion in farmer assistance via the CR:

Farmer aid breakdown

(House Ag Committee)

Possible Payment Amounts to Farmers

The farmer aid should be available 90 days after the legislation’s enactment. Farm CPA Paul Neiffer estimated per acre payment amounts via the Economic Loss Assistance program based on his knowledge of the provisions.

Possible payments as calculated by Farm CPA Paul Neiffer

(Lindsey Pound )

While USDA will make the final calculations, based on Neiffer’s estimates, producer payments look like this per acre, using the following calculation: (USDA’s Projected Cost of the Crop – National Projected Returns) x Eligible Acres x 26% = Total Payment.

Corn: $43.80
Soybeans: $30.61
Wheat: $31.80
Cotton: $84.70
Rice: $69.66

Neiffer says there is a payment limit of $125,000 dollars, which is down from the $175,00 originally proposed in the FARM Act. He says it’s also key to note with the updated relief, if 75% of your total gross income comes from farming, which includes wages and interest and dividends, then you qualify for the double payment.

Related Story: Poll Results: 71% of Farmers Say Congress Should Approve Economic Aid Before Year-End

House Ag Committee Fact Sheet Details Payments

The House Ag Committee released a fact sheet on the farmer economic assistance that is provided in the current Continuing Resolution (CR), modeled off of Rep. Trent Kelly’s (R-Miss.) FARM Act (HR 10045). There is a list of eligible commodities, a payment formula, administrative provisions, and estimated payment rates.

House Ag panel staffers say please keep in mind that the payment rates in this document are estimates and “almost certain to change slightly once implemented. These rates are the best approximation based on the data cited in text. This does incorporate the minimum payment rate provision. You’ll see that those crops receiving payments via the minimum payment provision have an asterisk.”

The House Ag panel had the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M analyze the impact of the economic assistance provided through this provision. Their findings suggest that the funds will improve ending cash position on their Representative Farm system by nearly 20% by the end of 2025.

Farmer aid

(House Ag Committee)

Your Next Reads:

Poll Results: 71% of Farmers Say Congress Should Approve Economic Aid Before Year-End

Ag Gets Potential Christmas Gift from Congress: Continuing Resolution Includes $31 Billion in Aid for Producers

Time Is Running Out, But Boozman Says Passing Emergency Relief for Farmers Is a Priority

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:41:00 GMT

It’s a dire situation in farm country, according to Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), ranking member of the Senate Ag Committee. Just this week, he was on Capitol Hill urging legislators to help producers offset some of their losses with emergency relief .

“It’s clear the pain our farm families are living through,” Boozman said on the Senate floor . “For some producers, this is the second or third consecutive year of negative cash flow. This means many farm families are ending 2024 in the red, unable to pay off this year’s operating loan, unable to get the loan to farm in 2025 and facing the reality of being the generation to have lost the family farm due to extreme market conditions beyond their control.”

Lower commodity prices and increases in input costs are creating tight margins for row crop producers. Without a new farm bill this year, Boozman is exploring ways to provide 2024 economic assistance and certainty for 2025 through an improved farm safety net.

“We simply have to come up with a package that helps [farmers] get through this year,” Boozman said. “The last two years, as I mentioned earlier, were the worst ever as far as decrease in income. Going forward, if we don’t modernize the farm bill, if we don’t get risk management tools adjusted for inflation, then bankers aren’t going to have certainty [farmers’] risks are going to lessen, and it’s going to be difficult for a lot of farmers to get the financing they need.”

Whether it’s ag lenders, economists or farmers, Boozman said everyone is saying: It’s a dire picture in farm country and help is needed.

FARM Act

Another possible way for farmers to see some economic relief is through the Farm Assistance and Revenue Mitigation (FARM) Act. The bill was authored by Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) on the House Ag Committee. It would offer payment assistance to eligible farmers.

Congress is in session through Dec. 20, so Boozman and others are working diligently to secure enough support and votes to pass the FARM Act. While it’s unclear how Congress will push through the FARM Act, it’s likely going to be via the Continuing Resolution (CR).

“We’re working literally as we speak to get the language together and to get agreement from both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, to move forward,” Boozman said. “I can’t tell you for sure it’s going to get passed, but I understand how important it is as far as where it would be attached, which is probably to the continuing resolution.”

What payment might farmers receive through the FARM Act? According to one economist, the current payment calculation is: (USDA’s Projected Cost of the Crop – National Projected Returns) x Eligible Acres x 60% = Total Payment.

When you take into consideration the new WASDE prices and cost of production released each month, here’s how those payments could look per acre:

Corn: $101
Soybeans: $53
Wheat: $73
Cotton: $195
Rice: $84
Sorghum: $97
Oats: $177
Barley: $0

It’s important to note these payment estimates could change with the updated WASDE report next week. One economist told Farm Journal the 60% figure is a moving target that’s currently being debated on the Hill.

Steep Losses for 2024
The Senate Ag Committee recently released 2024 total farm income losses at $29.3 billion. At the top was corn, with losses of $11.59 billion, followed by soybeans and then wheat. However, almost every crop is facing steep financial challenges, including sorghum, oats, rice and peanuts.

Sen. Boozman (R-Ark.)

Now the question is, will the proposed relief in the FARM Act be enough to help stop the bleeding on row crop farms? Boozman hopes so.

“I understand how difficult it is — and for ag, I can’t imagine not describing it as a recession. When you look at the numbers recorded by USDA, I think they’re actually undervalued. We simply have to come up with a package that helps [farmers] get through this year,” Boozman said. “It’s not only what economists are telling us, it’s not only farmers and landowners — it’s all lenders and everyone involved in agriculture painting a very dire picture.”

As farm-focused senators are working to get the FARM Act passed, Boozman said the proposed legislation is facing some unexpected challenges, specifically in regard to cost.

“It’s just going to cost some money to get it done, and we’re working really hard to explain the need for that,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what [the FARM Act] will look like in the end, but we’ve got a lot of good people working on it. Senator Hoeven is working really hard on the Senate side. A lot is going to go through the Appropriations Committee in the Senate, and I’m on that committee as well as several others. Cindy Hyde-Smith has been active, John Thune and all of the people on the ag committee have done a great job of trying to come up with a package that will be enough to make a real difference for people to get through this year.”

Looking Ahead

Boozman recently met with Brooke Rollins, president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Agriculture. It was his first meeting with her, and he said he was very pleased, saying: “She’s very close to the president, which is so important in these cabinet positions that she’s got his ear...I’m looking forward to getting her confirmed as quickly as possible and working with her in the future.”

What will Rollins’ priorities be if she’s confirmed once Trump is sworn into office? And will he support Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services? Watch the full conversation here.

Your Next Read: Everything Farmers Need to Know About The FARM Act in Congress

Risk and Reward: How These Farms Found Success With Vertical Integration

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:29:47 GMT

Johnny Hunter II was just 10 years old when he lost his dad. At the time, Hunter’s family had 12,000 acres of rice and soybeans under cultivation near Dexter, Mo. And while his mom could have sold the family acreage, she chose to keep the farm for her two children, preserving an already existing family legacy of planning for future generations.

“My dad was an early adopter of precision - leveling and irrigation and no-till,” Hunter says. “That was an extremely smart business move.”

The third generation to run what’s now known as Castor River Habitat and Farm, Hunter points out his dad’s decision improved the value of the land as well as its production.

Eight years ago, Hunter made an equally important decision for the farm: vertically integrating.

“At one time I was farming 6,000 acres, and I was miserable,” he says.

Hunter says he saw two paths to stay in farming: Be a low-cost producer with tens of thousands of acres with economies of scale or learn how to create value by putting a product in the world so consumers can reward you for it.

Castor River Achieves Market Distinguishment
Hunter’s family made the decision to vertically integrate in 2017. The following year they constructed a rice mill, created a CPG brand and built out their own packaging line. Then, they launched a trucking company to cover first-mile distribution of their long-grain rice. They also partnered with warehouses in strategic areas of the country.

“From field to warehouse, it’s all Castor River,” Hunter says.

Now, rather than aspiring to farm tens of thousands of acres, Hunter’s family owns and operates a land company, farming company, trucking company and a parent corporation.

“Before [vertically integrating], we employed two full-time people,” he says. “Now we employ over a dozen, farming 2,500 acres of rice, soybeans and corn.”

Castor River’s target audience is anyone who wants sustainably grown, high-quality food, Hunter explains. Business channels include food service, partnering with restaurants, college campuses, institutions and catering companies. High-end grocery retail stores comprise the farm’s other channel. They also sell their long-grain rice products directly to consumers online.

“Having your own brand opens up the opportunity for new revenue channels,” Hunter says.

“Landowners and farmers are all highly concerned about what yearly revenues are going to be,” Hunter adds. “By vertically integrating and going direct, we have transformed ourselves from price-takers to price-makers.”

Reviving a State’s Tradition
Unlike the Hunters, South Carolina’s Coxe family did not begin their operation in rice production. When Campbell Coxe graduated college in 1981, he came home for the summer to help his grandfather farm the family’s 1,000 acres of mostly cotton.

“I was a geography major and was going to see the world,” Coxe says. “But I fell in love with this piece of property and never left.”

In 1986, Coxe took over the operation, but disillusionment set in quickly. Over the course of a decade, the farm averaged about $16,000 per year, and Coxe was borrowing close to $1 million just to plant cotton.

“At the time, the cost of cotton was incredibly high, and the return was so low I couldn’t get my hands around it,” he notes.

He searched for a crop he could take directly to customers — growing and processing on the farm.

Located in the Pee Dee River watershed, Coxe’s fifth-generation farm sits about two hours north of the Lowcountry. The state’s subtropical, humid climate makes growing conditions ideal for nearly any crop.

But Coxe was looking for gold — Carolina Gold rice, that is. Once the largest producer of rice throughout the Colonial period, South Carolina’s rice industry began its steep decline after the Civil War, owing to labor, pest and weather issues. By the early 1900s, rice all but disappeared.

“South Carolina’s rice culture was interesting, but rice wouldn’t come back commercially unless it’s profitable,” Coxe says.

In 1998, he decided to plant 10 acres of Carolina Gold, the original 1685 varietal grown in the area. Timing became key.

“The internet was picking up speed, and there was an interest in farm-to-dinner plate just as we were getting up and running,” he says.

As his business and his acreage expanded, Coxe constructed a rice mill on-site. “There hadn’t been a mill in South Carolina since the Civil War, but I didn’t want to keep sending my rice to Arkansas with diesel fuel prices at $5 a gallon.”

Striking Gold with Vertical Integration
Today, Carolina Plantation Rice includes 200 acres of rice, composed of four varieties. It produces cornmeal, grits, fish fry breading and rice flour. Unlike larger producers, Coxe doesn’t keep the highly aromatic rice stored for prolonged periods.

“When it’s fresh and new, it has a pungent taste and smell. We want the consumer to get as fresh from the farm as they can get.”

Direct-to-consumer online sales make up 40% of the farm’s orders, with the balance in wholesale orders from national supermarket chains, such as Whole Foods and Fresh Market, as well as large restaurant groups.

“We’re growing more and more every year because market shares increase,” Coxe says.

Though vertical integration has transformed his operation, Coxe notes that challenges still remain.

“Every bit of it is hard,” he says. “You’ve got to have a good market, and you have to have your marketing planned in your mind or on paper. Where are you going to take this stuff? What’s it going to cost? And who’s going to implement it?”

Cibus and Loveland Partner For Gene Edited Rice

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 22:18:02 GMT

Cibus, Inc., a leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses Non-GMO plant traits to seed companies, announced has entered into a US Development Agreement with Loveland Products Inc., a subsidiary of Nutrien Ltd. Cibus has agreed to collaborate with Loveland Products to provide traits into Loveland’s elite rice seed genetics.

Under the terms of the agreement Loveland and Cibus will work toward commercializing herbicide tolerance in rice with a focus on the southern US market, where demand for novel approaches in weed control is most prevalent.

“Loveland Products is constantly striving to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace across the agricultural industry,” says Rob Dunlop, Vice President of North America seed at Nutrien. “We are excited to collaborate with Cibus to help address some of the most pressing weed management challenges of US rice growers.”

“We are thrilled to work with the Loveland Products and Dyna-Gro teams to deliver new herbicide management options to rice growers,” stated Norm Sissons, Senior Vice President Commercial at Cibus. “Importantly, our recent results using our Trait Machine to add traits like herbicide tolerance in rice show we can provide collaborators with new traits in their elite genetics on an accelerated timescale.”

A key element of Cibus’ technology breakthrough is its High Throughput Breeding Process (referred to as the Trait Machine system). The Trait Machine process is a crop specific application of Cibus’ patented Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS). The proprietary technologies in RTDS integrate crop specific cell biology platforms with a series of gene editing technologies to enable a system of end-to-end crop specific precision breeding. It is the core technology platform for Cibus’ Trait Machine: the first standardized end-to-end semi-automated crop specific gene editing system that directly edits a seed company’s elite germplasm. Each Trait Machine process requires a crop specific cell biology platform that enables Cibus to edit a single cell from a customers’ elite germplasm and grow that edited cell into a plant with the Cibus edits. Cibus has Trait Machine platforms developed for canola and rice and has already begun transferring their elite germplasm with Cibus edits back to customers.

The traits from Cibus’ RTDS-based High Throughput Breeding System are indistinguishable from traits developed using conventional breeding or from nature. RTDS does not integrate any foreign DNA or transgenes. Under the European Commission current proposals, it is expected that products from Cibus’ RTDS gene editing platform such as its pod shatter reduction trait and Sclerotinia resistance traits for Canola and Winter Oilseed Rape would be considered ‘Conventional-like’.

Cibus believes that RTDS and the Trait Machine process represent the technological breakthrough in plant breeding that is the ultimate promise of plant gene editing: High Throughput Gene Editing Systems operating as an extension of seed company breeding programs.

2024 Top Producer Next Gen Award Winner: Finding Opportunities Between the Rows

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 23:02:44 GMT

The work never stops, even if the machines do.

In Newport, Ark., Hallie Shoffner is focused on potential at her 2,000-acre operation, SFR Seed, a family business specializing in seed production and research. Shoffner is carrying on a mission her mother began in 1988.

“She trained me in how to increase pure seed stock of soybeans and rice, and it’s been a journey of me learning what she did, and then adopting new practices in the field, particularly in terms of rice work,” says Hallie Shoffner, Top Producer of the Year Next Gen Award winner, sponsored by Pioneer and Fendt.

It is somewhat of a new practice for the operation, but they now grow and maintain about 20 different rice varieties in partnership with USDA.

“We’ve been very lucky to have them helping us out in the field, so that we can build our own rice purity program,” Shoffner says.

Shoffner was raised in these fields and spent her childhood between the rows.

“When I was little, my mom gave me an option. She said, ‘You can go to church with your grandmother, or you can go scout cotton with your dad,’” Shoffner says. “And that, as a kid, that’s an easy choice, right? Because he would take me to McDonald’s, and we’d go, which he still does today. We’d stop, and he’d say, ‘Go pick me 100 squares.’ And so we’d go out, we’d pick them, bring them back to the tailgate, open them up, look for bugs, and those are some of my best memories with my dad.”

After college, encouraged to get out of ag, Shoffner lived all over the world: from Nashville to India, to Seattle, to Arkansas, then on to Peru and Spain.

“I tried a lot of different things,” Shoffner says. “I tried grant writing, I tried nonprofit work, I tried marketing, and I really didn’t find anywhere where I fit in.”

But agriculture was calling.

“My dad needed to retire because he got his dementia diagnosis,” Shoffner says. “And they said, you can come back if you want. If you don’t, we’ll just shut it down. And I thought no, please don’t do that.”

Working and training with her mother, in 2019 Shoffner took the lead as CEO and continues to focus on growing the business, searching for opportunities in specialty crops and value-added production.

“In the Delta, we’re so focused on commodities, we’re so focused on volume that we kind of lose perspective on the specialty work,” Shoffner says. “And there is a push now, knowing that the Delta has water, and places like California do not, there’s going to be a big push for specialty work here in the south.”

Shoffner is also focusing her energy on sustainability.

“I’ve seen the pressures that climate change puts on farmers, we have had either income or crop loss due to extreme weather events that are becoming consistently more inconsistent,” she says.

It’s a message and a call to action she is passionate about sharing.

“Farmers are doing their part to combat the 10% carbon emissions that we are contributing to greenhouse gases,” Shoffner says. “We need support from other industries. If we’re making the investments to go to no-till, if we’re making the investments in technology that we need to become more environmentally sustainable, other industries need to do so as well.”
This includes building a future together that makes the most of modern gene editing tools and technology.

“We can use technology to create plants that are hardier in the face of climate change, that yield better, that are disease resistant,” she says. “I think that’s the future, and we are going to become involved in a big way.

Shoffner takes this cause seriously because she has already reaped benefits from the past.

“I’m extremely privileged; I come from a long history of farming,” Shoffner says. “I’m a sixth-generation farmer. I will inherit land that’s been in our family for over 100 years. A path has been paved for me; it’s my responsibility to do the best with it that I can.”

It’s a mission she learned from the days in the field with her father and from watching her mother, the scientist.

“I watched her walk confidently into every room and speak her mind; she was the expert,” Shoffner says. “And I knew that I could do anything because I saw her do anything.”

Shoffner pours confidence and precision into every day as she works to carry on a legacy of innovation.

“I’m proud to be a farmer,” she says. “Like I said, farmers are the ultimate innovators. We have been since the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago, and I am proud to be a part of that generation.”

2024 Top Producer of the Year Finalist PJ Haynie: Advocacy And Tenacity

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:39:35 GMT

No step is too big for Top Producer finalist, PJ Haynie. Deep family roots are the foundation of his farming legacy.

“My family lineage dates back to my great-great-grandfather, who was the first African American to come out of slavery and purchase 60 acres of land on Sept. 14, 1867, in Northumberland County, Virginia,” Haynie says.

Today, his family still owns and operates a portion of that land, which is now spread across four counties in the northern neck of Virginia and near the Chesapeake Bay. His accomplishments led to be named a finalist for Top Producer of the Year, which is sponsored by BASF, Case IH, and Rabo Agrifinance.

“I spent a lot of time with my dad, and I was his walking shadow,” Haynie says. “And I tell folks that my dad tricked me into farming, you know, as I was on the floor, carpet farming with my toys, I matriculated to the bigger toys, the real ones.”

He started driving at age seven and by 10 replaced a 40-year-old hired hand. After graduating from Virgina Tech, Haynie returned to the family operation looking to build a future with a focus on technology and improving efficiency.

“Instead of planting from sunup to sundown, dad would say, ‘Hey, you can take that bubble on that roof, and you can work half the night, can’t you?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ So, he said, ‘I will get you into big fields, so you can work the night, and that way, you know, it increased our productivity with the equipment by being able to work longer days and longer hours,” Haynie says.

Today, as one of five kids, he and his four sisters still work together on the farm. But in 2010, while helping start and run a nonprofit called the National Black Growers Council, Haynie found himself in the Arkansas Delta.

He tells the story of how he and his father thought about the expansion.

“If we had a farm down south, we could probably start planting three to four weeks before we start here in Virginia,” Haynie says. “And with the equipment, we have our own trucks, let’s haul a tractor and a planter down and some equipment down, get it done, and then bring it back up to Virginia to spread the cost of that equipment over more acres.”

Sixteen hours and a thousand miles from home, Haynie went to work, building a satellite operation in Phillips County Arkansas, roughly 25 miles west of the Mississippi River.

“Here in the Delta, we have a lot of flat land,” he says. “And that’s a little different than the landscape in Virginia.”

No rolling hills and natural drainage, instead Haynie’s learning to plant on raised beds and furrow irrigate. It also opened the door to his newest endeavor: restarting an abandoned rice mill.

“When we went to this facility, we saw a diamond in the rough; we saw an opportunity,” he says. “A state-of-the-art facility that was constructed brand new in 2016 that had close to 4,000-bu. storage capacity and the milling capacity. They processed about 22 metric tons of rice per hour.”

Today, he’s running the nation’s only Black-owned rice mill.

“As a commodity farmer, no matter how much corn or wheat or soybeans that I grow that are for feed, you can’t directly take that home and feed it to your family,” Haynie says.

And thanks to new USAID contracts, he’s helping feed the world. It’s a mission he takes seriously as a farmer and a member of the Black row-crop farming community.

“You know, in 1920, there were a million Black farmers in this country, and African Americans owned 16 million acres of land. Present day, there are less than 15,000 Black row crop farmers, and less than 2 million acres of Black-owned land. And if we don’t continue to keep our foot on the gas, Black men and women in row crop production agriculture are going to be extinct.”

It’s a mission he’s working to fulfill every day.

“I’m hoping that my interest in my advocacy work, will show others in the country and other young men, who I was in their shoes one day, that through hard work and tenacity and faith, the opportunities can come your way,” he says.

Congratulations to PJ Haynie, a finalist for the 2024 Top Producer of the year.

Farming for the Future in the Heart of the Mississippi Delta

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:50:01 GMT

Finalists for the Top Producer of the Year award represent the best in the business of farming, specifically entrepreneurial originality; financial and business progress; and industry and community leadership. This is not an award about size or scope. Instead, it focuses on professionalism, sophistication and innovation. Congratulations to Silent Shade Planting Company, the 2023 Top Producer of the Year award winner. The Jack family was recognized at a ceremony held Jan. 24 during Top Producer Summit in Nashville.

To tell the story of Silent Shade Planting Company , you have to rewind to 1979. Willard Jack and Laura Lee, newlyweds at the time, were in search of less expensive land with room to grow. They found just that and moved from Ontario, Canada to Mississippi.

As the operation grew, so did the family. But an unexpected obstacle resulted in a course change that put son Jeremy on a new path.

“He thought he wanted to work in D.C., and he did work there for a while, but then I was diagnosed with cancer,” Willard says.

Knowing his parents would have to sell the farm if his father got any sicker, Jeremy decided D.C. wasn’t for him and moved back to Mississippi. Within five years, Jeremy took over the day- to-day operations of Silent Shade as CEO/COO.

Today, the family farms more than 11,000 acres in the Mississippi Delta growing cotton, corn, soybeans and rice. In addition to Willard, Laura Lee and Jeremy, the family business includes Jeremy’s wife, Elizabeth, and his sister, Stacie Koger, as CFO.

Together Is Better

“There’s always something going on, so the only way to keep everybody on the same page is to overcommunicate,” Jeremy says.

From a variety of crops that require irrigation and aerial fertilizer applications, even moving dirt and managing their own trucking company, the management piece of Silent Shade is the key. The work is done together, line by line, plan by plan. It’s all discussed out in the open.

And it’s not just decisions for today. Farming for the future is rooted in everything this operation does.

“The decisions we’re making today might not be beneficial in our lifetime, but they will be for future generations,” Jeremy says.

Through the help of technology and a dedicated team of employees, continuous improvement sprouts in every step.

“For years and years, we’ve had data flowing in. We didn’t know what we could do with it all. We just had a bunch of garbage data,” Jeremy says.

At the time, that data didn’t benefit the overall goal, but now that data and technology are tools that allow the farm to hold sway over decisions from anywhere.

“Now the great thing is we can have all this good information instantly, and know what we’re looking at and how we’re doing it,” Jeremy adds.

It’s evident just how much Silent Shade has grown. Success that germinates by prioritizing their farm family and how they care for the land, both of which continue to be some of life’s greatest gifts.

Congratulations to the Jack family and Silent Shade on being the 2023 Top Producer of the Year award winner.

Get to know the other 2023 Top Producer award winners:

Engel Family Farms, Top Producer of the Year finalist

MoDak Dairy, Top Producer of the Year finalist

Marcia Ruff, Executive Women in Agriculture Trailblazer Award

Trey Wasserburger, Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award

How the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Package Might Impact Your Operation

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 17:19:29 GMT

Text of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package was released early Tuesday morning. The Senate will vote first and intends to pass the measure before Thursday, leaving the House no time to demand changes before the Christmas holiday.

Here are the details that might impact your farm:

Disaster Relief

• $250 million in aid to rice producers and $100 million to cotton merchandisers to make up for losses related to the pandemic or supply chain disruptions. USDA previously provided $80 million in aid to textile mills and other cotton users. For rice, USDA would determine payment rates based on yield history and acreage.

• $40.6 billion for drought, hurricanes, flooding, wildfire, natural disasters and other matters — $3.7 billion in disaster aid for farmers to cover 2022 crop and livestock losses.

Food Aid

• Funds two programs that provide foreign food aid. These include the Food for Peace Program (PL 480), which is funded at $1.8 billion, and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program, which is funded at $248 million, for an increase of $11 million over fiscal year 2022.

• Summer Meals Program Modernization: Updates the summer food service program to permanently allow states to provide non-congregate meals and summer electronic benefit (EBT) options nationwide to eligible children in addition to meals provided at congregate feeding sites. Non-congregate meals, such as grab-and-go or home delivery, would be provided in rural areas to eligible children, and summer EBT benefits would be capped at $40 per child per month. This provision is fully offset and based largely on the Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act, which Boozman authored and introduced earlier this Congress.

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT Skimming Regulations and Reimbursement: Requires USDA to coordinate with relevant agencies and stakeholders to investigate reports of stolen SNAP benefits through card skimming, cloning and other similar fraudulent methods. This provision aims to identify the extent of the problem, develop methods to prevent fraud and improve security measures, and provide replacement of benefits stolen through these fraudulent actions.

Conservation

• Cracks down on “conservation easements,” which allow tax breaks when land is dedicated for conservation purposes. The IRS has identified the transactions as a method for avoiding taxes. The conservation easement provision was expected to raise between $6 billion and $7 billion.

• SUSTAINS Act: Enacts a House bill that allows corporations and other private entities to contribute funding for conservation projects and authorizes USDA to match up to 75% in matching the donations.

Inputs

• Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA 5) Reauthorization: Reauthorizes pesticide registration and review process user-fee programs administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and increases registration and maintenance fees to support a more predictable regulatory process, create additional process improvements, and provide resources for safety, training, bilingual labeling, and other services to advance the safe and effective use of pesticides.

• Pesticide Registration Review Deadline Extension: Extends deadline for EPA to complete registration review decisions for all pesticide products registered as of October 1, 2007. EPA is facing a significant backlog of pesticide registrations due to a variety of factors over the past several years, which raises potential implications for continued access to numerous crop protection tools. The agency will be allowed to continue its registration review work through October 1, 2026, as a result of this extension.

Climate

• Growing Climate Solutions Act: Incorporates updated language from the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which directs USDA to establish a program to register entities that provide technical assistance and verification for farmers, ranchers and foresters who participate in voluntary carbon markets with the goal of providing information and confidence to producers.

Farm Business

• $1.92 billion for farm programs, which is $55 million above the fiscal year 2022 enacted level. This includes $61 million to resolve ownership and succession of farmland issues, also known as heirs’ property issues. This funding will continue support for various farm, conservation, and emergency loan programs, and help American farmers and ranchers. It will also meet estimates of demand for farm loan programs.

• Funding for specialty crops and remarks on crop insurance/A&O. Some $25 million is being made available for specialty crop equitable relief and report language directing USDA to use its legal authority to index all A&O (crop insurance program) for inflation and provide equitable relief for specialty crops going forward.

Livestock

• Livestock Mandatory Reporting Extension (LMR) Extension: Extends livestock mandatory reporting requirements until September 30, 2023. LMR requires meat packers and importers to report the prices they pay for cattle, hogs, and sheep purchased for slaughter and prices received for meats derived from such species to USDA who then publishes daily, weekly, and monthly public reports detailing these transactions.

Markets

• Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Whistleblower Program Extension: Enables CFTC to continue payment of salaries, customer education initiatives and non-awards expenses related to the whistleblower program to ensure it can continue to function even when awards obligated to whistleblowers exceed the program fund’s balance at the time of distribution.

Some ag sector items that did NOT make the omnibus package:

Nothing for the proposed farmworker labor reforms from Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and others. The bill also left out legislation to reform cattle markets or appoint a special investigator at USDA to investigate possible anti-competitive behavior in the meatpacking sector.

We’ll be updating this article as more details become available.

More on policy :

Water Resources Bill Reauthorized with a Component that Will Impact Producers
European Union Clinches a Deal on a Carbon Border Tax
U.S.'s “Candid” GMO Corn Conversation With Mexico Results In Changes To Looming Trade Dispute
Senate Clears Annual Defense Policy, Pushing $858 Billion to Military

Hostage to GMO Hysteria: Golden Rice Saga Lingers as Malnourished Suffer

Tue, 10 May 2022 13:41:02 GMT

What if a partial solution to the plight of millions of dying children was a mere bowl of grain, but the sustaining food was pushed away in the name of science? Welcome to the saga of Golden Rice.

Annually, roughly 250,000-500,000 children in Southeast Asia and Africa go from blindness to death caused by vitamin A deficiency (VAD). In a telltale pattern stemming from a lack of vitamin A, they first lose sight, then succumb to severe decimation of the immune system, and often die within 12 months. Even though 5.2 million children suffer with vision impairment and a potential death sentence, Golden Rice, a contributory answer to the global VAD malady, is not allowed to be sold in commercial seed sales—yet.

Since its initial development as a genetically-modified crop in the late 1990s, beta-carotene infused Golden Rice has faced waves of opposition from activist groups such as Greenpeace. Over 20 years and millions of VAD-related deaths later, the crop remains sidelined, despite enhancements and field testing. Whether Golden rice ultimately serves as a life-sustaining food source for poverty-stricken children, the denial of access to the distinctly yellow grain has been influenced by the anti-GMO activist pulpit.

Patrick Moore , a Greenpeace cofounder, and apostate from the organization’s current ideological positions, spoke plainly in 2016: “If Golden Rice were a cure for Ebola, malaria, or HIV-AIDS, it would have been approved years ago.”

The Trojan Horse

Despite the uproar from anti-GMO campaigners, Golden Rice presently is inching toward consumers in the Philippines, a remarkable advance, considering militants trampled and destroyed a Golden Rice field trial in the Southeast Asian country during 2013. Eight years later, on July 21, 2021, the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rice Research Institute issued a biosafety permit. Translated: Golden Rice can now be grown in the Philippines for commercial production, but market hurdles remain in place (varietal registration).

Even after two decades of claims and counterclaims, Golden Rice stirs a significant amount of confusion in the public eye, says Donald MacKenzie , executive director of the Institute for International Crop Improvement (ICCI) at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center . “There’s a level of misinformation and lack of information on the state of Golden Rice. People think it’s already being grown for consumption, or they have no idea of its true status. The story of Golden Rice is a long one that people have heard in small pieces for 20 years.”

Approximately 3 billion people across the globe rely on rice as a main staple. In contrast with other staple crops, such as corn, wheat, or potatoes, rice lacks beta-carotene. (Yellow in color, beta-carotene is vital to the human body as a precursor of vitamin A production.) Consequently, vitamin A deficiency (VAD) often surfaces in rice-dependent countries.

Following a decade of research, two humanitarian scientists, Ingo Potrykus of Switzerland and Peter Beyer from Germany, inserted beta-carotene genes from daffodils and corn into rice DNA in 1999. Syngenta modified Golden Rice in 2005, using genes from corn and a beta-carotene producing bacterium. Syngenta gave sublicensing rights to the non-profit Golden Rice Humanitarian Board (GRHB), which provided Golden Rice to research institutions.

As Golden Rice research progressed, Greenpeace, GMWatch, Soil Association, and other advocacy groups cast the grain as fool’s gold. Greenpeace declared Golden Rice as a threat to health and food security: "…not only is GE ‘Golden’ rice an ineffective tool to combat VAD it is also environmentally irresponsible, poses risks to human health, and compromises food security.”

Greenpeace opposition, MacKenzie says, is largely based in ideology. “Some people, for whatever reason, are opposed to the genetic engineering of crops. Therefore, they are opposed to Golden Rice. Of course, some in the opposition have posited that Golden Rice is the thin edge of a wedge, or a Trojan horse of more GM crops. I don’t subscribe to that belief and if Golden Rice can help save dying children and make their lives better off, then it is a worthwhile pursuit.”

Voices Carry

In the Philippines, 1.7 million children (aged 6 months to 5 years) are affected by varying VAD levels, according to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). A mere bowl and a half of Golden Rice can provide up to 50% of a child’s daily beta-carotene needs, cites MacKenzie. “The exact amount varies upon time of measurement, because just like in carrots or any other similar source, the amount of beta-carotene diminishes over time,” he notes. “If you measure the rice at harvest, the levels are 20-30 parts per million. Three months later it declines to 5-6 parts per million, depending on the variety of rice the trait has been bred into. Nonetheless, when you account for degradation and losses in cooking, children consuming a bowl and a half of Golden Rice per day could meet 30%-50% of estimated average requirements for vitamin A.”

Golden Rice is a complementary beta-carotene source, and not a silver bullet. A balanced diet is a cure-all for VAD, but beta-carotene deficiencies affect the poorest of the poor—those who can’t afford or don’t have access to proper dietary intake. Additionally, humanitarian organizations offer highly effective vitamin A pills to combat VAD, but medical supplements are dependent on logistics and budget.

“Golden Rice is a tool, and not the end-all, be-all for vitamin A deficiency,” MacKenzie emphasizes. “Governments already have vitamin A supplementation programs, but Golden Rice is an additional way to help dying children. Every means we have to prevent vitamin A deficiency is needed. There have been an incredibly large amount of disadvantaged people cast aside and propelled closer to blindless or death.”

Without consistent opposition from Greenpeace and other activist organizations, would Golden Rice be closer to market? “That’s a hard question to quantify categorically,” MacKenzie says. “Could we have had Golden Rice five years earlier? I don’t know, but certainly the opposition has made an impact. It tends to make decision and policy makers hesitant to come out and endorse or make a decision in favor of Golden Rice. It is a matter of perception, where influence is generated not by the number of voices, but by how loud the voices are. Other things have also slowed Golden Rice, but there’s no question that a small number of people in opposition get noticed.”

“The Health of Millions”

Resistance to genetic crop innovation is not isolated to Golden Rice. Cowpea and casava, both vital subsistence crops in Africa, have faced tremendous opposition from activist organizations.

In June 2021, pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea gained market release in Nigeria and potentially could boost cowpea production in the country by “by 20-100%,” according to a Danforth Center release. Approximately 8 million Nigerian farming families will “benefit directly” from growing the new insect-resistant variety.

“The value of PBR cowpea is clear to farmers, and it’s highly effective in controlling legume borer which can decimate 80% of a crop,” MacKenzie says. “It is a genuine gamechanger.”

In Kenya, cassava with resistance to brown streak disease ( CBSD ), reliant on technology developed by the Danforth Center, is close to the national testing stage. CBSD is highly virulent and capable of inflicting 100% losses in a cassava crop. A third of Africa’s entire population relies on cassava roots for 50% of daily calories.

“Resistant varieties of cowpea and cassava have both faced heavy, organized opposition just because they involve genetic engineering,” MacKenzie adds. “What about the health of millions of lives at stake?”

The Poster Child

At present, Golden Rice is undergoing variety registration in the Philippines. If the process lasts another year, as MacKenzie hopes, the first varieties could be available to farmers in 2022. “Our vision is subsistence farmers growing Golden Rice for their own families, and others pushing it into the market for urban populations,” he explains.

Elsewhere, the Golden Rice Project is focused on Bangladesh. An application for cultivation of Golden Rice has stalled with Bangladeshi reviewers since the fall of 2017. Presently, no applications for Golden Rice are afoot beyond Bangladesh and the Philippines, but vitamin A deficiency is a significant problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and other Southeast Asian countries.

Over two decades beyond the efforts of Potrykus and Beyer, Golden Rice waits. Has it been held hostage by hysteria? “At least in some degree,” MacKenzie contends. “It’s not the total solution to vitamin A deficiency, but it’s a major help where supplement programs and capsules don’t reach.”

“Whether all the arguments are right or wrong, Golden Rice has been the poster child for biotechnology for several decades,” MacKenzie concludes. “When you are the poster child, you are a lightning rod for the opposition. Bottom line, even though it has been blocked by so many people at so many levels, Golden Rice could be a partial remedy for a deadly problem faced by millions of dying children.”

To read more stories from Chris Bennett (cbennett@farmjournal.com), see:

Tractorcade: How an Epic Convoy and Legendary Farmer Army Shook Washington, D.C.

Bagging the Tomato King: The Insane Hunt for Agriculture’s Wildest Con Man

How a Texas Farmer Killed Agriculture’s Debt Dragon

While America Slept, China Stole the Farm

Bizarre Mystery of Mummified Coon Dog Solved After 40 Years

The Arrowhead whisperer: Stunning Indian Artifact Collection Found on Farmland

Where’s the Beef: Con Artist Turns Texas Cattle Industry Into $100M Playground

Fleecing the Farm: How a Fake Crop Fueled a Bizarre $25 Million Ag Scam

Skeleton In the Walls: Mysterious Arkansas Farmhouse Hides Civil War History

US Farming Loses the King of Combines

Ghost in the House: A Forgotten American Farming Tragedy

Rat Hunting with the Dogs of War, Farming’s Greatest Show on Legs

Misfit Tractors a Money Saver for Arkansas Farmer

Government Cameras Hidden on Private Property? Welcome to Open Fields

Farmland Detective Finds Youngest Civil War Soldier’s Grave?

Descent Into Hell: Farmer Escapes Corn Tomb Death

Evil Grain: The Wild Tale of History’s Biggest Crop Insurance Scam

Grizzly Hell: USDA Worker Survives Epic Bear Attack

Farmer Refuses to Roll, Rips Lid Off IRS Behavior

Killing Hogzilla: Hunting a Monster Wild Pig

Shattered Taboo: Death of a Farm and Resurrection of a Farmer

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Climate-Friendly Rice Provides Missouri Farmer a Price Premium, New Carbon Credit Income

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 20:49:03 GMT

This article was written by David Frabotta, Manager, Climate-Smart Ag Interactive Programming for Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative. Learn more at www.trustinfood.com

Steve McKaskle of McKaskle Family Farm says the best way to survive the future is to create it, and that’s why he’s on the bleeding edge of agronomic practices that fit into a larger vision he has for U.S. agriculture.

“American farmers will become the new Amazon rainforest” with their ability to sequester greenhouse gases and limit emissions on a massive scale. “These are not dreams or predictions. They are works in progress,” McKaskle said at the Trust In Food Symposium in February.

McKaskle has a history of evolution, beginning with a shift to organic agriculture on the fifth-generation farm that he runs with his wife, Kaye. The 3,000-acre operation in Missouri was a pioneer in organic cotton following the farm financial crisis of the late 1970s and 1980s, when farmers were trying new things to make ends meet.

“It was time for a change,” he says.

In the early ’90s, he began his plan to capture a premium price on long-staple organic cotton, and it worked, despite Roundup Ready simultaneously hitting the market. The plan grew over the years to include organic popcorn, Basmati and long-grain rice, soybeans and corn – all of which now can be purchased directly by consumers under the farm’s Braggadocio brand. He has also been dubbed “the Chipotle rice whisperer” as the largest and only organic rice supplier to the fast-casual chain, and he has relationships with Whole Foods Market, United Natural Foods, KeHE and Blue Apron.

His newest venture is AgriCapture Certified Climate-Friendly Rice , , a label that verifies that rice is grown in a sustainable manner that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. The AgriCapture program provides quantified advantages for corporate buyers, including reduced scope 3 emissions and an increased price point that farmers also realize compared to conventional rice.

There are 22,000 acres of AgriCapture Climate-Friendly rice in cultivation, resulting in up to 80% reductions in methane emissions compared to conventional rice and three fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per acre.

How It Works
Climate-friendly rice cultivation mulches rice straw back into the ground and minimizes flooding organic matter. This avoids emissions from burning, reduces methanogenesis, and increases soil organic carbon up to 0.5 metric tons equivalent per acre. McKaskle’s pilot project showed a 72% reduction in methane emission relative to the state average.

There are additional financial benefits beyond the ecolabel that will allow McKaskle to earn a premium for his grains from consumers and corporate buyers. The program also allows him to participate in carbon markets, adding a new revenue stream to his operation. Because carbon credits are based on additionality, the farm’s long-standing regenerative agriculture practices makes it harder for it to generate carbon credits. A byproduct of the AgriCapture certification program is the data management and analysis to provide documentation and support for additionality of new practices for carbon market eligibility.

“Climate-friendly crops are a reality, and we are already capturing carbon credits,” McKaskle says.
There are agronomic benefits, too, including reduced water use, resiliency from severe weather, nutrient-enhanced soils, and less need for herbicides and fertilizers.

“The crops of the next few years will control the weeds around them on their own,” McKaskle says.

“Herbicides will be limited in the near future, and soon there will be no need for herbicides … and synthetic nitrogen will be needed on a limited basis or not at all.”

While cultural practices and breeding innovation will continue to provide plants that require less intensification, McKaskle says he hopes farmers around the country will begin to take advantage of more opportunities uncovered by the world’s priorities on climate, emerging consumer trends and domestic demand that could mitigate reliance on international commodity markets and foreign trade.

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50% Surge in Fertilizer Prices Adds $128,000 in On-Farm Costs for 2022, Finds Texas A&M Study

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 16:51:34 GMT

As farmers furiously try to price and source fertilizer ahead of the spring rush, a new report from the Texas A&M Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) shows supply chain disruptions are wreaking havoc on nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous prices, costing feedgrain farms the most.

The AFPC conducted an economic impact study on fertilizer prices at the request of U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.).

“I think the impetus for it was, you know, her office hearing from concerned constituents back home, and nationally, it’s a concern that I think a lot of producers are having across the country,” says Bart Fischer, Co-Director Of The Agricultural & Food Policy Center, Texas A&M University. “That concern really is across the board on all inputs with inflation and the general supply chain concerns resulting from COVID. We were asked to look specifically at fertilizer impacts. And so her office reached out asking if we would do an analysis on the impact of increased fertilizer costs on the representative farms that we maintain here at the Ag and Food Policy Center.”

The study found several key points, including:

As the nation struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of supply chain disruptions continue to wreak havoc on agricultural input markets, both in terms of availability and cost of inputs. In the case of fertilizer, prices have exploded over the past year.
Under FAPRI’s August 2021 baseline outlook, nitrogen prices were expected to increase about 10% in 2022. Based on current spot market prices, it appears as though fertilizer prices will increase in excess of 80% for the 2022 planting season (relative to 2021).
The report found that the largest whole-farm impact would fall on AFPC’s feedgrain farms at an average of $128,000 per farm.
The largest per-acre impact would fall on AFPC’s rice farms at $62.04 per acre.

AFBC’s analysis was presented relative to the August 2021 FAPRI Baseline analysis, which is the same baseline many in Washington D.C. use as a guide for policy. AFBC then used a modeling system utilizing AFPC’s 64 representative crop farms across the U.S.

Texas A&M economists found heading into spring planting, fertilizer prices are up 80% compared to 2021, and in some cases, farmers are seeing certain fertilizer prices more than double what they saw last year. But for the report, AFPC was conservative in its estimate, using a 50% increase in fertilizer costs.

“On our on our feed grain farms, the impact was an increase in costs of about $128,000, just due to fertilizer costs alone. And so if you’re a producer sitting here with no idea where prices are going to go in 2022, but knowing that you’re trying to finance your operations and contemplating getting a crop in the ground here very soon, these are huge, huge considerations,” says Fischer. “It’s no surprise why there’s so much angst among amongst ag producers, because they’re the ones trying to figure out how to pay for this increase costs.”

“Here’s the key line in the report,” says Jim Wiesemeyer, ProFarmer Washington Correspondent. “Given the farm safety net is not designed to address rapidly rising cost of production, there are growing concerns in the countryside about the need for additional assistance, end of quote. Now, this report could be used by both lawmakers and farm groups to at least urge that Congress act on this issue.”

While the economic study from Texas A&M shows higher fertilizer prices are dampening the net farm income outlook for 2022, Wiesemeyer says it’s still unknown if and when Congress will take action on the rise in fertilizer prices.

The impact this could have on policy is also something AFPC economists explored in the economic impact study just released this week. While the economists didn’t outline set solutions, the economists did provide perspective, saying current Farm Bill Safety nets aren’t designed to handle a sudden increase in costs. And if Congress or USDA opted to go the route of direct payments, AFPC found the spike in fertilizer costs across all farms equates to an added production cost of $42 per acre.

The two key observations concluded in the survey include:

The farm safety net is designed primarily to address price and yield risk or a combination of the two (i.e. revenue volatility). It is not designed to account for reductions in net farm income due to increased costs of production.
Second, whether through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) or the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, Congress and the Biden administration have a solid roadmap for addressing COVID-related strains in the farm economy. The situation currently facing producers would certainly seem to fit that mold.

“In terms of design [by Congress] It could take a number of forms, but the point we observed is that there’s really already a framework there,” says Fischer. “The rounds of CFAP that have come before, that would be a perfectly fine vehicle if Congress chose to weigh in and do something, because it often comes down to a matter of just deciding on the amount of support ,and just in this report alone, we can concluded it $42 an acre, on average, just from fertilizer increases alone.”

Not Just Price, Also Supply Questions

It’s not just climbing fertilizer prices that pose a problem for producers, it’s also availability that’s an issue for farmers still trying to source inputs for 2022. The most recent Ag Economy Barometer from Purdue University found nearly 40% of farmers had some difficulty purchasing inputs for the 2022 season.

“From a regulatory side, the U.S. government could work with the railroads to prioritize the movement of fertilizer and de-emphasize the movement of coal. I’ve heard that being talked about, but whether or not there’s a specific payment to temper the run-up in prices, I think will be hard to get through the legislative route,” Wiesemeyer says.

Wiesemeyer adds another option would be the Biden administration issuing an Executive Order to help with any relief on the supply side and policy solutions. That’s as farmers are running out of time to find fertilizer relief before spring planting this year.

More Background on the Data

AFPC says the data to simulate farming operations in their studies comes primarily from AFPC’s database of representative farms.

“Information to describe and simulate these farms comes from panels of farmers (typically four to six producers per location) located in major production regions in 21 states across the United States. The farm panels are reconvened frequently to update the representative farm data.”

As the chart shows, the economists say the representative farms are categorized by their primary source of receipts, whether that be feedgrain, wheat, cotton or rice.

AFPC says the representative farm database has been used for policy analysis for over 30 years, analyzing the impacts of proposed policies on the past seven farm bills. The group used the same methodology in 2021 to calculate the possible cost of the Biden administration’s proposed tax changes . At the time of the study, the economists found Biden’s proposed tax changes would cause family farms to accrue additional debt just to be able to pay for the added costs.

Read more AFPC publications here .

FMC To Introduce Two New Herbicide Modes Of Action In Next Decade

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 14:16:22 GMT

In a world where resistant weeds run rampant, one chemical company is bringing relief to corn, soybean and rice farmers. FMC will introduce a novel rice herbicide and a corn and soybean herbicide in the next five to ten years.

“When we say new mode of action, it means there’s not a product on the market today for that crop or that use,” says Kathy Shelton, FMC vice president and chief technology officer. “We have one molecule in our pipeline today that doesn’t have a name yet that focuses on rice, against grasses mainly, and we’re looking in that chemical group for new molecules that would be effective in corn and soybeans.

“We’re also excited about another unnamed molecule—a new MOA [modes of action] in corn and soybeans that is extremely effective on Palmer amaranth,” she adds. “We’re expecting this one to launch in 2026.”

These discoveries are significant because they mark not only a new active ingredient, but new MOA as well. This give farmers a leg-up on target weeds as the pests have never been exposed to this nature of chemical.

The rice molecule is further along in the pipeline and could launch in the next five years. Each molecule costs from $150 to $170 million to produce, depending on regulatory timelines and other unexpected expenses. Chemical companies estimate a two-year regulatory review and about six years for internal testing and discovery.

What you need to know about the corn and soybean molecule. If you’re like many farmers, itching for a new herbicide in corn and soybeans, here’s what you can expect from FMC’s new MOA.

It’s for pre-emergent use. “It’s safe for soybean rotation—plant back isn’t an issue,” Shelton says.
Right now, the primary use is in corn but FMC is working to make it available in soybeans, too.
FMC is not a seed company and doesn’t have accompanying seed products to offer in-season herbicide use.
High levels of efficacy against Palmer amaranth, waterhemp and red root pigweed

The company is placing an emphasis on protecting their investment through stewardship, too.

“We will probably sell this as a mixture with multiple MOA and combine that with integrated pest management best practices,” Shelton says.

The discovery advanced to development in 2017 and could hit the market in just eight years. FMC is testing the molecule in corn, soybeans, sugarcane and cotton.

Rice farmers will soon have a new herbicide to fight resistant grasses. Patented in 2014, FMC tested more than 3,000 versions of the molecule before finding the crop-safe version for rice growers.

“It’s the safest molecule we could find for all kinds of rice and agronomic practices across geographies,” Shelton says. “We haven’t found the best version of this molecule for corn and soybeans yet, but we have strong leads.”

Herbicide stewardship is critical moving forward. Farmers need to preserve and protect current herbicides on the market until new options are commercialized, and then protect new herbicides when they’re available.

FMC Scales Up In Ag Market

FMC will spin off its lithium business, Livent, in March to become a pure-play agriculture chemical company. In 2010, the company was composed of nine unique businesses, and today it’s placing its bets in the ag industry.

“Ag companies were consolidating in 2016, and to remain competitive we decided to focus our company on the ag markets,” says Pierre Brondeau, CEO and chairman, FMC. “We looked for opportunities that could arise from the consolidation of these large technology-focused companies. The acquisition of a large part of the DuPont Crop Protection business was a great fit for us, positioning FMC as one of the five leading innovation-based ag companies with a very strong commercial portfolio and R&D pipeline.”

After acquisitions and investment, today the company spends between $300 million and $400 million in research and development. All of that money goes into chemical and biological research—no seed.

“Our challenge is to bring the best chemistry to the marketplace, we are not in seeds,” says Mark Douglas, FMC president and COO. Despite being smaller than the other “big four,” FMC says it likely spends as much or more on agricultural chemical research than anyone else because of their singular focus.

“You haven’t seen the best of us yet and that is the exciting part,” Douglas says. “When I see all we have today starting to gel and hit its stride it’s unbelievably exciting. We’re performing at such a high level today and we’re just getting started.”