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Farm Bill What-If Tool
This program calculates Agricultural Risk Coverage for County Coverage (ARC-CO), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments, and ARC at the Individual Level (ARC-IC). County yields and market year average (MYA) prices…
Crop Insurance Summary of Business Tool
This program calculates crop insurance historical use and performance back to 1996.
ECO/SCO Payment Estimator
Farm Projection Tool
This program calculates per-acre budgets for different crops and a whole farm budget and includes breakevens. Projected financial statements and return sensitivities are available. The effects of farm level crop…
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Latest farmdoc Daily Articles
Illinois Farm Real Estate Values Increase Six Years in a Row
Each year the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases estimated average farm real estate values by state (USDA NASS, Land Values 2026…
How Farmer Sentiment Compares in the United States and Argentina
The comparison of two ag economy barometers shows that farmers in the United States and Argentina entered mid-2026 with different views of the years ahead. Argentine producers expressed a more favorable outlook for the crop sector and were more likely to expect farmland prices to increase, while livestock expectations were positive in both countries. At the same time, producers shared several concerns about farm finances, especially high input costs, low commodity prices, and weather risk.
A Pre- and Post-Report Look at the 2026 U.S. Soybean Yield
The USDA’s August Crop Production report, released on August 12, 2026, included the first survey-based yield forecast for soybeans of the season. This article presents an independently constructed, condition-based forecast of the 2026 U.S. soybean crop and compares it to what USDA recently reported. The national gap between our condition-based model and USDA’s August survey is modest in both the corn and soybean crops.
Capital Purchases and Machinery Depreciation on Illinois Grain Farms
Over the past ten years, average annual capital purchases on Illinois grain farms have exceeded average annual net farm income, with government payments included in income. Generally, income from other sources has been used to fund farm-level capital purchases, much of which has been allocated to machinery. Over time, machinery purchases then have resulted in growing machinery depreciation costs on a per-acre basis.
Which FSA Farm Loan Borrowers Filed Bankruptcy between 2015-2025?
Bankruptcies have peaked and ebbed in relation to movements in farm income and government payments. Over the past decade, they have tended to cluster in specific states or regions, Wisconsin and Arkansas for example, and in specific sectors, particularly dairy, rice, cotton, and beef cattle. Bankruptcies are more likely to have a greater impact on specific types of borrowers, in particular beginning farmers and those qualifying for limited-resource programs or debt set-aside measures.
Comparison of Long-Run Rates of Return for Crop and Livestock Farms
A structural shift in global grain markets that started in 2007 had major impacts on both crop and livestock prices as well as enterprise net returns. Did this structural shift result in differing rates of return for crop and livestock farms? This article uses aggregate commodity price indices for crop and livestock enterprises, and rates of return for beef, dairy, diversified, and crop farms derived from the FINBIN database to address this question.
Latest Farm Policy News Articles
Diesel Prices Soar Ahead of U.S. Harvest Season
Diesel prices are soaring just as the energy-thirsty peak of harvest season looms for many of the country’s largest crops. Mid-August diesel prices are at their highest levels in the…
Corn Futures Above $5 for First Time in 18 Months
Corn futures topped the $5-a-bushel mark for the first time in 18 months as weaker-than-expected US crop tour results add to global supply concerns for the staple grain.
Morocco Phosphate Fertilizer Returns to U.S. Market
A vessel carrying approximately 54,000 metric tons of Triple Super Phosphate has arrived at the Port of New Orleans, marking the return of Moroccan phosphate fertilizer to the U.S. market…
Inflation-Adjusted Midwest Farmland Values Fall Most Since 2016
When adjusted for inflation, values in the Federal Reserve’s Seventh District fell 3.7% year over year in the second quarter of 2026 — the steepest real decline in a decade…
Tractor Sales Fall in July Amid Continued Ag Economy Pressure
U.S. tractor sales were down 10.9%, while combine sales fell 5.3% year-over-year in July 2026, according to sales data the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) released this week.