The 2002 Farm Bill alters loan rates such that corn production may become more profitable relative to soybean production. As a result, some Illinois farmers may increase corn acres while they decrease soybean acres. This newsletter analyzes the economics of such a switch by 1) describing features of the 2002 Farm Bill that increase the attractiveness of corn versus soybean production, 2) analyzing costs and returns for growing corn and soybeans under different rotations, and 3) analyzing how corn yields relative to soybean yields affect the decision to switch from soybean acres to corn acres.
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