(NAFB.com) – USDA’s most recent reports, including Commodity Costs and Returns, World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates, and Farm Sector Income & Finances reports, all confirm what U.S. agriculture has known for years. U.S. farm income is under immense pressure. A new report from the American Farm Bureau Federation said farm financial stress is severe and persistent. Margins are below breakeven for many crops, working capital has eroded, Chapter 12 bankruptcy is on the rise, and a recent lender survey shows that profits will be elusive in 2026. Trade losses have compounded the increasing economic pressures. “While recent trade agreements and frameworks provide optimism, products have yet to move in significant volumes, and cash prices for commodities remain under pressure,” said study author John Newton. “For farmers who had to sell at harvest price lows due to a lack of storage, the benefits of recently announced trade frameworks will come too late.”
